I agree with Jean-Paul's response to Henry.  We are all aware - whatever
language we work in - that language in our written presentations differs
from spoken language (usually it is somewhat more formal, structured,
and grammatical).

Here at the National Gallery of Canada all of our publications, labels,
panels, signage, pamphlets, films, videos, CD-ROMs, ads and promotional
materials, everything in fact, is produced in French and English (labels
in our Inuit galleries are in English, French, and Inuktitut!!!).  The key
elements are a staff familiar with both English and French working with
professional editors and translators familiar with our subject matter and
cognizant of the fluid interface between formal language and popular
usage.

We seldom run into difficulties with our approach to bilingualism, and in
the rare instances when we do, we try to be responsive to feedback from
our audiences.

Greg Spurgeon
National Gallery of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario



On Tue, 13 Aug 1996, Jean-Paul Viaud wrote:

> Henri Gunter a écrit:
> 
> > I'm a little unclear about this label language business. For
> > instance, when the Canadians speak of "French," do they mean
> > the language of the Hexagon and the Academy? Or do they mean
> > the dialect used in Canada.
> 
> You know, I do not think that one can qualify the french spoken in 
> Canada as a "dialect".
> 
> It is as much "french" as the language spoken by Alsacians, 
> Bordelais, Bretons, Parisians or Savoyards (and some more...)
> 
> And what english do american museums use for their labels ?
> 
> The one from Britain, or a North-American "dialect" ???
> 
> If the english spoken in the US is different from the one spoken
> in Canada, in Britain or Australia, it does'nt mean it's a dialect...
> And for what I hear from American TV, it seems that quite a lot
> of "flavors" exist in the english spoken in the US. 
> 
> 
> For me, the french in Canada is the same french that the one spoken
> in France, but with some particularities.
> 
> Nothing more, nothing less than the different "flavors" spoken
> in France.
> 
> Jean-Paul Viaud
> curator, canadian railway museum
> St-Constant (Québec)
> [log in to unmask]
>