I too am an immigrant. My siblings and I never became fluent in our parents' mother tongue or our home country's official language. But I'm glad we became highly proficient in English instead. I would have liked to be fluent in French too but living in the GTA there is very little opportunity. My view is that, while cultural differences enrich us as a civilization, speaking different languages is actually a barrier. If you can't clearly understand what others are saying, how can you possibly bridge the divide between people…even people of the SAME culture. It's only when you can communicate that you can share ideas, philosophies, and reach understanding. Canada is one of the most diverse and tolerant nations in the world. But we need to insist that all citizens learn to speak at least one of the official languages. Otherwise we will create even more separate solitudes that divide and damage us as a country.