Before I Am Eligible to Retire

I was thinking the other day, while I sat in my French as a second language class, what will bilingualism look like in 20 years? You see, I have more than 20 years left before I am eligible for retirement. I quickly note that fact each year my pension statement arrives.

I can already access instantaneous text translation online, quick search dictionaries and even a fledgling attempt at converting audio from movies into subtitles in another language. To be clear, they are all far from perfect, but they can very often get the point of the message across even if not the exact phrasing. I can even speak to my phone and have it complete simple actions. I particularly like checking the weather in the morning without touching the device and then trying it again in the other official language.

Think 20 years from now, when what language I choose may be inconsequential. Or at least it may be less important than the device I choose to carry.

Before I am eligible to retire.

Thanks for reading. Have an awesome month.

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Craig Sellars is a passionate Canadian public servant and biologist. Connect with Craig on Twitter @CraigSellars.

Tags: bilingualism, Canadian public service, French language