Disclaimer

I am using an automatic transcript service as it is not possible for me to do it on my own and I cannot afford human transcription at the moment. The service claims to have about 95% accuracy, which means there will still be some mistakes, so my apologies for having a less than perfect transcript, but I hope I can afford human transcription soon and I will solve this problem. However, the service is pretty good, and the transcript is almost perfect.

Transcript

Welcome to a new episode from English plus podcast. Today, we’re going to talk about Canadian literature and I will have to apologize and say that this is only the short version I’ve been working on the long version to talk about Canadian literature. And we will have the full version ready in a week or two.

[00:00:23] So I’m sorry. Today. We will only have to do with a short version, but I decided not to cancel the episode altogether and it might be a good introduction to Canadian literature. Very short introduction, actually. And then in the coming weeks, we will talk Canadian literature in more detail. So without further ado, let’s start talking about Canadian literature.

[00:00:43] Now, Canadian literature developed slowly today. However, literature is thriving in Canada, Canadian writers win top literary prizes, their works are read around the world. Canada was ruled by France. And then by England, part of Canada remained French speaking and part of Canada became English speaking. It took time for Canadians to accept that their literature could follow different paths.

[00:01:10] In addition, Canada was vast and thinly settled transportation and communication were difficult. Books were rare in isolated regions. Canada’s population grew slowly. And so did the country sense of national identity, finally, Canada struggled to find its own voice against the tug of France and Britain in Europe and the United States to the South floods of books from these places discouraged Canadians from developing their own literature.

[00:01:41] After Canada won independence from Britain in 1867, Canadian literature discovered its identity and began to thrive. The process continues today. Canadian owned publishers, open doors for Canadian authors classes taught in schools and universities boosted the importance of Canadian literature. Today.

[00:02:04] Canadian literature is written in English and French as well as in the language of other immigrants. Native American writers are also well-represented. So now in brief, let’s talk about Canadian literature in English, and then we will talk also in brief about Canadian literature in French. But as I said, I promise that I will talk in depth because it is worth it.

[00:02:26] So Canadian literature in English, in the 18 hundreds, English language Canadian writers wrote about Canada’s history, settlement and survival. They wrote about nature and the beautiful Canadian land writers also tackled political topics and social issues such as women’s rights, historical romance and poetry gained popularity, romantic fiction painted a rosy picture of the past celebration of the wilderness remained the dominant theme of Canadian writing in English.

[00:02:58] City life became more important in Canadian writing in the 19 hundreds as did the tension between progress and traditional ways of life writers also examine social issues, politics, and life in the different regions of Canada. Regional writers often focused on small town life. Canadian literature in English became more varied in the late 19 hundreds.

[00:03:22] Canadian writers included native Americans as well as immigrants from Japan and the Caribbean. Their stories were often of struggle or racism. Some recent Canadian writers have taken a fresh look at historical events. Now let’s talk about Canadian literature in French. French speaking Canadians have felt isolated and overshadowed by the larger English speaking community in Canada.

[00:03:47] This theme runs through their literature. Literature has helped French Canadians hold on to their French identity. And some writers have pointed out the importance of preserving French Canadian culture. French Canadian writers also have described traditional rural life and how cities threatened this life.

[00:04:06] In the second half of the 20th century, modern writers explored urban life in Montreal, a Canadian city where most people speak French social issues became hot literary topics. Some 20th century French Canadian writers also promoted the separation of Quebec, which is a French speaking province from the rest of Canada.

[00:04:27] Like Canadian literature in English, French language literature was enriched by the arrival of immigrants. They came from Haiti and other French speaking areas, Canadian literature, whether in English or in French slowly found its own voice and identity. Canadian literature continues to build its reputation worldwide.

[00:04:48] So that was in brief, a very, very short introduction about Canadian literature. And again, I will remind you that I will definitely work on a longer version of this episode and it will be ready in the coming weeks. So that’ll be all for today. I hope you learned a thing or two about Canadian literature.

[00:05:05] And I would like to remind you that you can find a lot of extra resources on our website, English plus podcast.com. So take the link. You can find in the description, go to our website and take your English with it to the next level. With that being said, this is your host, Danny. I would like to thank you very much for listening to another episode from English plus podcast.

[00:05:23] I will see you next time.