Persuasive Speech: Misconceptions Of Canada

Full Sentence Preparation Outline

Name: Justin Ryan

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience that there are misconceptions of Canadians.

Introduction:

Attention: We have all had instances in our lives where someone, or some group, has judged us simply by what we look like, sound like, or where we come from, and as history shows this often proves to be harmful. It is true that some groups suffer from misconceptions more so than others, but regardless everyone in this room has probably been effected by a misconception and stereotype at some point in their lives.

Thesis Statement: There are often misconceived notions about both the Canadian people based on fallacious information.

Preview: Today I will be going over some of the most common

misconceptions of Canadians, and why it is important to correct these ill-conceived points of view.
Transition to first main point: So what are these common misconceptions?
Body:
I. One of the most popular misconceptions that Americans have of Canadians is that they are all Liberal.
A. Not all Canadians are liberal therefore we are not properly representing the whole population by making these assumptions.
1.

It is important to keep in mind that although the majority may associate themselves with the liberal portion of Canadian politics there also is a large amount of conservatives and independents in Canada.

B. Canadians voted and implemented socialized “Liberal” healthcare policy so they all must be liberals. (Hasty Generalization)

1. Although socialized healthcare is associated with liberal policy it doesn’t mean that all Canadians should be grouped as liberals.

C. There is actually a large presence of both a conservative party and independents in Canada along with the Liberal party.

1. Ontario, Atlantic Canada and the Prairie provinces were about 30 per cent conservative, with that number dropping to 24 per cent in British Columbia and increasing to 35 per cent in Alberta. (Grenier) As you can tell there are pockets of conservatives around the country that have more effect on national elections.

2. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government is sworn in after his Conservative Party wins a general election with a minority of seats in the Canadian House of Commons. The election ends a 13-year-old government. (De Souza) A conservative party member was elected prime minister as recent as 2006 at the national

level.
Transition to second main point: Another major misconception is actually based on the perceived culture of a small group of Canadians.
II. All Canadians can speak both French and English.
A. Not even a quarter of the population actually has the ability to speak French.
1.

Canada has two national languages French and English, but not everyone understands it. Despite the adoption of the Official Languages Act in 1969, which recognized English and French as the official languages of federal institutions in Canada, only one province — New Brunswick — is officially bilingual. (Huffington Post)

B. If you go anywhere in Canada you can speak French, and everyone will understand you because it’s listed as a national language. (False Cause)

1. Although the province of Quebec is known for its population speaking French it isn’t as common as most people think, and you shouldn’t assume a Canadian can speak French.

2. By assuming a Canadian can speak French it’s like assuming all Texans can fully understand and speak Spanish just because a portion of the population can speak Spanish.

C. Although Montreal, Quebec has the largest amount of French speaking population outside of France this ability isn’t spread throughout the whole country.

1. In the 2011 census, nearly 7 million Canadians reported speaking French most often at home, making up 21 per cent of the Canadian population. (Huffington Post) Although 21 is a large percentage it is not anywhere close to a majority and its largely centralized in a single

province.
2. For comparison in Texas 12.31% or 2,369,036 people only speak Spanish according to the last US Census. (Statistic Brain) Which is significant because we probably have more than 7 million people in America that speak Spanish yet Spanish isn’t an official national language.

Transition to third main point:
III. All Canadians are good at hockey because they live in a colder climate.
A. A person’s nationality, climate, or birth place has nothing to do with their athletic ability.
1. No one wants to be judged before they actually try especially if they think they will disappoint somebody because they didn’t live up to expectation.
B. Canada’s hockey team has done well at the Olympics in the past so they will do well again at the next Olympic Games. (Appeal to tradition)
1. Success in the past doesn’t always guarantee success in the future especially in an event like the Olympic Games where it only takes place every four years.
C. It isn’t fair use assumptions as the source of setting a standard for a group of people based on where they live or what they look like.
1. Although Canada’s temperatures during the winter maybe colder than many portions of America it isn’t the reason Canada’s national team is good at hockey.
2. The real reason for Canada’s success is the emphasis local governments put on the sport through its infrastructure and accessibility. Our love of hockey is expressed in Canada’s world-leading 2,631 indoor rinks, but also in the 625,152 players using them. (Grange)
Transition to conclusion: Hopefully, I have made a few things a bit clearer for you all today.
Conclusion:
Review: Often in today’s society it is easier to believe in ill-conceived conceptions instead of finding out the truth for ourselves. Such instances as those about Canada’s people, language, and athletic ability often prove detrimental whether we realize it or not. Although the misconceptions I have mentioned above aren’t always negative, they can, in certain circumstances be seen as very ignorant.
Last Thought: After all Canada is one of two neighbors and an ally the least we can do is take a little time to better understand what Canada truly is.

Works Cited
De Souza, Mike. "Harper's Timeline: Canada on Climate Change from 2006-2014." DeSmog Canada. N.p., 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Grange, Michael. "Why Isn't Canada More Dominant in Hockey? - Sportsnet.ca." Sportsnet.ca. N.p., 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Grenier, Eric. "Canada Remains A Liberal Country." The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Huffington Post. "Has Bilingualism Really Worked All Across Canada?" The Huffington Post. N.p., 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.