Achi news desk-
Despite the Quebec government’s constant claim that the French language is on the decline in Quebec, a recent study suggests otherwise in terms of the public sphere.
The survey, published by the Quebec French Language Officesuggests that 79 per cent of Quebecers communicate in French most often when in public — almost exactly the same proportion as calculated in 2016 and as far back as 2007.
The language watchdog’s study also found that the number of people who communicate most often in English in public has also fallen by 2 per cent since 2007.
“I think it shows what happens when decisions are made that are not based on facts, that are not based on studies,” said Quebec Community Group Network President Eva Ludvig. “It’s a little bit of vindication, I think, for a lot of us.”
Ludvig refers to the adoption of the government’s language law, Bill 96, as one of those decisions.
Jean-Pierre Corbeil, adjunct professor of sociology at Université Laval, agrees.
“Compulsory measures don’t work very well,” explained Corbeil.
He says there is a need to protect the French language — and some indicators, such as the percentage of people who can hold a full conversation in French — point to that need.
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But, he said, the province seems to focus more on the number of people who use English at home, than it does on other key statistics.
“People are concerned and I think their concerns are legitimate, but this is why we need to focus on the right indicators and I think the current government is very selective,” said Corbeil.
Corbeil suggests that better promotion of Quebec’s cultural scene, as well as better communication with the English-speaking communities and the French-speaking community, are more effective ways to preserve the language.
“Not being able to speak French in Quebec is a pain, it is an obstacle to the full participation of citizens. We know there is a significant underrepresentation of English-speaking Quebecers in the public service,” he said. “I think there is a lot that needs to be done and to recognize that both communities have concerns, that they have specific opinions and certainly to establish a better dialogue.”
Jack Jedwab, president of the Canadian Studies Association, says it’s important to take a subtle approach when discussing language issues.
“It is a time when the OQLF describes the situation of French in terms of its public use as ‘stable.’ Last month he described the situation of the French language as “worrisome,” he said. “I think we have to understand these perceptions and the way they are communicated to the public as reflecting the political currents.”
The Quebec government, for its part, sees the latest OQLF study as a sign of success, especially given that the study also suggests that 90 percent of people communicate in French with provincial government services.
“The stability in the population’s use of French in the public sphere, and more particularly with Quebec government services, reflects the state’s commitment to use French, the only official and common language in Quebec,” wrote Quebec French Minister Jean -François Roberge in a statement.
“The results of this study suggest that with policies that favor the use of French and the determination of all Quebecers, it is possible to stop and reverse the decline of the French language.”
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
