The unconscious bilingualism

It must be recognized the Liberals a certain sequence in ideas: whether in power or in opposition, language issues are of interest to them not.

If the PQ had still been in the opposition, the former Minister responsible for the Charter of the French language, Christine St-Pierre, would have shot of questions on the summary entitled “Languages of work in Quebec in 2006″ that the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) unveiled Tuesday.

This time, no one seemed to move the all of the progress of bilingualism. Same Jean-François Lisée chose “let talk about the report.” This is the first time it leaves someone – or something – speak in his place!

In recent weeks, the Liberals accuse with a rare Government Marois cynicism not fulfilled its election commitments because it did not eliminate completely the measures that they themselves had put in place, whether the health tax or even melt the heritage block of hydro-electricity rates.

A promise which they are however unlikely to blame her for abandonment is the extension at the college level of the provisions of the Charter of the French language that govern access to the English school. If they want to turn the iron in the wound of the PQ militants, they could even congratulate the Minister responsible for Diane Courcy’s not there have acted upon in the Bill.

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In its innermost, Pauline Marois wished probably never force the allophones and especially francophones attending French cegep. Had it not been for the desire to preserve his leadership, it would not yield to pressure from its radical wing possibly causing the anger of many parents who are determined that their children are bilingual.

The discharge of the Prime Minister, to choose his battles. In the current state of things, the opportunity to adopt this measure by the National Assembly are zero. Both the PLQ that the CAQ and Québec solidaire clearly meant that they opposed. Even Jacques Parizeau expressed his discomfort at the idea of depriving the adult students the right to choose the language of their post-secondary studies.

At the moment this way is temporarily blocked, it would serve to be stubborn and give the opposition a good pretext to prevent tampering of Bill 101. The question now is whether it is a strategic retreat or a permanent abandonment.

Free access to the English cegep is obviously not responsible for the progressive bilingualization of workplaces set in light by the OQLF, but it can only encourage. Already, he notes that “having a post-secondary diploma is reflected by more intensive English or both languages in the workplace.

This obviously does not mean to stop fighting the stall so that those who work only in French are more numerous, but it falls under the meaning that the bilingualization will deepen if more graduates emerge from institutions where we take used to work in English. Currently, more than half of the clientele of English-language cegeps is composed of non-English speakers.

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They expand the francisation business 11 to 49 employees, it is clear that globalization imposes, here as elsewhere, a more frequent use of English, but this does not mean that it should be extended to the whole of the activities of companies doing business with clients or suppliers from the outside.

It that key stakeholders actually have the desire that things in French. No law can impose the will to survive.

In a study published in 2008, entitled the French and young people, the High Council of the French language (CSLF) made the following observation: “little youth challenge really the large presence of the French in the Quebec workplace, most seeming to instead accept fairly easily. For them, the use of English is a must. »

Worse, it becomes unconscious. «The frequent use of English does not necessarily create printing work in this language, despite the strong presence of English in certain business sectors (high technology, for example), many young people say work in French.»

It is to wonder if the already disturbing data of the OQLF do not obscure a darker reality that it seems.