The English Language in Quebec

The English Language in Quebec

by

Silke-Katrin Kunze

TABLE of CONTENTS:

CANADA AND QUEBEC 4

A LANGUAGE BATTLE: ENGLISH VS. FRENCH

FRANCOPHONIE 6

LANGUAGE LAWS

STATE LANGUAGE PLANNING 7
LANGUAGE LAWS: 1763-1969 8
BILL 101, 1977 10
LANGUAGE LAWS: 1982-1993 11

EDUCATION

EDUCATION SYSTEM 12
THE TEACHING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE 13

FINALE: THE U.S. NEIGHBOR 15

BIBLIOGRAPHY 17

Canada and Quebec

With ten million square kilometers Canada is the world′s largest country. It consists of ten provinces and two territories, each having its own character due to the landscape and people who settled there. Just to name a few, there is the Prince Edward Island (P. E. I.), for instance, the smallest of all ten provinces. Farming is most important for the economy of the region, but fishing also helps. Attracted tourists can reach the sandy beaches by ferry to enjoy a quiet atmosphere.

Or, there are three prairie provinces. At the end of the 19th century they were settled by immigrants of German, Scandinavian and Ukrainian origin. Saskatchewan is one of them. Lying in the center, it is home to the "Mounties," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Canada is a country with two official languages, English and French. Every public service has to be offered in both languages, which is why sales people welcome their shoppers by saying "Hello / Bonjour," and which is why a third province needs mentioning here: Quebec, the largest of all Canadian provinces. It is very different from the rest because of a high French influence. Economically important for this region are hydroelectric power, logging, and manufacturing. Quebec′s commercial center is formed by Montreal. It is not only the second largest French-speaking city in the world, it also offers a wide range of cultural activities. However, there is more to Quebec than these rather late developments.

Already 300 years ago the problem between the English and French originated. Reasons can be found in two facts. One, in 1608 the Frenchman Samuel de Champlain was the first to start a settlement in Quebec. Two, after the English and French colonies had grown and battles had begun, the Seven Years′ War was fought in 1763. The French lost and had to give nearly all their territory to the British. That was the so-called Treaty of Paris. Thus, French power actually ended then. People have their own way of life, though. They simply kept the French language, their Roman Catholic faith, and a civil code that had its origins in French laws.

In the beginning of the 19th century, hundreds of British immigrants arrived in Quebec. For many French the future looked dark, so they moved to other parts in Canada or the United States at around 1845. About a century later, the province began to gain economic and political power - and in the 1960s its inhabitants were confident and national enough to change things by, for instance, no longer having the schools managed by the church, by expanding the provincial government, and by negotiating for more political power at the federal level. That was the time of the Quiet Revolution, resulting in a quick and peaceful change.

In 1976, the Parti Québecois rose to power. Its aim was to have the status of an independent country. This was emphasized with Bill 101, one of the first acts passed. It made French the only language in commerce, education and public life. Public signs had to be in French and new immigrants knew their children would be schooled in French or else they could not stay. New language laws like this, along with political uncertainty, caused many people to leave the province.

In May 1980, there was a vote on separation. Did the people want to be independent but still associated with Canada? 60 percent did not! They preferred to stay in Canada. Quebec is led by the Bloc Québecois today, a separatist party that is sure the province could stand alone since it is Canada′s second largest province by population and one of its wealthiest, too. Canadians who are against separation are afraid other groups in Canada might break away if Quebec did.

A language battle: English vs. French

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