En français, s’il vous plaît...et plus grand
In French please ... and more

Author(s): Diana Yankova
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, French Literature
Published by: Нов български университет
Keywords: Quebec; French language; Bill 101; Bill 178;
Summary/Abstract: The article begins with a brief overview of the federal legislation on official languages in Canada and provincial legislation in Quebec. Concern for the future of the French language materialized in the 1977 Charter of the French language, popularly known as Bill 101, ruled unconstitutional by the Canadian Supreme Court in 1988. This led to the introduction of Bill 178 (the ‘inside-outside’ law), which used the ‘notwithstanding clause to override the Canadian Charter’s guarantee of freedom of speech. Against this background, some of the issues to be discussed are: What are the implications of the ‘language police* or ‘tongue troopers’ in Quebec? Is the attempt to control English in Francophone Canada a result of the long-standing subjugation of the French and the recent resurgence of nationalism? Does making Anglophones in Quebec feel like second-class citizens help preserve French on a predominantly English-speaking continent? Will Quebecers acquire the linguistic skills needed to compete in the English-dominated global economy? Does the recent (March 31, 2005) ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada, which obliges Francophone Canadians and immigrants to Quebec to send their children to French schools, protect the French language?

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