Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:41 am
Despite Bill 101 and our language laws, French is still precarious in Quebec. The only way we can preserve our language and culture is to become sovereign.
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<br />Source :
<br />McLean
<br />November 22, 2004 - 21:20
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<br />Quebec language agency says French in "precarious" state in province
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<br />QUEBEC (CP) - The French language is in a "precarious" state in Quebec as English usage continues to grow, says a report by Quebec's language watchdog.
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<br />The Office quebecois de la langue francaise says English usage is growing at a slightly higher rate than French - two per cent for English compared with 1.7 per cent for French. Efforts to force businesses to comply with language laws "have not yet allowed French in Quebec to come into full and widespread use," the watchdog said in an annual report tabled in the provincial legislature.
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<br />"In this context, it appears that the use of French at work is precarious, despite gains made in the past few years."
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<br />English is the language of choice for 55 per cent of Quebecers whose mother tongue is neither English nor French, added the watchdog, which enforces the province's language laws.
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<br />The agency has the power under the law to force businesses with more than 50 employees to translate all internal correspondence into French.
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<br />Bill 101, the sweeping language law passed in the 1970s, contains other provisions including controversial restrictions on English signs.
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<br />The law also forces immigrants who attend public schools to so do in French, and the legislation limits francophone access to English public schools. Private schools are not covered by the law.
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<br />Many provisions of Bill 101 have been ruled unconstitutional over the years, including those mandating French-only commercial signs, court proceedings and debates in the legislature.
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<br />The report by the language watchdog expressed particular concern about the use of English among workers in Montreal, a city where English speakers comprise roughly one-third of the population.
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<br />"Immigrant workers use English and French nearly equally at work," said the report.
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<br />"Bill 101 specifies that French is the language of the workplace in Quebec."
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