Language Used at Work by Graduates of English, French or Bilingual Postsecondary Institutions

The author's study asks: Is there a link between the language of instruction of the postsecondary institutions attended by students and the language choices they make in the workplace after their studies? Using data from the 2016 Census of Population integrated with the Postsecondary Student Information System, the author examines the relationship between the language of postsecondary studies and the language that graduates use predominantly at work. Specifically, he examines the use of English in the workplace in Quebec and the use of French in the workplace outside Quebec. The author found that in Quebec, there is a link between the language of instruction of the postsecondary institution attended and the language of work. For example, he found that 23 percent of graduates whose mother tongue is French used English predominantly at work when their most recent degree was from an English-language institution, compared with 4 percent when their most recent degree was from a French-language institution. These Francophone graduates from English institutions worked primarily in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) or computer science. Moreover, the author found that the relationship between the language of postsecondary education and the use of English at work is even stronger among graduates with an “other” mother tongue (other than English or French). He found that 46 percent of these graduates worked primarily in English when their most recent degree was from an English-language institution, compared with 7 percent when they had studied at a French-language institution.

Statistics Canada (Insights on Canadian Society)

April 5, 2022

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