Bill 101’s Silent Stakeholders: The Influence of Geography, Immigration Background and Eligibility on Quebec Parents’ Perception of Language Instruction and Attitudes Towards Official Language Policies

The author notes that in Quebec, the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) ensures the protection of the French language, namely through provisions regulating language of instruction in schools. Such language policies favour the collective right to maintain the province’s official French language over the individual freedom of parents to choose a preferred language of instruction (English) for their children. Her study examined the opinions of 44 Quebec parents regarding language of instruction policies and how they influenced their children’s language learning experience in school. The author’s findings shed light on whether these parents, as policy stakeholders, believe provisions regarding language of instruction align with the school experience they expect and desire for their children. A comparison was made of participants’ perspectives and experiences based on the following characteristics: (1) participants’ geographical location (living in the Greater Montreal Area versus the rest of Quebec), (2) participants’ family immigration background, and (3) participants’ access to English education for their children. Although most participants expressed a deep appreciation for French and the time dedicated to learning it in Quebec schools, the author found that participants whose children were not eligible for English schooling felt at a disadvantage in their efforts to support their children’s bilingualism, a common goal for the majority of participants. She notes that issues surrounding the quality of second language teaching and a lack of time dedicated to teaching English in French schools were particularly problematic for these participants. The author concludes that although parents who participated in this study considered the command of both French and English necessary for their children, they opposed how Quebec’s language policies institutionalize the privilege of learning a second language at school.

Master's Thesis

McGill University

Montreal

2022

125p.

en