Elizabeth M.
I am fortunate enough to have travelled in parts of the world. I have always stayed in hostels as this is the cheapest and most accommodating context to meet fellow travellers. Once you introduce yourself to someone, it is implied to first say your name, and possibly where you are from. This is sort of a conversation starter. I always found myself hesitating between these three options: I am from Canada; I am from Quebec; I am from Quebec, Canada. The social relationships I have held with people all of over the world made me conscious of my linguistic and cultural identities.
Between the solitudes (1992), a brilliant documentary by Josh Freed, outlines the complexity between English-speaking communities and French-speaking communities in Montreal. As the title of the documentary implies, the journalist seems to be stuck between the solitudes of both linguistic communities. I identify to both the Quebec culture and the Canadian culture. Do I have to pick a side? It somehow feels that way sometimes. What does it mean to be Québecois, and more importantly, why do so many people that have lived here for a majority of their lives, do not feel Québecois? In 1995, Quebec almost declared its independence with the following votes: the “no” option carried 50,58% of votes and the “yes” option carried 49,42% of votes (Gall, 2013). As some might say, the last referendum in 1995 and the strong nationalist ideologies that were promoted are less prevalent in today’s political narrative. Even though the separatist movement is not at its tipping point, the linguistic tensions continue to simmer under the guise of language restrictions.
A linguistic storm hit the National Assembly last week when Dominique Anglade vulgarized her speech using French and English (Papineau, 2020). A journalist interrupted the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party by saying: “ça ne se fait pas ça!” you can’t do that!, referring to her usage of the English language in the National Assembly. After political discussions amongst party leaders, it was agreed that only François Legault, current premier of Quebec, and his team, could reiterate political messages in French, and then in English during the Covid-19 outbreak (Mulclair, 2020). In the midst of a pandemic, linguistic choices by political leaders are still confronted and questioned.
Members of this speech community have created sociolinguistic norms about language use, more specifically, targeting the do’s and don’ts of the English language (Van Herk, 2018). These political tensions may affect people’s language attitudes and ideologies and how they perceive linguistic diversity in their everyday lives. These tensions can be transposed in the classroom. As an ESL teacher, I have witnessed lowered interest and motivation, and an overall reticence in learning English as a second language. Now, there are many factors that can impact one’s level of interest and motivation. Nonetheless, it would be important to consider the possible impacts of the history and the current debates in relation to the French and the English language in Quebec on second language English teaching and learning.
In a special time where each individual’s linguistic needs should be met with compassion and reassuring thoughts, language usage is still at the heart of the debate. The effects of these linguistic tensions continue to have significant impacts on my personal, social, and professional life, as I identify to both communities. Until my next travels, I will continue contemplating my linguistic identities to express with certainty: I am from___________.
References:
Gall, G. (2013). Québec Referendum (1995). The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/quebec-referendum-1995
Papineau, P. (2020, September 25). Une prise de parole en anglais soulève les passions à l’Assemblée nationale. Journal Le Devoir. https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/586644/une-prise-de-parole-en-anglais-souleve-les-passions-a-l-assemblee-nationale
Mulcair, T. (2020, September 29). Anglade shouldn’t have backed down on use of English. Montreal Gazette.https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/tom-mulcair-anglade-shouldnt-have-backed-down-on-use-of-english
Gall, G. (2013). Québec Referendum (1995). The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/quebec-referendum-1995
Neidik, Abbey Jack, director. Between the Solitudes. National Film Board of Canada, 1992, 49 min.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQIncACiMLE
Van Herk, Gerard. (2018). What is sociolinguistics? 2e Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
