MunPat
“Social distinctions within communities, such as prestige and power, tend to be reflected in linguistic behavior” Gerard Van Herk (pg. 61, 2018)
As someone who did most of her schooling in French immersion, I have always been very confident in my ability to speak and write in French. However, over the years, I have learned that the way I speak French is slightly different compared to someone who went to a French school. I have also noticed that this subtle difference actually influences my status as a Quebecois.
Attending a French immersion school meant that most of my classes took place in French. The content was delivered in French and the linguistic features I learned were specific to each subject. Once, I stepped out of the classroom, English was the language of the hallways and between friends. Hence, informal conversations always took place in English and formal conversations were reserved for French. Consequently, the way I spoke French in casual conversations was very stiff and awkward. As stated by Gerard Van Herk (2018), second language learners usually discover that their way of speaking is a formal way of speaking, which is not suited for everyday conversations. However, going to a French school meant that the only language of communication inside the school was French, whether that was inside the classroom or in the halls with friends. Therefore, those students have more opportunities to engage in casual conversations that take place in informal French, which has been coined as Joual in Quebec.
Over the years, I have learned that my informal French language skills make me sound like an outsider in my own province to other French Quebecois. One stark example of this attitude is when my friend, who went to a French school, and I went to a restaurant. I gave my order to the waiter and he was very respectful and did not engage in any further conversation. However, when my friend ordered, there was an ease and familiarity between the two of them. Their interaction was longer as he gave her suggestions and made jokes. This was definitely a moment where I experienced linguistic insecurity as defined by Van Herk (2018). I was very conscious of how my choice of language influenced my social status in the eyes of the waiter.
My experience in Quebec has shown me that having the ability to speak in the informal language of a given community allows you to be recognized as a more legitimate member of the society. Gerard Van Herk (2018) describes this as “covert prestige”, where the non-standard language carries a hidden positive connotation. Since informal language showcases a level of comfortableness and naturalness that is absent in formal language, I think native speakers of that language are more likely to treat you as “one of their own”.
1.Have you ever changed the way you spoke due to experiencing linguistic insecurity?
2.Do you have any other examples of how language influences social status?
References:
Van Herk, G.(2018). What is sociolinguistics? (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell.
Hi MunPat!
I think I have experienced this same feeling of linguistic insecurity; even though I went to a French school. I think that because I had so much exposure to the language at a young age my accounts might sound like that of a “native” speaker. However, like you, French was the language of school and most informal conversations with friends and family were in English. I have noticed that sometimes when I interact with French-speakers, I put on a phony Anglophone accent. I think I do it to avoid the longer interactions you described. I guess I don’t want people to think I’m a “native” speaker and then get caught not understanding their jokes or suggestions.
Michelle
Hi MunPat:
I did experience changing the way I spoke on account of linguistic insecurity. My Cantonese was mixed with my hometown accents and some unique expressions. And I didn’t notice it until I attended my high school in a neighbouring city, where people speak Cantonese in a slightly different way. My Cantonese got corrected and even imitated by my friends sometimes. Although they meant no harm, but I was still not very comfortable. However, instead of “speaking less”, I paid extra attention not to make the same “mistakes”, trying hard to hide my hometown features when I communicated in school. But then, when I went back home on weekends, I was also teased by my mom for not speaking like a local. So I ended up “training” myself to the degree which I could freely switch between these two ways of speaking based on where I was.
Dongqi Zheng
Hi MunPat! It was so interesting reading your post as we have had the opposite experience learning French; you’ve learned the formal and less of the informal and I’ve only learned the informal. I can speak the local, joking version which gets me “inside” but I am surely much less competent in French than you are in every sense. So, this goes to say that mastering the social language holds a lot of weight, as you’ve clearly expressed in this post. Another example of this happened over the summer. I was having brunch with my francophone friends (we mainly converse in French) and one friend was working on an essay for a class. The conversation switched to what he could write and how to structure it and such. Despite being a teacher and in a MA program, I was completely incapable of keeping up. I rejoined the conversation when we started to think about the next weekend’s plans. However, my informal language skills have afforded me the opportunity to develop these friendships that I might not otherwise have had. My linguistic insecurity comes in the form of working in a more formal environment in French, as now I do not have the academic, formal language skills needed. Thanks for your interesting insights into informal language and covert prestige! It has helped me understand it more and reflect on my own experiences too.
Eva