10/24/2024
It is time for a conversation about the merits of bilingualism
Below is the op Ed article penned by myself and my good friend, documentary film maker, Guy Rex Rogers that is published in today’s Gazette.
I want to thank Gazette editor Walter Buchignani for his editorial contribution to this article.
Guy Rex Rogers produced and directed a compelling documentary entitled “What We Choose to Remember “ that is a must see for anglophones and francophones interested in taking a fresh look at the English speaking community of Quebec, the present day linguage realities of Quebec and where the Quebec of tomorrow is headed.
We hope that today's article will initiate a truthful and dispassionate conversation about language with Quebec’s francophone majority. A conversation that engages every day French and English speaking Quebecers. A conversation grounded in a centuries old tradition of mutual respect of and empathy for our society’s two founding linguistic communities.
It is time to abandon the adversarial approach to the social imperative of promoting the vitality of the French language.
It is time for us to embrace a collaborative approach to crafting public policy aimed at securing the future vibrancy of the French language in Québec.
A version of this article, written in French, was offered to Montreal's three French daily newspapers. The response so far has been unanimous silence. We are at a loss to understand why this article was not published in the French press.
We will publish the French version of this article and post it on our social media platforms in an effort to communicate our message to francophones.
We look forward to organizing town hall meetings to provide forums for French and English speaking Quebecers to gather, share our experiences and thoughts on the subject of language in Québec and express our aspirations for the future- for ourselves, our children and grandchildren.
Together we can build a better Quebec: for everyone.
So stay tuned !
HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE ARTICLE:
It's time for a conversation about merits of bilingualism
Montreal Gazette 24 Oct 2024
Challenge the narrative, say Ralph Mastromonaco and Guy Rex Rodgers. Ralph Mastromonaco practises criminal law in Montreal. Guy Rex Rodgers is a documentary filmmaker.
Premier François Legault and his Coalition Avenir Québec government have repeatedly claimed that the French language and culture are in decline in this province, requiring aggressive political intervention. The evidence for this supposed decline is hardly unequivocal and certainly subject to interpretation.
Jean-pierre Corbeil, Richard Marcoux and Victor Piché presented dramatically different interpretations of the pertinent social science data in their 2023 book Le français en déclin? Repenser la francophonie Québécoise. The divergent arguments frequently hinge upon attitudes toward bilingualism. For example, is “Bonjour-hi” a disrespectful denial of Quebec's unilingual aspirations, or a pragmatic accommodation of bilingual reality?
Similarly, divergent views on language lie at the heart of one of the most disputed episodes of Quebec history. Did immigrants prior to Bill 101 reject Quebec's majority language because English provided better opportunities? Or were they stymied by the rejection by French Catholic schools of non-catholic students (Jewish, Greek Orthodox, Protestant) and even Italians, who were Catholic? The facts and their interpretation remain subject to debate.
One factor that has been often misunderstood is that immigrants are linguistically pragmatic. Italians, for example, whether educated in French or English, learned both languages and often retained their mother tongue. The St-léonard riots of 1969 were not about immigrants refusing to learn French, but about them wanting to learn French and English.
Being bilingual does not mean rejecting French.
A generation ago, fewer than 30 per cent of Quebecers were bilingual. In the most recent census, the number reached 46 per cent. On the island of Montreal, the majority of residents are bilingual. An even larger majority, including children of Bill 101, speak French fluently, although it may not be their mother tongue.
When the CAQ government and other language hawks say English is a problem, or lack of French is a problem, what they are really saying is: Bilingualism is a problem. Knowledge of another language is a problem.
The CAQ wants to reduce the number of English-speaking students and immigrants. They want to reduce English in the workplace, in academia and on the streets. Is this rejection of English good for Quebec?
It is hard to believe that this is what the majority of Quebecers would want. You would think that they would want to be like many successful Quebec politicians, business leaders, academics and artists: bilingual.
Many immigrants are attracted to Quebec because of its French language and culture. However, they are also emigrating to North America, and many want to learn English.
Anglophones undoubtedly have better French skills than previous generations, but no language law or government directive will force them to unlearn English. As such, it seems they are condemned to continue to be perceived as a problem.
After half a century of increasingly strict language laws, what do current trends suggest for the future? Most Quebecers will speak French. This is good news, or should be. Children born in Quebec will have better language skills than their immigrant parents. This is also good news, or should be. However, despite stronger protections for French, more Quebecers will be bilingual, and multilingual.
This is reality. And an asset. It's time the Quebec government — and wider society — recognize it as such.
Let's challenge the validity of the narratives peddled by those who continue to portray English-speakers and immigrants as threats. Let's start a serious public conversation — across the linguistic and political spectrum — about the benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism.
This is what this opinion piece seeks to do. A version was offered to the three francophone dailies in Montreal. The response so far: unanimous silence. We wonder: Does this discussion not merit attention in the French-language media?
We invite our francophone neighbours to join us in this conversation.
