This text is part of the special section Acfas prices
University of Moncton professor Annette Boudreau has been working for around thirty years on the construction of identity in French-speaking minority communities.
It is with surprise and emotion that the professor emeritus of sociolinguistics received this distinction. “I was very honored that the Université de Moncton thought of applying for me,” says Annette Boudreau. The sociolinguist dedicates these honors to her educational establishment, to Acadia and to Francophones who live in a minority situation in Canada.
The Acfas prize highlights the excellence of its contribution to linguistic insecurity. It was by noticing that some of her students did not dare to speak, for fear of making mistakes, that the teacher began to take an interest in this issue. “I saw certain students who had very high marks in writing, but who did not want to express themselves orally,” she reveals.
Inspired by European researchers, among others at the Catholic University of Louvain, in Belgium, she then joined forces with experts who were looking into the subject abroad. The professor recalls that Belgium was the first country to take an interest in the issue of linguistic insecurity. “They felt a form of domination from their French neighbors regarding the way they spoke,” she explains.
“It’s a phenomenon that affects many French speakers around the world,” she maintains. This fear of speaking out in public therefore forced some to remain silent, for fear of making mistakes. “I wanted to study this silence, where it came from,” explains M.me Boudreau.
French as identity construction
While French is the basis of identity construction, believes Mme Boudreau, certain French speakers are discriminated against in a group based on the way they speak. “It’s a bit easy to say that he’s not a real French speaker because he doesn’t express himself according to a certain standard. There are therefore people who are excluded, due to this Francophonie which would like everyone to use the language in the same way,” observes the professor. She emphasizes that this trend does not represent the dominant discourse at the moment, in particular thanks to artists across Canada who sing in different ways.
Throughout his work, Mme Boudreau conducted interviews with hundreds of Francophones in minority settings. “What touched me was people’s testimonies. When we explain to them what linguistic insecurity is, it is already a first step towards emancipation,” she believes.
The question of anglicisms in the French language often comes up. However, it is nevertheless a global phenomenon, even in France and elsewhere in Europe, underlines Mme Boudreau.
“I wanted to study these negative discourses and demonstrate that those concerning the language used by people are still things that are accepted, while other forms of discrimination are no longer accepted. I tried to dissect this whole phenomenon to show to what extent it was not normal or natural, she says. It is not a language that we attack, but those who speak it. They receive this in a way that can be quite harsh when you construct yourself as a French speaker. »
Several varieties of French
Throughout his career, Mme Boudreau was also interested in the criteria used to establish the definition of “legitimate French”. This reality changes depending on the country and context. “If we take the suburbs in France, and different regions like Gaspésie, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Baie Sainte-Marie in Nova Scotia, there are certain forms of languages which are interpreted as the legitimate French of the place, she illustrates. There are several varieties of French. And several ways of speaking it depending on the group we are addressing and which are legitimate. »
According to the professor, the discourse surrounding the Francophonie is now more focused on the acceptance of others. “There are artists who play a considerable role because they sing in their own French. And not only outside Quebec, but also in La Belle Province,” she observes.
She also believes that Francophones in minority situations face the challenge of attracting more immigrants who speak the language of Molière. “It’s to show them that these different varieties exist. And that they have every right to speak in their French, she emphasizes. But to assert yourself more, you have to free yourself from this insecurity. »
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