The dynamic described in my book French in free fall. The new dynamic of languages (Mouvement Québec français, 2020) has settled in Quebec permanently. The weight of the English-speaking minority continues to increase, while that of the majority declines. Now heavy, this trend feeds, among other things, on a remarkable consolidation of the position of English as a language of assimilation. The anglicization of francophones themselves has just overtaken in importance the progress of French in the assimilation of allophones.
Finished, therefore, the catching up of French on English in terms of assimilation. In this regard, English is now widening its advantage.
Our table shows that the net number of anglicized allophones increased from 186,800 in 2016 to 212,400 in 2021, for an increase of 25,600. The corresponding number of francized allophones increased from 230,400 to 278,700, for an increase by 48,300. The share of French in the net assimilation of allophones has increased accordingly, rising from 55.2% to 56.7%.
However, our table also reveals that the net number of anglicized Francophones jumped from 23,000 to 37,000, for an increase of 14,000. the part of French in the assimilation of allophones, dependent above all on Francotropes francized abroad before immigrating to Quebec.
This emerges from the overall assessment of the gains made through assimilation. Overall English gains increased from 209,800 to 249,400, thanks to the contribution of 25,600 anglicized allophones plus 14,000 anglicized French speakers, or 39,600 new usual speakers of English. The overall gains for French went from 207,400 to 241,700, due to 48,300 francized allophones minus 14,000 anglicized francophones, or only 34,300 new usual speakers of French.
Thus, on a global level, the increase in the assimilation of Francophones and Allophones to English has exceeded in importance that of the share of French in the assimilation of Allophones, and English has widened its overall advantage by 5300 on French in terms of assimilation. As a percentage, the share of French in overall gains through assimilation went from 49.7% to 49.2%. Remember that linguistic balance would require that the share of French among these gains be 90%. Now, rather than advancing towards this goal, Quebec is moving away from it.
In French in freefallI pointed out that, since the 2006 census, the progression of the share of French in the overall gains made through assimilation had begun to stagnate, in particular because of a significant increase in the anglicization of Francophones between 2011 and 2016. This increase has continued so much so that, now, the share of overall gains that goes to the French is declining.
The profile by age group of French-speakers’ assimilation to English in 2016 also led me to predict that “the anglicization of French-speaking Quebecers will continue to increase, at least in the near future”. That’s done. And everything indicates that this increase will continue, since the rate of anglicization of young adults whose mother tongue is French remains in 2021 significantly higher than that of their elders.
The worm has therefore gone further into the apple than the Legault government realizes. All things ceasing, we must put an end to the anglicization of French-speaking Quebecers themselves.
Quebec does not lack the means to act in this direction. Extend Bill 101 to CEGEP and baccalaureate, as proposed by Guy Rocher. Restore to Quebec the linguistic landscape desired by René Lévesque and which made the fortune of Bill 101 until the mid-1990s, by restoring signage in French only, as Mr. Rocher also proposed. Reform the teaching of English as a second language, so that French schools stop transforming themselves, through the “intensive” teaching of English at the end of primary school, into centers of Anglicization.
Otherwise, the sequence of events is perfectly clear. The anglicization of Quebec will continue.
” Let’s go on. ” Really ?
Legault, Lord Durham, same fight?
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