The OQLF unveils new data on the place of French at work in Quebec. It is a crucial report that allows us to assess the vitality of our language in the professional environment and to note the disparities between regions, generations and linguistic communities.
The main finding concerns the language preferences of workers of different generations. Indeed, we observe that in the age group of young people aged 18 to 34, fewer of them prefer to work only in French (70.4%) than their parents aged 55 and over, who express a preference at 78%. This trend is concerning, as it shows an increase in the preference to exclusively use English as a working language among young people.
English clearly seems to have gained momentum in professional environments among young people. It is crucial to understand the reasons behind this decrease in “preference”. Are our young people less aware of the importance of maintaining French-speaking professional environments? Do they understand the effort of their parents and grandparents to protect French as a common language of work and socialization? Are they victims of excessive Americanization of our culture? Does their work environment encourage the use of English to the detriment of French?
It is not a question of finding excuses for these figures, but rather of identifying the causes to remedy them and reverse this trend. We spend enough time in our professional environments not to allow them to become vectors of anglicization.
At the same time, we should not reject learning English. The younger generation has more mastery of the English language, which is not a fault in itself. It is a wealth that has value, particularly in certain professional sectors. However, it is essential that this is not done to the detriment of French and that the use of English is limited to what is strictly necessary.