The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) has just published a study on language use in the workplace of young people aged 18 to 34, which shows that more than three-quarters (77%) of all young Francophones prefer to work in French. But this percentage drops to 40% if they did their post-secondary studies in English.
The study is based on an extensive survey conducted in 2021 with 6,008 respondents as well as focus groups. What is observable among young Francophones is also observable, but to a much higher degree, among young Allophones who nevertheless also attended French secondary school. Less than 5% of allophones who did their post-secondary education in English prefer to work in French, compared to 41% who opt for English, 27% who prefer to work in both languages and 28% who show no preference.
Confirming certain data from previous studies, this OQLF survey shows that these preferences translate into the language that is actually used at work. If they did their post-secondary education in French, young Francophones most often work in their language in a proportion of 87% compared to 55% if they did the same course in English. More than a quarter of the latter work most often in English. For young allophones who have chosen English-language CEGEP or university, a majority work most often in English (53%), about the same percentage (55%) as Anglophones who have always studied in their language .
Unsurprisingly, the portrait of the language or languages spoken by young people at work is different depending on whether you are on the island of Montreal or in urban areas such as Quebec City, Trois-Rivières and Sherbrooke. Only Gatineau presents a situation similar to that which prevails in the metropolis.
Thus, in Québec, Trois-Rivières and Sherbrooke, the proportion of young people for whom French was the only language spoken regularly at work ranged from 62% to 69%. On the Island of Montreal, this percentage drops to 36% and half of young people work there in both languages.
For young Francophones, having a knowledge of English is seen as a minimum requirement for obtaining a job in several fields. Some of them feel, however, that being a unilingual francophone should not prevent someone from getting a job or getting a promotion. Others point out that Francophone immigrants are misinformed about the importance of bilingualism in finding a job.
Some young people believe that bilingualism in the workplace offers personal opportunities, while others are concerned about it, “recalling that this requirement can represent a professional obstacle for many people,” report the authors of the study.
Currently, 18% of CEGEP students do their studies in English and the majority of them come from the French secondary network. This study by the OQLF brings grist to the mill for those who are campaigning for Bill 101 to be extended to CEGEPs. At the very least, it comforts the CAQ government which, with the Common Language Act (Bill 96), capped the number of places in English CEGEPs, which were increasing.