Is French Really in Decline?

Many people in the Province of Quebec feel the language of French is in decline. Bill 96 introduced back in 2022 and midway through it’s five stage process is being challenged by a Class Action Lawsuit where six individuals are arguing the opposite and that Bill 96 goes against their rights. The people involved in the Lawsuit believe the law was brought in through emotional decisions instead of factual data and infringes on their minority language rights. You can read the actual article here in the Montreal Gazette https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/bill-96-lawsuit-argues-french-is-growing-in-quebec-not-declining

We already discussed Bill 96 in a previous post which you can read here https://outridgetranslation.com/2022/10/20/quebecs-bill-96-and-what-it-means-to-you/

What we want to discuss in this post is French really in decline in Quebec? Quebec laws have been under scrutiny for many years as more immigrants move into the Province and Quebec society begins to thin out from its basic structure. Quebec’s Bill 21 already stops someone from serving in Government if they wear a Hijab, turban, or other religious symbol.

Personally over the years I have found French is growing in popularity. Many immigrants coming to Canada speak French or another language with English being their second language. Although Quebec French may be different than their home language they still have a comfort in being able to read much of the information. The lower cost of housing and small town populations make Quebec a place of interest for newcomers to Canada and offering a variety of languages is also one of the benefits of the Province.

As young people race to find work and housing in a world that is moving extremely fast speaking French opens up a world of opportunity in some of the most luxurious places in the World. French speaking schools have been popping up in the Ontario landscape for years encouraging English speaking people to learn French. Is the French language in decline? That is a matter of opinion and as for someone living in English speaking Ontario it is harder for me to tell. What I can tell you most of us support having French in our lives and trying to discriminate against every immigrant population is probably a losing battle.

About the Author

Carmen Outridge is the owner of Outridge Translation Services and has been translating documents between English and French for over 30 years. Carmen is from Eastern Townships part of Quebec and understands the language and dialect of Quebec. To learn more about Outridge Translation Services or to get help with your next project visit www.outridgetranslation.com