Quebec’s language policy and economic globalization

Abstract

This article examines the economic situation of language groups in Quebec since the 1970s. Particular attention is paid to the contexts of economic globalization, where English has become the most used world lingua franca, and of immigration now being the major source of population growth. Viewing language as a market where supply and demand determine outcomes, the purpose of Bill 101 was to increase the value and the use of French. The relative economic position of Francophones has improved and they now have better purchasing power and control of the economy. However, the number of Francophones in the population is not expected to increase much and their proportion in the population will drop significantly. Due to immigration, the number and proportion of Allophones will increase, but Anglophones will also benefit since the proportion of immigrants who assimilate to English is larger than the proportion of Anglophones in the population. In the labor market, working in English pays more than working in French for immigrants. In spite of the progresses made by Francophones, the situation of French in Quebec remains a concern. The challenge is to integrate more immigrants into the French-speaking majority.