MULTILINGUE ENGLISH-FRENCH

WARNE, WEB DEVELOPER

just rolled her eyes and sighed, and gave me this disappointed look as if there was no point in talking to me.”

Unfortunately, this is not uncommon for non-French speakers to experience, and in a culture where our own government is actively trying to discourage multilingualism, incidents like Jessie’s may only become more frequent.

One of Jessie’s other French experiences with strangers demonstrates the alternative. Instead of treating others with a passive-aggressive air of linguistic superiority, the government should encourage the embrace multilingualism with patience and compassion.

Divide

“I remember once I had to call H&R Block, and the woman on the phone spoke in French to me,” Jessie said. “I speak very little French and she spoke very little English, yet we had this cute little moment of trying to communicate, and she was encouraging me in a very patient way which was a pleasant change.”

But as hopeful as this interaction was, Jessie is now planning on moving to Toronto, as they would need to pass a French exam to be able to practice counselling in Quebec.

In addition to Bill 96’s regulations, those who wish to move to Quebec permanently must obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), which is dished out by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration. One of the requirements for obtaining a CSQ is, unsurprisingly, a demonstration of proficiency in the French language. With many choosing to settle in other provinces instead, sociologists and politicians alike have raised concerns about Quebec’s “brain drain”, as talented and educated individuals who contribute to the province’s economy and society are leaving en masse to avoid the cultural asphyxiation caused by Quebec’s French legislation.

Nishanth Manickam, a third-year student at Concordia, was born and raised in Montreal. As his parents immigrated here from Sri Lanka and do not speak French, he fears that Bill 96 will make life in Quebec increasingly difficult

“Both my parents and grandmother speak Tamil and a bit of English, but they’re not able to communicate or understand French,” Manickam said. “Bill 96 is kind of scary for them because they feel as if they will not be able to live in this province comfortably [...], especially in terms of legal proceedings and health care, they would prefer to have the freedom to choose which language they use. This fear has led to them wanting to move to Toronto with the rest of our family because they are more accepting of English speakers in Ontario.”

Nishanth’s family settled in Dollarddes-Ormeaux, home to a sizable Tamil community. The temple he frequents is close to his house, where he has come to know some of his neighbours. He worries that should he and his family move to Toronto to avoid the language laws here in Quebec, he will be alienated from his religious and cultural community in the neighbourhood.

“There are a lot of Tamil people in Toronto too, but it would feel like we’re starting all over and we’d lose touch with the community here that we’ve been a part of for so long,” Manickam said. “I make a quick visit to the temple every day before I go home. I sit outside in my car and pray and it’s something that means a lot to me. It gives me hope even when everything seems to be going wrong. From a young age, my parents have tried their best to make sure that I don’t lose touch with the Hindu and Tamil cultures and I feel like I’ll do the same with my children.”

Nishanth is just one of many who take pride in expressing their heritage across the vast multicultural landscape of Montreal. But, like many, he has serious concerns about the growing intolerance towards those who do not fit neatly into Quebec’s predetermined francophone identity.

Jessie, Shruti, and Nishanth’s experiences show that a coercive approach to “protecting” the French language like Bill 96 does not actually give non-French speakers the capacity to learn the French language healthily and productively, but rather pressures them into doing so by taking away their access to essential public services and job opportunities. This most often affects low-income immigrants and Indigenous peoples, forcing them to sacrifice their cultures and communities or establish their future elsewhere.

We should not buy into the government narrative that English and French are in competition for linguistic supremacy. The real-life linguistic habits of Montrealers cannot be categorized into strict unilingual boxes and, by doing so, we threaten to erase the multilingualism inherent to Montreal’s history and interconnected society—in turn, forcing important community members out of the city. Non-French linguistic communities across the province do not degrade Quebec culture—they enrich it, and remain an integral part of what makes us Quebecers.

*Jessie’s name has been changed to preserve their anonymity.

DESIGN BY SHIREEN AAMIR, DESIGN EDITOR