future French Montreal Quebec

The future of French in Quebec: Less of a concern in Montreal

“The regions of Quebec most concerned about the future of the French language are also those least likely to notice an increase in English being spoken in their neighbourhood.”

According to a study by the Angus Reid Institute on bilingualism and Bill 96, the areas of Quebec most concerned about the future of French in the province are outside of Montreal. People in Montreal report being the least concerned about the future of French in Quebec, at 49%, despite 53% claiming to have noticed English being used more frequently in their neighbourhood. The results show that there seems to be an inverse relationship between how concerned a regional population is about the future of the French language, and whether that same population has noticed more English being spoken in the region.

“The regions of Quebec most concerned about the future of the French language — central and eastern Quebec, including notably Quebec City — are also those least likely to notice an increase in English being spoken in their neighbourhood.”

—Angus Reid Institute

The future of French in Quebec: Less of a concern in Montreal

Overall, 63% of Quebecers claim to be worried about the future of the French language in Quebec. 77% of first-language francophone respondents claim to be concerned, significantly higher than the percentage of first-language anglophones, at 9%. 45% of those who identify both French and English as their first language claim to be worried about the future of the French language in Quebec.

This article was originally published on Oct. 18, 2021 and updated on May 24, 2022.


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