Robert Talbot has been the Manager of Research at the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada since 2017. From 2013 to 2018, he taught history at the University of Ottawa and served as English Language Secretary of the Canadian Historical Association. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of New Brunswick and a PhD in History at the University of Ottawa, specializing in Francophone/Anglophone relations.
Busting Myths and Building Bridges: Perceptions of English-speaking Quebecers’ Relationship with French and Bilingualism
Recorded at a QUESCREN Lunch & Learn webinar on November 14, 2024
Context
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages commissioned a research project exploring perceptions and realities of English-speaking Quebecers. It aimed to offer a more accurate view of Quebec’s official language minority community and suggest ways to encourage constructive dialogue with the Francophone majority. Robert Talbot presented findings from this project.
Please note that the presentation and discussion were in English and French.
Key Takeaways
- Many Anglophone and Francophone study participants demonstrated openness and interest in understanding each other, with positive personal interactions helping to challenge stereotypes.
- Most English-mother tongue Quebecers are bilingual, frequently using French at work, school, home, or in cultural activities and are as supportive as Francophones of Canada's linguistic duality.
- Francophones often don't realize how capable and interested English-speaking Quebecers are in speaking French and participating in French culture. Promoting examples of successful collaborations and positive interactions between the two groups could improve public understanding. Connecting in “third places”, such as sports or special interest clubs, is key.
- English-speaking Quebecers can act as bridgebuilders, helping to foster understanding about Quebec and bilingualism in the rest of Canada.
Read the Research
Useful Links
Additional resources shared during the event
- A shared future: A closer look at our official language minority communities (OCOL Report)
- Facts about the English-speaking communities of Quebec (2024) (OCOL Infographics)
About the Speaker
How to cite this video: Talbot, Robert. “Busting Myths and Building Bridges: Perceptions of English-speaking Quebecers’ Relationship with French and Bilingualism” Lunch & Learn webinar produced by the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN), Concordia University, Montreal, November 14, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ATy7sPF-z8&t=1s
Terms of Use: This Lunch & Learn recording is made available to the public under the terms of Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.
- The material can be copied and distributed in its original form only and for non-commercial purposes.
- Users must give appropriate credit to the creator(s) of the material and link to the original source.
About QUESCREN Lunch & Learns
QUESCREN is a collaborative network of researchers, community members and institutions that provides opportunities to promote the understanding and vitality of English-speaking Quebec. Our Lunch & Learn series consists of one-hour webinars on research topics related to English-speaking Quebec.
This event was made possible through the financial support of the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d'expression anglaise. QUESCREN also received funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and Concordia University.
