Modern Language Journal · 1999 · 75 citations · 0 references
Translation StudiesSecond Language LearningFrenchMultilingualismLinguistic AnthropologyFrench StudentsQuébec FrenchLanguage EducationLanguage VariationSpoken FrenchLanguage LearningLanguage TeachingFrancophone CulturesLanguage AcquisitionLinguistic DiversityBilingualismLanguage StudiesLanguage-based ApproachQuébec—and AimsFrancophone FictionSociolinguisticsFrench CultureLanguage CurriculumFrancophone LiteratureForeign Language LearningBilingual EducationFrancophone LinguisticsArtsLinguistics
The authors respond to Salien’s editorial, emphasizing that French teachers must accurately understand Québec French. The study seeks to familiarize U.S. French‑as‑a‑foreign‑language students with Québec French variation, including its diverse varieties, sociolinguistic differences, and functional effectiveness.
This response to Jean‐Marie Salien's editorial “Québec French: Attitudes and Pedagogical Perspectives” ( MLJ , 82 , 1998, pp. 95–102) deals with linguistic variation—particularly as it exists in Québec—and aims at familiarizing students of French as a foreign language in the U.S. with variation in that language. The article stresses how important it is for French teachers to have an accurate understanding of the French spoken in Québec. A characterization of Québec French should include the different varieties spoken, recognize sociolinguistic differences, and acknowledge the functional effectiveness of all varieties. To acquaint American learners of French with language variation, it is appropriate to expose them to the varieties that can be found in neighboring communities, such as Québec. This exposure can begin early so that learners will be able to recognize local particularities and variation. The use of a “pedagogical norm” is advisable, however, in guiding the learners’ own usage, because attitudes toward linguistic variants can produce negative reactions to nonnative speaker use of these features.