Language and Law in Quebec The protection of language and culture from foreign intrusion though legislation and government policies has become a controversial issue in the past seven years. In Quebec, and in Canada as a whole, the question on the use of French and English has created serious political debate that nearly caused Quebec to succeed from Canada. The French speakers of Quebec, the Quebequers, have a unique French identity, and have long felt that English speaking Canadians have in many ways threatened the existence of that identity. Indeed, in the early part of the twentieth century, Quebequers were routinely discriminated against in getting Canadian government positions, and schools often forced Quebec children to learn English over French. However, the Quebequers were overall a stubborn people that maintained the use of their language, and since the 1970’s, Quebequers have little by little turned back the tide and even attempted to stamp out entirely the use of English in the province of Quebec. Today, there is much disagreement over the degree to which the usage of French will be promoted in Quebec, and in the future, as with the 1995 referendum, the issue of language usage will be an important political and social issue. The history of Quebec has largely been a struggle between French and English speakers. After Jacque Cartier’s exploration of the St. Lawrence region between 1534-1535, French colonists began coming to Quebec, founding Quebec City in 1608 and Montreal in 1642. The French and Indian War of 1754-1763 forced France to cede Quebec to the English, who ruled the province until the creation of Canada in 1867 ( "sferman/history",http ). Despite being ruled by the English, and after 1867 living in a primarily English-speaking nation, the persistence of the original close organization of land by the early French colonists in what is called the seigniorial system did much to isolate Quebequers from their English neighbors. In effect, the seigniorial system group Quebequer farmers together in small hamlets, and created a tight sense of community. In fact, "it was the seigniorial system, more than anything else, which was responsible for the preservation of the French language, culture, and religion" ( Linguarum 14-15 ). The Quebequers thus lived as a separate people, with their own language and traditions in an otherwise English- speaking Canada. The Quebequers have preserved the use of French, yet the French used in Quebec is a unique dialect which differs in many ways from standard Parisian French. French travelers as early as 1803 noted the use of "anglicisms, archaisms, barbarisms and the like" in the Quebec dialect. Tradition, however, has been such a strong force in Quebec that the French spoken in Montreal resembles more the French of eighteenth century France than of modern day Paris. Ironically, Quebec French is considered by experts in the French language to be a purer form of French than standard French, as overall it has not experienced the entrance of many English words in the language that have been occurring in Paris since the eighteenth century ( Bruneau 269 ). The Quebequers have thus held firmly to their language and culture even more so than the French themselves. In recent years, Quebequers have strongly demonstrated the desire to preserve their culture at any cost. In 1976, a nationalist political party, Parti Quebecois, gained control of the provincial government in Quebec. The Parti Quebecois began pushing the increased use of French in Quebec, and in 1980 called a referendum for Quebec to succeed from Canada, which failed 60% to 40% ( "Canada" http ). Nevertheless, the Parti Quebecois’ influence has grown since 1980, and in 1995 another referendum on succession failed by a thin margin of 50.58% to 49.42%. However, 60% of French speaking Quebecers voted for succession, and it was only the minority Indian and English speakers, who voted overwhelmingly against succession, that kept Quebec within Canada ( Darragh 48 ). It is clear that nationalism and the desire to preserve the French language has been growing strong in Quebec, and a future referendum on succession might likely separate Quebecfrom Canada. The Parti Quebecois has done much through legislation to force the use of French in Quebec. In 1977, English speakers dominated Quebec’s business sector, with 82% of all written communication being done in English, despite the presence of a French speaking majority. However, the Parti Quebecois passed Bill 101 is stated that "under Bill 101, all companies operating in Quebec with 50 or more employees are required to function in French ( "Francize" http ). In addition, companies must have a "francization certificate" from the government to prove that they are complying with the law. Bill 101 was a dramatic success for the use of the French language, with 91% of all private sector employees in Quebec now spending their time operating in French. This turn- around has prompted Quebec’s government to consider "lowering the threshold forcing businesses with fewer than 50 employees to obtain a francization certificate" ( "Francize" http ). The promotion of the French language through legislation has thus been a success, and this trend may well continue in the future. Bill 101 and proposals of further francization of Quebec society have not been without their problems. The enforcement of Bill 101 has raised many questions about free speech. Also, obtaining a francization certificate proved expensive for large companies, and it is feared that if small companies, which represent 97% of all businesses in Quebec, were made to carry out the provisions of Bill 101, many would be forced either to lay off employees or go out of business altogether. The minority English speakers in Quebec have complained that since the passing of Bill 101 they have been discriminated against in the workplace. Indeed, on average in Quebec "bilingual anglophones earn less than their francophone counterparts"( "Francize" http ). Efforts to promote the use of French in Quebec therefore are not without their drawbacks, especially in terms of freedom of speech, equality, and economic growth. Quebequers have admiringly preserved their language and culture over the years in face of English dominance. In recent years, Quebequers have done much through legal means to ensure that French will remain the dominate language of their province. For many Quebecers, legal protection of French had not been enough, and the idea of an independent Quebec to ensure the continual use of the French language has become popular. Nevertheless, the issue of using legal means to preserve a once threatened, traditional language has drawn protests citing cases of reverse discrimination against native English speakers. In the end, the issue of language use and the law, however goes beyond Quebec, and much could be learned from the Quebece example in the United States, where the large influx of Hispanics into the country has resulted in attempts to make English the offical language. Bibliography Bruneau, Charles. Petite histoire de la langue Francaise: Des origines a la Revolution. Paris: Libaire Armand Colin, 1969. Darragh, Ian. "Quebec’s Quandry." National Geographic. Nov. 1997: 46-67. "Francization of the Workplace." Available http:// www.aq.ca/rt/francize.htm "The History of Quebec." Available http://mvh. srvusd.k12.cs.us/~ Linguarum, Janua. The Regional French of County Beauce,Quebec. Paris: Mouton, 1975. Serril, Michael S. "Au Revoir Again?" Available http://pathfinder.com/international/1995/951030/canada. html