Quebec Announces $603-Million Five-Year Plan to Preserve French Language

Quebec is taking proactive steps to safeguard and promote the French language, announced Minister Jean-François Roberge on Apr. 28. He presented a $603-million plan to address the language’s decline.

As the Quebec cabinet minister in charge of the French language, Mr. Roberge outlined the government’s nine key priorities, including enhancing language monitoring, enriching French cultural offerings, and enhancing students’ French proficiency.

Several measures in the plan are related to immigration, such as increasing the percentage of French-speaking economic immigrants and expediting permanent residency for international students graduating from French programs.

“It’s essential to note that we are no longer just defending the French language,” stated Mr. Roberge at a press conference in Montreal. “We are now taking proactive steps to regain lost ground and reverse the decline of French.”

The strategy revealed on Apr. 28 consists of 21 measures, some of which are already in effect or have been previously announced.

These include existing commitments to raise tuition by 30 percent for out-of-province Canadian students and enforce French proficiency requirements for most of these students upon graduation. The government also plans to impose stricter French-language criteria for temporary workers and economic immigrants.

Mr. Roberge highlighted the challenges to French vitality in Quebec, including the rise of non-French-speaking immigrants, dominance of English digital platforms, and increased enrollment in English universities.

At the press conference, Mr. Roberge was joined by provincial ministers from various departments focusing on the future of French in Quebec.

The $603-million plan, outlined during a financially challenging period, demonstrates the government’s dedication to the French language. The funding for this plan has already been allocated in the province’s budget.

According to 2021 census data, the percentage of Quebec residents primarily speaking French at home decreased slightly between 2016 and 2021. Concurrently, the proportion of residents with English as their primary official language increased from 12 percent to 13 percent in the same period, as per Statistics Canada.

Despite this, a study by Quebec’s language watchdog in April revealed that the use of French in public places like stores and restaurants has remained steady since 2007.

A portion of the funding, $18 million, will support a collaboration with Quebec’s statistics agency to publish regular language indicator data for the province.

Over half of the funding, $320 million, will be utilized for programs to ensure temporary international workers speak and learn French.

Additionally, $64.9 million will be allocated to enhance students’ French proficiency through initiatives promoting reading, as mentioned by Education Minister Bernard Drainville.

“We must instill in our children a passion for speaking French,” he remarked, emphasizing the role of teachers and school staff in encouraging French usage in classrooms, corridors, and extracurricular activities.

An amount of $187.3 million will be used to enrich the “Francophone cultural offering” and enhance its accessibility, including funding for cultural productions in Quebec, according to the province’s culture minister.

Minister Mathieu Lacombe announced intentions to introduce legislation ensuring access to and discoverability of French-language cultural content in the digital realm.

Lastly, $12.8 million will be allocated to bolster Quebecers’ connection to the French language through initiatives like French-language publications and communication campaigns.