Sociolinguistics Symposium 19
Freie Universität Berlin | August 21-24, 2012
Programme: accepted abstracts
Abstract ID: 877
Part of Session 100: Montreal, a francophone, anglophone and multilingual city (Other abstracts in this session)
Finding an American place in Francophone space: the monolingual American expat experience in Montreal
Authors: Whigam, Kenneth
Submitted by: Whigam, Kenneth (Concordia University, Canada)
Much research has focused on the immigrant experience in Montreal, as well as the issue of language and daily social interactions. However, little work has focused on immigrants whose native language is English. American immigrants, in particular, come to Quebec expecting a similar cultural experience to their own. In contrast to other immigrants, American expats’ academic and professional experiences are recognized, and they speak English, one of the country of Canada’s two official languages, and also possibly the most important global language, natively.
Monolingual American immigrants soon discover that, by being native speakers of English, they have entered into a hotbed political issue. The Office québécois de la langue française actively governs and enforces a strict “French only” stance and has done so ever since the enactment of Bill 101, the Charter of the French Language. These immigrants speak a language that is widely understood in their new home, but which brings along with its use an entire set of political baggage to which they are not necessarily privy prior to their arrival. They experience a cultural shock as they see signs that are considered socially acceptable (“Au Québec on travaille en français” (In Quebec we work in French), whereas businesses bearing equivalent signage in the United States would be stigmatized and associated with extreme right-wing social movements favoring racial discrimination (such as the “English only movement”, cf. Baron 1990).
The present study, based on ethnographic interviews, participant observation, and reflexive narrative, focuses on the experiences of individuals who did not choose to come to Quebec to live out the Francophone dream, but rather came due to circumstances more or less beyond their control: a decision by a family member or a financial necessity due to educational or employment opportunities. As language in Montreal is a highly politicized topic, every encounter or interaction requires an intricate dance regarding what language to use (cf. Heller 1982). Monolingual Americans have no choice as to which language to use and are thus forced to enter into a political controversy through the mere act of opening their mouth to speak.
This talk focuses on the coping and communication strategies adopted by American expatriots in Montreal. Many of these individuals find themselves, at least initially, going through a period of avoiding speaking in public, for fear of choosing the “wrong” language. Some of these individuals live in a state of transnationality, returning frequently to the United States and aiming to move back when the next opportunity presents itself. Others immerse themselves in the local Anglophone subculture, sometimes finding that there is still a huge cultural gap between Americans and Anglophone Canadians. Still others embrace the Francophone culture, successfully completing language immersion courses and finding a social network of Francophones, or a social network composed of immigrants from a number of different countries. Findings suggest that while the outcomes are different, at all stages language plays a central role in these immigrants’ experience.