Section 5 Subjective vitality

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In this portrait of Francophones living in the territories, we have painted a general picture of different demolinguistic and socioeconomic characteristics of this population. But what do we know about various key aspects of subjective vitality, perceptions and the value assigned to the French phenomenon in their living environment?

The results of the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (SVOLM) highlight at least two key elements shared by most Francophones: a strong sense of dual identification with the Francophone and Anglophone groups, and the value that they assign to the French language.

As regards the phenomenon of identity, the SVOLM results suggest that Francophones have a double ethnolinguistic identity: 45% of them report that they identify with both the Francophone and Anglophone groups.

The sense of belonging and identity are highly complex concepts. Depending on the circumstances, people may identify with their country, their language, their culture, etc. The sense of double identification with the Francophone and Anglophone groups that is observed among Francophones in the territories suggests that in many cases, immersion in the primarily Anglophone culture may have contributed to the emergence of a phenomenon in which the Francophone cultural and linguistic heritage is valued and respected while linguistic practices are influenced by living within the dominant and pervasive Anglophone culture. However, to verify and analyse this hypothesis would go beyond the scope of this analytical report and the limitations of the SVOLM in this regard.

Nevertheless, a number of factors indicate that Francophones in the territories assign a definite value to the French language. Many of them report that it is important or very important (65%) for them to be able to use French in their daily life. Francophones also feel that it is important to them for individuals or organizations to work at the development of the French-speaking community (63%), for government services to be provided in French (75%) and for linguistic rights to be respected in the territory in which they reside (81%).

It is worth noting that in examining the extent to which French is used in the various domains about which the SVOLM asks questions, notably regarding interactions with health care and justice system professionals as well as access to the main mechanisms for transmitting culture, we observe a phenomenon that may, on the face of it, seem contradictory: valuing a language does not necessarily translate into using it a great deal. For example, we note that among Francophones in the territories who report that it is either very important or important to be able to use French in their daily life, 53% watch television only or mainly in English, and 71% read newspapers only or mainly in that language. Even though French is valued and assigned great importance, the demolinguistic reality, the dynamics of Francophones' living environment and the availability of services may work against the use of this language.

The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities collected data on subjective perceptions of the past and future evolution of the presence of the minority language in the municipality of residence as well as the perceived vitality of the official-language community. As regards these data, 70% of Francophones in the territories believe that the vitality of the French-speaking community in their municipality is strong or very strong, while 63% expect the presence of French to diminish in their municipality over the next ten years. Those statistics eloquently illustrate that despite the low numbers and weak relative weight of Francophones in the territories, the subjective vitality of these communities seems very strong, although there clearly appears to be concern regarding the presence of the French language in the municipality or indeed in the territories as a whole.