Use of the minority language in the private and public spheres

Portrait of Official-Language Minorities in Canada

Catalogue number: Catalogue number: 11-629-x

Issue number: 2015010

Release date: April 17, 2014
Use of the minority language in the private and public spheres - Transcript

Description of visuals

Beyond the demographic and socioeconomic trends, how do official-language minorities use French and English in everyday situations? Data from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities conducted in 2006 provide information on language use in various domains of the private and public spheres.

(A bar chart appears on the screen, representing the use of French and English. The left axis shows the use of French and English at home, with friends, in networks, at work and with institutions and stores. On the bottom axis are percentages from 0 to 100. The rate of use is as follows:

  • French (mainly or only)
  • Home: 56%
  • Friends: 40%
  • Networks: 34%
  • Work: 28%
  • Institutions and stores: 28%
  • Media: 17%
  • English and French (equally)
  • Home: 8%
  • Friends: 13%
  • Networks: 18%
  • Work: 19%
  • Institutions and stores: 14%
  • Media: 20%
  • English (mainly or only)
  • Home: 80%
  • Friends: 77%
  • Networks: 61%
  • Work: 53%
  • Institutions and stores: 61%
  • Media: 89%)

Outside Quebec, two-thirds of Francophones speak French either exclusively, mainly or equally with English at home. With friends and in close social networks, this is also the case for more than one-half of Francophones.

They use French somewhat less frequently at work, in institutions and stores or when using media. However, 37 to 47% of Francophones report using French-exclusively, mainly or equally with English-in these public spheres.

In all provinces and territories, Francophones outside Quebec use French proportionally less than Quebec Anglophones use English.

(A chart showing five female and five male figures appears on the screen. A label indicating 47% appears on the screen, referring to the francophones in a minority situation who use French mainly or only in the different spheres of daily life, and those who use French and English equally.)

When all this information is compiled, a general language use index can be calculated. This index shows that 26% of Francophones in a minority situation use only or mainly French in the different spheres of daily life. Twenty-one percent use French and English equally.

(A bar chart appears on the screen, representing the general language use index. On the left axis are the provinces, and on the bottom axis are percentages from 0 to 100. The chart describes the following:

  • Use of French (mainly or only)
  • Newfoundland and Labrador 5%
  • Prince Edward Island 7%
  • Nova Scotia 10%
  • New Brunswick 67%
  • Ontario 18%
  • Manitoba 6%
  • Saskatchewan 2%
  • Alberta 0%
  • British Columbia 0%
  • Territories 0%
  • Canada outside Quebec 26%
  • Use of French and English (equally)
  • Newfoundland and Labrador 11%
  • Prince Edward Island 26%
  • Nova Scotia 24%
  • New Brunswick 19%
  • Quebec 19%
  • Ontario 25%
  • Manitoba 22%
  • Saskatchewan 11%
  • Alberta 7%
  • British Columbia 5%
  • Territories 19%
  • Canada outside Quebec 21%
  • Use of English (mainly or only)
  • Quebec 72%)

However, these proportions vary considerably from one province to another. French is used most frequently in New Brunswick and Ontario, and least frequently in the provinces west of Manitoba.

By comparison, in Quebec, more than 9 out of 10 Anglophones use mainly or only English or use it equally with French, according to the general language use index.

(Symbols representing the fields of health and justice appear on the screen.)

Sometimes, being able to use one's main language is crucial-notably, when dealing with professionals in the health or justice spheres. These are two priority sectors for the official-language minority communities.

(Symbols representing the fields of health and justice appear on the screen)

But using the minority language depends on the ability of professionals to conduct a conversation in that language.

(A bar chart appears on the screen, representing knowledge of the minority language. The left axis shows percentages from 0 to 100 and along the bottom axis are doctors, nurses, police officers and lawyers. The chart describes the following:

  • Knowledge of French outside Quebec among
  • doctors 20.8%
  • nurses 9.8%
  • police officers 14.2%
  • lawyers 23.4%
  • Knowledge of English in Quebec among
  • doctors 89.2%
  • nurses 51.2%
  • police officers 69.6%
  • lawyers 85.7%)

Outside Quebec, knowledge of French among doctors, nurses, police officers and lawyers ranges from 10 to 23%. Knowledge of English among these professions in Quebec is consistently higher, from 51 to 89%.

(A bar chart appears on the screen, representing knowledge of the minority language. On the left axis are percentages from 0 to 100 and along the bottom axis are doctors, nurses, police officers and lawyers. The chart describes the following:

  • The proportion of francophones outside Quebec who use French at least as often as English with
  • doctors 58%
  • nurses 57%
  • police officers 26%
  • lawyers 40%
  • The proportion of anglophones in Quebec who use English at least as often as French with
  • doctors 80%
  • nurses 65%
  • police officers 43%
  • lawyers 70%)

Thus, Quebec Anglophones are also more likely to use the minority language when dealing with one of these professionals. The share of Francophones outside Quebec who use French at least as often as English ranges from one in four to nearly three in five. In Quebec, four Anglophones in five use English at least as often as French in their contacts with a family doctor.

(The image fades into the Canada wordmark against a black background.)

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