Language and Racial Attitudes toward French Varieties in a Second Language Learning Context

Abstract

Language is a powerful social force that does more than merely communicate content. Language learners can show preference for certain varieties over others due to linguistic stereotyping and the awareness that accents can lead to an array of social and professional disadvantages. This study explores the hierarchization of different varieties of French within Canada and the interplay of variety and race. A modified matched-guise test was used to gather attitudinal data from 94 participants undertaking Frenchlanguage courses at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The goals of this study were to unpack the perceived hierarchization of five different varieties of French (from Moncton, Quebec City, Vancouver [a non-native speaker], Abidjan, and Paris) and to identify a possible correlation between the evaluation of varieties of French and the racialization of speakers. Participants evaluated speakers on four dimensions: status, solidarity, understandability, and general perspective. The findings revealed a clear hierarchy based on attitudes. For most statements, the participants evaluated speakers of Quebec and European French more favourably. Interestingly, they also evaluated the non-native speaker of French more positively than the speakers of African and Acadian French. However, for each variety of French, the voices associated with Black speakers were evaluated more positively than those associated with White speakers.