English is progressing in Quebec to the detriment of French and not only in the Montreal region. This is why the OQLF produced regional data on this theme for the first time.
“The study initially aimed to update the portrait of customer perceptions and behaviors with regard to the language in which they are greeted and served in businesses in the Montreal CMA. Then, secondly, it aimed to broaden the Office’s knowledge in this area by examining other territories,” explains the director of communications, Nicolas Trudel, in an email exchange with The Sun.
“The territories are among the administrative regions having recorded a greater number of complaints relating to language of service in recent years. These targeted territories include cities with high commercial density,” he adds.
Bilingualism
If 83.5% of clients were greeted exclusively in French, 12.1% were greeted at least once in a bilingual manner and 4.6% in a language other than French, in 2023, in the CMA of Quebec during the six months preceding the survey.
For the province as a whole, the proportion is 24.7% for bilingualism and 5.4% for a language other than French.
Among survey respondents, 51.5% wanted to continue in French, however 18.5% of them received service in another language.
Negative feeling
This situation led to a negative feeling for 47.1% of respondents. But these do not always require to be served in French. In fact, almost half rarely or never ask.
Finally, when asked about the probability that they will return to the store when they are not served in French, only 13.5% will not return.
Around a third of customers (34.6%) will return to a business that has served them in a language other than French because it does not bother them, and more than a third (36.8%) only out of necessity.
Young people more indifferent
Across Quebec, 33% of customers experience indifference when the service is not in French. This lack of reaction tends to increase, according to the report.
This proportion is 41% among those aged 18 to 34, 29% among those aged 35 to 54 and 30% among those aged 55 and over.
Young people aged 18 to 34 are also more likely to continue the discussion in English (57%), while this is the case for 44% of those aged 35 to 54 and 43% of those aged 55 and over.
The responses of young people raise questions among the OQLF and the behaviors and perceptions of this age group will be particularly studied in future studies.
The survey Welcome language and language of service in Quebec businesses in 2023: consumers was carried out with a sample of 3822 people. The margin of error is 1.6% based on a 95% confidence interval.
