Protéger le français : les travers du PL8

The authors believe that Quebec’s new language bill risks harming both its economy and the French language it claims to defend.

Bill 8, recently tabled in the Quebec National Assembly, which restricts access to vocational training and adult education in the English-language system, threatens our already struggling economy. It could also, in our view, undermine the primacy of French, which this bill is supposed to protect.

Its supporters argue that it aims to fill a gap in Bill 101 by applying language rules to adults similar to those used for youth. The government sees it as a roundabout way to access English-language education, which would then promote the use of English in the workplace and in social life.

But this assumption is based on a flawed premise. These programs are aimed at thousands of adults who learn French through courses, internships in French-speaking professional environments, and the acquisition of specialized vocabulary related to their future profession, in order to better integrate into the job market.

The bill also risks exacerbating Quebec’s economic challenges, as the province is already facing slowing growth, trade pressures from the United States, and significant labour shortages in key sectors such as health, construction, skilled trades, and early childhood education.