Language use of Quebec adolescents on the social web

The article compares the linguistic practices, in daily activities and on the social web, reported by adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 years old attending French schools. The survey targeted particularly the use of French and English in five sub-populations: French mother tongue language speakers, English mother tongue language speakers, allophones, French second language speakers and English second language speakers. The results show a very diverse use of French in daily life depending on the ethnic origin, French mother tongue language speakers and French second language speakers almost always use it in school, with their family and friends, and significantly in traditional media use. The three other groups choose it sporadically, preferring English. On the social web, behavior also harmonizes with ethnic origins. However, the predominance of French in the two most francophone groups fades somewhat, to underline the predominance of English on the World Wide Web among Quebec adolescents. Their linguistic awareness, even in the two French speaking groups, is still not developed, nor are their views regarding the Francophonie. Adapted from the source document