4. Linguistic behavioural outcomes of immigrants

Although the FOLS variable is derived from linguistic behaviours reported in the census and assigns people accordingly, it is important to examine the linguistic differences for immigrants between the three FOLS immigrant categories. In this section, immigrants in the FOLS language categories will be examined in terms of i) the percentage who report a non-official language mother tongue (i.e. Allophone); ii) the language transfer of Allophones to English or French; iii) the percentage who are bilingual in both official languages; and iv) the percentage who speak English or French, or both English and French, at work. Immigrants in the English-French FOLS category will only be included in the analysis of “the percent that speak English or French or English and French at work” since, as discussed above, they reported a non-official language mother tongue, they are bilingual immigrants, and the percentage who report speaking an official language most often at home is small.^{Footnote 31}

4.1. Non-official mother tongue

This section will consider the share of immigrants within the individual FOLS linguistic categories who reported neither English nor French as their mother tongue (i.e. Allophones).^{Footnote 32}

• Immigrants assigned to the English FOLS category are more likely to report a non-official language mother tongue (68%) than immigrants assigned to the French FOLS category (59%).
  • This proportion is even higher among immigrants assigned to the English FOLS category in Montréal (70%) and Laval (80%). It is lower in the Eastern ERs (23%), Estrie (31%) and Capitale-Nationale (33%).
• Immigrants assigned to the English-French FOLS category are mainly Allophones (98%), which push up the percentage of Allophones in the Anglophone (FOLS) (75%) and Francophone (FOLS) (65%) immigrant categories.
  • This is especially the case in the three inner tiers, where the immigrants assigned to the English-French FOLS category are concentrated.

Map 9: Number and percentage of Allophone (mother tongue single response) immigrants assigned to English FOLS across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

Map 10: Number and percentage of Allophone (mother tongue single response) immigrants assigned to French FOLS across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

4.2. Official language bilingualism^{Footnote 33}

Quebec is the most bilingual province in Canada. In Quebec, 41% of people reported that they could speak both English and French well enough to conduct a conversation,^{Footnote 34} while 50% of all Quebec immigrants are bilingual. Official language minorities often learn the other official language to participate in the mainstream economy, especially when they are not living in a geographically defined area (e.g. neighbourhood) or isolated community that is institutionally complete.^{Footnote 35}

• The percentage of immigrants assigned to English FOLS (40%) and French FOLS (43%) categories is closer to the overall provincial rate^{Footnote 36}
• Close proximity to centres with large Anglophone populations reduces the rate of bilingualism for immigrants assigned to the English FOLS category, while raising it for immigrants assigned to the French FOLS category.
  • Immigrants assigned to the English FOLS category in Outaouais and Montréal have the lowest rates of official language bilingualism, at 33% and 37% respectively
  • Immigrants assigned French FOLS in Outaouais, Laurentides, Montérégie and Laval have high rates of official language bilingualism, at 53%, 48%, 47% and 47% respectively.
• For ERs further away from centres with large Anglophone populations, the reverse is true. The rate of bilingualism for immigrants assigned to the English FOLS increases while it decreases for immigrants assigned to the French FOLS category.
  • In the Capitale-Nationale, Eastern ERs and Lanaudiére, the rate of official language bilingualism for immigrants who are assigned to the English FOLS category is 79%, 75% and 69% respectively.
  • In Northern and Eastern ERs, immigrants who were assigned to the French FOLS category have the lowest rate of bilingualism, at 34% and 28%.
• Immigrants assigned to English-French FOLS are all bilingual, which explains why Anglophone and Francophone immigrants’ rates of official language bilingualism, at 54% and 52% respectively, are higher than the rates for English FOLS and French FOLS immigrants.

Map 11: Number and percentage of immigrants assigned to English FOLS with knowledge of English and French (official language bilingualism) across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

Map 12: Number and percentage of immigrants assigned to French FOLS with knowledge of English and French (official language bilingualism) across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

4.3. Language transfer of Allophones^{Footnote 37}

Language transfer for immigrants refers to the transfer from a non-official language mother tongue towards the use of an official language at home. Here, instead of looking at all immigrants assigned to the English FOLS and French FOLS categories, the focus is on those who reported a single-response non-official language mother tongue (Allophone) within these two FOLS categories. ^{Footnote 38} Language transfer is often considered an indicator of change because transmitting languages from one generation to the next usually requires that a language be spoken at home.^{Footnote 39}The rate of transfer for Allophone immigrants to an English or French home language indicates the strengths of these languages.

• Language transfer for Allophone immigrants occurs less frequently in Montréal ER than in any other ER in Quebec.
• Allophone immigrants assigned English FOLS: language transfer rates range from 52% in Montréal to 80% in Lanaudière.
• Allophone immigrants assigned French FOLS: language transfer rates range from 57% in Montréal to 77% in Lanaudière.
• The low rate of language transfer for English-French FOLS (6%) immigrants results in a lower rate of language transfer for Anglophone FOLS (39%) immigrants than for English FOLS (54%) immigrants.

Map 13: Number and percentage of Allophone immigrants assigned to English FOLS showing language transfer across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

Map 14: Number and percentage of Allophone immigrants assigned to French FOLS showing language transfer across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

4.4. Language spoken most often at work^{Footnote 40}

The language(s) spoken most often at work is an important indicator of an immigrant’s linguistic integration into Quebec society.

• Of working immigrants who were assigned to the English FOLS category, 76% speak English, 14% speak French and 10% speak both English and French most often at work.
  • English FOLS immigrants speak English most often at work especially in Montréal, Montérégie, Laval, and Outaouais ERs.
• Although most of the immigrants assigned to the English-French FOLS category reported speaking a non-official language most often at home, they did not do so at work.
  • Of the working immigrants who were assigned to the English-French FOLS category, 22% reported speaking both English and French at work, 50% reported speaking French at work, and 28% reported speaking English at work.
• Of working immigrants who were assigned French FOLS, 8% speak English, 83% speak French and 10% speak both English and French most often at work.
  • Outaouais is the only ER where almost a quarter of Francophone immigrants speak English most often at work.

Map 15: Number and percentage of immigrants assigned to English FOLS showing the official language spoken most often at work across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

Map 16: Number and percentage of immigrants assigned to French FOLS showing the official language spoken most often at work across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

Map 17: Number and percentage of immigrants assigned to English-French FOLS showing the official language spoken most often at work across Quebec economic regions, 2006 Census, 20% sample

Summary

• Immigrants assigned to the English FOLS category are more likely to report a non-official language mother tongue (68%) than immigrants assigned to the French FOLS category (59%), especially in Montréal, Montérégie, Laval and Outaouais ERs.
• Immigrants assigned to the English-French FOLS category are mainly Allophone (98%) which pushes up the percentage of Allophones in the Anglophone (FOLS) category to 75%
• Close proximity to centres with large Anglophone populations reduces the rate of bilingualism for immigrants assigned to the English FOLS category, while raising it for the immigrants assigned to the French FOLS category.
• Immigrants assigned to English-French FOLS are all bilingual, which explains why Anglophone and Francophone immigrants` rates of official language bilingualism, at 54% and 52% respectively, are higher than the rates for English FOLS and French FOLS immigrants.
• Language transfer rate for Allophone immigrants occurs less frequently in Montréal ER than in any other ER in Quebec.
• The low rate of language transfer for English-French FOLS (6%) immigrants results in a lower rate of language transfer for Anglophone FOLS (39%) immigrants than English FOLS (54%) immigrants.
• English FOLS immigrants speak English most often at work especially in Montréal, Montérégie, Laval, and Outaouais ERs.
• Although most of the immigrants assigned to the English-French FOLS category report speaking a non-official language most often at home, only 4% report speaking only a non-official language at work.

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