Le français québécois (linguistique culturelle) / French Quebecois (cultural linguistics)

The goal of this course is to demonstrate how the French of Quebec constitutes not only the language of art and literature but an integral part of Quebecers’ identity. By reading and discussing critical essays and diverse forms of literature such as folktales and legends, songs and novels, students will be exposed to the linguistic particularities of Quebec French, known as québécismes. They will also understand how the language evolved throughout its history in a North America environment. In the 1960’s, literature proved to be the perfect setting for this creative and original form of French language in both the cultural and political arenas of Quebec. Since this decade, several of these significant Quebecois texts, which will be discussed in this course, have transcended the borders of Quebec where they have enriched francophone literature globally.

Text : Marty Laforest, États d’âme, états de langue. Essai sur le français parlé au Québec, 2e édition, Québec, Éditions Nota Bene, 2007, 144 p.