La fracnophonie nord-américaine / Francophonie in North America

This course will explore the issues that are unique to the diverse Francophone cultures throughout North America. There have been six major French speaking regions in North American history: Acadia, Quebec, French Ontario, Manitoba, New England and Louisiana. At certain times and for economical or political raisons, each region provided a welcoming ground to French speaking settlers where their voices are still heard. Those regions, however, evolved differently, both culturally and linguistically, depending primarily on the presence of English, the dominant language of North America. By looking at the socio-linguistic structures and the functioning of each of these communities, the similarities that link these Francophone North American cultures will appear. Students will understand how Quebec has become, through its history, institutions, demography and geography, a major epicentre for North American francophone culture.