Allophone (person)

Last updated

In Canada, an allophone is a resident whose first language is neither French nor English. [1] [2] The term parallels anglophone and francophone , which designate people whose mother tongues are English and French, respectively. Some sources do not consider native speakers of Indigenous languages to be allophones. [3]

Contents

Origin of term

The word "allophone" (from Greek ἀλλόφωνοςallóphōnos "speaking a foreign tongue") [4] is formed from the Greek roots ἄλλος (állos), meaning "other", and φωνή (phōnḗ), meaning "sound" or "voice".

The term became popularized during the Quiet Revolution as French Canadian society in Quebec sought to integrate immigrants, most of whom had traditionally integrated into the English-speaking community. As integrating immigrants was deemed essential to assure the survival of French-speaking Quebec in light of plummeting birth rates, demographers devised this category to monitor the integration of immigrants into French- and English-speaking communities. Because allophones often adopt English, French, or both languages at home or learn one language before another, they can be grouped into English or French communities based on home language or first official language learned.

Demographics

In 2006, 20% of the population of Canada was allophone. [5]

Ontario

In 2021, 20.7% of the population of Ontario was allophone. [6]

Quebec

Quebec allophone population by mother tongue 2001 [7]
LanguageSingleMultiple
Total
1. Italian 124,6956,065
2. Arabic 76,28510,245
3. Spanish 70,1004,825
4. Greek 41,9801,755
5. Haitian Creole 34,8855,710
6. Chinese 33,490705
7. Portuguese 33,3601,455
8. Vietnamese 21,6351,125
9. German 17,690995
10. Polish 17,160685
11. Armenian 13,935405
12. Romanian 12,660460
13. Russian 12,420355
14. Tamil 11,095860
15. Persian 10,495395

Allophones constitute an increasing share of the Quebec population and are the main source of population increase in the province, reflecting both increased levels of immigration, declining birthrates among established anglophone and francophone populations, and a shift in immigration from English-speaking countries to Asia and the Americas. [8] In 1971, allophones were 6.6% of the population. By 2001, this had increased to 10.0%. Speakers of Arabic, Spanish, and Haitian Creole experienced the greatest growth from 1996 to 2001. [9]

Increasing numbers of allophones speak French at home: about 20.4% of allophones in the province reported that they spoke French most often at home in 2001, compared with 16.6% in 1996, and 15.4% in 1991. [9] Most allophones live in Montreal, Quebec's largest metropolitan area. They tend to migrate out of the province: between 1996 and 2001, over 19,170 migrated to other provinces, 18,810 of those to Ontario. [10]

Most allophone students in Quebec attend francophone schools. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Canadians</span> North American ethnic group

French Canadians, or Franco-Canadians, refers to an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to French colonists who settled in France's colony of Canada beginning in the 17th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco-Ontarians</span> Francophone resident of the Canadian province of Ontario

Franco-Ontarians are Francophone Canadians that reside in the province of Ontario. Most are French Canadians from Ontario. In 2016, the Government of Ontario calculated that there are approximately 622,415 francophones residing in the province. The majority of Franco-Ontarians in the province reside in Eastern Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, and Central Ontario, although small francophone communities may be found in other regions of the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Quebec</span> Demographics of region

The demographics of Quebec constitutes a complex and sensitive issue, especially as it relates to the National question. Quebec is the only province in Canada to feature a francophone (French-speaking) majority, and where anglophones (English-speakers) constitute an officially recognized minority group. According to the 2011 census, French is spoken by more than 85.5% of the population while this number rises to 88% for children under 15 years old. According to the 2011 census, 95% of Quebec are able to conduct a conversation in French, with less than 5% of the population not able to speak French.

The children of Bill 101 is the name given to the generation of children whose parents immigrated to Quebec, Canada after the adoption of the 1977 Charter of the French Language.

This article presents the current language demographics of the Canadian province of Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English Canada</span> English-speaking population, territory, culture, or society within Canada

English Canada comprises that part of the population within Canada, whether of British origin or otherwise, that speaks English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Canada</span>

A multitude of languages have always been spoken in Canada. Prior to Confederation, the territories that would become Canada were home to over 70 distinct languages across 12 or so language families. Today, a majority of those indigenous languages are still spoken; however, most are endangered and only about 0.6% of the Canadian population report an Indigenous language as their mother tongue. Since the establishment of the Canadian state, English and French have been the co-official languages and are, by far, the most-spoken languages in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French language in Canada</span> Historical and sociological aspects of the French language in Canada

French is the mother tongue of approximately 7.2 million Canadians according to the 2016 Canadian Census. Most Canadian native speakers of French live in Quebec, the only province where French is the majority language and the only province in which it is the sole official language. Of Quebec's people, 71.2 percent are native francophones and 95 percent speak French as their first or second language.

The Demographics of Montreal concern population growth and structure for Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The information is analyzed by Statistics Canada and compiled every five years, with the most recent census having taken place in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Official bilingualism in Canada</span> Policy that the English and French languages have equal status and usage in Canadian government

The official languages of Canada are English and French, which "have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada," according to Canada's constitution. "Official bilingualism" is the term used in Canada to collectively describe the policies, constitutional provisions, and laws that ensure legal equality of English and French in the Parliament and courts of Canada, protect the linguistic rights of English- and French-speaking minorities in different provinces, and ensure a level of government services in both languages across Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco-Albertans</span>

Franco-Albertans are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Alberta. Franco-Albertans may also refer to residents of Alberta with French Canadian ancestry, although publications from the government of Alberta use the term Franco-Albertan to refer to its francophone residents. In the 2016 Canadian Census, there were 86,705 Albertans that stated their mother tongue was French. In the same census, there were 411,315 Albertans that claim partial or full French ancestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell, Ontario</span> Township in eastern Ontario, Canada

The Township of Russell is a municipal township, located south-east of Canada's capital of Ottawa in eastern Ontario, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, on the Castor River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of New Brunswick</span>

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three provinces of the Maritimes, and the only officially bilingual province in the country. The provincial Department of Finance estimates that the province's population in 2006 was 729,997 of which the majority is English-speaking but with a substantial French-speaking minority of mostly Acadian origin.

British Canadians primarily refers to Canadians who were either born in or can trace their ancestry to the British Isles, which includes the nations of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English Canadians</span> Canadian of English ethnic origin and heritage

English Canadians, or Anglo-Canadians, refers to either Canadians of English ethnic origin and heritage or to English-speaking or Anglophone Canadians of any ethnic origin; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadians. Canada is an officially bilingual country, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but often retain elements of their original cultures. The term English-speaking Canadian is sometimes used interchangeably with English Canadian.

Because Canada has, for over two centuries, contained both English- and French-speakers, the question of the language used in the administration of public affairs has always been a sensitive issue.

The language policies of Canada's province and territories vary between the provinces and territories of Canada. Although the federal government operates as an officially bilingual institution, providing services in English and French, several provincial governments have also instituted or legislated their own language policies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interprovincial migration in Canada</span>

Interprovincial migration in Canada is the movement by people from one Canadian province or territory to another with the intention of settling, permanently or temporarily, in the new province or territory; it is more-or-less stable over time. In fiscal year 2019–20, 278,316 Canadians migrated province, representing 0.729% of the population.

English-speaking Quebecers, also known as Anglo-Quebecers, English Quebecers, or Anglophone Quebecers or simply Anglos in a Quebec context, are a linguistic minority in the francophone province of Quebec. According to the 2011 Canadian census, 599,225 people in Quebec declare English as a mother tongue. When asked, 834,950 people reported using English the most at home.

Francophone Canadians are citizens of Canada who speak French. In 2011, 9,809,155 people in Canada, or 30.1% of the population, were Francophone, including 7,274,090 people, or 22% of the population, who declared that they had French as their mother tongue.

References

  1. Corbeil, Jean-Pierre; Blaser, Christine (2007). "2006 Census: The Evolving Linguistic Portrait, 2006 Census". Statistics Canada.
  2. Bélanger, Claude (August 23, 2000). "Allophone[s]". faculty.marianopolis.edu.
  3. Noakes, Taylor C. (January 22, 2020). "Allophone". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  4. ἀλλόφωνος . Liddell, Henry George ; Scott, Robert ; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
  5. "CYB Overview 2008 > Languages". Statistics Canada. September 7, 2008.
  6. "Mother Tongue and Home Language in Ontario". Government of Ontario, Ministry of Finance.
  7. "97F0007XCB2001002".
  8. "Profile of languages in Canada: Provinces and territories". Statistics Canada.
  9. 1 2 "Profile of languages in Canada: Provinces and territories". Statistics Canada.
  10. "Net population gains or losses from interprovincial migration by language group, provinces and territories, 1991-1996 and 1996-2001". Statistics Canada.
  11. Marin, Stéphanie (March 31, 2017). "Les allophones fréquentent les écoles francophones au Québec" [Allophones attend French-language schools in Quebec]. LaPresse.ca (in French). Retrieved June 11, 2020.