DES ENFANTS DU PRIMAIRE PARLENT DES LANGUES ET DE LA DIVERSITÉ LINGUISTIQUE

In the midst of globalisation, and in the context of certain new ideas about the linguistic future of Quebec, Stefanescu and Georgeault’s recent book, Le francais au Quebec, les nouveaux defis, notes that linguistic diversity has recently attracted wide attention. Indeed, this book reveals the need to articulate the promotion and protection of the French language, with the recognition and valorisation of linguistic diversity on the international scene as well as in Quebec. In Montreal as elsewhere in Quebec, languages and linguistic diversity are being examined at all levels of the public sphere. This article attempts to shed some light on what children of immigrant origin, in the fifth and sixth grades of a multiethnic primary school, perceive regarding the debates around this topic. This study took place in the context of a language awareness project (ELODiL) oriented to fostering a thought provoking and trusting environment for pupils and researchers.