Publish at February 14 2023 Updated February 14 2023
Learning another language requires acquiring vocabulary, grammatical rules and syntax. By comes the time to put it into practice, whether through reading, writing and speaking. This last aspect is elementary in communication because if online interactions require the use of writing, real life calls much more for the verbal. Yet, while it is already difficult to put pronunciations different from one's native language into one's mouth, an additional difficulty is added: linguistic insecurity.
The concept was formulated in the United States in the 1970s. The idea is that speakers feel discomfort and anxiety when it comes to speaking aloud in a foreign language. This pressure comes from a distorted self-assessment that makes one feel that one's command of a language is much weaker than that of other speakers. As explains this sociolinguistics teacher's aide, it's about when a person is far more afraid of being judged on how rather than on what is being said.
Where does this conception come from? Already from a social construct called "the ideology of a language standard," that is, the feeling that there is a right and a wrong way to speak out loud. Thus, an individual considering his or her level below "that standard" will feel language insecurity.
Accents are another part of this anxiety since stereotypes play on them and convey the idea that having an accent is a symbol of incompetence, low intelligence, etc. Although rarer, those who grew up in the latter half of the 20th century have seen many comedy sketches based solely on the "assumed" accent of an Asian, African, First Nations, English, German, etc. person. Add in a few unfortunate experiences with individuals with negative or demeaning comments and you have the perfect recipe for not daring to speak another language orally.
Canada is a place where this sociolinguistic reality is very much alive. Indeed, young Anglophones learning French as a second language often feel pressure when they compare themselves to the customs in the only majority Francophone province: Quebec. Thus, from British Columbia to Newfoundland, the few students learning French do not allow themselves to speak it. Including in Acadia, a study conducted more than 30 years ago showed for the first time this insecurity within a Canadian province. From then on, some New Brunswickers born in less francophone regions felt a real discomfort in expressing themselves in that language.
Even in Ontario, though it is a neighbor to Quebec and has a large pool of francophones, its Franco-Ontarian youth feel a lot of linguistic insecurity. Closer geographically to Quebecers, they have more access to this culture, which, let's face it, is sometimes a harsh judge of the speech of French-speaking communities outside its borders. The "Our Language, My Accent" project in French-language high schools in Ontario is intended to be a safe place for all students to feel comfortable with speaking French.
Because here's the thing, there are no real miracles to counteract language insecurity other than one thing: using the language again and again. However, school or community settings can provide more caring settings where mockery and derogatory comments are not allowed. The Association des francophones des Kootenays Ouest (AFKO) in British Columbia sums it up well when presenting workshops for French-speaking youth: maybe the participants "will speak badly" but they will express themselves at least in the language of Molière.
The National Film Board of Canada launched in September 2022 Media School, an online workshop for teens (ages 13-18) in French minority settings to tell their stories through digital storytelling. They can thus through videos testify to the lives of these Francophones outside of Quebec and do so without being ashamed of their accent or mastery of French. Teachers can then accompany the students thanks to the online digital platform made of different modules.
Besides, for Christian Dumais, a full professor of French didactics at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, schools should not focus everything in learning French as a foreign language on lectures. This co-author of the "Didactics of the Oral" believes that more spontaneous pretexts are needed in order to speak a language. Sure, he or she will be unprepared and may possess mistakes, but that's okay; no one always speaks like a speaker, including native speakers.
So, teachers could organize talks, informal speaking moments, or different artistic approaches such as slam or poetry. The idea is ultimately to reduce insecurities by demonstrating the abilities to speak a language in a variety of circumstances other than the sacrosanct oral presentation.
For that matter, addressing even this insecurity can be done within a course. Whether it's sketches, memes, or skits, any way will help to de-dramatize this feeling and diminish it bit by bit. A way, especially in a bilingual country like Canada (but many others could follow suit), to give younger generations and individuals a taste for expressing themselves in French, including in minority settings.
Photo credit: depositphotos.com - goodstocker.yandex.ru
References:
Bouchard, Marie-Ève. "What is Linguistic Insecurity and Why We Should Dismantle It." Faculty of Arts. Last updated January 10, 2023.
https://www.arts.ubc.ca/news/what-is-linguistic-insecurity-and-why-we-should-dismantle-it/
Ernoult, Marine. "Se Raconter En Images Pour Lutter Contre L'insécurité Linguistique." Francopresse. Last updated October 20, 2022.
https://francopresse.ca/2022/10/20/se-raconter-en-images-pour-lutter-contre-linsecurite-linguistique/
"Il Y a 30 Ans, on Nommait L'insécurité Linguistique Pour La Première Fois." Radio-Canada.ca. Last updated February 15, 2022.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/l-heure-de-pointe-acadie/segments/entrevue/391003/insecurite-linguistique-annette-boudreau-enquete
"Speaking in School... Much More Than a Lecture!" ACELF - Association Canadienne D'Education De Langue Française. Last updated: May 25, 2022. https://acelf.ca/francophonie/loral-a-lecole-bien-plus-quun-expose/
"The Media School: The Digital Narrative." National Film Board of Canada. Accessed February 9, 2023.
https://www.onf.ca/education/ecoledesmedias/
Pierroz, Sebastien. "Language Insecurity: 'Showing Students That They Are Not Alone With This Reality'." ONfr+. Last updated on November 11, 2019. https://onfr.tfo.org/insecurite-linguistique-montrer-aux-eleves-quils-ne-sont-pas-seuls-avec-cette-realite/
"Three New Pedagogical Activities To Raise Awareness About Language (In)Security." National Strategy for Language Security. Accessed February 9, 2023. https://snsl.ca/trois-nouvelles-activites-pedagogiques-pour-sensibiliser-a-linsecurite-linguistique/
Yambayamba, Jean-Marie. "Gaining Ground On Linguistic Insecurity." Radio-Canada.ca. Last updated March 27, 2022. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1871674/mois-francophonie-parler-francais-langue-anglais
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