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FRENCH LANGUAGE

French woman denied Quebec residency because ‘French wasn’t good enough’

A French woman seeking permanent residency in Quebec was turned down on grounds on her French was not good enough.

Published: 9 November 2019 17:31 CET
French woman denied Quebec residency because 'French wasn't good enough'
Place Jacques Cartier is a historic square in Montreal. Photo: Diliff/Wikimedia Commons
Emilie Dubois, 31, has lived in the mainly French-speaking province since 2012, completed her doctoral thesis at Laval University in Quebec City in French, started a small business in the province and even passed a language test.
   
But all that wasn't enough to convince Quebec officials to give her an immigration suitability certificate that is a prerequisite to gaining permanent residency.
   
“It's absurd,” she told AFP.
 
The story has drawn considerable attention in France. 
 
French is the official language of government, commerce and the courts in Quebec — a former French colony ceded to Britain in 1763.
   
But the province's French majority has often faced criticism for its arguably heavy-handed defence of the language of Molière.
   
Most recently a backlash ensued over plans to require anyone wanting services in English to prove their ancestral English roots in the province.
   
According to a letter from the Quebec immigration ministry, Dubois was turned down because she had not completed her dissertation entirely in French.
   
One chapter of her doctoral thesis on cellular and molecular biology was written in English because it was a scholarly article published in a scientific journal. But the other four chapters were written in French.
   
“It's absurd, but I must believe that someone just made a mistake,” said Dubois, a Francophone from Burgundy in eastern France.
   
“You just have to look at the reality of things and not consider that we are just boxes, folders, numbers, but that we are real people and if they have doubts, they can also reach out to us.”
   
Quebec's immigration minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette, is reportedly aware of the case and has asked for a review.
   
Determined to press on, Dubois said “my desire to stay in Quebec is stronger.”

Member comments

  1. For those of you not familiar with the absurdity of Quebec’s thinking on the french language, Quebec is probably the only country in the world where the Stop sign says Arret. Even in France, the signs say STOP.
    How cretinous is that.

  3. Love to hear Quebequoise French. Love their insistence on Arret. In England we appreciate eccentricity. Do they still say chien-chaud for hot-dog ? Vive la difference! btw the French lady should obviously be allowed her residency in Quebec..to refuse her is too silly !

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FRENCH LANGUAGE

The French words to use and avoid when talking about disability

With the Paralympic Games in full swing, The Local looks at the inclusive terminology to use in French when discussing disability.

Published: 4 September 2024 12:05 CEST
The French words to use and avoid when talking about disability

In French, just like in English, the appropriate and inclusive terminology for discussing disability is evolving. Keeping up with the right words to use in your non-native language can be challenging.

The best advice would be to ask what vocabulary the person prefers, as long as they are comfortable disclosing their disability with you.

You could ask Quelle terminologie préféreriez-vous utiliser pour parler du handicap ? (What terminology do you prefer when speaking about disability?)

Here is a vocabulary guide to start with;

Personne en situation de handicap (roughly pronounced pear-son ahn sit-oo-ah-see-ohn duh ahn-dee-cap) – translates as ‘a person with a handicap’, but it is more akin to ‘a person with a disability’. The French language still uses the term handicap as the equivalent of ‘disability’, unlike English which now avoids ‘handicap’ or ‘handicapped’.

In French, as in English, recent efforts have involved shifting language to be ‘person-first’. The goal is to show that a person is not defined solely by their disability, and that disability can depend on the environment and situation.

According to the language guide by the International Paralympic Committee (found here), the expression personnes handicapées is still commonly used, but it is not the preferred term.

On the other hand, they warn against simply calling someone un handicapé (a disabled person) or un infirme (invalid), as this may be offensive as it can be in English.

READ MORE: ANALYSIS: How accessible is Paris for people with disabilities?

Personnes à mobilité réduite, PMR (roughly pronounced pear-son ah moe-bil-ee-tay ray-doo-weet) – translates as a person with reduced mobility. This broad term describes anyone with difficulty moving or getting around.

They might use a wheelchair, but this could also include someone whose movements are temporarily or permanently restricted due to height, medical condition, age, permanent or temporary disability, or because of the instruments they need to move around, according to the accessibility-focused website Handinorme.

You might also hear someone use the similar term une personne mal-marchante. The International Paralympic Committee also warned against using the term boiteux, which would translate as ‘lame’ or ‘limping’ in English as this may be offensive.

Un fauteuil roulant (roughly pronounced oon foe-tuy roo-lahn) – A wheelchair

Accessible (roughly pronounced access-ee-bluh) – This translates as ‘accessible’. It refers to anything from a parking space to a restaurant or any other location that has taken steps to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.

Les personnes sourdes ou malentendantes (roughly pronounced lay pear-son sord oo mal-ahn-tahn-dahnts – This is the expression to use when describing someone who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This may also be described as a handicap auditif. When discussing sign language, you would say langage des signes. 

Personne de petite taille (roughy pronounced pear-son duh puh-teet-tie) – A little person. In a medical setting, you may see the word nanisme (dwarfism), but the word nain (dwarf) is to be avoided. This is similar to the word ‘midget’ in English, and is condidered outdated and offensive.

Une personne valide (roughly pronounced oon pear-son vah-leed) – A non-disabled or able-bodied person. When discussing ableism (the discrimination against people with disabilities), you can say either validisme or capacitisme in French. Avoid using the term ‘normal’. 

Une personne aveugle / Une personne non-voyante (roughly pronounced oohn pear-son ah-vuh-gluh/ oon pear-son non-vwah-yant) – A person who is blind or with a visual impairment. This would also be described as a handicap visuel (a visual impairment).

Une personne en situation de handicap mental/ intellectuel (roughly pronounced oon pear-son ahn sit-oo-ah-see-on duh hahn-dee-cap mental/ ahn-tell-ehct-oo-el) – A person with a cognitive or intellectual disability. As in English, it is offensive to say retardé (retarded).

Autisme (roughly pronounced oh-tees-muh) – Autism. There is an ongoing discussion as to whether it is more appropriate to say personne avec autisme (person with autism) or autiste (autistic). This would be a good situation to ask the person what they would prefer, if they are open to that.

Parasport (roughly pronounced pah-rah-sporr) – The same as in English – this refers to Paralympic sports. 

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