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The Estates-General on the Situation and Future of the French Language in Quebec is the name of a commission set up by the government of Quebec on June 29, 2000. The mandate which the government gave to the commission:

"to identify and analyze the principal factors which influence the situation and the future of the French language in Quebec, to identify the prospects and the relevant priorities of action, to carry out the examination of the articles of the Charter of the French language concerned and, finally, to present recommendations aiming at ensuring the use, the radiation and the quality of the French language in Quebec." ^[1]

Commission

The commission, presided over by Gérald Larose, counted 10 commissaries:

• Jean-Claude Corbeil (also secretary)
• Josée Bouchard
• Hélène Cajolet-Laganière
• Stéphane Éthier
• Patricia Lemay
• Norma Lopez-Therrien
• Stanley Péan
• Gary Richards
• Marie-Claude Sarrazin
• Dermod Travis

Consultation

Between November 2000 and June 2001, the commission responsible for the organization of the Estates-General held public consultations. Some 300 organizations, experts and citizens submitted their opinions in writing or in person during the hearings. Were also organized six special days, an international conference entitled "Cultural diversity and linguistic policies in the word" held at Université Laval and a national forum held in Quebec City.

Report

The final report of 298 pages, submitted to the government on August 17 2001, is entitled Le français, une langue pour tout le monde (French, a language for everyone). Its recommendations, 149 in total, are grouped under 8 chapters whose names translate to:

1. For a global and citizen language policy
2. Conferring a constitutional character to the founding principles of the language policy
3. To insure the command of French within the context of a plural language planning
4. For a vast language planning endeavour binding language status and language quality
5. French, an everyday language
6. French and new technologies
7. Francophone and international solidarity
8. Deploying the global policy

See also

• Charter of the French Language
• Office de la langue française

Notes

1. ^ « d’identifier et d’analyser les principaux facteurs qui influencent la situation et l’avenir de la langue française au Québec, de dégager les perspectives et les priorités d’action pertinentes, de procéder à l’examen des articles de la Charte de la langue française mis en cause et, enfin, de présenter des recommandations visant à assurer l’usage, le rayonnement et la qualité de la langue française au Québec. », Le français, une langue pour tout le monde, 2001

References

• Le français, une langue pour tout le monde, rapport de la Commission des États généraux sur la situation et l'avenir de la langue française au Québec, 20 août 2001 (format PDF)
• 60 mémoires présentés par divers organismes à la Commission des États généraux sur la situation et l'avenir de la langue française au Québec (format PDF)