Forthcoming

The Languages of the 2022 Provincial Election in Quebec

Authors

Keywords:

Quebec, communication, election, language, bilingualism, translation

Abstract

Political parties in Quebec face dilemmas when it comes to language and translation policy: French is the province’s only official language and the mother tongue of the vast majority of the population. However, a significant percentage of the population, between 10 per cent and 15 per cent depending on the criteria, is considered English-speaking. In this context, and because every vote matters, parties translate some material into English, but what they translate and to what extent varies from one party to another. This contribution examines the languages of seven communication tools used by Quebec political parties during the 2022 provincial election, that is, their name, logo, slogan, website, program, social media accounts and election signs. The results show that there is a link between language and translation practices, on the one hand, and party ideology, on the other.

Author Biographies

Marc Pomerleau, Université de Montréal

Marc Pomerleau is a lecturer in Université de Montréal’s Department of Linguistics and Translation and a Research Associate in jurilinguistics at McGill University. He is also a certified translator.

Esmaeil Kalantari, Université de Montréal

Esmael Kalantari is an interdisciplinary scholar working as a Research Assistant in Université de Montréal’s Department of Linguistics and Translation and Université TÉlUQ’s  Department of Human Sciences, Arts and Communication.

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Published

2025-01-10

How to Cite

Pomerleau, M., & Kalantari, E. (2025). The Languages of the 2022 Provincial Election in Quebec. Canadian Political Science Review. Retrieved from https://ojs.unbc.ca/index.php/cpsr/article/view/1932

Issue

Section

Research Notes