Linguistic And Cultural Variation In The K12 French Classroom: The Role Of Canadian French

The Francophone world is a vast landscape full of diverse people and cultures that share a common linguistic identity through the French Language. The world is ever-expanding with thousands of new learners. There exist many varieties of French; however, Canadian French is the most distinct variety. The present study sought to explore three essential questions: are teachers aware of the linguistic differences? Do they integrate media from Quebec into their classrooms? Lastly, how do they perceive sociolinguistic attitudes towards Canadian French? A full literature review was conducted to examine current research on the topic and to see where this study would fit in at. A mixed-methods survey was used with over 100 French teachers from various backgrounds across the southeastern United States. Also, after the survey was completed, a statistical analysis was conducted so that conclusions could be drawn about the three essential questions. Teachers were mostly aware of key differences between the two French varieties. They did tend not to integrate media from Quebec as often. Also, attitudes tended to be more neutral than at first thought. Knowing these answers can be used to inform pedagogical practices in the classroom and reshape the usage of authentic materials in additional language learning. Also, teachers can be more aware of how their attitudes could affect their student's perception of the target language and culture.