Research Domain: Group Three - Informal Learning Cultures

Title of Project: Language and Cultural Transmission of Francophones in Canada

Start Date: April 1, 1999 (delayed at Academic Investigator's request)
Academic Investigator: Dr. Diane Gerin-Lajoie (OISE/UT)

This study will examine the ways that Francophone minority communities attempt, outside of the formal school system, to build a sense of identify for members of their groups. The focus of the study will be on high school students and their use of services available within the Francophone community. The intent is to look more closely at language and culture reproduction through the informal learning channel that constitutes this community. The findings will contribute to a better understand of what is, or should be, the role of the Francophone minority community in the linguistic, cultural and social reproduction of people living in minority settings, and what links should be established between the informal learning taking place in the community and the formal learning that occurs in the school system.

The proposed project will use a qualitative research approach. Two techniques will be employed to collect the data: semi-structured individual and group interviews, and document analysis. We will interview students and their parents in order to gather informal on their use of the services available in french in the community. Representatives of the Catholic Church and Francophone associations will also be interviewed to discuss mostly their role in the community. Using the document analysis technique. We will also examine pertinent written information describing the Francophone associations encompassed in the context of my project.