Bilingual Education in Quebec: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century
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Authors
Lehman, Eric D.
Issue Date
2026-04-17
Type
Other
Language
en_US
Keywords
Bilingual education , Languages
Alternative Title
Abstract
Quebec’s current bilingual education system offers cognitive and social benefits (Cummins, 2009, as cited in Marceau, 2016), but implementation challenges persist due to legal constraints, resource shortages, and ideological resistance. While French immersion programs have successfully promoted bilingualism among Anglophones, they have also restricted access to English-language education for immigrants and Indigenous peoples (Crump & Halcomb-Smith, 2022; Marceau, 2016). Furthermore, critics argue that the focus on French-English bilingualism marginalizes Indigenous and immigrant languages, calling for a shift toward plurilingualism (Ahmedova, 2024; Kubota & Bale, 2020). Evaluating the effectiveness and equity of these programs in their own context and in the context of comparable international situations is a necessity if Quebec wants to move into a multilingual, global society. A policy that balances cultural preservation with inclusive multilingual education may be difficult to implement but is the most desirable for student outcomes.
Description
UB Rises 2026
School of Education