Étude exploratoire des réflexions métasociolinguistiques des étudiants internationaux universitaires au Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean sur leur intégration linguistique

Abstract

Context: The remarkable increase of international college and university students in Quebec in recent years highlights the province's growing appeal as an international educational destination. This trend underscores the importance of successful integration, which is often facilitated by a strong social network and which has a positive impact on academic achievement (Bikie Bi Nguema et al., 2020). However, students' experiences and perceptions of communication challenges and exposure to Quebec French varieties can affect the success of their integration. Previous research suggests that language and accent barriers may impede quality of integration into the host society (Gallais et al., 2020; Bérubé et al., 2021; Bikie Bi Nguema et al., 2022). Objectives: This study explores the metasociolinguistic reflections of international university students, aiming to better understand their experiences as migrants navigating Quebec's French. It also examines the discomfort and anxiety caused by linguistic insecurity, investigating how their perceptions of Quebec French—compared to their own French varieties—affect their communication and interactions. Methodology: For exploratory purposes, five semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with international students from different countries, both native and non-native French-speakers (M=2; F=3; mean age=27.6 years, σ=7.5 years). Results: All five of the participants reported various manifestations of linguistic insecurity, including the avoidance of certain expressions and a fear of speaking due to concerns of being misunderstood. They also noted difficulties understanding the Quebec accent, particularly outside the university environment. Conclusions: This study sheds light on the language challenges faced by international students in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. Socio-cultural factors such as the languages spoken, duration of stay in Quebec, and long-term goals may influence how different Quebec French varieties are perceived, as well as the students' own linguistic practices. These factors will be further examined in a larger follow-up study.