Globalization and the commodification of bilingualism in Canada

Abstract

Current transformations in the ideology and practice of bilingualism in Canada reveal a shift from an ideology of authentic nationhood to an ideology of commodification. These transformations are scarcely peculiar to Canada; we see them in all parts of the world where language has been tied to nation and state, and most obviously in those areas which have known linguistic minority movements since the 1960s (such as Catalonia, Wales, Brittany or Corsica). The shift is a complicated one, involving difficult contradictions between nationalist ideologies which have been at the heart of francophone (and other linguistic minority) political mobilization movements, and the diversity and involvement in international networks which have resulted from their relative success. It also involves contradictions between language as a mark of authenticity and belonging or identity, and language as an acquirable technical skill and marketable commodity. These contradictions have direct consequences for language teaching and learning, insofar as they affect what counts as competence, who gets to define what counts as competence, who is interested in acquiring that competence, and what is considered the best way to acquire it.

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