Les francophones sont-ils (ou elles!) prĂȘt.e.s pour le langage inclusif?
Faut-il adopter le langage inclusif ou prĂ©server lâintĂ©gritĂ© de la langue française? Peut-on avoir le beurre et lâargent du beurre? Ătant donnĂ© les discussions sur lâinclusivitĂ© de genre, le langage inclusif est un sujet plus polĂ©mique que jamais pour les francophones. Pour certain.e.s, câest encore une tentative dâangliciser la langue française, tandis que dâautres le voient comme la possibilitĂ© de mieux reprĂ©senter des communautĂ©s marginalisĂ©es, telles que les femmes et la communautĂ© LGBTQ+. On a rencontrĂ© quelques QuĂ©bĂ©cois.es et Français.es pour voir ce quâils et elles en pensent.
Quâest-ce que le langage inclusif?
Selon Ambre, une Française, le langage inclusif a comme but â[dâ]intĂ©grer tous les lecteurs ou les rĂ©cepteurs pour quâils/elles puissent se trouver identifiĂ©.e.s par le texte [ou le message Ă lâoral].â
Les principes du langage inclusif:
- Accorder les noms de mĂ©tiers, fonctions et titres selon le genre de la personne (par ex., âune professeureâ ou âune policiĂšreâ)
- Utiliser la forme masculine et fĂ©minine au pluriel, soit par lâemploi du point milieu (par ex., âles Canadien.ne.sâ), soit en reformulant la phrase (par ex., âles personnes au Canadaâ)
- Remplacer le mot âhommeâ dans des expressions courantes (âles droits humainsâ au lieu de âles droits de lâhommeâ)
Maya, une MontrĂ©alaise, a admis quâelle nâa jamais entendu le terme avant notre discussion. âMais pour ĂȘtre honnĂȘte, moi je trouve que câest une super bonne idĂ©e. Si câest lâĂ©quivalent de quâest-ce que ça veut dire en anglais, bien! Pourquoi pas?â dit-elle avec enthousiasme.
MĂȘme si tout le monde ne comprend pas le concept, il y a des avis tranchĂ©s sur le sujet.
En ce qui concerne le gouvernement, le ministre français de lâĂ©ducation a interdit le langage inclusif, soutenant que sa âcomplexitĂ©â et son âinstabilitĂ©â constituent des âobstacles Ă lâacquisition de sa langue comme de la lecture.â
Des avis partagés
Si le but du langage inclusif est lâĂ©galitĂ© de genre, quel est le problĂšme? DâaprĂšs Maxime, un QuĂ©bĂ©cois qui vit actuellement en Ontario, le problĂšme ne se trouve pas dans lâintention, mais dans l’exĂ©cution.
Il prĂ©fĂšre lâemploi des termes Ă©picĂšnes comme option inclusive plus lisible, comme âle personnelâ plutĂŽt que âles employĂ©.e.sâ. Ă propos des pronoms neutres, tels que âiel,â il ne sait pas quoi penser. âHonnĂȘtement je ne sais pas si je suis pour ou contre. Câest assez nouveau comme concept.â
Par contre, ThaĂŻs, un Français de Bordeaux, croit que le langage inclusif est incontournable. âCâest tellement important, â insiste-t-iel. âJe pense que le langage quâon utilise façonne notre maniĂšre de penser et que si on utilise un langage oĂč on nâinclut pas la moitiĂ© et plus de la population, on va avoir tendance Ă penser [de ne pas les inclure].â
Une construction féministe?
Vu que la masculinitĂ© lâemporte traditionnellement sur les autres genres en français, il y a un mouvement par les minoritĂ©s de genre et les alliĂ©s pour se rĂ©approprier la langue genrĂ©e. ThaĂŻs souligne lâimportance dâĂ©couter les personnes concernĂ©es.
âSi les femmes disent quâelles se sentent pas reprĂ©sentĂ©es avec lâaccord au masculin, Ă©coutons-les! Il y a pas de point plus fort que ça, je pense.â
Changer la langue ou faire évoluer les mentalités?
La rĂ©ponse nâest pas si simple.
Selon Maya, il faut surtout tenir compte de la diversitĂ© des pays francophones. âEntre la France et le QuĂ©bec, câest sĂ»r que vous allez avoir des rĂ©ponses diffĂ©rentes, mais ça dĂ©pend aussi [de votre entourage],â prĂ©cise-t-elle.
On voit le langage inclusif de plus en plus dans le monde universitaire, lâuniversitĂ© McGill et lâUniversitĂ© de MontrĂ©al allant jusquâĂ Ă©crire des guides sur lâĂ©criture inclusive.
âCâest compliquĂ© de changer les mentalitĂ©s des natifs et de vraiment intĂ©grer toutes les nouvelles rĂšgles qui sont apparues derniĂšrement,â explique Ambre.
Selon ThaĂŻs, la France pourrait ĂȘtre le dernier pays Ă adopter le langage inclusif. Mais si les Français.es peuvent discuter “business” par “e-mail” avant de faire du “shopping” le “week-end” sans sourciller, tout peut arriver!
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Are francophones ready for inclusive language?
Should Francophones adopt inclusive language or preserve the integrity of the French language? Can they have their cake and eat it too? With the topic of gender inclusivity on the rise, inclusive language is now a more controversial topic than ever for Francophones. For some, it is yet another attempt to anglicize the French language, while others see it as an opportunity to represent marginalized individuals, such as women and the LGBTQ+ community. We sat down with four students from Quebec and France to hear their perspectives on the topic.
What is inclusive language?
According to Ambre, a third-year student from France, the goal of inclusive language is âto include all readers and listeners so that they feel represented in the text [or the conversation].â
Key principles for inclusive language in French:
- Gender agreements when stating someoneâs occupation, duties and/or title (e.g, businessman or businesswoman)
- Using both the masculine and feminine forms of the word in its plural form, either by adding periods to include both forms (e.g., Canadien.ne.s) or by rewording the sentence (e.g., âokay, classâ instead of âokay, boys and girlsâ)
- Replacing the word âmanâ in common expressions (e.g., âhumankindâ in place of âmankindâ)
Maya, from Montreal, admitted that she had never heard of the term âinclusive languageâ prior to the interview. âBut if Iâm being honest, I think itâs a great idea. If it works in English, why not in French?â she says enthusiastically.
Though not everyone understands the concept, there are still strong opinions on the matter.
As far as the government is concerned, the French Minister of Education has banned the use of inclusive language in schools, arguing that its âcomplexityâ would create âbarriers to learning the French language, as well as reading.â
Divided opinions amongst Francophones
If the goal of inclusive language is gender equality, what exactly is the problem? For Maxime, a Quebecer who lives in Ontario, the problem is not in the intention, but rather the execution.
He prefers using gender-neutral alternatives that are easier to read, such as âpolice officersâ rather than âpolicemen and policewomenâ. Regarding gender-neutral pronouns, such as âthey/themâ (âielâ in the French language), he is undecided. âHonestly, I donât know if I am for or against inclusive language. Itâs a fairly new concept.â
On the other hand, ThaĂŻs, a French student from Bordeaux, thinks that inclusive language is a must. âItâs very important,â they insisted. âI think that the language we use shapes the way we think and if we use language that doesnât include half of the population or more, weâre going to have certain ways of thinking [which would not include women and non-binary people].â
Inclusive language: a feminist construct?
Seeing that the masculine form traditionally takes precedence over other genders in French, there is a movement by gender minorities and allies to reclaim the gendered language. ThaĂŻs highlights the importance of listening to those who are impacted by this issue.
âIf women [and non-binary people] say that they donât feel represented by the use of the masculine form as the default, listen to them! I donât think thereâs a stronger point than that.â
Changing the French language or changing Francophonesâ mentalities?
The answer is not so simple.
According to Maya, it is especially important to consider the diversity of Francophone countries. âBetween France and Quebec, youâre sure to get different opinions, but it also depends on the types of people that you surround yourself with,â she stated.
Inclusive language is used more and more in the world of academia, with some universities, such as McGill University and the University of Montreal, going as far as writing guides on inclusive writing.
âItâs hard to change the mindsets of native French speakers and to integrate all of the new rules that have come out lately,â explains Ambre.
According to ThaĂŻs, France could be the last country to adopt inclusive language. However, if French speakers are willing to use anglicisms on a daily basis without batting an eye, anything can happen!
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