Législation linguistique au Québec : rôle de la traduction et de la terminologie dans la francisation des entreprises, 1968-1988.

Abstract

In the space of ten years, Quebec gave itself an unprecedented language policy with the passing of three successive language laws (Bills 63, 22 and 101). These bills were aimed primarily at protecting the status of French in Quebec and asserting the right of Francophones to work in French in that province. Passage of Bill 22 triggered the mass francization of business in Quebec, a process which has been assisted by the Office de la langue francaise and in which company translation services have played an important role. The functions of those translation services have multiplied over the years to meet changing needs. Today, they are involved in translation and terminology, writing, language consultation, francization and French-language instruction, among other activities. Over the years, terminology has become a profession in its own right, and terminologists have produced a multitude of lexicons and glossaries which have improved the standards and consistency of terminology in Quebec. The massive recourse to translation exposed problems of acculturation and the anglicization and degeneration of the French language. The "mass production" of translations was called into question, while writing and adaptation gained in favour. The fact remains that translation, in the hands of qualified professionals, has helped improve the standards of French in Quebec and will always have a role to play.