The Role of French-Ambience on Ethnolinguistic Identity & Career Decision-Making Difficulties: Impacts on Life Satisfaction & Linguistic Intentions Among Ontario Grade 12 Students in French-Language High Schools

Abstract

Despite the 1927 repeal of Ontario's ban on French-language education, Franco-Ontarian students continue facing challenges in pursuing French studies. Objective: This study examined factors that influenced grade 12 Ontario French-language students' intentions to study in French and their well-being. It was hypothesized that French-ambience would influence ethnolinguistic identity, which in turn would predict linguistic intentions and positively correlate with well-being after controlling proximity to French-language post-secondary institutions. Career decision-making difficulties (CDMD) were expected to negatively correlate to linguistic intentions, ethnolinguistic identity, and life satisfaction, while linguistic intentions and life satisfaction were expected to be positively correlated. Methods: A survey-based cross-sectional design collected data from 1127 grade 12 French-language students in Ontario. Results: French-ambience explained 18% of the variance in ethnolinguistic identity, which predicted linguistic intentions (6% variance) and was positively correlated with life satisfaction (r = .125). CDMD was negatively correlated with life satisfaction (r = -.233) and linguistic intentions (r = -.115), but not ethnolinguistic identity. Linguistic intentions and life satisfaction were weakly positively correlated (r = .064.). Conclusions: Ethnolinguistic identity plays a critical role in shaping well-being and linguistic intentions while emphasizing the role of French-ambience in strengthening identity, despite persistent CDMD and the limited impact of institutional proximity.