Le maintien du français chez les fonctionnaires fédéraux anglophones : Impact d'un programme de formation linguistique

The retention of French language skills among anglophone federal public servants has been an issue since the beginnings of language training in the 1970s. Despite renewed interest in public servants' language use and noticeable advancements in the study of language attrition, however, little research has been conducted on second language retention in the public service context since Edwards (1977). Adopting a critical sociolinguistic perspective, this exploratory multiple case study examines the impact of one language training program on the retention of French among anglophone employees in one federal department. Through triangulated analyses of interviews, observations, and documents on language practices, policies, and ideologies, the study analyzes the program and individual learning trajectories within the context of the department's linguistic economy in order to identify the conditions in which the impact of language training on L2 retention could be optimized.