The influence of Quebec's language planning policy abroad: Wales
The influence exerted by the linguistic policy of Quebec on the practise in Wales results from a curious mixture of boundless admiration for the achievements in professional linguistic planning and of a deliberate effort to avoid analyzing their detailed consequences on the sociolinguistic behavior in Quebec. One could conclude from it that symbolism has more importance than practical knowledge to draw from.
For reasons easy to understand, many Welsh analysts feel an affinity with the French-speaking resistance in North America and particularly that of Quebec. The two communities underwent the obvious discrimination of the British State and felt the same feeling of running up against the hegemony of the English language. Both also inherited the traditions and the form of government of the British Commonwealth (Williams, 2000a).
The particular lessons followed in Wales which according to Williams stem from the experience of Quebec touch the following grand stakes:
- The acquisition of detailed census data and explanatory facts aiming at clarifying the public discussion
- The linguistic legislation (official language status, right to speak Welsh before the court, Welsh Language Board responsible to administer the law)
- The iconography of the linguistic landscape
- The progress in the teaching of the Welsh language