Linguo-pragmatic characteristics of bilingualism in Acadian media discourse

Abstract

The aim of the study is to identify the peculiarities of the implementation of pragmatic attitudes of the Acadian linguistic personality regarding bilingualism (goals pursued when covering bilingualism, values associated with bilingualism, etc.) in the media discourse of the province. The paper presents the results of analysing 100 newspaper articles covering various aspects of bilingualism in the region – the main themes and subthemes associated with bilingualism are identified and both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data are conducted. The study is novel in that it presents the first characterization of the coverage of bilingualism in the Acadian press. As a result, the study reveals that regarding the coverage of bilingualism, the New Brunswick press primarily focuses on internal provincial affairs – the representation of bilingualism at the national level is barely reflected; failures and problems related to the implementation of bilingualism in the province are covered more extensively than the successes and achievements of implementing the institutional bilingualism policy. There is explicit criticism of the implementation of the language policy by the regional authorities – their actions and inactions; the articles note violations of Francophones’ rights and numerous difficulties in implementing bilingualism, including those arising from the entrenched conflict between Anglophones and Francophones in the province. However, measures to develop real bilingualism in various spheres of public life undertaken by the government, organizations, and ordinary citizens of the region are also highlighted; the authors of the articles and interviewees postulate ideas about the economic benefits of bilingualism and its value as part of the Acadian identity.