Implementing a new pedagogical grammar: Obstacles and opportunities from the experience in francophone Québec

Abstract

The quality of the French language in Quebec is a very sensitive topic that is always of interest because of the sociolinguistic situation of French in North America. This paper focuses on the implementation of a new grammar in Quebec’s schools, a French-speaking province of Canada, in order to raise the students’ level of their written language. Orthographic difficulties inherent to the French language will first be outlined to clarify the reason why the mastery of many grammatical concepts just for spelling is necessary. Then, key aspects of this new grammar will be defined and distinguished from the traditional grammar. The implementation of this new grammar is finally addressed from two points of view: the official programs on the one hand, and the practices in the classroom on the other hand, which inevitably leads to the issue of teacher training. Potential solutions emerging from research and some advice are presented in conclusion for those interested in the renewal of grammar teaching.