The French of New England Are Getting Nearly Speechless

Dionne, E.J., Jr.

From a separate article written by Robert C. Carroll: "A recent New York Times article, written by a Franco-American reporter, E. J. Dionne, Jr., cites uncontestable opinion as well as social research testifying to the obvious decline in the use of French outside the home in New England. While the young people may have lost or may never have acquired French as a household language, many still understand it; and growing numbers, acknowledging it as a cultural tool, want it back. Dionne does not explain in his article, however, that the loss of spoken French is not only the sign of assimilation but more precisely the result of the relatively recent assimilation induced by the decline of the parochial school system that gave instruction in the language of the home."

1979 November 25

English

Newspaper Article

1970s, New England

New York, New York

New York Times