Ayant droit: an ethnolinguistic case study of three school shifters in French-minority Manitoba

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of “school shifters” in Manitoba. School shifters are students who transferred from French immersion to French-language schools, thus changing schools and divisions for their secondary education. Through a study of the ethnolinguistic environment surrounding three cases, this study focuses on the local context, social practices, power elements and individual agency surrounding each case. By using a reflexive, ethnolinguistic case study methodology, this study treated each participant as a case while including the researcher’s own experience. Data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews (Fontana & Frey, 2000) and analyzed. Results showed that the participants’ experience had an impact on their beliefs with regards to the local context, social practices, power elements, identity formation and the importance of making new friends. This study concludes with a call for action that suggests improvements for French immersion and French-language programs in Manitoba.