Five Categories for Classifying Verbal Interactions in Public Space
In efforts to measure the use of language in respect to the goals of Quebec’s linguistic policy, an indicator that provides information on the use of language in public interactions is needed. Census data on the language used in the workplace provides critical data but answers only partially the need for information on language use in the population, since it limits data to those active in the workplace, which furthermore represents only one type of situation within what is understood as “public interaction/communication.” In this article, we offer a critical overview of different efforts previously undertaken to measure language in public interactions beyond the workplace. We conclude that the methodology and tools used to collect data on public use of language need to be sharpened. These could be improved by a more refined conceptualization of language use outside of the home. We propose that a conceptualization which considers the goals of language use within public interactions could serve as the basis for a better indicator on language use. A typology of communicative facts in situated public interactions is proposed in conclusion.