Monique Lebrun

Becoming a Cultural Intermediary A Further Social Corollary of Second-Language Learning

Much of the research linking language and discrimination has been concerned with first-language practices. Yet an intergroup perspective supports the possibility that prejudice may be communicated between groups not sharing the same first language. This article explores how factors associated with the acquisition and use of a second language contribute to the development of antidiscriminatory behaviours. Data regarding these issues were collected from 209 Francophone university students attending school in a bilingual environment. Two specific goals were pursued: (a) the development of an appropriate intercultural mediation measure and (b) an examination of how factors associated with second-language acquisition relate to the use of antidiscriminatory behaviours. Results demarcate involvement and noninvolvement dimensions of the mediation measure. Furthermore, a path analysis suggests that antidiscriminatory behaviours are linked to identification with ones own ethnic group. Results are discussed within the context of current approaches to the link between language and discrimination.