Yulia Bosworth
Associate Professor of Linguistics; Associate Professor of French Linguistics; Undergraduate Director
The Linguistics Program; Romance Languages and Literatures
Background
Yulia Bosworth is a sociolinguist specializing in Quebec French and its socio-political and cultural contexts. Her research examines language ideologies and linguistic representations in Quebec and Canada, particularly in media and other forms of public discourse.
A central focus of her work is the relationship between language and identity, especially the construction of Quebec’s collective identity in media, political discourse, cultural production, and the linguistic landscape.
In her teaching, Bosworth emphasizes Quebec’s linguistic and cultural contexts. Her courses explore linguistic practices and dynamics, contemporary issues, and contributions within Quebec and Francophone North America, and are designed to foster greater awareness and appreciation of Quebec’s distinct identity within North America.
Bosworth is past president of the American Council for Québec Studies (ACQS), serves on the Conseil d’administration of the Association internationale des études québécoises (AIEQ), and is president of the Linguistic Association of Canada and the United States (LACUS).
Select Publications
- Michael Rousseau et le français : les trois quarts des commentaires sur le Québec dans les médias canadiens sont négatifs, selon une étude. The Conversation. April 21, 2026.
- “Molière amoché”: Discourse on the Quality of English-speaking Canadian Politicians’ French in Canadian News Media Coverage of the 2020 Conservative Leadership Debate. Language and Communication 90: 52-62 (2023)
- “Les gens qui vous ressemblent”: Discursive Negotiation of Identity and Construction of Affiliation in the 2019 Canadian Federal Election Party Leader Debates. Québec Studies 72: 5-32 (Winter 2022)
- The “Bad” French of Justin Trudeau: When Language, Ideology and Politics Collide. Scholars, Missionaries, and Counter-Imperialists: The American Review of Canadian Studies. The American Review of Canadian Studies, 1971-2021, edited by Andrew C. Holeman and Brian Payne, 188-216. Oxon and New York: Routledge (2022)
- “Those People Who Chose Us”: Discursive Construction of Identity and Belonging in the Context of Quebec’s 2018 Provincial Elections. Discourse and Society 32(2): 135-155 (2021)
Education
- PhD in French Linguistics, University of Texas-Austin
- MA in French, University of Arkansas
- BA in Political Science; BA in French, University of Arkansas
Research Interests
- Quebec French
- Quebec identity and culture
- Language ideologies and linguistic insecurity
- Public discourse in Quebec and Canada
- Critical sociolinguistics
- Critical discourse analysis
Teaching Interests
- French linguistics/sociolinguistics
- North American Francophonie
- Quebec French sociolinguistics
Awards
- Media Engagement Award, The Conversation, 2026
- Harpur College Teaching Award, Binghamton University, 2022
- Rufus J. Smith Award for Best Article in the American Review of Canadian Studies for 2017-2019, The Association of Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), 2019