The present study investigates whether language preference is associated with different acculturation attitudes. As residents of Montreal, 103 Portuguese immigrants or firstgeneration Canadians of Portuguese descent completed a questionnaire in their preferred language (English, French, or Portuguese) assessing their modes of acculturation, selfreported ethnic identity, self-esteem, individualistic and collectivistic tendencies, and self-reported competence in speaking and reading English, French, and Portuguese. The results indicated that language preference was associated with ethnic identity. Moreover, there was a strong identification with the North American culture by the English respondents and a weaker association with the French-Canadian culture by French respondents. These results indicate that language choice strongly reflects different acculturation attitudes and that research should be directed toward both macro-and microcultural levels in a "dominant" society.
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