Van Buren, Me (English/French) (living, move to, company)

[jscottyray]

Hello To All:

Considering a move to Van Buren; can one survive ok speaking no french at all?

Thanks

[dpike]

Most people in Van Buren now speak english. You may find some older folks that prefer speaking french, but it is rare to find anyone who does not speak or understand english

[maineguy8888]

I live close to Van Buren and work there some. You can definitely survive without not knowing French, as long as you don't freak out when you are around people who are talking with each other in a language you don't understand.
The majority of the town speaks French but they are experts at knowing when to use it and when to use English.

[Coaster]

^^^ What they said. The St. John Valley is bilingual, perhaps more so now than it was 30 years ago, when eradicating the French language was official state policy. But you won't have any trouble as an English speaker. You may have to learn a few new colloquialisms, though!

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

I live close to Van Buren and work there some. You can definitely survive without not knowing French, as long as you don't freak out when you are around people who are talking with each other in a language you don't understand.
The majority of the town speaks French but they are experts at knowing when to use it and when to use English.

That was supposed tos ay "without knowing French"!

[MainerWannabe]

Considering you would be dealing and living with a great number of people that speak French as a primary language, it would be a nice opportunity for you to learn a word or two... A "bonjour" and a "merci" here and there, can break a lot of barriers imho...

[jscottyray]

Thanks so much for replies with accompanying information.