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Percentage of French-speaking Canadians living in Quebec who are trilingual
(native French, English as their country's other official language and Spanish,
which has no official status here): 4-5%
That's all? Just about everyone I know can speak three languages. English and French, of course, then Greek, Italian, Russian, Farsi....you name it. When we have a get-together it sounds like the UN, with about six different languages flying across the dinner table.
At the hospital where I work, I could say that at least 30% of the staff is trilingual, if not more.
That's all? Just about everyone I know can speak three languages. English and French, of course, then Greek, Italian, Russian, Farsi....you name it. When we have a get-together it sounds like the UN, with about six different languages flying across the dinner table.
At the hospital where I work, I could say that at least 30% of the staff is trilingual, if not more.
I was talking about the native francophone population. Obviously the level of trilingualism in immigrant-origin communities is a lot higher, so if you tend to hang out in those circles you probably have a sense that trilingualism is generalized in Montreal.
These things vary according to demographics. Among more educated native francophones the level of French-English-Spanish trilingualism is also much higher than 4-5%. In my circle of friends (well-educated, well-travelled with good jobs), probably a quarter or a third of us can speak basic conversational Spanish.
But we are not representative of the wider population.
Why is it considered OK for francophones to be unilingual but not anglophones? I'm all for bilingualism, and I think everyone should be bilingual if they can. However, when there's a double standard about it, that isn't fair. Why should someone in Westmount who owns an English bookstore need to learn French when an STM employee doesn't need to learn English? If someone's career requires them to learn French, they will learn it. And their kids will learn it whether the parents do or not.
But French is on the decline in all other provinces (even New Brunswick). The use of French is under attack in Quebec - not from Anglo Quebeckers: we wouldn't move here/still be here if we didn't understand - but from immigrants, some of whom use Quebec as a stepping-stone to wider immigration elsewhere in Canada and the U.S. I absolutely hate when people move here and say "Oh, I didn't think I'd HAVE to speak French" Like, WTF? You didn't think you'd have to be able to speak to 70% of the population? You weren't aware of this BEFORE you uprooted yourself and moved here? Come on, let's be real here!
If you don't want to have to speak French then fine: there is everywhere else in North America to move to. If you're going to move here from your third-world hellhole then complain about having to learn French then seriously - **** off! Move to Toronto or Vancouver where you don't have to learn any Official Language. (Where it would be considered racist to ask people to speak the local language or in any way dilute their native country heritage.)
And to the PQ: Despite what your old school, diehard supporters say, it's not Anglo-Quebeckers who are creating difficulties! For the most part, we agree! Lay off FFS!
WOW. Lets blame immigrants for eveything, seems a popular thing to do in Quebec. Im glad you responded in that manner so people can read and judge for themselves.
ok. I don't like to talk about immigrants as one homgeneous group cause that seems very narrow minded. So since you qouted my comment I assume your comments were directed at me, therefore I will speak about my ethnic group and my group only. The vast majority of Latinos that move to Quebec learn french and establish themselves in french areas. Its true latino countries are poor but to call them third well hell holes shows you have alot of class. I grew up in Nova Scotia and I felt Canadian, not simply Nova Scotian.
Canada presents itself as an open, free country (also bilingual) so excuse people for being surprsied for being forced to educate their kids in a certain language. Quebec is still part of Canada. And do your really expect people to stay where they land? Is there no freedom to move around? I guess I should go back to Nova Scotia.
therefore I will speak about my ethnic group and my group only. The vast majority of Latinos that move to Quebec learn french and establish themselves in french areas. .
This has been my observation as well. Many of them in Quebec in fact speak Spanish and French only and little to no English.
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I grew up in Nova Scotia and I felt Canadian, not simply Nova Scotian. 
