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Really? This was not my experience of ESL in Montreal. Can't say how it is now in elementary school as my children as they are still too young, but back when I was in school we did learn the Canadian spelling and pronounciation.
It could vary from region to region. My kids are in elementary school here in Gatineau and they've had a few different English teachers and I was surprised to find them using mostly American spelling. Other parents from other schools I know who are English Canadians but whose kids go to school in French have also remarked the same thing.
I also know that a lot of translations I read on government documents and tourist documents, etc. in Quebec will use American as opposed to Canadian spelling.
This thread reminded me of my first visit to France. I was in my early 20s and living and working in Ontario at the time. Everyone in the office knew where I was going and shortly before I left a colleague of mine originally from southern Ontario (maybe 10 years my senior) wanted to sit down with me for a heart to heart chat about what I should expect in France. (Note that this guy had never been to France and spoke no French whatsoever.)
What he basically said was that I should use English all the time there because people either wouldn't want to talk to me in French or wouldn't be able to understand. He based this on recollections of friends of friends of friends who apparently knew French Canadians who went to France and ended up using English everywhere they went because of communication problems. (Which is sort of odd because a majority of people in France speak only French, so how can you speak with them in a language they don't know?)
Anyway, I told him thanks for the advice and that I was sure that I would do fine.
But he kept insisting: Don't use your French there! You won't be able to! You don't believe me but you'll see! We'll talk when you get back and you'll tell me I was right!
I think everyone loves to show such stereotypical stories. Before I moved to Quebec, all I heard of was how 'rude' people here were, how they would 'refuse' to speak to me in English, etc. Well, it's been 2 years and I have yet to have one person be rude to me. It's amazing how bilingual people are when you try to address them in terribly broken French.
Or when you are about to give them a whole bunch of money for something..
Strangely enough, this doesn't work when I go to stores in Ottawa. Even though everyone there had about 1000 hours of French classes in school, the perspective of getting my money doesn't motivate them to speak to me in French.
If someone doesn't speak English, you shouldn't be cross with them for not speaking in English to you. The same applies with French. Just because someone hasn't learnt a particular language yet, doesn't mean they're disrespecting you in some way. If I don't get service in my language, I put up with it and communicate the best that I can without it.
I think everyone loves to show such stereotypical stories. Before I moved to Quebec, all I heard of was how 'rude' people here were, how they would 'refuse' to speak to me in English, etc. Well, it's been 2 years and I have yet to have one person be rude to me. It's amazing how bilingual people are when you try to address them in terribly broken French.
Lol! My French is good, but I speak it with a Russian accent. Most people also automatically switch to English for me.
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