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i have been in montreal for 2 weeks. Whereever i go and hear people talk, its like 95 percent of the conversation between people are french. I only heard from a few ppl that are speaking english with another person outside. And the only people that i hear talk english outside... i can tell they are not american with the accent.
I also got lost a lot of times and when i ask for directions and ask if they speak english, i say 90 percent of the time its yes. The other 10 percent its no english or they speak back to me in french which of course i do not understand.
i have been in montreal for 2 weeks. Whereever i go and hear people talk, its like 95 percent of the conversation between people are french. I only heard from a few ppl that are speaking english with another person outside. And the only people that i hear talk english outside... i can tell they are not american with the accent.
I also got lost a lot of times and when i ask for directions and ask if they speak english, i say 90 percent of the time its yes. The other 10 percent its no english or they speak back to me in french which of course i do not understand.
French is the public language, and while there is a large Anglophone minority, the majority of people are French speakers or are immigrants who use French as their primary official language. When English people speak to Francophones they know, or to cashiers or waiters, they do so in French as the default. They speak in English when speaking to other English people, within English schools and hospitals, and within the home. So yes, this is a city where French is the dominant language, I'm surprised that you're surprised by this.
That said, I remember conversations in downtown Montreal tending towards a 1:2 ratio for English to French, there's alot of English people in and around downtown and they talk to each other plenty.
I visit Montreal quite frequently, and notice while walking down Ste. Catherine St, west of St Denis, that the majority of the conversation that I hear around me is overwhelmingly English. Same thing applies if I relax with a wobbly-pop in any establishment in that same area.
French is the public language, and while there is a large Anglophone minority, the majority of people are French speakers or are immigrants who use French as their primary official language. When English people speak to Francophones they know, or to cashiers or waiters, they do so in French as the default. They speak in English when speaking to other English people, within English schools and hospitals, and within the home. So yes, this is a city where French is the dominant language, I'm surprised that you're surprised by this.
That said, I remember conversations in downtown Montreal tending towards a 1:2 ratio for English to French, there's alot of English people in and around downtown and they talk to each other plenty.
Yes, in casual conversation, but that's usually between friends and not speaking to strangers.
95%? Not Montreal itself (outside Montreal, yes, 95%+ unless you are in Quebec City's old town tourist area), but even most non-francophones will speak French when out and about for work, etc. They will speak English or other languages amongst friends and family.
I speak French when speaking to anyone except my kids/family.
Yes, in casual conversation, but that's usually between friends and not speaking to strangers.
95%? Not Montreal itself (outside Montreal, yes, 95%+ unless you are in Quebec City's old town tourist area), but even most non-francophones will speak French when out and about for work, etc. They will speak English or other languages amongst friends and family.
I speak French when speaking to anyone except my kids/family.
How long did it take you to learn French?
I've been studying so hard for over a year, and I can't understand a word they say in Montreal except for the obvious ones. Who knew this would be an 8 year mission
I've been studying so hard for over a year, and I can't understand a word they say in Montreal except for the obvious ones. Who knew this would be an 8 year mission
How have you been studying? Full immersion in Montreal, "immersion" in the GTA, or as a regular subject in school?
How have you been studying? Full immersion in Montreal, "immersion" in the GTA, or as a regular subject in school?
Unless he has moved, I think he is in Toronto.
If it's classroom only, then that's tough sledding and slow for sure.
Some things that help are trying to read the French side of consumer products (which are all bilingual even in Toronto).
Consuming media in French is also a really good way to beef up your learning. You have at least a couple of radio stations and TV stations.
Also, when you watch movies most of them should have subtitle or dubbing options (usually both), and you can try watching it with the sound in French and subtitled in English, or vice-versa.
Many Scandinavians and Dutch people have picked up a lot of their English through watching subtitled English language programming.
I've been studying so hard for over a year, and I can't understand a word they say in Montreal except for the obvious ones. Who knew this would be an 8 year mission
Learned with a textbook on my own for 3 years before moving here (plus two university classes at an elementary level). It helped with my reading and writing but the hardest part was developing an 'ear' for French. I have a good French TV package (Evasion is my favourite, pick whatever subject you will enjoy), I watch the morning news on RDI (accent is easier to understand), lots of movies (Quebecois and French cinema is fantastic), books, and finding excuses to go out and interact in French. It's very easy in Montreal to avoid French but I live outside Montreal, so any classes/courses are French, often without any bilingual participants so I am forced to use it.
I've been in Quebec for two years now and it's still hard but I've come a long way and it's been several months since anyone tried to speak to me in English (which means they understand my French!). I have several bilingual anglophone friends and they have all agreed upon the 8-10 year mark for bilingualism (if they started at zero knowledge and made an effort).
I've been in Quebec for two years now and it's still hard but I've come a long way and it's been several months since anyone tried to speak to me in English (which means they understand my French!). I have several bilingual anglophone friends and they have all agreed upon the 8-10 year mark for bilingualism (if they started at zero knowledge and made an effort).
This is for high-level fluent bilingualism I imagine.
But what about for simple functioning in everyday life at the grocery store, on the bus, or even exchanging pleasantries with neighbours? What would your estimate be?
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