Moving from Toronto to Montreal - economical perspective? (to live, jobs)

[fabi0]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Could be.


Just reporting what I've heard many times though. It's often cited as a reason for leaving Montreal.


Obviously everyone has their own experience.

To your point, I had the impression that speaking French outside of Quebec is a big plus (and it helps during the job search), while speaking English (or any other language for that matters) in Quebec it is not that much of an assett.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by fabi0

To your point, I had the impression that speaking French outside of Quebec is a big plus (and it helps during the job search), while speaking English (or any other language for that matters) in Quebec it is not that much of an assett.

I definitely wouldn't go that far.

[CloudReader]

Originally Posted by fabi0

To your point, I had the impression that speaking French outside of Quebec is a big plus (and it helps during the job search), while speaking English (or any other language for that matters) in Quebec it is not that much of an assett.

It's complicated

English fluency is actually a huge asset any time a business needs to contact anyone outside of the Province. However, the political climate is such that the need for English is repressed. To add to that, around Montreal, there is no shortage of people who are at least functional in English. Fully bilingual people without accent on either side and who can write well in both languages, I find are much rarer, and are assets to any business.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by CloudReader

It's complicated

English fluency is actually a huge asset any time a business needs to contact anyone outside of the Province. However, the political climate is such that the need for English is repressed. To add to that, around Montreal, there is no shortage of people who are at least functional in English. Fully bilingual people without accent on either side and who can write well in both languages, I find are much rarer, and are assets to any business.

You called? Acajack reporting for duty.

[CloudReader]

Originally Posted by Acajack

You called? Acajack reporting for duty.

Your CV may still get drowned out by everyone else claiming full bilingualism though

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by CloudReader

Your CV may still get drowned out by everyone else claiming full bilingualism though

I am as bilingual as Pierre Elliot Trudeau was.


I could write flawless articles for Maclean's in the morning and for L'Actualité in the afternoon.

[Migratory Chicken]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I could write flawless articles for Maclean's in the morning and for L'Actualité in the afternoon.

You could probably even abide by the expected cultural and political slant of every major publication in both French and English Canada!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Migratory Chicken

You could probably even abide by the expected cultural and political slant of every major publication in both French and English Canada!

J'ai raté ma vocation!

[Migratory Chicken]

But speaking seriously, when you look at those few bilingual political commentators who write articles/are invited on discussion panels in both anglophone and francophone media (examples would be Chantal Hébert -- "Chantelle" as the Toronto Star comment section calls her -- and Tasha Kheiriddin), it's really obvious that they don't express themselves the same way in both languages. Their opinions are largely the same in English and in French, but they don't talk about the same things, or focus on the same arguments, or even use the same kind of language. I happen to think that they're usually much more sensible in French, but that's my cultural biases coming through. An anglophone Canadian would probably think the opposite.

You need to be very familiar with both cultures to play this kind of balancing act, but yes, I'm quite confident that Acajack would be able to do it.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Migratory Chicken

But speaking seriously, when you look at those few bilingual political commentators who write articles/are invited on discussion panels in both anglophone and francophone media (examples would be Chantal Hébert -- "Chantelle" as the Toronto Star comment section calls her -- and Tasha Kheiriddin), it's really obvious that they don't express themselves the same way in both languages. Their opinions are largely the same in English and in French, but they don't talk about the same things, or focus on the same arguments, or even use the same kind of language. I happen to think that they're usually much more sensible in French, but that's my cultural biases coming through. An anglophone Canadian would probably think the opposite.

You need to be very familiar with both cultures to play this kind of balancing act, but yes, I'm quite confident that Acajack would be able to do it.

I am open to any offers!