Will I have trouble speaking English in Montreal? (live, areas)

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by leroythelion

Don't be confused. She doesn't expect Anglos to vote the PQ. She and her cohorts also hate "l'argent et la vote ethnique". .

Actually, I don't think Pauline really hates l'argent - she and her husband are multi-millionaires and she doesn't even really have to work in order to sustain a relatively posh lifestyle.

[jambo101]

I think she wants to be Queen of Quebec.

Yes 8% Anglo most of whom are bilingual yet we still pose so much of a threat to the French culture that more language police are needed and tightening of bill 101 linguistic purity laws are needed,
The need to eradicate anything and everything English has become an obsession with the PQ that wont stop till every last vestige of the English culture is banished from Quebec,
i can only imagine what attitudes Anglo's will have to endure from Quebecers if Quebec has a winning vote on their probable upcoming referendum.

For any one not familiar with the situation here in Quebec this piece although a bit dated sums things up rather well.
http://www.segacs.com/twik/html/politics.html

[nehs]

Interesting discussion here.

I gather that for visiting Montreal - Basic French phrases with some vocabulary would do the job. However, living in Montreal and working there might change the language equation? I, coincidently, have acouple of friends who work in Montreal(Computer Software/IT industry with IBM). They definitely know NO advanced French except for commonly used phrases. I wonder what's the deal with them, I mean how are the managing their jobs or may be certain industires are language-independent largely? I've never aksed them this. I would think that reading replies from you guys, who seem to be in Montreal for a long time, might be more accurate.

[jambo101]

If you go through the job classifieds for the Montreal area you'll notice that most jobs will require bilingualism from its applicants so if a HR has a choice between an Anglo applicant or a Francophone applicant he's more likely to favor the Francophone. your friends may be getting away with working entirely in English for now but if they lose the jobs they have they will be facing a major disadvantage when looking for new jobs.
Quebec is rather insistent on the language of the workplace being French.

Excerpt from the Quebec charter of French Language rights.=

In Quebec, however, French is the official language — in both the public and private sectors. Chapter 4 of the Quebec Charter of the French Language provides that “workers have a right to carry on their activities in French.”
This means, with certain exceptions, most employers with 50 or more Québec employees are required to communicate with them in French. Organizations with 100 or more employees in the province are also required to set up a Francization Committee, as well as those who are required to do so by the Office québécois de la langue française.

This Government department called the "Office québécois de la langue française" is a nasty piece of business to any one not French and is the governments arm of the language police who do everything they can to eradicate the English language in Quebec by handing out strongly worded warnings about the displaying of anything English,Failure to comply results in stiff fines.
Your friends have obviously escaped detection...for now..

[Nunnor]

When I visited Montreal two years ago, there were lots of people who did not speak English at all.
However more than half of Montrealers are bi or trilingual.

[Brothamac]

Very very well said. I agree with you totally.

It is sometimes insulting that english speaking people assumes that everyone speaks perfect english. Also insulting is when they make fun of someone who struggles in english while these same people are on the soil of a people who's native language isn't english.

Here in Québec people will only ask for an effort, some key words in french in order to make sure that the american tourist (Or english canadian tourist) is aware that Quebec is predominantly french speaking and that the tourist is not simply dismissing the french language because HE speaks english and assume everyone else's understand perfectly.

I, as a french speaking person, have my moments where i don't feel like answering in english to someone who unpolitely asked me a question in english without even using one simple ''bonjour'' or ''merci'' and assuming that i was in his backyard !!!

Other times, when tired, i don't understand english as well therefor i may ask politely the person to repeat the question and if i feel the person is bothered by me non understanding entirely then my attitude may change.

It's all a question of respect and politness.

Read more: Will I have trouble speaking English in Montreal?




You two are what's exactly wrong with Montreal. Quebec, more than any other province should be Bilingual! You two are saying that "the English expect the whole world to speak english!" In terms of moving to a new country, ya no crap. But when you got on vacation and you're a tourist, it's nice to hear the official language and your own language as well! Being from Quebec, I can honestly say I dislike you guys! You two are crying about the fact the English don't speak French! That is hilarious! Being an "Anglophone", I try to speak French as much as I can, no matter how hard I try, you guys put your English radars on me and respond "Oh, T'es Anglaise huh?" Why does it matter if I'm french or English, shouldn't it be enough that I try to speak to you in your own language? I guess not, but I can honestly say "Thank you" for showing me that as an Englishmen, I'm not welcomed in your province because I'm not like you! To those who want to go to Montreal, keep in mind, it is a beautiful place, but if you're English, prepare to be treated like a 3rd class citizen!

[tarp]

Any place that tries to shove a language down people's throats is truly a fascist place. The language laws in Quebec clearly violate the charter of rights and freedoms but unfortunately the Canadian federal government doesn't have the teeth to smack Quebec's government down. Quebec at this point is, sadly, a backwater that is controlled by a hate group that feels contempt for their largest minority group. It's really no better than Arizona.

[Acajack]

[quote=tarp;27426518]Any place that tries to shove a language down people's throats is truly a fascist place.

Every place in the world does this. It's just that in most places in the world you are so used to seeing it you don't notice, or the effect of the orchestrated dominance are so ingrained that you think language X came to dominate simply naturally.

Originally Posted by tarp

The language laws in Quebec clearly violate the charter of rights and freedoms

And yet for the most part they have been upheld in their current form by the Supreme Court of Canada.

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by tarp

Any place that tries to shove a language down people's throats is truly a fascist place. The language laws in Quebec clearly violate the charter of rights and freedoms but unfortunately the Canadian federal government doesn't have the teeth to smack Quebec's government down. Quebec at this point is, sadly, a backwater that is controlled by a hate group that feels contempt for their largest minority group. It's really no better than Arizona.

I think you're using a lot of words a bit too lightly. Fascist? Hate group?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

I think you're using a lot of words a bit too lightly. Fascist? Hate group?

I also found the use of the word "backwater" funny. Guess any place that isn't wall-to-wall English speaking is a backwater...