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Hi,
I live in Toronto but my girlfriend and I both like Montreal so much that we visit there a lot. Now we are even toying with an idea of moving there. I know we have to consider a lot of other things than just the language but if we want to really move there, we think we should at least learn French.(We both don't speak French. My girlfriend is from Canada but from an English speaking province. I'm not from Canada and even English is not my first language.)
But I hear that Quebec French is so different from France French that even French people sometimes have difficulty in communicating in Quebec. Is that true or a bit of an exaggeration? I'm asking this because I think if you want to learn French by learning materials(text books, CDs etc.) they usually teach France French, so I thought it would not be that practical to use them. Do they usually teach France French or Quebec French in language schools in Canada?
Unless you actually live there is it difficult to learn Quebec French?
(Learn Quebec French outside of Quebec?)
Is the difference not that significant to worry about?
(can just learn France French and adjust later?)
Hi,
I live in Toronto but my girlfriend and I both like Montreal so much that we visit there a lot. Now we are even toying with an idea of moving there. I know we have to consider a lot of other things than just the language but if we want to really move there, we think we should at least learn French.(We both don't speak French. My girlfriend is from Canada but from an English speaking province. I'm not from Canada and even English is not my first language.)
But I hear that Quebec French is so different from France French that even French people sometimes have difficulty in communicating in Quebec. Is that true or a bit of an exaggeration? I'm asking this because I think if you want to learn French by learning materials(text books, CDs etc.) they usually teach France French, so I thought it would not be that practical to use them. Do they usually teach France French or Quebec French in language schools in Canada?
Unless you actually live there is it difficult to learn Quebec French?
(Learn Quebec French outside of Quebec?)
Is the difference not that significant to worry about?
(can just learn France French and adjust later?)
Any advice on how to learn Quebec French?
Thank you!
This is something that comes up on these threads often enough. The difference is in colloquialisms, accents, and speed of delivery where some french people will need to get acclimatized to the speech. The french are less exposed to Quebec french than we are to France french so they are may have a learning curve. But there are a lot of french immigrants in Quebec and they
just adjust to it the way an english person adjusts to american speech. Americans would have a harder time adjusting to certain colloquial english spoken in parts of the UK than the opposite. If you find a french instructor in T.O. that is from Quebec or french Ontario, they will point out the differences. It is no big deal. Plenty of people from all over come here and learn both english and french at the same time at work or in school. You have to think of Quebec french as american french vs European french. Good luck with your studies and your move!
This is something that comes up on these threads often enough. The difference is in colloquialisms, accents, and speed of delivery where some french people will need to get acclimatized to the speech. The french are less exposed to Quebec french than we are to France french so they are may have a learning curve. But there are a lot of french immigrants in Quebec and they
just adjust to it the way an english person adjusts to american speech. Americans would have a harder time adjusting to certain colloquial english spoken in parts of the UK than the opposite. If you find a french instructor in T.O. that is from Quebec or french Ontario, they will point out the differences. It is no big deal. Plenty of people from all over come here and learn both english and french at the same time at work or in school. You have to think of Quebec french as american french vs European french. Good luck with your studies and your move!
Thanks for your reply!
One of the reasons I asked this question was that I speak good English and have no problem in communication in Ontario. But I lived in Newfoundland for 2 years and I really had hard time understanding their English. I was fine if they slowed down for me but it is still difficult to understand them when more than 2 Newfoundlanders talk to each other!!So that experience kind of worried me a bit.
Yeah but I guess the basic is the same and I'll start studying!
Thanks for taking the time for replying!!
If you are thinking of moving to Quebec and have an opportunity to learn French from a teacher who is from Quebec, then by all means, go for it. But if not, it's not a big deal. People who learn French as a second language always sound a bit bookish and academic at first anyway, no matter who taught them.
For the sake of comparison consider this:
Departures from standard spoken French frequently heard in Quebec (with standard French in brackets):
If you are thinking of moving to Quebec and have an opportunity to learn French from a teacher who is from Quebec, then by all means, go for it. But if not, it's not a big deal. People who learn French as a second language always sound a bit bookish and academic at first anyway, no matter who taught them.
For the sake of comparison consider this:
Departures from standard spoken French frequently heard in Quebec (with standard French in brackets):
Quebec French is kind of a "sing-song" twang and the only way to learn is to go and immerse yourself. And it's not a bad "immersion" and you'll probably have a lot more fun doing it there than in Toronto!
I'm a second-language speaker of Canadian French (I'm from the States), and I have a much harder time understanding people from France. I can still get the gist of what they're saying, but it's much more difficult to understand. The French like to swallow their vowels and talk in a very breathy, nasal-sounding accent.
I really don't know why most schools in the U.S. teach France French instead of Quebec or Acadian French, even in states that border Canada. I mean, Canada is right next door, and France is all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. It's far more likely for an American to run into a francophone Canadian than someone from France, Switzerland or Belgium. Not to mention there are plenty of Acadian or Cajun French speakers right here in the USA.
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