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If I am not mistaken, you did *choose* to move to Montreal from somewhere else, did you not? Or at least perhaps your parents did...
Yeah, you could say that I chose somehow. But at that time (6 years ago) I didn't have too much info and coming from an IT background I thought that the language barrier won't impact me too much. My friend tried to ensure me about that at least . You don't know until you experience it personally, of course.
Now, I regret that I chose Montreal and I should have gone either to Southern Ontario or the west coast. Or maybe Ireland It's not only the language, there are many factors (the CLIMATE, how the houses are built here - wood!!!! and not even that one real wood but glued fragments, taxation, healthcare) which are listed under the "negative" category in my book
Perhaps when moving intra-Canada or north-america, one doesn't get the same shock level as one who's crossing significant cultural boundaries (i.e. coming from Europe).
For me at least, it's a shock and many are saying that I should "go with the flow", forget about what you knew because otherwise it will make your life harder etc. Well, no, I shall refuse to do that. I will not erase the good things that I got and know from Europe and just "begin a completely new life" here. No, I shall take the good things from each place I see and not let myself "indoctrinated" by the new place exclusively. For example, I'll never stop disliking how the houses are built here. You cannot understand this unless you also immigrated here from other places
Yeah, you could say that I chose somehow. But at that time (6 years ago) I didn't have too much info and coming from an IT background I thought that the language barrier won't impact me too much. My friend tried to ensure me about that at least . You don't know until you experience it personally, of course.
Now, I regret that I chose Montreal and I should have gone either to Southern Ontario or the west coast. Or maybe Ireland It's not only the language, there are many factors (the CLIMATE, how the houses are built here - wood!!!! and not even that one real wood but glued fragments, taxation, healthcare) which are listed under the "negative" category in my book
Perhaps when moving intra-Canada or north-america, one doesn't get the same shock level as one who's crossing significant cultural boundaries (i.e. coming from Europe).
For me at least, it's a shock and many are saying that I should "go with the flow", forget about what you knew because otherwise it will make your life harder etc. Well, no, I shall refuse to do that. I will not erase the good things that I got and know from Europe and just "begin a completely new life" here. No, I shall take the good things from each place I see and not let myself "indoctrinated" by the new place exclusively. For example, I'll never stop disliking how the houses are built here. You cannot understand this unless you also immigrated here from other places
Sorry for getting a bit off-topic.
Based on your comments, it sounds like you would probably have adaptation difficulties no matter where you settled.
You have issues with the French language which you would not have elsewhere in North America but aside from that, I can tell you that if there is one place where European ways are valued (though not always followed it is true) it is Quebec.
Elsewhere in Canada (I lived there most of my life) and in much of North America in general you would be told even more so "to get with the North American program", and leave the old country's ways behind. In fact, you would probably find that many people aren't even aware of different ways of doing things, like eating a salad at the end of a meal rather than at the start, going into a restaurant at 9 o'clock pm and expecting to be served dinner, etc.
In Quebec this stuff is seen by many as "high class" and admired (though not necessarily adopted by all as I said before). It's no so much the case elsewhere on this continent.
And BTW, houses are mainly made of wood in the rest of North America just as they are in Quebec.
I teach French to immigrants in Québec and I can tell you that all the ressources are available to you. You receive pensions to go to French classes for a year, full time. There are also counsellers that help you get equivalences to your studies and experience and help you find a job. If you're willing enough and optimistic with a positive attitude, the immigration process can be quite smooth. Type Immigration Québec on Google for the government site translated in English and in Spanish.
And for the English in Quebec, 1 out of 50 Quebecers will be hostile to Anglophones. But of course there is all the question of behviour. When you approach people straight up in English it creates a little dry moment because of effect of suprise. If you spend your day speaking French and all of a sudden you meet someone on the bus who speaks to you in a another language, it's just a surprise. The best is just to ask: Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais? and then take it from there.
But don't let anyone tell you the contrary, Quebecers like English. They listen to English music and often watch untranslated Amercian movies. Something like 60% of French speaking Quebecers are now bilingual, often times trilingual (with Spanish very popular amongst the younger generation). The only thing is that they want to maintain their French heritage while participating in the North American experience. The new generation no longer wants to be isolated. And I warn you, the problem will not necessarily be speaking English, the problem will be more learning French, and Quebecers letting you speak French. Because when you speak French with a foreign accent they reply automatically in English. You then have to insist: en français s'il vous plait. Because you do have to learn French, especially for work. Laws protect services in French.
To conclude: come, have a good time, relaxe and enjoy. Just let go. Be cool with Qubebecers and they'll treat you like a hometown buddy.
I am thinking very seriously about moving to Quebec City area. Actually French is one of the big draws for me. I would love to 'get away from English.' My French isn't all that great right now, but I'm working hard to learn it and if I were immersed in it, I'm pretty sure I would pick it up rather quickly. Now if I don't move to Quebec and go south or whatever (my Spanish is far better than my French), learning French will not have been a waste of time because learning a language is never a waste of time. I just don't see why anyone would consider going to a French speaking area and not want to learn the language. We are expected to know English here in the states, right? And when a group of people doesn't want to learn it, all hell breaks loose!
French has been the spoken language in Quebec since day one (for Europeans in the area, at least), so it's not just a big 'neighborhood' that doesn't want to learn the language. French IS and has been the language, which is very cool (like I said, one of the draws for me).
Wow, that's crazy that some people would think that. I've never been to Quebec and have hesitated to go visit because I can only read French and not speak it very well.
Rightly or wrongly, the impression *I* have is that you are frowned upon for speaking English there.
I wouldn't refrain from travelling in Quebec if you don't speak French, no more than I would refrain from travelling in western Europe (outside of the UK and Ireland of course) and not knowing the language.
French has been the spoken language in Quebec since day one (for Europeans in the area, at least), so it's not just a big 'neighborhood' that doesn't want to learn the language. French IS and has been the language, which is very cool (like I said, one of the draws for me).
Indeed. I don't see why so many people don't get this. French has been the main language in the area known today as Quebec for quite a bit longer than English has been present pretty much anywhere in the rest of Canada (with the possible exception of Newfoundland), and longer than English in pretty much all of the United States outside of the 13 original colonies.
French predates English in Australia and New Zealand by a longshot, and is roughly equal in historical presence to Spanish throughout Latin America.
Yet somehow many people still see its presence as illegitimate and artificial.
my husband and me will immigrate to Montreal. but our problem is the language. i can work anything untill learning french. and he wants to work in IT field. can we live in quebec or montreal??
Hi,
My wife speaks French fluently and would like to move to Quebec. The problem is I don't speak French and dont intend to learn it.
Can I, a non-french speaking person, live in Quebec and find it easy to work in good jobs:
I will be looking at work in these areas: IT project management (have US work experience in this) or in Psychotherapy / counseling (have an MA degree from the US in psychotherapy).
Also I may go to grad school for a PhD program in Quebec.
2 Questions:
1- If you've lived there, what is the attitude people have towards non-french speakers?
2- Are there cities that I should live in and ones I should avoid due to the language thing (relating to work and going to grad school)?
Thanks a million !!!
I am going to be blunt honest and you really won't like this. If you do not plan to learn French, I wouldn't reccomend you living in Quebec(aside from Pontiac County). French is the main language in Quebec. If I was going to live in a place that spoke a different language, I would learn that language for the sake of being able to do business and to be a part of the community.
Traveling to a place as a tourist is one thing. If you plan to live there, it would be helpful to learn the language. As a teenager I thought about living in Montreal, or France. I took French in high school for 3 years and for 3 semesters in college. I plan to take some more French so that I can minor in it. The point I am making is that if you are planning to live in a place with a different language, it is a good idea to learn that language.
Like someone else here mentioned , This thread is very insulting for us French canadians from Quebec. some here easily forget that part of the members of this forum are from Quebec .
Pirate_lafitte You just said what I was about to say and i second you on that. People from the rest of Canada have to realize that french is the only official language of Quebec and if they have a problem with learning the language , there are 9 other provinces and 3 territories where they will be able to speak english ( and I would go that far as to say also 50 states in the U.S too)
It seems that when an english person wants to communicate in english with a french one here, we always make the effort to speak with them in english even if we are not good at it , the contrary is rarely true ,nearly none of the english ones will make the effort to speak or answer in french , which is not normal since THE ONLY OFFICAL LANGUAGE I WILL SAY IT AGAIN IS FRENCH . That's it that's all.
Yes this thread was very insulting for us, Quebecers and i was surprised by the fact that there was nearly no reaction from french speaking Quebecers.
Like someone else here mentioned , This thread is very insulting for us French canadians from Quebec. some here easily forget that part of the members of this forum are from Quebec .
Pirate_lafitte You just said what I was about to say and i second you on that. People from the rest of Canada have to realize that french is the only official language of Quebec and if they have a problem with learning the language , there are 9 other provinces and 3 territories where they will be able to speak english ( and I would go that far as to say also 50 states in the U.S too)
It seems that when an english person wants to communicate in english with a french one here, we always make the effort to speak with them in english even if we are not good at it , the contrary is rarely true ,nearly none of the english ones will make the effort to speak or answer in french , which is not normal since THE ONLY OFFICAL LANGUAGE I WILL SAY IT AGAIN IS FRENCH . That's it that's all.
Yes this thread was very insulting for us, Quebecers and i was surprised by the fact that there was nearly no reaction from french speaking Quebecers.
In actual fact, there are very few native francophones who post regularly on here.
I may be the only one as far as I know.
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. You don't know until you experience it personally, of course.
Ressources for learning French
