I've been thinking of visiting Montreal but I don't speak any French. Will it be a problem or can I still get by with English?? Also, will the people there be mad at me for not speaking french, like they would in Paris, or will they be cool about it?? Would really like to know before going there. Thanks.
2006-10-22 13:31:18 · 11 answers · asked by franz_duenas 1 in Travel ➔ Canada ➔ Montreal
I laboured under the popular myth that the citizens of Montreal would only respond if one communicated in French. However; to my great delight , when we visited this very beautiful and cultural city in summer, in spite of my British accent, we were overwhelmed by the hospitality and kindness shown to us.
When I attempted to practise my very average French, the Montrealers delighted to answer in English! !!!!!
2006-10-22 13:47:28 · answer #1 · answered by Goldista 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Montreal is a large city and it has some substantially majority English speaking areas. It is possible to find an English-only job in certain professions and areas, but such jobs would be rather specific. No government jobs are likely to accept someone who can't speak French there, nor would most customer service jobs (stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc.) If you have a specific non-customer dealing trade or profession, it possible. but for most entry level jobs... not speaking French would probably make finding a job extremely difficult. However, it's certainly a good city in which to learn French. I'm not sure why you think Toronto is too "American". It's one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada. Vancouver and Seattle are virtually indistinguishable, as it say Calgary and many mid-west US cities, so I'm not sure why you think Toronto is any more American than any other Canadian city. The only different between Toronto and any other Canadian city is its size, financial capabilities, and it's a bit more industrial in some of its suburbs. If you aren't a Canadian citizen I would look at Citizenship and Immigration Canada's web site for requirements for a work permit. They are not trivial and in most professions require a job offer prior to even applying for a work permit. With 7.3% unemployment, most Canadians don't have the luxury of choosing where to live -- baring extremely skilled professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers, nurses, etc.) they move to where ever they can find a job. For foreign workers it is even more true since the pool of employers authorized to hire foreign workers is extremely small and specialized.
2016-05-21 23:35:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mad or cool aren't the adjectives involved here. The public will ignore you and smaller shop keepers may do the same. The bigger business's will probably speak to you in English but they might not be all that helpful. Wearing a Canadien's hat will not be all that useful. What will be most helpful will be to try and learn a bit of French before you get there. Enough to say thank you, please, understand the numbers so that you will know the price and order a meal other than at MacDonalds. Hopefully you have the time to do this. Don't worry about accent. If you make the effort, they will meet your effort.
Bonne chance
2006-10-22 13:46:05 · answer #3 · answered by St N 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I was in Montreal last week, and don't worry, people speak english as well as french. Sometimes they even speak both languages at the same time !
2006-10-26 03:35:06 · answer #4 · answered by tokala 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Montreal is a great city. Just go. You don't need to know french to have a wonderful time, but if you know a few words, and start trying to speaking french, Montreal is no longer a great city it becomes fantastic.
2006-10-25 12:58:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
about %50 of Montrealers speak english as a first language, and lots of frenchies also speak english. If you want to learn a bit of french before you go, get the following computer program. It's the best, as far as I know
http://www.rosettastone.com/en/individuals/languages/french
try the free online demo
2006-10-25 18:32:23 · answer #6 · answered by Delphine F 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In downtown Montreal, Old Montreal, and even the Plateau (all nice areas to visit), most people will speak English with tourists.
Now, if you have an obvious British or Australian accent, they'll love it when you just say "merci" and "s'il vous plait".
If you have a Canadian accent, learning 2 key phrases would be nice like: "Je ne parles pas le Francais." and "Je suis ici pour pratiquer le francais." (I don't speak French and I'm here to practice.)
Don't say: "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir." It's stupid and tacky. And trust me, it doesn't work.
Good rule of thumb is: If you make an effort, they will respect that and you will get good service. If you are a dick-head, you will get treated like a dick-head.
Have fun!
2006-10-26 05:55:31 · answer #7 · answered by bendermarcus 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't speak French and have never been given a hard time the many times I've been there. They are extremely friendly to Americans.
2006-10-23 06:13:47 · answer #8 · answered by RAR24 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most everybody is bi-lingual but many won't admit it until you give courtesy to tell them (in fractured French) you don't speak it.
Practice the following:
"En anglais, s'il vous plait; ma francaise est tres mauvais"
and you'll get considerate (in English) service.
2006-10-23 11:59:28 · answer #9 · answered by Lisa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like in any other city, it depend of where you are in the city. If you make the effort to learn basic phrases and you don't make fun of people who trying to answer you in bad english, you will do great.
Lots of people, like you, don't like to try to respond in another language because they don't want to be making fun of; if someone is unable to respond to you, say it's ok and find someone else. Don't give the impression that someone is an idiot because he don't speak your language. Respect is the key word.
2006-10-25 15:54:20 · answer #10 · answered by babarox1998 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋