Comments on: The Definitive Guide to Switching Between French and English in Québec

By: Québecautochtone

Québecautochtone — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:50:26 +0000

”For most francophone Quebecers, the difference usually boils down to competency in French, personal culture and attitude. Some francophones from the ROC fit in almost seamlessly, whereas many others, who are more anglicized and whose attitudes seem more alien to francophone Quebecers, do not. As time wears on, the latter group is growing larger and larger, and the first “seamless” group is getting tinier and tinier. Hence attitudes such as those of Marc (who is probably fairly young) who make a very clear distinction between Québécois and francophones from the ROC.”

This is so on-the-spot! Young Québécoises and Québécois have less and less in common with the quickly-eroding French-Canadians communities. I’m sure strong connection will remain with Acadie after Québec’s independance, as a considerable part of Acadian youth still really live in French.

By: Québecautochtone

Québecautochtone — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:32:17 +0000

Paul a raison.

Si les Français du Pas de Calais, de Paris, ou les Wallons, les Suisses romands, etc, ont leur dialectes locaux du français (plusieurs ont même une langue locale en plus du français local) font l’effort de standardiser leur français en parlant aux Québécois de Beauce, Montréal Saguenay…, la communication passera sans problème. Toutes les langues ont des dialectes, la plupart des langues très répandues ont en plus un dialecte standard pour certaines fonctions de communication. C’est pas compliqué, me semble.

Au Québec, on parle français aux touristes et aux gens qui viennent vivre avec nousautres. On leur fait cadeau de notre culture et de notre milieu de vie. Les deux vont ensemble. Tous les touristes que je croise font l’effort de baragouiner le français… sauf quelques Canadiens bouchés. Ils vont comprendre à la longue, à force d’entendre du français.

By: Paul Gutman (@Hispanohablante)

Paul Gutman (@Hispanohablante) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:37:58 +0000

En ce qui concerne la communication (à l’oral!) entre nous et les Français, les Suisses, ou les Belges, les problèmes ne sont pas souvent si nombreux que ça si toutes les personnes qui se parlent sont instruites et font attention à ce qu’elles disent. Par contre, si nous insistons sur l’emploi du plus pur “joual” et les Français ne nous parlent qu’en “verlan” ou en argot, ça finira par rendre la communication difficile. Mais, ceci dit, nous ne devons jamais choisir de nous parler en anglais pour faciliter la compréhension mutuelle. Franchement, il n’y aurait jamais rien de plus insultant… et ridicule!

By: Paul Gutman (@Hispanohablante)

Paul Gutman (@Hispanohablante) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:40:05 +0000

I speak fluent English, as well as French. I will make two comments, from a VERY personal perspective. 1. I have no problems if an American approaches me on the streets of Quebec City and asks me if I can speak English, nor do I have a problem if hear the same question out of an English-Canadian, as long as it is asked NICELY! (I’ll bend over backwards, if asked the right way!)However, anyone who comes to me with attitude that “these guys better speak English if they want my money” will be met with resistance. My answer to anyone like that is, “Tu peux t’en aller chez vous n’importe quand!” (“You can go home anytime you like!”) 2. I normally speak the local version of French that I grew up with. However, that doesn’t mean I’m illiterate or “uneducated”, and it doesn’t mean I can’t communicate IN FRENCH with the French from France! I DO NOT like the idea of anyone from France addressing me in English, and I WILL NOT speak English to them! C’est tout, and that is all.

By: Ayain

Ayain — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:06:35 +0000

EXCELLENT!!! Vraiment très drôle et tellement vrai!

Je vie dans le Eastern Townships et je vois à tous les jours des résistants de la langue de la «flèche tremblante» (Shake spear). J’ai beaucoup d’affection pour ces Irlandais (on est à Richmond quand même!). Je leur parle d’abord en anglais et ils continuent en français. N’est-ce pas «cute»?

Comment reconnaître un anglo? Il s’habille mal; elle met trop de spray net et ils ont tous un teint qui, normalement, devrait leur indiquer qu’ils font de la haute pression. Mais ils sont ici depuis toujours (on n’est pas à Montréal là! On se respecte et on s’aime. Mon voisin d’en face ne parle pas un mot de français, mais à 80 ans, des hommes comme ça, il ne s’en fait plus, il est tellement gentil et travaillant! C’est pas mal le seul monoanglo québécois que je puisse respecter.

Les autres Quebecers qui ne parlent pas un mot de la langue molle hier et encore aujourd’hui, sont détestables. Pas parce qu’ils ne dare pas de vouloir tenter d’essayer, mais parce que ce sont des esprits fermés et obtus. Derrière chaque langue se trouve une culture différente; si la culture ne t’intéresse pas; en quoi es-tu intéressant???

By: Bernadette

Bernadette — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:12:52 +0000

Edgy and TDN, you can’t judge everyone in a province by the actions of a select group of people. Most of the Quebecois I have come across here are incredibly nice and my experience was, in fact, the opposite of Edgy’s sister’s, where I chose to speak in French and was served in English. If the person barking at Edgy’s sister were not a passerby but a guard, a salesperson or someone acting in a professional position, you’d have every right to make a song and dance out of it, but as it stands, she was a passerby, and may have been running late for a good friend’s funeral. You just don’t know these things.

By: Acajack

Acajack — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:14:49 +0000

“Yeah, people in Quebec should throw themselves at the feet of tourists and other foreigners who are so gracious as to come to this screwed up province and help their economy with their precious dollars, which gives them the right to not even learn how to say “Je ne parle pas francais.”

(sarcasm on)
Yeah, I’ll remember that the next time I go down to the States to spend my hard-earned-cash and support their tanking economy. Those Yanks better all speak French to me, esti!
(sarcasm off)

By: Thomas Dean Nordlum

Thomas Dean Nordlum — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:33:56 +0000

Yeah, people in Quebec should throw themselves at the feet of tourists and other foreigners who are so gracious as to come to this screwed up province and help their economy with their precious dollars, which gives them the right to not even learn how to say “Je ne parle pas francais.”

By: Edgy555

Edgy555 — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:43:26 +0000

“That is why some visitors to Montreal and Québec sometimes faced with an aggressive response when speaking English.”

My *American* sister was walking in Laurier Park and encountered this charming attitude a couple of months ago. She was asked the time by some rude French bitch (in French) and trying to be helpful she said “I’m sorry I don’t speak French” and was told “I want the time! You should learn French!”

Seriously, this province is so screwed. And if French Montrealers can’t be civil to tourists who have come here to spend money, I really don’t have very much sympathy for their cause.

By: Bernadette

Bernadette — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 02:58:21 +0000

I GOT MY FIRST SWITCH!! It happened at Tim Hortons and it was really irritating. J’ai demandé du homme a la caisse de parler avec moi en francais, qu’il a fait pour un total d’une sentence entiere.

I’d like to point out that this was in Québec City (près de La Pyramide).

Je suis venue ici pour practiquer le francais, donc il faut que les gens, n’importe qui, parlent avec moi en francais!! A la vache! >.<