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| *Travel Tips>>>Montreal Travel Tips |
Would it be more respectful for me to speak French or English in Montreal? |
Travel Info I will be visiting Montreal for the first time this month and my French is very limited (I took Spanish to fulfill my language requirement in high school and I don't have any experience speaking French). When I go to restaurants, shops, my hotel, the train station, etc., would it be more polite and respectful if I spoke in French (using the basic expressions that I have recently learned) or English? I have read online that many locals will "switch over" to English, but I've also read that it may be considered rude to speak English (initially) and assume that the person with whom I'm conversing knows (and wishes to speak in) English. What do you think would be best? Travel Tips I'm a native francophone Montrealer, and I can tell you that all Quebecers are really touched when visitors at least ATTEMPT to speak French. It simply shows a certain respect and understanding for the fact that you are visiting a foregin place with a different culture. After all, you wouldn't travel to Italy without picking up a few words of Italian, nor would you expect it to be a given that everyone you meet speaks English. That said, most Quebecers who work in the service industry do speak English, especially in Montreal. If you're at the train station or at McDonalds, I wouldn't bother struggling through a French greeting. However, if you are at a sit-down restaurant, or a small shop, or talking with locals for any reason, a small attempt at speaking French will be greatly appreciated. Here are some websites where you can learn and practice your French: 1-http://www.polarfle.com/ 2-http://phonetique.free.fr 3-http://www.pomme.ualberta.ca/devoir/exer... 4-http://www.francite.net/education/cyberp... 5-http://www.bonjourdefrance.com 6-http://lexique.free.fr Grammaire www.softissimo.com (testez-vous) www.francite.net/education/cyb... http://pages.infinit.net/jaser2... http://francite.net/education/logiciel/m... Paroles de chansons francophones www.paroles.net Actualit茅 www.ledevoir.com http://cyberpresse.ca www.radio-Canada.ca www.tv5.org Histoires 脿 茅couter pour enfants www.1001contes.com Dialogue en fran莽ais http://clicnet.swarthmore.edu/rire/dialo... Ce dialogue est sur le peintre Picasso mais il y en a d鈥檃utres. Dict茅e http://www.swgc.mun.ca/french/... Others Start with English, as you are more conversant in it. Switch to French if you feel that the listener, would be more comfortable. This is a situation that you leterally have to "play it by ear." French is preferred - but if you are not sure of a phrase or word ask if the person speaks english -don't assume they do. Having traveled In Quebec, I've found that starting with "Bonjour" is usually a good idea. Most locals will then switch to English, knowing that you're a foreigner. If they continue in French and you don't understand go with: "Je suis desol茅. Je ne comprend pas. Pouvez-vous me parler en anglais, s'il vous plait?" (It's a mouthful, I know... but the key is the "s'il vous plait?") Really, in my experience, it's making the effort in that first moment that counts. And in most the places you'll go (hotels, shops, etc.) the people will be used to dealing with English speaking Americans and Canadians. Hope this helps. Enjoy your visit! It depends on who you are dealing with. Some people prefer english, some prefer french. West mount is mostly english It is almost certainly best to at least start in French, in Montreal....do your best at expressing yourself until the other person switches to English or suggests that you do.....then you can apologize for your French not being better, and go on in english. If you're from the States people will probably cut you a bit more slack than if you are an Anglophone Canadian or a Brit..... personal experience (I'm from the Hudson Valley in New York) |
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