Quebec Language: No English?

[mcurphy]

I recently spent 10 days in Quebec City, and I had a very hard time communicating with the locals. I remember being told by a co-worker that Quebec was the one and only providence NOT required to adapt to the English language.

Is this true?

It seemed as though 99% of signage was written in only French, with no English translation. Also, most of the locals I talked to only spoke French, and they couldn't even begin to have a conversation in English. The clerk at the gas station, the waitress at the restaurant, and even a bartender could not communicate with me on even a basic level.

So, is this beautiful province the only area in Canada that refuses to acknowledge the English language? Do they purposely and strictly adhere to the French language as a way of preserving their heritage?

 

[dennilfloss]

It's their language, one of the two official languages of Canada. They speak it thus preserving it. Those who go to school long enough do learn English. I'm from Québec City and that's how I learned it.

 

[Murloc]

probably the clerk at the gas station didn't get past middle school, which probably means he was also bad at school, which means he could be bad at learning languages, which would mean that it's normal that he doesn't speak english.

I read that they are more fixated with french than the metropolitan french-speakers. They write ârrete instead of stop on road signs apparently.

I see no reason why they would purposefully avoid talking to tourists in english. Those people probably just didn't know english, although being able to take a drink order from a tourist or say a number shouldn't be that difficult. You just have to avoid speaking with weird american accents.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

i called a shop in quebec a little while ago. it went something like this:

lady: bon jour
me: ummm, bon jour. je ne parlez pas francais. parlez vous englais, si vous plais?
lady: oui
me: ....
lady: what do you want?

 

[qliveur]

lolwut

French, and viciously so.

 

[mcurphy]

It's their language, one of the two official languages of Canada. They speak it thus preserving it. Those who go to school long enough do learn English. I'm from Québec City and that's how I learned it.

Yes, I realize that French is the primary language of the province...and also many other areas of Canada for that matter. But my question is: is Quebec the one and only province granted the right to ignore the English language? IE they are not required to accommodate to English speaking persons?

I have not traveled to any other parts of Canada, so I do not know if the French/English culture and/or language barrier is as prominent as it was in QC. But I was told that it was a specific rule in the province that they were not required to speak, write, or accommodate to the English language.

So does QC have some exclusive rights or law, aside from other Canadian provinces, that they do not have to recognize the English language?

 

[slayer202]

Yes, I realize that French is the primary language of the province...and also many other areas of Canada for that matter. But my question is: is Quebec the one and only province granted the right to ignore the English language? IE they are not required to accommodate to English speaking persons?

So does QC have some exclusive rights or law, aside from other Canadian provinces, that they do not have to recognize the English language?

WTF are you talking about

I don't think you should leave the states anymore. better yet, don't leave wisconsin. scratch that, don't leave your house

 

[Doppel]

Some of them don't know it, some of them want to pretend they don't. Most do know enough English for you to work with, though. Where were you exactly? Last time I went to Montreal I just spoke in English and everybody understood me.

 

[mcurphy]

WTF are you talking about

OK, say you went to Alberta (or any other Canadian province besides Quebec)...and all of the cities there had to display signage in both French AND English. As a law. Whether it be a road sign, menu, or other local posting. And all of the residents were required to learn English, and especially in any commerce operation. So if you went to a restaurant, or gas station, or bar, then the operators would HAVE to be able to communicate in both French and English.

This is what I was told by a co-worker when we traveled up there. All provinces were to recognize the English language. But Quebec was exclusive in their right to the French language and heritage and they did not have to accommodate the English language.

I don't think you should leave the states anymore. better yet, don't leave wisconsin. scratch that, don't leave your house

I don't travel often, so no worries there.......well, on second thought, I am close to the Illinois border and I cross the state line frequently. But I'll try to stay local just for you.

 

[mcurphy]

Some of them don't know it, some of them want to pretend they don't. Most do know enough English for you to work with, though. Where were you exactly? Last time I went to Montreal I just spoke in English and everybody understood me.

I was in Quebec City and stayed at the Hôtel des Coutellier.

 

[dud]

I think we need to send in Triumph, the comic insult dog to investigate!

 

[mcurphy]

I think we need to send in Triumph, the comic insult dog to investigate!

Hell yeah! now here is the best reply yet to my question!

And while we're at it, send him over to neckbeard's house so we can have even more fun. That would be some good entertainment right there.

 

[sdifox]

I recently spent 10 days in Quebec City, and I had a very hard time communicating with the locals. I remember being told by a co-worker that Quebec was the one and only providence NOT required to adapt to the English language.

Is this true?

It seemed as though 99% of signage was written in only French, with no English translation. Also, most of the locals I talked to only spoke French, and they couldn't even begin to have a conversation in English. The clerk at the gas station, the waitress at the restaurant, and even a bartender could not communicate with me on even a basic level.

So, is this beautiful province the only area in Canada that refuses to acknowledge the English language? Do they purposely and strictly adhere to the French language as a way of preserving their heritage?

Quebec is very protective of French. There has been many pissing fights over this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_dispute_over_Quebec's_language_policy

 

[mcurphy]

Quebec is very protective of French. There has been many pissing fights over this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_dispute_over_Quebec's_language_policy

Awesome. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the link, it answers my question!

 

[Firebot]

OK, say you went to Alberta (or any other Canadian province besides Quebec)...and all of the cities there had to display signage in both French AND English. As a law. Whether it be a road sign, menu, or other local posting. And all of the residents were required to learn English, and especially in any commerce operation. So if you went to a restaurant, or gas station, or bar, then the operators would HAVE to be able to communicate in both French and English.

This is not the case at all, you seem pretty clueless about Canada. Alberta has English signs only. New Brunswick is the only province that's actually bilingual where signs are bilingual (other then Ontario near the Quebec border), Quebec is French, and all other provinces are English. Federal government is bilingual, so any federal service have to be provided in both English and French. There's also no law where someone has to speak English or French to operate a business. They can speak Mandarin only is they so choose.

Provincial laws are no different then state laws and differ from province to province.

Needless to say, if you go in Quebec, don't expect service speaking English only anywhere east of Montreal. It's no different then requesting Spanish service in Wisconsin.

 

[slayer202]

This is not the case at all, you seem pretty clueless about Canada. Alberta has English signs only. New Brunswick is the only province that's actually bilingual where signs are bilingual (other then Ontario near the Quebec border), Quebec is French, and all other provinces are English. Federal government is bilingual, so any federal service have to be provided in both English and French. There's also no law where someone has to speak English or French to operate a business. They can speak Mandarin only is they so choose.

Provincial laws are no different then state laws and differ from province to province.

Needless to say, if you go in Quebec, don't expect service speaking English only anywhere east of Montreal. It's no different then requesting Spanish service in Wisconsin.

WHAT!!??! They don't FORCE people to speak english??? What kind of bullshit is this. I demand they acknowledge our(my) language!

 

[Capt Caveman]

I feel dumber after reading the OPs posts in this thread.

 

[ConwayJim]

you thick SOB...how about you learn some basic French

 

[iroast]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Quebec

 

[Ichinisan]

You can tell if you're getting a video game through a Canadian distributor if the French language on the packaging is just as prominent as the English.

 

[Perknose]

I feel dumber after reading the OPs posts in this thread.

The fact that he went there, had trouble, couldn't figure out why yet remained so vexed and perplexed that he took the time to post his complaint here on OT (we have no record of how many people he bore-assed with his subsequent whining IRL), only to finally be clued to the basic facts of the situation by another poster mercifully linking him to . . . Wikipedia . . . does indeed speak volumes . . . in English.

 

[sdifox]

You can tell if you're getting a video game through a Canadian distributor if the French language on the packaging is just as prominent as the English.

And you can tell it's an American distributor if it has bad Spanish on the packaging :awe:

 

[tommo123]

This is not the case at all, you seem pretty clueless about Canada. Alberta has English signs only. New Brunswick is the only province that's actually bilingual where signs are bilingual (other then Ontario near the Quebec border), Quebec is French, and all other provinces are English. Federal government is bilingual, so any federal service have to be provided in both English and French. There's also no law where someone has to speak English or French to operate a business. They can speak Mandarin only is they so choose.

Provincial laws are no different then state laws and differ from province to province.

Needless to say, if you go in Quebec, don't expect service speaking English only anywhere east of Montreal. It's no different then requesting Spanish service in Wisconsin.

really? i was in montreal and Q city last month and was served/greeted in english in restaurants and starbucks. at one point, a french speaker went up and the 'waiter/server/whatever' had to let someone else take over.

maybe that was a tourist heave area and they assumed English speakers?

 

[sdifox]

really? i was in montreal and Q city last month and was served/greeted in english in restaurants and starbucks. at one point, a french speaker went up and the 'waiter/server/whatever' had to let someone else take over.

maybe that was a tourist heave area and they assumed English speakers?

Montreal is not a good stick to measure Quebec with

 

[Aikouka]

When I was in Quebec City probably... 10 years ago, I found that whenever I tried to use my excellent high school quality French with someone, they spoke English, and if I tried to use English, they would just say, "Pardon?" I gave up after a bit and just didn't try to socialize.