Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, which is unique in Canada as over 80% of its population speaks French as a first language. The French culture in Quebec can trace its roots directly back to France’s first attempts to colonize the New World. While control of the region went back and forth between the British and the French many times during those early years, with Britain eventually emerging as the overall victor, the inhabitants of Quebec have remained fiercely devoted to their heritage. They have also gone to great lengths to preserve the unique characteristics of their society.
It’s Quebec, not France
Some visitors to Montreal are surprised by the differences in language, culture and style that exist between modern Quebecois and the inhabitants of France. Particularly when it comes to vocabulary and slang, Quebecois French is quite separate from the French you would hear in Paris or Marseilles. It is important to remember that Quebec was cut off from the European homeland well over one hundred years ago, and as a result the language of that era has undergone a separate evolution. It is laced with religious and cultural anachronisms that would be incomprehensible to anyone who has studied European French.
Montreal: A Special Case
Montreal itself is somewhat of a special case inside of Quebec. While the province itself is overwhelmingly Francophone, Montreal is home to a significant Anglophone population. Just under 20% of the city’s population speaks English as a first language. There are also several Montreal neighborhoods that could be considered predominately English-speaking. The majority of these are in the western part of the city, such as Westmount, Notre-Dame-de-Grace, Pointe-Claire and Kirkland.
While it is unusual in Quebec to see such a concentration of Anglophones, the reality is that English Montrealers have long since adapted linguistically to life in a Francophone province. 66% of Anglophones in Montreal claim to be fluently bilingual.
Will I be able to ask someone for directions?
It can be intimidating to visit a place when you don’t speak the language. Quebec in particular has had its share of negative attention regarding the debate over language rights and a lot of this has translated into a perceived unfriendliness towards non-Francophone visitors. Starting in the 1970’s, the Quebec government began to pass legislation that was designed to preserve the French language. Much of this preservation was accomplished by prohibiting the use of any languages other than French in advertising, business and other spheres, such as education. Quebec continues to struggle with the idea of maintaining a French identify in a world that is increasingly globalized. However, a lot of the hand wringing that occurs in the government and media is largely a political construct that does not carry over into daily life. In terms of being able to navigate the city, there are very few places where spoken English will be met by blank stares from store clerks, cab drivers or public officials. Almost every restaurant has menus in both English and French, and people on the street, if not fluently bilingual, will do their best to help you with any questions you might have. The only trouble you might have will be reading street and highway signs, as these are entirely in French. There is very little chance that anyone you encounter in Montreal will have any animosity towards you based on which language you speak. Francophones and Anglophones have been living in harmony in this metropolis for more than 350 years, and there are no signs that that is about to change anytime soon.
