Which language is most used socially?

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Phoenix233

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Apr 19, 2012
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Hi, I'm a British student writing an essay on bilingualism. The Canadian Census has provided me with lots of useful data about which language is used most commonly in the home and at work. What I'm really curious to find out and what books and the internet doesn't seem to be telling me is which language is most commonly used in social groups.

For example; do Quebecoise use one language with their family and another with their friends? Is English/French the most common language in bars and clubs, or is the language used at home the automatic choice for when you're hanging with the guys?

It would be amazingly helpful to me if you could tell me what age bracket you belong to when you post a reply.

(I would ask my family this question but they live in Alberta which aint helping me much lol!)

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me :)

Steph x
 
taxslave

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
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Where I live on Vancouver island very few speak French. My wife comes from Germany so when she talks to her friends on Skype it is usually in German. WE have a lot of German tourists come through here and try to make them speak English but there is a lot of translating going on.
There are probably more people speak one or more Chinese dialects in BC than French.
Mid 50s.
 
Nuggler

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
11,596
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Backwater, Ontario.
We speak Swahili at home, as do the majority of people in Ontario.

In pubic we speak English or Urdu.

Our court system is entirely in Latvian.

Hope this helps.
 
MHz

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
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That's why I stay away from the beaches in Alberta, the cold weather shrinkage factor results in false advertising.

I went into an Indian bar in High Prairie to pick up a case for the road. The noisy bar became dead silent as soon as I walked in and stayed that way for my whole stay. I understood every non word quite clearly, is that the Alberta you are familiar with?
 
skookumchuck

skookumchuck

Council Member
Jan 19, 2012
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Van Isle
MHz said:
That's why I stay away from the beaches in Alberta, the cold weather shrinkage factor results in false advertising.

I went into an Indian bar in High Prairie to pick up a case for the road. The noisy bar became dead silent as soon as I walked in and stayed that way for my whole stay. I understood every non word quite clearly, is that the Alberta you are familiar with?
Click to expand...

You should have taken your uniform off first ;-)
 
bobnoorduyn

bobnoorduyn

Council Member
Nov 26, 2008
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Mountain Veiw County
It all depends on which language one wants to be misunderstood in. The French in North and Eastern Quebec are very adept at misunderstanding my English. So I prefer to address them, "Pogue mo thoin", (pronlunced "poch mahon" or "mahone" depending on the dialect", [with the "o" in pogue between a long and short "o" and "ch" sound as in Bach]), where I would be understood in much of the Maritimes. To be really safe, I'll address people who choose to misunderstand me, "Пцелуйте мою задницу", (pronounced, "potsyelooeetye MYoo ZAdnetsyoo". Newfanese is too understandable, "Kiss me arse". Pronunciation examples are the best approximations I can give in writing.
 
skookumchuck

skookumchuck

Council Member
Jan 19, 2012
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Van Isle
bobnoorduyn said:
It all depends on which language one wants to be misunderstood in. The French in North and Eastern Quebec are very adept at misunderstanding my English. So I prefer to address them, "Pogue mo thoin", (pronlunced "poch mahon" or "mahone" depending on the dialect", [with the "o" in pogue between a long and short "o" and "ch" sound as in Bach]), where I would be understood in much of the Maritimes. To be really safe, I'll address people who choose to misunderstand me, "Пцелуйте мою задницу", (pronounced, "potsyelooeetye MYoo ZAdnetsyoo". Newfanese is too understandable, "Kiss me arse". Pronunciation examples are the best approximations I can give in writing.
Click to expand...


IRC "Pogue Mahone" was an alias Richard Warman used to to entrap neo nazis on an online forum.
 
Angstrom

Angstrom

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May 8, 2011
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Phoenix233 said:
Hi, I'm a British student writing an essay on bilingualism. The Canadian Census has provided me with lots of useful data about which language is used most commonly in the home and at work. What I'm really curious to find out and what books and the internet doesn't seem to be telling me is which language is most commonly used in social groups.

For example; do Quebecoise use one language with their family and another with their friends? Is English/French the most common language in bars and clubs, or is the language used at home the automatic choice for when you're hanging with the guys?

It would be amazingly helpful to me if you could tell me what age bracket you belong to when you post a reply.

(I would ask my family this question but they live in Alberta which aint helping me much lol!)

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me :)

Steph x
Click to expand...



I'm a Franco-Ontario. English is usually the default lingo at work. Both my Kids only knew French up until they figured it out by around 8 years old.

I'm in Ottawa, and that's where the language split, in Canada hits ground zero. The more you head East, the better chance you have of finding other French speaking Canadians. The more you head West the less likely you will find French speaking Canadians.

Just hanging out with friends, if there is one English only, speaking person, we all talk English to be nice.
But if I look at my kids hanging out at a park, they know every English kid learns very good French in all English schools so they have no problem being understood.

In general English Canadians ,in my experience, make very good respectful neighbors compared to,
but French Canadians, in my experience, have a better developed sense of humor compared to there English counter parts.


Most people I know speak both Lingo, We mix them together as both languages excel in different ways.
Problem solving in your head in English, and in French sometimes leads you to two different solutions.
 
T

The Old Medic

Council Member
May 16, 2010
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The World
In the Maritime provinces, the vast majority of the people do NOT speak French, they speak English exclusively. Quebec is about 60% French and 40% English speakers. Once you get west of Ontario, French speakers become rather rare (unless they are politicians).
 
bobnoorduyn

bobnoorduyn

Council Member
Nov 26, 2008
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Mountain Veiw County
skookumchuck said:
IRC "Pogue Mahone" was an alias Richard Warman used to to entrap neo nazis on an online forum.
Click to expand...

My wife and I just started watching "The Wire" on demand, and in one 1st season episode, the commander of the team, (I can't remember the characters' names, we haven't watched in a while) said distainfully about the misfit cops assigned to his detail something to the effect, "and who do they send me? Polk and Mahone... We split a gut :lol:.
 
skookumchuck

skookumchuck

Council Member
Jan 19, 2012
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Van Isle
bobnoorduyn said:
My wife and I just started watching "The Wire" on demand, and in one 1st season episode, the commander of the team, (I can't remember the characters' names, we haven't watched in a while) said distainfully about the misfit cops assigned to his detail something to the effect, "and who do they send me? Polk and Mahone... We split a gut :lol:.
Click to expand...

Polk salad Annie.....Gator got yer grannie :lol:
 
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