French english relations

[Agimat]

I've always liked everything French and I'm english lol, many people from my country wold probably view me as a traitor. But what excites me about immigrating to Canada is visiting Quebec, there is nothing more I would want than to meet and start a relationship with a French Canadian... This maybe a bit of a generalization, but how are English people recieved by the people of Quebec? do they not like us english speakers? because I am making a real effort to speak french. It would be such a shamefor me if they do not like us lol, as French people I have met from France are very nice people..

 

[Zzarchov]

If you speak Parisian, you are better off speaking english if you want to be understood (especially if you are shaky at Parisian french)

Side note: Quebecois are not like European French anymore than Canadian or American Culture and British Culture.

 

[regis]

There is a great "préjugé" (presumption ?) on French people here in Quebec, we are afraid that have a too good idea of themself.

Beside that, generaly speaking, we welcome everybody and often Quebecers will make efforts to speak to you in english.

 

[karrie]

French in Canada can be a bit of a funny thing in my experience.

French Canadian would imply anyone who grows up in Canada speaking French at home. Yet, the country is so large, that each area ends up with its own French. I married into a prairie French family. I've met Acadian French from the coast. And I've befriended Quebecois. And all think they speak THE PROPER French. It makes me chuckle. In English, we accept accents and colloquialisms. In French, there seems to be a less accepting air, and each French area will try to correct you to speaking in their manner (which can be really difficult given the broad differences). If you can get past letting the small corrections and suggestions make you feel awkward and selfconscious, then you'll do great, and see that 'the French' are no different than anyone else.

 

[no color]

There is a great "préjugé" (presumption ?) on French people here in Quebec, we are afraid that have a too good idea of themself.

Beside that, generaly speaking, we welcome everybody and often Quebecers will make efforts to speak to you in english.

Not just in English, Quebec is a very multiethnic society and there are folks in Quebec that amazingly speak 2, 3, 4 ... even 5 different languages. :smile:

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

I grew up in montreal...the first thing you learn is to fight with the french.Or vise versa...there's a huge prejudice in Quebec unlike any other in the rest of Canada....sad really...Separatist usually are the smallest of minded people and will try to mess you up with directions like they are winning some contest....English think they are better than the French...it's a nightmare all round....When you get into the higher classes and the art community, then it's a whole other level of social interaction and commitment to the finer points of the human condition.

 

[Anachronism]

I grew up in montreal...the first thing you learn is to fight with the french.Or vise versa...there's a huge prejudice in Quebec unlike any other in the rest of Canada....sad really...Separatist usually are the smallest of minded people and will try to mess you up with directions like they are winning some contest....English think they are better than the French...it's a nightmare all round....When you get into the higher classes and the art community, then it's a whole other level of social interaction and commitment to the finer points of the human condition.

Really? If people really are that hostile, then Quebec may as well be another country. I want to know why it's worse in Quebec than in the rest of Canada. I've heard some pretty xenophobic stuff from the Prairies, but if Quebec surpasses it, then I'm surprised.
Remember when they turned down the Constitution because it didn't include specific laws about the French? Whatever the reason was for that, it probably has something to do with the feeling of being ignored. Unique sovereignty and culture apparently mean a lot to them, moreso than to the English.
On another note, have there ever been any hate crimes recently due to English/French background in Canada?

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

Really? If people really are that hostile, then Quebec may as well be another country. I want to know why it's worse in Quebec than in the rest of Canada. I've heard some pretty xenophobic stuff from the Prairies, but if Quebec surpasses it, then I'm surprised.
Remember when they turned down the Constitution because it didn't include specific laws about the French? Whatever the reason was for that, it probably has something to do with the feeling of being ignored. Unique sovereignty and culture apparently mean a lot to them, moreso than the English.
Have there ever been any hate crimes recently due to English/French background in Canada?

Well they would want to ban your avatar for starters in some towns.....
I had a polish woman who lived in montreal come up to me in toronto once and ask me this after she found out i was from montreal...."Why do the french hate the polish so much?"....I loled and said some of them hate everybody.....there is definatly a whole thing going on in quebec whether people admit or not...sometimes people talk and it's the emperors new clothes as far as i can see......i could give you a plethora of ignorant incidents from both french and english....it all stems from the old european wars....it's really got to be dealt with ...but they got the politicians by the short hairs on so many fronts .....

You got to realize quebec up untill bill 101 was indeed the centre of Canada from a buisness perspective...odd enogh all the head offices that moved to ontario still are there in montreal, but not as head offices....too wierd.....

 

[no color]

You guys need to forget about politics (and the English-French language wars) if you're going to live in Montreal and enjoy the city. Also, the fact that we do have both English and French speaking people living in the city gives us an edge when it comes to hosting international type events (conferences, festivals ...). If you are an immigrant moving to Montreal, you can pick which of the two communites you want to intermix with (or integrate into). This is usually based on which part of the city you live in. If you are someone from France, you'd probably settle in the East part of the city. If you are an immigrant from the US, then you would very likely settle in the West Island. :smile:

 

[Anachronism]

Well they would want to ban your avatar for starters in some towns.....

Why's that? It took me quite a while to make that costume!

No color, why do people prejudge each other based on language and still live in the same city? I understand that bilingualism is an advantage in the international scene, but it seems that within Quebec, there's a very bipartisan atmosphere when it comes to the two languages. Is that solely because of the European wars and the Plains of Abraham and all that? Why are they still "against" one another?

 

[no color]

Why's that? It took me quite a while to make that costume!

No color, why do people prejudge each other based on language and still live in the same city? I understand that bilingualism is an advantage in the international scene, but it seems that within Quebec, there's a very bipartisan atmosphere when it comes to the two languages. Is that solely because of the European wars and the Plains of Abraham and all that? Why are they still "against" one another?

Anachronism, it's partly related to the historical wars. Two notable events that brought the tensions up a notch (or two) are the introduction of bill 22 in 1974 (making French the only official language of the province) and the introduction of bill 101 in 1977 (this one was the biggie as it introduced laws forcing businesses to operate in French and forcing outdoor signs to initially be in French only).

 

[karrie]

Why are they still "against" one another?

Why do any humans dislike eachother over differences (race, culture, finances)? They can give you reasons, but, it all boils down to the fact that humans are still tribal and dislike differences.

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

Why's that? It took me quite a while to make that costume!

?

sorry ...so yer a ninja
I thought it was a moslem thing...I saw some pretty nasty stuff from some towns in quebec concerning the hajib...doesn't make sense to get angry over clothing...

 

[Anachronism]

sorry ...so yer a ninja :icon_smile:
I thought it was a moslem thing...I saw some pretty nasty stuff from some towns in quebec concerning the hajib...doesn't make sense to get angry over clothing...

But...so then...
Then it's not solely a French/English thing?
I understand karrie's point, as it were, but there has to be an underlying concern. Fear of differences comes from fear of the unknown, which comes from the fear of the shadowy figure waiting outside the cave, or the strange animal watching from a distance, etc. Natural selection and all that. But does that imply that we can't overpower our instincts? If it's this fear or hatred that's causing the prejudice, then it's not about French/English wars at all. It's just like racism.
Weird that people living in the same country - in the same city - can act this way towards each other.
Of course, I'm not talking about all people. I've had a pleasant trip to both Montreal and Quebec over the past year. But the fact that there are groups that think in this manner is very out-of-place in an area like that.
But then, that's what I thought when I heard the Albertan guy saying that all native-Canadian people should be sent away because it's not their home anymore.

 

[smilingfish]

So everytime when someone mentions French, I can always smell something weird.

Don't get me wrong. I can't speak French at all. This is just my conclusion.

 

[Nuggler]

T

Beside that, generaly speaking, we welcome everybody and often Quebecers will make efforts to speak to you in english.

When's this going to happen8O?

:canada:

 

[no color]

When's this going to happen8O?

:canada:

How's about right now? I'm a Quebecker and I am making efforts to speak to you in English, aren't I? I guess I have no choice as my French is very limited.

 

[DurkaDurka]

I have never had relations with a Frenchy

 

[missile]

I've relatives on both sides and never had many problems communicating with them & had "relations" with several French girls,too:lol:

 

[YoungJoonKim]

I have to learn "third-language" because of French
Thanks a lot Quebec (no hard feeling, just thanking them)
I have to study French to become member of House of Common.
Its going to take awhile to "feel" it (I will study it when I graduate from university and get a degree of French in about 20 years..then off to politic weeee) but I feel that learning other culture is also my job as citizen of multicultural country.
Go Canada!