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Do all canadians know how to speak french?

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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
do canadians outside of french canada know french?

or is it like California where most people just know some spanglish...enough to get by when ordering food, and talking to day laborers?
May 9 2011 3:32PM
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jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
lol seriously?
May 9 2011 3:35PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
not even a little? like at least i know passable spanish...and im a fucking ginger that doesnt live in a spanish speaking country.

But the french province is fluent in english as well?
May 9 2011 3:40PM
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3-6-steeze
Posts: 1135 - Karma: 147
only reason i replied to this thread. Anyways, New brunswick is bilingual (2 languages), Quebec is mostly french with a bit of english and the rest of canada is taught french or put through french immersion which is school but only french is spoken (what i do)
May 9 2011 3:41PM
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theJones
Posts: 676 - Karma: 158
the extend of my french

est-ce je peux aller aux toilettes

and i had to google it because i can't spell anything in french

May 9 2011 3:48PM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
bonjour= I surrender
thats all I know
May 9 2011 3:49PM
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a.wall
Posts: 339 - Karma: 30
you have to take it in school, but most people can't speak french for shit.

i went to french immersion in elementry school so im fluent, but my grammer is kinda shitty.
May 9 2011 3:50PM
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collinder
Posts: 738 - Karma: 34
I think that most people in Canada can speak at least a little French. At schools where I live it's manditory to take French up until a certain grade
May 9 2011 3:53PM
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lanny94
Posts: 1374 - Karma: 165
lol bonjour is about it for me
May 9 2011 3:56PM
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Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
most ppl can understand a little/speak very very little, because i think kids in english schools take a couple of french classes at most and thats not enough to actually be able to have a full out conversation with someone i think
May 9 2011 3:56PM
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corona
Posts: 12809 - Karma: 32,881
Everyone needs to take at least some French at school. Young people in Canada who can't speak a word of French just didn't pay attention/didn't give a fuck.  Although Alberta is soon to abolish mandatory French in their schools.  And in Quebec almost everyone can speak English. They do exists, but it's hard to find someone who doesn't know any English at all.

But generally, if you want to be successful in a federal job or any public relations job or any job you deal with people in general, knowing French is a huge asset. Especially in a city like Ottawa or Montreal. In fact in a lot of government jobs now being bilingual is mandatory, even if you never have to use the language.

I can speak for Ottawa, and out of people who were born and raised here I'd say 3/4 people can get by just fine in French and 1/2 can speak French fluently. And besides places in Quebec and New Brunswick this is probably the most bilingual city in the country.
May 9 2011 3:59PM
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Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
i wouldnt say that. that is only true for areas around major cities, if you go deep into quebec and start visiting random ass fuckin towns, people wont even know what hello means ahaha
May 9 2011 4:01PM
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corona
Posts: 12809 - Karma: 32,881
I've hitch hiked all over Quebec and have gone to just about as remote places as one can get without flying and I rarely met someone that didn't know a single word of English.
May 9 2011 4:04PM
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BIGben*
Posts: 1942 - Karma: 8
I speak both perfectly.
May 9 2011 4:04PM
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theJones
Posts: 676 - Karma: 158
french girls trying to speak english is super hot
May 9 2011 4:08PM
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CAPITA-DEVOURS
Posts: 1968 - Karma: 4
we started french in grade 4, but it was really a joke. we did french plays until grade 8. and in high school they were changing the curriculum so i learned to speak somewhat. but i can understand more....
May 9 2011 4:11PM
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Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
true bro, thats pretty cool then
May 9 2011 4:13PM
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BillyDwyre
Posts: 124 - Karma: 10
.
May 9 2011 4:14PM
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NickSki.
Posts: 2009 - Karma: 61
I know alittle bit. I should know more but fuck it.
May 9 2011 4:20PM
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kootenayklaus
Posts: 3914 - Karma: 2,179
Where do I start....
May 9 2011 4:22PM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
i jest
May 9 2011 4:24PM
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Black.Bird
Posts: 2566 - Karma: 684
English is my second language, and living both in Quebec and Ontario. I find that there is a much higher percentage of French people that can speak English fluently then the opposite. Sadly most English kids dont even care about learning French, and the schools do a terrible job teaching it the right way. Canada is a bilingual country and I believe learning both language is part of being a good Canadian.. Plus it's really useful in locking jobs with the government and in cities like Ottawa where there is a good mix of English and French speaking people. If I didn't speak french I don't think I would have the job I currently have.
May 9 2011 4:26PM
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Anathema
Posts: 21048 - Karma: 5,061
most people in eastern canada speak at least some french, but as you go out west, not so much. i think in general, the average canadian would know more french than your average american, but to answer the question more directly, no, it's not like the entire country is bilingual to any extent.

i speak french though, cause im awesome. and chicks love it. WIN!!
May 9 2011 4:51PM
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summersover
Posts: 5777 - Karma: 233
haha us anglos don't wanna learn it because its a fucking complicated language compared to english
yes its important to know if you live in Quebec and its a fun tool to have some basic french speaking abilities but you could easily live your whole life in Quebec really needing to know french at all
not trying to rip on french at all though, I think its cool that I know two languages, just offering the perspective of the other side
May 9 2011 4:58PM
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Black.Bird
Posts: 2566 - Karma: 684
I was talking more about the anglophones in Ontario. It is very complicated and like I said, schools in Ontario are terrible at teaching it.
I took my elementary school in French and high school in english. I decided to take a french class in high school as a joke to get a very high mark but the teacher sucked at french. Haha I couldn't understand her very well and I ended up with a mid-70% while some of my other classmates got 90s because they could communicate with her version of French.. I was really disappointed and it's sad in a way for everyone who thought she spoke flawless french.
Now they take a trip up to Quebec and wonder why no one understands them..
I learned English by watching Sesame-Street and other english shows and by having English friends who I could barely talk to. There is way more english media in Canada, so the francophones learn english from it.
May 9 2011 5:12PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
One of my good friends in college immigrated to the US from china when he was 17. He took chinese 1,2,3,4 in college and tutored all the hot girls in his class. his strategy was impeccable.
May 9 2011 5:18PM
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95romeo
Posts: 276 - Karma: -99
here you only have to take french up to grade 9, in ontario at least. i would say my french is actually decent, and there are also a few french immersion schools such as mine. frenchies annoy me though.
May 9 2011 5:40PM
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Trollolo
Posts: 793 - Karma: 16
Most english Canadians don't speak french, mostly because we don't need to and a lot of people don't like them or have any interest is going to Quebec. On the other hand, most french Canadians are fluent in both because ... well.... a lot of shit would suck if you didn't know english and lived in north america
May 9 2011 5:48PM
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BigBadWolf
Posts: 2000 - Karma: 432
Haha this is one of the most retarded threads i have ever seen.
May 9 2011 5:57PM
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NickSki.
Posts: 2009 - Karma: 61
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May 9 2011 5:58PM
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Lord.Quasimoto
Posts: 958 - Karma: 33
lots of people know how to speak french in english canada but on average no they don't. as a canadian parent u can choose to put ur child in french elementary school where they learn all their subjects in french.
May 9 2011 6:02PM
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katie.
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 874
We don't all but it's pretty useful especially for young people, having both languages means people seriously look at your resume twice. I love French, and I speak it well enough, but basically nobody else in my family does.
May 9 2011 6:02PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,169
Ya a good friend of mine did elementary school in Ontario in french and spent all of her summers in Quebec and now she is in an "extended" french program at our English highschool and does not even get that good marks and just constantly makes fun of the teacher for being terrible at speaking french.
May 9 2011 6:03PM
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k-rob
Posts: 14217 - Karma: 2,891
je m appelle k-rob, parlez vous dingdong?

i took french in grade 9 and all i learned was minor phrases and some animal names. most people i know don't speak french, or about as much of it as i do, because my friends and i went through school before french class became mandatory. either way, most of canada outside quebec can't be bothered to speak french, seeing as how we all know english anyways.

May 9 2011 6:05PM
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vauban08
Posts: 575 - Karma: 119
Maybe, but some still have a nasty accent. And an attitude. Check this (friend from Quebec just sent me):


May 9 2011 6:26PM
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los.pinguinos
Posts: 555 - Karma: 34
i can say "je suis un framage" but thats about it

May 9 2011 6:29PM
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k-rob
Posts: 14217 - Karma: 2,891
LOL THAT WAS HILARIOUS
May 9 2011 6:36PM
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-LyricalFaya-
Posts: 71 - Karma: 14
I had to take a two year mandatory French class, I really learnt nothing at all. I've been to France and my french was useless. Unless your from Quebec or went to a French school chances are your french isnt the greatest.
May 9 2011 6:40PM
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Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
such a lil piece of shit lol. not a good idea saying his street name though, some ppl are gonna take that shit seriously and go fuck him up
May 9 2011 6:41PM
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TACO-DOG.exe
Posts: 11989 - Karma: 12,264
Fucking dumb ass Americans.
May 9 2011 6:42PM
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ShredThePowdah.
Posts: 394 - Karma: 19
Obvious stupid american is obvious.
May 9 2011 6:43PM
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Doug.
Posts: 2236 - Karma: 457
This.
May 9 2011 6:52PM
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vauban08
Posts: 575 - Karma: 119
Oh yea, so true, if there's something like a quebec-4chan existing, a team will be on its way already. :D
May 9 2011 6:53PM
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MFM
Posts: 842 - Karma: 77
I live in redneck British Columbia and i could probably speak enough french to get by sounding half retarded in Quebec. I put a lot more effort into my French classes than English and got like 95 percent but it's still taught in school enough to carry on a conversation with a ten year old. If i went to France though i'd be screwed.
May 9 2011 6:57PM
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corona
Posts: 12809 - Karma: 32,881
^ you'd be surprised. I found France French so much easier to understand then Quebec French, which is so much easier to understand than some Franco-Ontarian French. And I consider myself almost perfectly bilingual and I'm used to the Quebec French.
May 10 2011 12:16AM
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snowbombz
Posts: 2456 - Karma: 96
do all Americans speak redneck?
May 10 2011 12:21AM
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dreadyboy
Posts: 2306 - Karma: 34
I do, but alotta people don't
May 10 2011 12:33AM
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Black.Bird
Posts: 2566 - Karma: 684
Hahah I live 30 minutes away.. Orleans has a lot of francophones and the idiot doesn't see that since most of them can speak proper english.
May 10 2011 12:55AM
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Black.Bird
Posts: 2566 - Karma: 684
I feel like he got some death threats..

May 10 2011 12:58AM
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Jahrassicpark
Posts: 2075 - Karma: 38
Je suis en émersion français depuis maternelle alors je sais comment parlais assez bon mais je ne sais pas le slang Québequois, but no dumb ass it's just parents who choose to put their kids in french emmersion or if you want to take it as an option in high school.
May 10 2011 1:02AM
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