Is knowing French a requirement in Canada?

I know a little French from GCSE, I know bits here and there.

Depends which side of the cereal box you want to be able to read.

Outside of Quebec, it's of little value.

Thanks, I wasn't thinking about Quebec anyway

Apart from in New Brunswick, eastern and northern Ontario and various bits of most other provinces.

Like most things in life, the answer is "it depends". There are parts of Canada (even outside Que as Souv pointed out) where having little or no French is a big liability. Poor knowledge of French can make it difficult to get certain jobs.
Millions of Canadians know only "cereal box" French and get on just fine, but there are some places where it will cost you.

Im in Eastern Ontario...never had a need for french, its not relevent to my job, although as kids get older I would be handy as they will be in french immersion at school as things stand...

Its certainly not a requirement to get into Canada, thats for sure.

I meant the bit between Ottawa and the Quebec border. Much of that bit of Ontario is very French; some of it is officially bilingual (Prescott-Russell).

I'm in NB - never had to speak French

Or English either (laughs like a Mike Yarwood impresion of Dennis Healey)


BTW can you spell GCSE in French?




Then you'll do fine!

Isn't it Harold Wilson??? Dennis Healy never smoked a pipe............

.... yet here in BC, they still seem to be stocking the shelves in such a way that the French side of products is typically the first thing you read! (okay, maybe not 100% true, but it keeps happening to me after 6½ years!!)

Merd!!!

j'peux parle seulement un peu l'francais mais j'voudrei a apprend plus!

I know: but it's actually Yarwood saying, "and you should see my Dennis Healey," and Wilson says, "No thanks!"

Here's Dennis:

NB is very mixed when it comes to language, despite being constitutionally bilingual. Some places, like Dieppe, are almost wholly franco while others, like Riverview, are predominantly anglo.

Saw loads of French signage etc on trip to Vancouver last year, but heard more German than French spoken!