Hi there,

Been a while since I've posted on here, after I did the move to the USA (and then moved back to the UK again, cat and all!).

Anyway, it now looks like my other half has landed himself a job in Montreal. It's a fantastic opportunity, but I have some reservations about the language barrier. I only ever achieved GCSE level French (and not good at that) but am more than prepared to study French again as I'm anxious to get myself a job out there.

What I wanted to know was whether anyone could give me some advice on the following:

1. How difficult is it for a Brit to get a job out there without being totally fluent in French? Do I have to resign myself to washing dishes or cleaning jobs only? (I am a Solicitor in the UK but accept I will not be able to get a similar professional job over there).

2. Does anyone have experience of a large employer dealing with the relocation side of things? When I went to the States, I had to sort out all my own visa paperwork (nightmare), and the furniture move and the cat. Thankfully my other half's new employer say they will deal with all this stuff - can it really be that simple? Or do they simply pay and I have to do all the form filling?

3. I am assuming my other half will have a work permit. Does anyone have experience of a spouse/significant other also being granted a work permit when it is the spouse only being offered the job and how one can go about getting that transferred to a full visa?

I'm sorry if these are daft sounding questions.

Many thanks in advance!
Josie

Hi Josie

I moved to Montreal back in 1999 and didn't know any French (didn't even do the GCSE) and I found it very difficult but then I was pretty dumb and thought it wouldn't be a big deal. I did eventually manage to find a job working in a Coffee Shop in a very English neighbourhood but my job prospects were pretty limited. So basically do your research and start learning French before you leave and take advantage of any French lessons you can get when you arrive. You can get by in Montreal if you only speak English but I think speaking French will make living there a lot more enjoyable

Montreal is a large cosmopolitan city where French is the dominant language in a Province where French only is spoken in much of the Province. Much of the employment there requires the French language for operational purposes. In some parts of the city you may experience occasions where you will receive no response to your questions in English as there exists a resentment against anything English. There are a good number of Quebecers who advocate separation from the rest of Canada.
There are pockets of English speaking areas and people there exist/thrive quite well, but in truth you would be much better equipped if you go there with a reasonable knowledge of the language. Now the French spoken there is not quite the same as you learned at school but a grounding in the language will serve you well enough.

I lived in Montreal for a couple of years back in 2000 and worked for a company that spoke English all the time, paperwork etc was all in English etc etc. Lived on the West island which is pretty Anglophone and did not have any real problems. Most businesses would speak to you in English certainly if they want your money they will however as the other ops say it would really pay to at least get a grounding in French as life will be much easier for you and yours

Also if you tell people you're Irish they'll excuse the fact that you know very little French, seemed to work for me

Although oddly one can get the impression that there are some businesses there that would prefer not to have your money if you can't speak to them in French.

That's very funny! Actually, the embarrassing thing is that I am part French but don't speak it very well at all as I've always been rubbish at languages, I even have a very French first name!

Can I just ask - is it the situation that employers in Quebec can't by law give jobs to non-French speakers or is it that employers can employ non-French but prefer not to? I know, I have a lot of research to do on all of this. Looks like we will be there by the end of April as well...well all I can say is it surely can't be any worse than Kansas! (where I lived in the States for 2 years!).

I think you will always bump into the odd person that really has a problem over the language but that has not been my experience. Was in Montreal last month and they took my money so easily.

Did find it more so in Quebec city however

well all I can say is it surely can't be any worse than Kansas! (where I lived in the States for 2 years!).

I don't know what problems you experienced in Kansas but, to best of my knowledge, it is still a unilingual state, perhaps with an unusual dialect. Quebec's bilingual situation adds a different dimension to almost everything that goes on there. There is actually have a form of language police in the Province to ensure that French is predominant in every aspect of life. All store signs have to be in French firstly. As a solicitor you may find some legal firms that have English speaking only personnel but I suspect few and far between. I reiterate that it would benefit you greatly to take a crash French course before arriving in La Belle Province.

I had no problem getting work in Montreal, my French is bloody awful. In fact I am dealing with other provinces and the US, so my lack of French doesn't matter

I suspect that you're an exception.

Not really. I'm in the same situation.

There was nothing wrong with the language in Kansas, the problem was Kansas itself! I actually grew up in Wales, so know first hand how a place/country can be keen to promote its native language (all signs in both languages, have to learn it at school etc.) But at least in Wales you don't have to speak Welsh unless you are in a local authority job.

Well after reading some of the posts here, I will certainly be getting myself onto a refresher French course so that I can say something other than "Where is the train station please"!!

There are certain job positions that require fluency in French, especially customer facing roles, ie shops, Government offices etc. If you want to work for Starbucks or McDonalds without French then forget it.

However, Quebec is just a tiny French drop in a very large English North American sea. There are many companies who do business with the US and the rest of Canada, these are the businesses to go for when looking for employment if you don't speak French

Also if you tell people you're Irish they'll excuse the fact that you know very little