Souvy

With all due respect, I think you are wrong.

My stepson (son), who is a South Shore native, speaks completely fluent English, admittedly partly because of me and the fact that he lived in the UK and Ontario for some years. He now lives near Quebec City. All his friends are locals. Most speak excellent English. They didn't get that from school. They got it from social media and watching lots of anglophone TV.

xavier1955

I have no doubt you are correct in many respects but attributing social media and being glued to English TV as the reason for their fluency is, in my opinion, quite an optimistic conclusion.

English education in the schools in this province is a joke so if you are correct (hard for me to believe) then Gawd bless for social media and English TV

Souvy

You are perfectly entitled to your opinion. I can only base mine on observation. I think the standard of English teaching has probably gone up a bit. The older members of the tribe generally do not speak English or speak it poorly (my wife didn't even learn English until she was in her mid-30s). The younger ones mostly do speak good English.

When I go to my son's place, I find that he and his (franco) mates habitually talk to each other in English, and it's not just for my benefit. The TV they watch is almost exclusively anglo.

I think that TV and social media must be playing a part in all of this.

Kids can learn English very quickly. I noticed this with one of my nieces, whom I have known since she was a toddler. She didn't start learning English until high school. Last year she was at CEGEP and had to take English. She sent me her homework for checking. Her English wasn't bad at all. She got quite good grades for her homework

Shard

TV, internet, apps and social media are very useful tools in language learning. Time has moved on from sitting in a language classes and being stuck with a textbook.

xavier1955

then i must be behind the times

Shard

No worries, if you're on here, you're as cutting edge as you need to be.

xavier1955

Shard, that is reassuring bearing in mind my advanced age!

BristolUK

My Hovercraft is full of eels.

xavier1955

that python bit goes back quite a while

Shirtback

I agree, with all due respect to the OP from me too.

It (English language education) isn't anymore. I've seen a huge difference in quality, & attitudes to it in the last 20 years in the Francophone community.



The standard of, & attitude, to English teaching & speaking it in public has gone up since I've been here.

Souvy

Don't get me going on public speaking. I am no stranger to it.

A mate of mine is the CEO of a Montreal-based company. He is franco but speaks reasonably good English. Reasonably good.

A conversation we had a while back ran something along the lines of:

"Nice presentation Claude. Next time, FFS let me see the slides first!"

xavier1955

Well that is encouraging since successive provincial governments, since the sixties (or even before), have not exactly gone overboard in providing good quality education in English. That is ironic since it does not matter what corner of the globe you go to that you will found a good amount of English either spoken or understood and locals eager to learn the lingo. Never forget that French is the official lingo of Quebec (not that we need to be reminded) and within the education system that is precisely where the priority lies. And where it will remain!

Shirtback

I dont think they've "gone overboard in providing good quality education" in general . I do think English language teaching is a lot better than it was (as is French language teaching in English schools).

I'll admit my offspring & I have had a fair few run-ins with schools & English teachers over the years...

Shirtback

The same could be said (IME) for presentations & accompanying slides in French!

Souvy

I was at a conference in Quebec City a few years back. The presentations were mostly in French but there were translators. I had one headphone on.

The versions going in one ear differed somewhat from what was going in the other ear!