Come on now, souvenir!! Chateauguay isn't THAT bad! lol Especially where we live, it's right on the river and it's beautiful there!

Oh, oh! Talking about Pointe Claire - maybe this is old news to most of you, but I was over joyed when my boyfriend's mum told me about this place called Bramble House...you guys know what it is?! It's a shop that sells all british stuff!! If you miss british junk food, then this will be heaven to you!! I LOVE this place!!

Maison Bramble House
19 Valois Bay Avenue
Pointe Claire, QC H9R 3Z2
Tel: 514.630.6363
Fax: 514.344.2994
www.bramblehouse.net

I think you'll find that 'angolsizing' french canadians language has been around since before most of us were born. My mum is a born & bred (can trace her french heritage back to the first french settlers/pilgrims in canada) line of french canadians and if you compare french canadian to french spoken in France or in any other 'french' colony, there are loads of local adaptations to the language depending on their surroundings.

It's not relegated to just the French language either, you'll find examples the world over in English, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Chinese and Russian etc etc... (eg; Australian/American/English/Scotish as examples, how many expressions do each regional area have that may or may not be shared by the others?)

Language is a constantly evolving entity that changes over time & location, the mistake that we have made in the past is to assume that there is only 'one way' of using it. One or the other isn't more correct, just adaptised to the local enviroment & circumstance.

The Frenglish (my family calls it) some Quebecers have evolved to is perfectly understandable by locals but can seem completely foreign/alien to people from different regions. The French 'language police' are sadly just trying to retain their hold on historic & outdated language to preserve the French language and try to avoid the aclimisitation of young French people adding English words/terms to their vocabulary. I just think of them as old fashioned romantics kicking and screaming at evolution and must sympathise atleast a little with them as it is exactly the same situation that English colonies underwent after colonisation.

God that was a long boring post, kudos to any of you who could actually bear to sit and read through it all *lol*

Just wanted to throw in that although your daily experience may be different, it may also have to do with your approach. I for one started off speaking English only to the bus drivers, store clerks etc when I was 11 years old with very basic only French skills... by the time I was 18 and had started living (and working) on my own, that quickly changed.... when living in Quebec you *can* get by speaking only one language but the truth of the matter is, if you only speak 1 language in Montreal you will find it far more difficult to find work and it is generally taken as an insult (both ways) if the people serving you are incapable of speaking both languages hence the demand for bilingualism.

Yes it is almost impossible to enforce, but after my teenage rebllion years I saw no need in insulting the heritage of the province I chose to live in and hence, always tried to get by first in French and if I had trouble, THEN resorting to explain in English.

OMG!!! One of my high school friends lived there (Valois Bay), how cool!!!

I would like to live there just to be close to all the british goodies they have in store there! ha!

I got my boyfriend addicted to Irn Bru...hehehe He LOVES the stuff!! While I get my fix of D & B!!!!

WTF???????????????????????? i have been a Quebecer since 1987. I speak and write both languages fluently. What approach?? I was trying to say that depending on where you are in the City you speak what is spoken to you first. If the person at the IGA says good morning to me at the check out then I will reply in English. If they ask me in French( which they dont) i will reply in French. I am insulting no one.

At work I answer the phone in French. I do so because most employees and clients are french canadian or immigrants, so I go along with the the flow.

However when I go shopping or speak to someone I do not know then I use English. I don't care where I am, east, west, north, south. If they respond in French I assume they are more comfortable in French or they simply can't, or won't, speak English.

Conversely when someone speaks to me in French I of course continue in French.

But I certainly do not worry about which area of the city I happen to be in to determine which language to use.

That is sad and pathetic and stupid.

A contract to speak only French on the premises? What is the world coming to? This is exactly the same close minded idealogy which has set the province back a generation. Kids shoud be allowed to speak whatever language pleases them. They will still grow up at ease in both languages. Placing such restrictions on them will only breed resentment. Thank God my kids are now adults and I, as parent, don't have to go along with such utter nonsense!

Put your toys back in the pram zalaben *lol* All I was saying is that people who dont know both languages fluently or arent comfortable in both languages tend to start of communication in the language theyre most comfortable in.

I realise it does happen that people live in Quebec and get by only knowing or speaking 1 language of the 2, my French Canadian cousin is a prime example, she knows basic English but will only answer in French when spoken to... personally think its a bit of a cop out as how will she ever gain the confidence to speak English if she never uses it?
Same thing happens the other way round, one of my ex boyfriends parents were Danish immigrants that knew how to speak Danish & English but had no idea when it came to French. Needless to say, their work opportunities were very limited in Montreal (not impossible, just much less out there) and the periods of unemployment stretched far longer then most trying to find jobs that didnt require both languages.

It can and does happen, but my opinion (and yes I am still allowed one whether or not your toys stay in the pram *lol*) is that it's ignorant to live in a country with 2 official languages and not bother to even make an attempt to learn them. Some are better then others at picking up a second language but its the ones out there that dont even try to learn atleast the basics that get me annoyed.

I'm quite happy with my Frenglish speaking family and my Brit OH is having a field day trying to keep up with the switching back and forth from French to English in our conversations, but he will be assimilated moohahahaha

agreed, there's no way they can actually enforce it and quite honestly, things like that only reinforce bitterness between both french & english speaking citizens.... there should be a language police chasing the language police down and finning them for irelevant and unconstructive use of tax payers time & money

C'est vraiment fou n'est pas?

I tend to start off in French. If I run into difficulty, I apologise for my crap French and the other person will then usually switch to English or smile sweetly and speak more carefully. There are certain types of people I always talk to in English because it's a racing certainty that their English will be better than my French (taxi drivers, bus drivers and the staff in my local depanneur). I chose my notary and dentisit because they are bilingual.

I was told by a few people who live in Montreal that I would have a VERY difficult time getting by in Montreal by only speaking English. They also said that the French Quebecers were stubborn and would not speak English to me...obviously I panicked about this! They were totally wrong though! I am slowly learning French and I too will speak English first but if they reply in French, I will try my best to speak to them in French, but they usually feel bad for me and realise that I actually suck at French! Ha! They will switch to English!! On more than one occasion I have had a conversation were I speak English and the other person speaks French - we know exactly what each other is saying but reply in our own language, which is quite amusing!!!!!

My goal is to be perfectly bilingual, I am trying and slowly I will get there! I just have a hard time getting my tongue around some of the words...it will be worth it in the end!

I wonder if sometimes when I speak English to the French, they think me ignorant?!

Daedra - Frenglish, that's a great one! ha!

I feel your pain. I have a major problem with the "tr" and will go to great lengths to avoid using "travail" as I end up sounding like Jonathan Woss.

My house number is 33. I think my evil wife bought the place just for that.

That's just weally tewwible!

My boyfriend tells me that when I speak French I'm not pronouncing it right, he says my accent messes it up! He just likes to bug me though! I think I'm having a bit of a hard time with learning it because Quebecers have a "twang" to their voice...and I just find it hard to understand what is being said some times! The whole sentence just blends into one big word - maybe it's just me!