Q: I have had an interest in visiting Montreal and Quebec for some time, but the one time I traveled to Canada, I chose Toronto. Because I have read and heard many times that if one does not speak French in Quebec, one is ignored if not treated rudely. If I want to travel somewhere I will go no matter what, but if I'm taking a vacation, I want to relax and not feel unwelcome too! I could take a tour with an English speaking guide, I know, but I prefer to travel independently if possible. I would do my best to speak some French, but, honestly, I will not be fluent anytime soon! So is this misinformation I have, or should I plan a nice trip back to Toronto? Merci!
A: While you may run into some negatives speaking English in the province of Quebec, it will mainly be in the more remote areas. In a city like Montreal, a large percentage of the population speaks English and they are quite used to tourists and visitors. Even in Quebec City, which is much more French, there is a large tourist area where it is quite common to hear English spoken. So if you are visiting the cities, you should be able to manage and I doubt you will be treated rudely. In terms of trying out your French, there is a cultural difference and french-Canadians find it polite to correct someone's speech. In English, we see it a bit more rude to have someone correct you while you are trying to communicate - but that is actually a cultural difference rather than anything they mean as a criticism. So don't get discouraged if you get corrected! Being treated rudely for speaking English is something that you experience more when you live there. They are very forgiving of English tourists but much less so of English residents. This year they are celebrating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City so it is a great time to go.