To learn French or not to learn French. That’s the question for many people who are visiting Canada or re-locating there.

It’s Canada Day on 1st July. As good a day as any to address this question. Though enquirers might be disappointed to hear there isn’t really a definitive answer.

Whether you decide to learn French or not might depend on where you’re visiting or moving to in the Maple Leaf Country.

Nowadays the majority of Canada is bilingual. But there are still some regions where the use of the English language is predominant. And, some regions are mainly French speaking.

Due to its bilingualism, you might think it’s wise to learn French for work purposes.

The use of both languages resulted from the many 18th century treaties and wars Canada was embroiled in. Before then, French was the emergent language, with early French immigrants settling in areas that became known as Montreal and Quebec.

Wikipedia’s Languages of Canada summary adds some perspective –

“According to the 2016 census, English and French are the mother tongues of 56.0% and 21.4% of Canadians respectively. In total 86.2% of Canadians have working knowledge of English while 29.8% have a working knowledge of French. Under the Official Languages Act of 1969, both English and French have official federal status throughout Canada, in respect of all government services, including the courts, and all federal legislation is enacted bilingually.” 

So, eat up your poutine and your maple syrup drenched peameal bacon, swill them down with a cheeky Talisker, and let Canada Day inspire you to learn French.

At La Academia, Manchester’s award-winning language school, it goes without saying that we offer quality French lessons across all levels of fluency. Whether you’re an absolute beginner, intermediate, advanced, or you need to learn French for business, we can’t wait to meet you. 

Sources

Languages of Canada, Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Canada