Question for our Canadian Friends.

[Cruise Arizona]

OK,

 

I have a question inspired by the recent figure skating championships and a visit to Martinique 30 years ago.

 

How's your French.

 

I was watching the bilingual French and Canadian figure skaters interviewed on ESPN today a the World Figure Skating Championships, and it reminded me on our visists to the French speaking Carribean Islands in the 70's.

 

On one memorable tour our cab driver in Martinique spoke limited English. My Mom was a French minor in college. Her French was mostly tranlating liturature, not conversational, but she tried her hardest to communicate with our cab driver.

 

At one point our cab driver expressed his frustration with the difference between the Englishe words Ship and Sheep. He could not hear the difference. My Mother in all her wisdom was able to poin our the difference "ship" means "Bateau"(French spelling???) "Sheep" means "mouton" (forgive my French spelling.

 

Any way between the Sheep and the Ship and the Bateau and the Mouton, we had a great cultural exchange with our French speaking cab driver.

 

Also on a personal note, I have been trying to learn to sing "Habanera" from Carmen by Bizet in French. Not very easy, especially when the soloist that you are listening to from the CS is from the Czech Philaharmonic. Add that third language in, and it makes it even harder.

 

As I was watching the figure skating on TV today with so many skaters that were fluent in both French and English, it made me ask the question,

 

 

How do our Canandian friends, who first spean English, fare, when they visit a French speaking country or island???

[babylene]

Your name is French! I speak French to my cleaning lady...and it can be very frustrating because sometimes I don't have the vocabulary at the tip of my tongue to express precisely what I want. (Come to think of it, that's now happening to me in English,too!!!) Other than that, I speak very little French in my daily life. I am not comfortable speaking French because it is all at the back of my head, not in front!

 

When immersed in a totally French milieu for a week or longer, however, the French words roll off my tongue!

 

My husband often speaks French in his work, so he laughs at my silly mistakes...but his accent is AWFUL! (Mine is better!!!!!)

 

I studied one year of Spanish at university...so...before going to a Spanish speaking country, I review the first few chapters of my old book. (I am very good in the present tense!). A little sangria helps a lot! You'd be amazed at how the words begin to flow!

 

As for Carmen...perhaps you can get the libretto in French. The written word is so much easier to follow than the spoken (expecially if the accent is difficult to understand).

 

If others post, I am sure their personal experiences will be totally different from mine!

 

P.S. I think Arizona is beautiful!

[C 2 C]

I can read the French on our bilingual cereal boxes...

French is the first language for about 30% of Canadians, English probably about 60% and the rest the other 10%.

 

Most Candians would have the same problem as most Americans... if you want my tourist dollars... sell me in English... We don't visit too many French islands so it's not a major problem. St Marten/Martin and Martinique are the normal stops. The former.. ships dock on the Dutch side where English is the lingua franca (had to get that in) and Martinique is too expensive to go shopping.

 

Ce ne pas de quoi...

[Bob & Sandy]

In Ottawa or Montreal - French is very helpful. In Calgary - it is largely irrelevant. Much as Spanish in various US states. Hope that helps.

[cruisinfromcanada]

I think we learn a bit more French in school than most Americans but if you don't use it you lose it. We also have a bit more opportunity to practice it if we want to.

 

I grew up in an English household and went to English school in Quebec so I was able to get a good French base. Having moved out of Quebec 25 years ago, it doesn't come as naturally but I can still manage quite well when I have to.

 

When I travelled to France I found I could communicate but it was much harder because of the dialect.

 

You sometimes are at an advantage in job competitions if you're bilingual but you don't really need it to communicate in most parts of Canada.

 

Non French speaking tourists are usually welcomed with open arms (even in most of Quebec). Come visit some day. It's a beautiful country.

 

Connie (from Ottawa)