OffQc | Québécois French Guide

I’m not only sexy because a very big fan is blowing my hair all around, I’m also sexy because I learned French in Montréal.

There are lots of reasons to learn to speak like the Québécois. Here are just five.

1. It’s delicious

You have to admit there’s something cool about learning to speak in a way that’s different to the larger majority of French speakers in the world. The farther you go into the québécois variety, the more you discover that there’s a deliciousness about it that makes you keep coming back for more. It’s kind of like the difference between Apple and Dell.

2. Endear yourself to the Québécois

You’ll endear yourself to the Québécois, who’ll take pleasure in hearing you use a typically québécois word or expression. It sends the message that you’ve made Québec your home, or that the French of Québec is your point of reference, or that you simply like the Québécois. Don’t go overboard with the accent and expressions though, trying to be ultra-québécois! Just be yourself.

3. Rise above the nonsense

Have you ever been told that the French of Québec isn’t real French, maybe even by a school teacher? Some people who have difficulty understanding the Québécois cover up their anxiety about it by denigrating it. By learning the French of Québec, you rise above this nonsense and aren’t held back by other people’s limitations.

4. Dazzle the French

Travel to France and people will be intensely curious about you and your accent! You’ll be asked all kinds of questions, like where you’re from and where you learned French. If your accent is a blended one, like québécois plus the accent associated with your native language, then you’re even more exotic and sexy to the French.

5. Because the sky’s the limit

The French of Québec has loads of different vowel sounds in it. It isn’t necessary to reproduce all of them exactly to make yourself understood. But if you do manage to master the entire québécois vowel system, there’s not much else stopping you in life!