Phillip writes in to ask me how to integrate into French in Montréal.
Maybe you’re stuck in an anglophone bubble because you’re a student at McGill or because you just haven’t figured out how to meet francophones yet.
I want to share with you what I feel is the best approach based on what I’ve observed among foreign friends who’ve integrated.
There are many different approaches you can try, but there is just one that I feel stands out among all the others as the most effective way.
And no, you don’t have to go running around approaching all the strangers you can find to strike up a conversation! (Not too many lasting bonds form that way to allow you to integrate anyway.)
So, what is the approach I recommend?
Find work.
Find employment where you’ll speak in French with co-workers.
You don’t need perfect French to start working.
If you think about the closest friends in your life, there’s a strong likelihood that you met them at work or a place of education.
You can develop many strong and lasting bonds with people by studying at a francophone university. I’m assuming that integration isn’t so much of an issue for you if you’re at a francophone institution. But if you’re at an anglophone institution, there’s still hope!
Even if you’re a student, consider finding part-time work.
Integration comes primarily through work.
When I look to my foreign friends who’ve integrated, it’s largely through work that they acheived their integration.
They used a few other methods too, but these methods weren’t as effective. You could however combine them with work to strengthen your chances: do volunteer work, find a language exchange partner, start dating a francophone, take a course in something other than French.
If you can make those approaches work, then do them. I say they’re less effective though because they tend not to last enough to work (even dating, which ends in a lot of break-ups!).
But if you’re unwilling to find paid work or unable to work legally, then consider volunteer work. Just be sure that it’s something that will require a long-term commitment and that you’ll be in regular contact with francophones.
I sometimes hear people say that it’s important to live in a francophone area of Montréal if you want to be immersed. In fact, I’m not so sure that it matters where in Montréal you live.
What matters far more is with whom you spend your time.
You’re far more likely to make lasting bonds at work than with neighbours.
Even if you lived in an anglophone part of Montréal but studied at the Université de Montréal and held a part-time job with francophone co-workers, then your chances of integrating are very strong.
But you could live in the most francophone part of Montréal and not integrate into French if you’re stuyding at McGill and working part-time with anglophones!
If you’re a student, you might be thinking that I just don’t understand because you’ve got way too much on your plate already. I hear you. Only you know what your priorities are. But even part-time work is far more effective at helping you to integrate than a French course.
In the end, integrating is no different in Montréal than anywhere else. Put yourself where the people you want to integrate with are. Work requires you to be around them regularly.
Well, that sounds like good advice for some but very unrealistic for many. It is not easy to find work in general, and one cannot just change jobs for the sake of language learning. Besides most of us end up in an English environment because our French is not enough to be hired for positions within our fields. I have applied for a few volunteer jobs where there were interaction with people, and they always specified that they needed fluently bilingual people. So it’s not easy to break out of the Anglo bubble. Also those of us with busy lives, many responsibilities and projects on the go, have a really hard time to find and integrate new environments and people into our daily existence. I’m currently taking private lessons once a week, and I’m hoping it will take me to the next level of venturing further into the francophone world, but it’s a very slow process. Thanks for the great site!
Isn’t there a point though where the fact that it’s possible to live primarily in English in Montréal becomes more of an excuse than a reason?
I agree that the employment approach is not going to work for everybody. But someone who wants to integrate badly enough will do what’s within reason in their personal lives to attempt it and will find other ways.
Yes, many people lead very busy lives with many projects on the go. We can’t do everything. This is where it comes down to personal choice and one’s own priorities.
If someone has decided that integrating isn’t feasible and there’s no time for it, they’re absolutely right and there’s not much anyone can say to convince them otherwise.
It may not be easy to break out of an anglo bubble, but it’s certainly not impossible. You’re right that it’s a slow process. Integration does not happen overnight. Thanks for commenting, Andrea.
For those of us who don’t work volunteering is a good idea.
You may find something interesting here:
http://cabm.net/
Centre d’action bénévole de Montréal
Hey!
The best way I found to practice my French was to speak it whenever I was shopping or getting a cup of coffee or asking for directions. I made an objective in my life to speak French whenever I wasn’t with my English speaking friends/family. I also switched my electronics into French and started watching Qc television and reading French newspapers. I took any opportunity available and immersed myself even if it was for a few minutes a day. I also got myself a French speaking boyfriend for a bit 😉 This helped immensely.
Though, I have to mention, I had a good head start. I went to elementary and high school in French. However, growing up in an English speaking environment (i.e. West Island) was a very strong influence during my childhood. After high school, I had difficulty finishing a sentence in French, imagine!
I took some French courses at university which helped a bit. Though I think reading and reading out loud helps with the articulation of words. Watching French television shows and news is helpful too. Not only do you get into the loop of what is happening in our society but you ‘unconsciously’ learn new words and expressions. Recently, I have switched to speaking in French with my French speaking friends who got into the habit of speaking English with me. I conversations turn out to be Frenglish lol but hey, practice makes perfect! Today, when I speak French, people have no idea that I am an anglo-allo-phone! It’s quite funny! But there is no need to loose your accent, accents are beautiful!
I hope some can use this as a source of encouragement! Good luck!
Good for you for attempting to speak French with your francophone friends now, Emma! It can be challenging to switch once a language habit is formed between friends, but habits can be broken and new ones formed.