Supposable Quebec, Canada trip - will language be a problem?
I'm American and I speak a lower amount of French and know how to greet people and ask simple questions.
But what if we get lost or get confused? Do the Quebecoise speak good English to help us out?
I know that French is preferred in some parts and with our luck, we'll run into someone who can't speak English at all. But if we go to tourist-y cities we should be fine, right?
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Answers & Comments
That all depends on your attitude.
So long as you have the good manners to start off in French, people will quickly realize you're not a local and switch to English.
Or whatever English they know just to stop the verbal assault on their ears of someone mangling a perfectly good and beautiful language.
(I'm speaking from extensive personal experience with that. Even though my wife is French Canadian, and she's patiently improved my fluency by sheer orders of magnitude, I still sound like an idiot when speaking French.)
In tourist areas, hotels, restaurants and etc you shouldn't have any problems.
But that's half the fun of going on adventures to exotic places where the local language isn't English.
Quebec City is 97% Francophone, but, many in the touristy areas speak at least some English. English is well used in Montreal.
I don't speak much French, and I've only ever had trouble in New Brunswick, and even then, not much.
Over 90% of Quebecers also speak English. Even if they are Francophone, most also speak English. Just be friendly and you will have little trouble.
Everywhere but Quebec City has decent English. But if you need to ask for directions in French just say "Je ne suis pas beaucoup de fromage. C'est le biftek de la nouilles avec le poisson qui conduit la toilette! Et trois petit cochons manger dans la meilieure mamelons"
People are tolerant of tourists.
Lisa, don't fret it girl, you will be fine.
Most are bilingual.
Even if they cant, if you are respectful, they will try.