For Americans traveling to Ontario or British Columbia or most of Canada, they can rely on English, even if it isn't the King's English.
But some Americans might be apprehensive traveling to Quebec (or New Brunswick) because of the language barrier.
The Washington Post chat reader had his/her concerns when traveling to Quebec about why if people know English, why don't they speak English?
The WaPo travel team had the correct response.
Figure if you travel outside Montréal and Quebec City, finding someone who speaks English will be difficult, but the chances of the casual tourist traveling outside those cities is not likely. And even in those areas, starting out in French will earn you some respect.
If you stick inside Old Quebec City when you go there, you may get bored with hearing English. When I was there, I had to escape from the tourists to get a French Canadian feel. My basic French is okay, but I enjoy hearing it even if I can't respond.
Montréal is a pretty bilingual city. Saying "bonjour" goes a long way, even if you know very little outside that. Even "bonjour hi" says you are trying to speak French, but clearly know few words.
Have not been to New Brunswick, but the fact that the province is bilingual (Quebec is not) does help.
But I can tell you from visiting Paris, Montréal, and Quebec City that people may know English, but are as self-conscious about speaking English as you are in speaking French. They don't want to sound bad in front of the Americans, and you can't blame them.
Sign language, polite pointing — these can help you if either party is struggling with communication. And you will have to ask fewer questions if you can read French better than you can speak it.
Sortie means exit, Ferme is closed, Est and ouest translate to east and west — some basic French will do wonders.
Mistakes will happen no matter how well you think you speak. But enjoy the experience if you do travel to La Belle Province. They are wonderful people, and if you go in with respect, your travel experience will be that much more fun.
And you can get a French experience without leaving the continent.
Screen capture courtesy of WashingtonPost.com
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