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May, 2025

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Living in Montreal without speaking French

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rusto.
Posts: 14 - Karma: 227
How doable is living in Montreal without speaking French? Seems like it would be a sick city to live and work in cause its a good size and has stuff going on but also gets winter and has some skiing. I would wanna learn some french as I go but wouldn't know much upon arrival (I took it in high school but have pretty much lost all of it). Would it be impossible socially? Professionally?

Also how hard is it to get a work visa lol
Apr 2 2024 1:12PM
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fredyferl
Posts: 2959 - Karma: 14,982
Plenty of people in Montreal don't speak french or speak very bad french. Definitely doable, just need to find a job where you can get away with not speaking french
Apr 2 2024 3:19PM
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Static
Posts: 8590 - Karma: 4,091
The vibe as an English speaker sucks, everyone thinks they're hot shit and will be rude to you for not speaking French. You should visit and see for yourself.

**This post was edited on Apr 2nd 2024 at 9:59:59pm
Apr 2 2024 9:56PM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13237 - Karma: 20,476
You can do fine only speaking english in Montreal. Philipinos have no problem even with a broken english. The downtown area and Richmond are the most english speaking areas.
As an ex-quebec, I do recommend to immerse yourself in the language if you are moving out there. In a few weeks you will be able to have a functionnal french.
Apr 3 2024 8:36AM
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7971 - Karma: 23,268
You'll be fine, most people in Montreal can barely speak English or French
Apr 3 2024 10:15AM
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rusto.
Posts: 14 - Karma: 227
StaticThe vibe as an English speaker sucks, everyone thinks they're hot shit and will be rude to you for not speaking French. You should visit and see for yourself.

**This post was edited on Apr 2nd 2024 at 9:59:59pm


I made my obligatory 18 year old pilgrimage years ago and thought it was a cool city, but cultural immersion wasn't really the theme of the trip lol...

Still, I didn't really get this vibe too much tbh
Apr 3 2024 12:29PM
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rusto.
Posts: 14 - Karma: 227
fredyferlPlenty of people in Montreal don't speak french or speak very bad french. Definitely doable, just need to find a job where you can get away with not speaking french


freestyler540You can do fine only speaking english in Montreal. Philipinos have no problem even with a broken english. The downtown area and Richmond are the most english speaking areas.
As an ex-quebec, I do recommend to immerse yourself in the language if you are moving out there. In a few weeks you will be able to have a functionnal french.


Is it pretty much all French in business/offices and all that? I work in data science/economics
Apr 3 2024 12:31PM
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fredyferl
Posts: 2959 - Karma: 14,982
rusto.Is it pretty much all French in business/offices and all that? I work in data science/economics

I don't think so. I have a friend that lived here for 5 years, him and his gf both had office jobs and he spoke a bit of french but pretty bad, and his gf didn't speak french at all. He worked for a recruiting company and she worked at Yellow Pages.

I've lived in the West Island of Montreal for 25 years, which is 20 minutes outside the city, and people are so bad at french. You will go to the restaurant and talk to the waiter in french and he will sometimes barely understand you and answer in english lol
Apr 3 2024 1:28PM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13237 - Karma: 20,476
rusto.Is it pretty much all French in business/offices and all that? I work in data science/economics

Its just as corporate as Toronto or Vancouver. All the HQ are placed there and is the Quebec hub of trade with the US.
Local businesses can enforce language laws, but multi national corporations are all english.
Apr 3 2024 2:10PM
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arnie_grape
Posts: 3459 - Karma: 11,912
good idea if you wanna get made fun of by frog douchebags every day
Apr 3 2024 8:31PM
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3mania
Posts: 2650 - Karma: 10,879
your skiing will improve 50% just by drinking the water

**This post was edited on Apr 4th 2024 at 10:21:03pm
Apr 4 2024 10:20PM
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Pablo_Sanchez
Posts: 700 - Karma: 5,572
Fuck them queebs
Apr 4 2024 11:42PM
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snowfinder
Posts: 2941 - Karma: 34,925
Speak zero French and never had an issue there.
Apr 5 2024 11:15AM
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270on420out
Posts: 7524 - Karma: 51,325
I went to a McDonald’s when I was at tremblant and tried to order a mcchicken and the lady on drive through mic said “CHICKENBURGER?” in a heavy ass French accent.
Apr 5 2024 3:06PM
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soup
Posts: 6354 - Karma: 4,486
fredyferlPlenty of people in Montreal don't speak french or speak very bad french. Definitely doable, just need to find a job where you can get away with not speaking french


Montreal may be the rudest Canadian city.
Apr 6 2024 1:56PM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18231 - Karma: 12,403
i go to MTL all the time, you really don’t need to know any french at all. but if you go there you better get your ass in the bell centre for some hockey or you’re doing montreal wrong!
Apr 8 2024 11:03AM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13237 - Karma: 20,476
soupMontreal may be the rudest Canadian city.

My picks were Mississauga, Rimouski, Cochrane, Kelowna and Vancouver.
Apr 8 2024 6:56PM
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soup
Posts: 6354 - Karma: 4,486
freestyler540My picks were Mississauga, Rimouski, Cochrane, Kelowna and Vancouver.


Medicine hat.
Apr 8 2024 8:14PM
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 9745 - Karma: 65,806
living in french canada without knowing french, that sounds like one of those creative sentences that judges give out sometimes to prove a point
Apr 9 2024 1:04PM
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C.R.E.A.M
Posts: 3002 - Karma: 4,702
soupMontreal may be the rudest Canadian city.


For a country with a reputation for being nice, I am curious what this actually means.
Apr 9 2024 1:46PM
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 9745 - Karma: 65,806
C.R.E.A.MFor a country with a reputation for being nice, I am curious what this actually means.


canadians have a reputation of being nice, french canadians definitely don't lol. i'm not taking a position on it, i'm an equal opportunity hater, but just chiming in on that part
Apr 9 2024 2:02PM
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C.R.E.A.M
Posts: 3002 - Karma: 4,702
SofaKingSickcanadians have a reputation of being nice, french canadians definitely don't lol. i'm not taking a position on it, i'm an equal opportunity hater, but just chiming in on that part


Worse then French people in Paris when they realize you are American and don't know a lick of French?
Apr 9 2024 2:03PM
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arnie_grape
Posts: 3459 - Karma: 11,912
C.R.E.A.MFor a country with a reputation for being nice, I am curious what this actually means.

it means if you have out of province plates on your car pray your windows remain intact
Apr 9 2024 2:12PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
I always liked Montreal but honestly the rest of Canada where you don't have to speak fucking French is awesome. Ontario and BC are the best and people are cool AF and aren't speaking French.

No international company is going to have you answering emails in french but I'm sure all of the office chatter is.
Apr 9 2024 8:37PM
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