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Keeping up French | ||
Tags: Maintaining Languages | French | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages |  | |
| rNajera Triglot Groupie Canada rafaelnajera.com Joined 6145 days ago 45 posts - 60 votes  Speaks: Spanish*, EnglishC2, French Studies: Latin, German, Korean | Message 9 of 17 27 May 2009 at 2:22pm | IP Logged | ||
I'm at McGill right now and have lived in Montreal for close to 8 years. I don't practice my French that much. Montreal is really a linguistically segregated city. I really have to make an effort to practice since most people will automatically switch to English at the slightest clue of a non-quebecois accent. Many people also are scared of developing that quebecois accent while here. I know I was at the beginning. However, I think most educated quebecois can and will use a more standard register of the language without a problem, in the same way that a marsellais or a lyonnais would do. Regarding universities, at least in my field (Philosophy), Université de Montréal (UdM) is basically on the same level as McGill. I believe that Université Laval in Quebec City is also a very good, top level research university. By the way, many professors in the UdM are anglophones. Cheers, Rafael. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| lecorbeau Diglot Senior Member Croatia Joined 6028 days ago 113 posts - 149 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Serbo-Croatian, Turkish | Message 10 of 17 10 June 2009 at 10:25am | IP Logged | ||
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It's been almost 6 years since I left France, and my French is still kickin'.
During these six years I was a French teacher/tutor, lived in the international residence at my university (where there were loads of Francophones), had a French-speaking significant other (albeit briefly), and from time to time I read a French novel or two. Occasionally I listen to French music as well as read Lemonde.fr, and for a time I subscribed to Courier International, which is an AWESOME publication if you like international news. Next year I'll be wrapping up my studies in the States and am seriously considering getting my masters in France and hope to be further immersed in it that way. By the way, I don't know how much of an opportunist you are, but France has a crazy law whereby foreign nationals that complete their masters in France are entitled to French citizenship after residing in France for a further two years following graduation. I don't know about you, but that's a huge incentive for me, I want to live in Europe but my American and Croatian passports are not getting me anywhere so far! :) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| lecorbeau Diglot Senior Member Croatia Joined 6028 days ago 113 posts - 149 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Serbo-Croatian, Turkish | Message 11 of 17 10 June 2009 at 10:31am | IP Logged | ||
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Also, I don't think you are at risk of developing a Québecois accent seeing as you've learned the bulk of your French
in France. However, this does not apply in any way to the curious expressions, diction, and everything else that distinguishes the Québecois from the rest of La Francophonie. Bon courage! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| arbigelow Tetraglot Groupie Canada Joined 5890 days ago 89 posts - 95 votes Speaks: English*, FrenchC1, German, Spanish | Message 12 of 17 10 June 2009 at 12:04pm | IP Logged | ||
That's actually pretty cool. I've always thought it would be cool to have an EU passport, but I think I'd still have to have some sort of patriotism for a country before I wanted to become a citizen. Something to think about though. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| lecorbeau Diglot Senior Member Croatia Joined 6028 days ago 113 posts - 149 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Serbo-Croatian, Turkish | Message 13 of 17 10 June 2009 at 12:46pm | IP Logged | ||
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[/QUOTE]
but I think I'd still have to have some sort of patriotism for a country before I wanted to become a citizen.[/QUOTE] Ah, you are a far better person than I, I'm afraid :) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Katie Diglot Senior Member Australia Joined 6726 days ago 495 posts - 599 votes Speaks: English*, Hungarian Studies: French, German | Message 14 of 17 10 June 2009 at 12:50pm | IP Logged | ||
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Becoming a tutor is a great suggestion - they say that the best way to learn is to teach - so maybe it's also the best way to 'keep'?
Skype & MSN are fantastic these days. I talk via video/microphone and also chat in writing to my Hungarian friends almost every day (apart from the ones that live here - I have a few who actually live in Hungary too). I'm also on a language exchange website to keep my communication in the language at a maximum. There may also be some French groups around that you can join. Here in my city there is a large Hungarian group that I'm planning to join - but first, I need to get my communication skills up to scratch! There is also a Hungarian christian service once a month in the city (the other weekends it is about a 1.5 hour drive away, so not really accessible for me). I am seriously considering attending that each month aswell. Although, I do have to admit, that I would like to go mainly for the socialising AFTER the service... Anyway, my whole point is that with technology and the cultural diversity in the world today, I am sure that you can find a bunch of things to help. Perhaps it's easier with a language like French (& in your country), but my one piece of advice would be to subscribe to any magazines you like and have them delivered home. I cannot for the life of me find any Hungarian magazines here or on the internet. There is a womens magazine that I would LOVE to subscribe to but I can't figure out how to do it. Perhaps I should use those friends in Hungary to arrange some subscriptions for me! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| RBenham Triglot Groupie IndonesiaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5651 days ago 60 posts - 62 votes Speaks: English*, German, French Studies: Indonesian | Message 15 of 17 22 June 2009 at 10:34pm | IP Logged | ||
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I really can't see a problem keeping up your French. It is a widely-spoken international language. It has lost pride of place to English, but there is still an awful lot of material available online and in the real world.
I also believe that keeping up your passive French, e.g. by reading, listening and watching cinema/TV, will also stop your active command from decaying significantly. Good luck with it all, anyway! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| gelem71 Newbie Canada dialoglobal.com Joined 5583 days ago 1 posts - 1 votes | Message 16 of 17 20 August 2009 at 6:45pm | IP Logged | ||
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You could also participate in a language exchange. I'm french and I live in Montreal. I have been participating in several English-French language exchanges in the last few years and i can tell you that finding french speakers willing to practice English in exchange is not hard, at least here in Montreal.
Here a couple of language exchange websites based in Montreal. www.dialoglobal.com www.mylanguageexchange.com Contact me if you have any questions. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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