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Mr Nobody
Feb 21st, 2005, 04:04 PM
What's the percentage breakdown of the following:

1. Montrealers who only speak French
2. Montrealers who only speak English
3. Montrealers who are bilingual but primarily speak French
4. Montrealers who are bilingual but primarily speak English

Why am asking: I mostly (70%?) hear people speaking English (they can't all be tourists).

Another story: The Metro (subway) agent tried to rip me off $2.50 claiming he had given it to me already. Had to have a passerby translate because he only spoke French and I haven't used my French regularly for over a decade other than the few words I speak everytime I'm in Montreal/Quebec (not like I'm every understood when I speak French. My wife laughs when people don't understand me. :( ).

Do subway agents need to be bilingual? (Heck even the shopkeepers in Chinatown speak English AND French) Was the agent lying and being a pr*ck? If so, guess they're no different from Toronto transit workers? :) (Not to say that all transit workers are bad!)

orakle22
Feb 21st, 2005, 07:16 PM
I live in Montreal, and I am bilingual (hey, i'm actually learning german too so that'd be.. triligual?) but primarily I speak english. In my experience the people in the metro booths can be pretty nasty - there have been a few times when the employee was lucky he was sitting in a glass box... I also don't think they need to be bilingual. This is quebec after all..

Mr Nobody
Feb 22nd, 2005, 08:46 AM
I'm assuming school is taught in French and you have a few hours a week that you learn English, right? Why do you speak primarily English? You were not born/raised in Montreal?

Mr Nobody
Feb 22nd, 2005, 10:18 AM
Cause english is easy enough for any ****** to learn. Like MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Conjugating those irregular verbs in French is a pain. :)