Quebec
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You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
I want to move to Quebec for a few months and practice my French.
Where is a good place to stay and if it is possible work for a short time? Do they have hostels like Europe? Is it pretty expensive? I figure if I want to immerse myself, Quebec would be easiest since I live in the US and Haiti speaks Creole.
I've spent a year in Egypt (what a horrible country) and visit Mexico pretty often. What is Canada like and Quebec in particular?
No Go?
If you're serious about learning French stay outside Montréal. People there switch to English the moment they think you're not comfortable speaking French. Go live in Québec city, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivière, Rimouski or if you realy have balls one of the towns further north. You will learn in no time.
If you absolutely must stay in Montréal go for the eastern side of the city. The west if just another boring version of Toronto.
>>1057731
Don't worry mate, I have a full proof system that I used in Egypt. I simply pretend not to know English and that I only know Spanish. Egyptians always switch to broken English but I got around it. It also helps that I'm brown.
What is wrong with the towns up north that I need balls for it?
What is the cheapest place to live?
>>1057733
Up north gets really cold. like -40C easily in the winter. This year might be warmer though, hard to tell.
Cheapest way to live in Montréal is to find a share with 3-4 students in Rosemont or Hochelaga. You could probably have a room in a decent apartment for $300/month or even less, depending on location. Some apartments are not much more expensive.
Since most immigrants can't stand speaking French they mostly go West, where prices are much higher.
Live like a local, pay like a local.
>>1057735
How much is food there?
That would be a cool set up. Seems doable.
>>1057736
Varies wildly. I suggest you refer to this:
https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/montreal
Also keep in mind that the canadian dollar is cheap right now compared to the USD.
>>1057736
I average about 40 bucks a week for food here.
I could do it for much less but I'm pretty busy these days so I don't have time to shop at the cheap places like the discount racks at the farmer's markets and shit.
I also lived in Quebec for a year and rent was cheaper but other expenses were a bit higher. Both are perfectly acceptable provided you're not being a retard with your money.
>>1057729
Montréal is not the place to go to learn French for three main reasons.
1. Lots of people who live in Montreal are from other parts of Canada and can't speak French or grow up in Montreal and hate speaking French. If they do speak French it will be broken.
2. The majority of immigrants (Montreal is about 50 percent immigrants) hate speaking French.
3. Québécois French is really different from normal French. Even some French people find it difficult to understand thick Québécois accents due to the accent and slang. You won't really meet any Québécois if you go to Montreal in any case, they've all left.
So maybe try a smaller town in the province.
If you want to go somewhere to speak French and not cost a lot then go to Morocco. Assuming you are an American citizen you will get a 90 day visa when you arrive. You will be able to find quite a lot of people who speak French and won't speak any English.
What were you doing in Egypt OP? Why did you not like it? I think I am gonna go for three months this summer
>>1057768
>You won't really meet any Québécois if you go to Montreal in any case, they've all left.
Bullshit.
If you stay east of St-Laurent St you'll meet plenty of locals.
>>1057768
I worried about the differences of Quebec French and Parisian French but isn't it kind of like knowing Mexican Spanish versus Spain Spanish? You understand one another, it is just that the other sounds uneducated or weird, right?
I find it hard to believe that Morocco would beat Quebec for French. Wouldn't they have their own strange accent and be much fewer. Sure it could be cheaper but I assume the Francophones are in richer areas in Morocco? Although it would give me a chance to practice Arabic too and I have heard nice things about Morocco and Moroccans. Anyways, I am fine for living in a smaller town in Quebec for a while.
I was in Egypt studying standard Arabic because I'm Muslim. I was accepted for a scholarship from a religious organization that recently shut down but it was all paid for me. Egyptians have a lot of character faults. They are always late, unhygenic, litter a lot, are really loud, will try to rip you off, kind of cheesy, but on the other hand they can be really funny (both in making jokes and being jokes) and are way more friendlier than Americans.
I think I would have liked it if I had stayed for a lot less time. After a year, I just felt like I was going crazy. Although I don't regret going, it was really hard but that was compounded by the intense study, lack of money, and whatnot.
If you do go, beware everyone is trying to rip you off. You would do good to know a native, and not look too white and be especially careful in Khan Khalili. Being there really teaches one how different people can be.
>>1057771
That's literally the best advice you can get if you go to Montreal to learn French.
If you care about the accent just stay on the Plateau. People from France are invading that area these days and they don't cave to english speakers.
