# How much French helps in Canada?



## jiteng02 (Sep 8, 2010)

Dear All,

Please tell me is it easier to find a job in Canada if one knows French. Someone told me you can even get weightage in Federal Skilled Migrants category if you know french.

Please advise.


Thanks


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

jiteng02 said:


> Dear All,
> 
> Please tell me is it easier to find a job in Canada if one knows French. Someone told me you can even get weightage in Federal Skilled Migrants category if you know french.
> 
> ...




Hi 


I am not in Canada but have visited and I believe it is only the Quebec area that is French/English speaking... so if you want to move to that area then French could only benefit anyone planning to settle there.


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2010)

If you live in the Ottawa, Ontario area, speaking French would be a definite advantage if you want to be in a Government type job because I believe you get paid more as well than someone who is doing the same job who speaks only English. For the private sector, since there are many people who speak French in Ottawa and surrounding area, I would guess that being bilingual would be an advantage, i.e., you may get preference over someone who doesn't speak French

As for the rest of the country, I think speaking French would only be required or an advantage if a job specifically stated that, although like Ottawa, it may be an advantage if you want to work in a government job 

Living in Quebec, where French is the official language, well it would be difficult if you didn't speak French.

I hope that helps


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> Hi
> 
> 
> I am not in Canada but have visited and I believe it is only the Quebec area that is French/English speaking... so if you want to move to that area then French could only benefit anyone planning to settle there.


Not strictly true - Canada is officially bilingual and there are many areas in Canada besides Quebec where French is spoken. Quebec is the exception, i.e., French is the official language, and it would be quite difficult to live and/or work there if you didn't speak French. Montreal may be an exception


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

The daughter of a friend of mine just got a job in Toronto where she was hired to staff a telephone call-in center because of her French. However, she went to university in Canada, after living in France for 10 or 12 years - and so they are making her take "Quebecois" lessons, because her French accent is a problem...

In the long run, it sounds as though having French to a reasonable level can be a distinct advantage in the job hunting process in Canada. It may depend on your precise line of work.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2010)

Bevdeforges said:


> The daughter of a friend of mine just got a job in Toronto where she was hired to staff a telephone call-in center because of her French. However, she went to university in Canada, after living in France for 10 or 12 years - and so they are making her take "Quebecois" lessons, because her French accent is a problem...
> 
> In the long run, it sounds as though having French to a reasonable level can be a distinct advantage in the job hunting process in Canada. It may depend on your precise line of work.
> Cheers,
> Bev


Yes, I agree about it being an advantage in the long run - in most places, anyway. That's too funny about the Quebecois accent! It is definitely different - people from Quebec who go to France complain no one understands their accent and dialect. But I'm surprised that it's the other way around


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## oddball (Aug 1, 2007)

*french*



nola said:


> Yes, I agree about it being an advantage in the long run - in most places, anyway. That's too funny about the Quebecois accent! It is definitely different - people from Quebec who go to France complain no one understands their accent and dialect. But I'm surprised that it's the other way around


 About the only job you need the true French language for is with the government , it is a pre-requisit , that is why true French is taught in schools , though I have no idea why , there are also two ways of teaching it in schools . The actual language of French Canadians is Quebecous , a more gutteral transliteration of Parisian French which is not easy to understand by natives from france .

French is not so widely spoken as one may expect because French is not spoken across the whole of Canada other than in 'Pockets ' here and there , in all of my years spent in Canada , I only heard the use of french on a few occassions other than in Quebec itself .

Any second language can be usefull in Canada , as there are so many languages used by a multiplicity of ethnic immigrants and thier families , Chinese is most likely the most used second language , they have stores/restaurants and malls that cater to Chinese all across the country .


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2010)

oddball said:


> About the only job you need the true French language for is with the government , it is a pre-requisit , that is why true French is taught in schools , though I have no idea why , there are also two ways of teaching it in schools . The actual language of French Canadians is Quebecous , a more gutteral transliteration of Parisian French which is not easy to understand by natives from france .
> 
> French is not so widely spoken as one may expect because French is not spoken across the whole of Canada other than in 'Pockets ' here and there , in all of my years spent in Canada , I only heard the use of french on a few occassions other than in Quebec itself .
> 
> Any second language can be usefull in Canada , as there are so many languages used by a multiplicity of ethnic immigrants and thier families , Chinese is most likely the most used second language , they have stores/restaurants and malls that cater to Chinese all across the country .


I didn't know it was a prerequisite to have to know French to work with the government. It used to be that any one who spoke only English just wouldn't be paid as well as someone who spoke both languages.

As far as French being spoken in places other than Quebec? I lived in Ottawa and there are many, many francophones and French is widely spoken. It is definitely an advantage to be able to speak it if you work there, as I think it would give you an edge for getting a job even with the private sector, particularly if you are dealing with the public. I worked as an insurance adjuster and often had to speak French


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## oddball (Aug 1, 2007)

*french*



nola said:


> I didn't know it was a prerequisite to have to know French to work with the government. It used to be that any one who spoke only English just wouldn't be paid as well as someone who spoke both languages.
> 
> As far as French being spoken in places other than Quebec? I lived in Ottawa and there are many, many francophones and French is widely spoken. It is definitely an advantage to be able to speak it if you work there, as I think it would give you an edge for getting a job even with the private sector, particularly if you are dealing with the public. I worked as an insurance adjuster and often had to speak French


 Yes Nola , you are perfectly correct , but you have experienced one of the few exceptions in the country where French is prolific , many quebecers move over for jobs in Ontario but the reverse is not so easily done , Quebec is a law unto itself at high cost to the public purse of all Canadians over the years .


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