Learn French in Montréal

French in Montréal

French is the official language of Québec under the Charter of the French language, and Montréal follows that rule in its public services, signage and workplaces. Montréal is also Québec's most multilingual city. In the 2021 census, about 70% of workers in the Montréal metropolitan area said they mainly used French at work, according to Statistics Canada. On the island of Montréal, the share of people whose only mother tongue is French fell to 44% in 2021, as reported by the Office québécois de la langue française. English is widely spoken, especially in the west of the island and around McGill, yet French remains the default in most shops and offices.

Why people in Montréal learn French

For most immigrants, French is a practical necessity. Québec's own selection programmes ask for proof of French, and test results from the TEF, TEFAQ, TCF Canada, TCF Québec or DELF can count. For federal Express Entry, strong TEF Canada or TCF Canada results can add points to your profile. On the job market, French is expected in health care, retail, public services and many offices. Québec also offers free French courses for immigrants through Francisation Québec. Beyond paperwork, French lets you enjoy the city properly, from Plateau cafés to the Francos de Montréal festival.

The French you'll hear

Montréal French is Québec French: you will hear diphthongs in words like père, the sound tsu in tu, and plenty of local vocabulary. A weekend is une fin de semaine, shopping is magasiner, the corner shop is le dépanneur, and parking is le stationnement. Meals follow the Québec pattern of déjeuner, dîner and souper. People often answer merci with bienvenue. You will also hear English words mixed in, a sign of the city's bilingual history.

• 🔊Je passe au dépanneur, tu veux quelque chose ?I'm stopping at the corner store, want anything?
• 🔊On va magasiner en fin de semaine ?Shall we go shopping this weekend?
• 🔊Il y a du stationnement près d'ici ?Is there parking near here?
• 🔊Je prends la ligne orange du métro.I'm taking the orange metro line.
• 🔊Pouvez-vous parler un peu plus lentement ?Could you speak a little more slowly?

French exams in Montréal

Montréal has several centres for immigration tests. The Language Test Centre at McGill University's School of Continuing Studies administers the TEF Canada and the TEFAQ, both recognised for immigration. Québec accepts results from the TEF, TEFAQ, TCF Canada, TCF Québec, DELF and DALF in its programmes, while federal Express Entry accepts only TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Results generally need to be less than two years old when you apply, so time your test carefully.

Check dates and fees with the exam centre directly; they change every session.

Where to start in the course

French Ultimate is an online course, so you can follow it from Montréal or anywhere else. These topics are the most useful here:

• C2French around the world: Québec, Belgium, Africa
• B2Spoken French and slang: what people really say
• A2Jobs and work in French

Questions about learning French in Montréal