Quote: (01-22-2012 08:01 PM)Alfonzo Wrote:
You should always open in French if you speak French . If your interlocutor is English he will answer in English . The English community are located in the west island . Like I said open in French first you don't want to start with 1 strike to begin .
Alfonzo is correct, always open in French because chances are she's Francophone (lets not forget that although Montreal is a highly bilingual city, it is indeed MAJORITY French) and opening in English may make her standoffish. If she's bilingual francophone, it'll put her at ease if you speak in her monther tongue.
Also, depending on the person, if you approach someone in English, they may just dis you and pretend as if they don't speak ANY English, because they think that it is rude. If you think about it, it is because the province of Quebec IS NOT BILINGUAL, guys, I can't stress this enough, learn some basic French (bonjour, parlez vous anglais, merci, etc) before you come to Montreal, it will help, big time!
BTW, Montreal is a TERRIBLE city to learn French, well, you'll meet francophone people, but most speak English so well that they'll switch automatically if they hear an English accent.
I don't want to put anyone off from the idea of visiting Montreal or the rest of Quebec, but understand that this is a place and people who are very proud of their French heritage, a few simple word "en francais" will go a long way!