Your french actually got really good in comparaison to a year ago. Also, it's interesting that you say that you can make friends in french classes because it's really true, I still have friends from the french class from 15 years ago. And thanks for your words on the preservation of our culture and nation, you're a true Québécois.
I recommend LingQ, as it focuses on language acquisition through reading and listening - and you can import and select materials and subjects that are areas of interest for you. If you purchase a yearly subscription, it works out to about $10-12(Cdn)/month. I am a second language teacher and taught using TPRS (Teaching Proficiency thru Reading & Storytelling), and this is the closest thing there is to having access to a teacher that used this method. You can adjust the speed as well. You can also listen to Fairy Tales on YT in any language or choose a topic you are interested in - in your target language (it's just Fairy Tales tend to have simple, repeatable vocab and recognizable tropes). The subtitles are in English. but I cover them up with a piece of paper after the first couple of listens - and you can adjust the speed as well.
Great video! Je suis content de savoir que je n'était pas le seul à penser que Duolingo ne m'aidait pas vraiment à apprendre les langues haha. Keep learning French and making these videos! They are of stunning quality.
C'est vrai, j'ai étudié le français pour deux années et j'ai eu un niveaux introductoire-intermédiaire mais je n'ai pas eu une bonne compréhension pour les situations quotidiennes, mais j'ai déménagé à Pologne pour sept mois et j'ai obtenu le même niveaux que en deux ans d’éducation formel, bon j'ai habité a un ville petite (en comparaison à Montréal ou la Varsovie) avec une majorité de la population monolingue, j'ai dû apprendre pour manger et survivre. Maintenant j'habite à Montréal mais je pense que je vais déménager à Sherbrooke ou une outre ville plus petit et plus francophone pour avoir une preuve de feu lol
I'm a native Spanish speaker from Colombia. Depending on their country of origin and region, it can be quite hard! Some regions speak super fast. Kinda like Québec hahahah. (If you're at all into language exchange I can teach you and learn French BTW)
Glad someone noticed. I wanted to point out that Korea doesn't just mean K-Pop in the same way that American doesn't just mean Rock'n'roll. The idiosyncratic cultural powerhouse of Japan has made great stuff in every genre of music.
Just when I was starting to feel smug about my 50-day streak, you come in with the real talk. The worst part is that you're absolutely right. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. Mercy bocups.
I had the same experience, although I've stuck with Duolingo for now. I find as long as I ignore the app's attempts to push me to drag my heels in order to maximize XP and rankings. Pushung myself to test out of a unit whenever I can helps.
Came for the urbanism content and stumbled upon this video. Was truly your best video for me as a fellow anglophone living in a foreign country and struggling to learn the language. I think expectations management is also an important component and leads to some disillusionment among language learners. It’s not an endeavor for the feint of heart. Hope your French becomes less shit, I’ll be attempting to cheer you on in German. Appreciate your great videos!
hahah I've been using duolingo for 8 years, I will say It was more so for funsies before, but it was always in the back of my head that my career may take me to Montreal. Oh so silly of past me to think it probably wouldn't happen. This was before some of the longer term complications of staying in Vancouver were becoming more apparent, and I realized for what I wanted in life, I may want to choose a different location, which led to a serious effort to go to Montreal. The app in question has made it so I can read French pretty well but I cant speak it to save my life, and I think I will need other people for that. Its definitely on my to do list to get into a French learning course, but I am waiting until there are actually people there/when covid is no longer preventing classes. I will definitely check out those anki cards. There is one tidbit of extra practical motivation for me and it is the pay grade increase of being bi-lingual. The one major benefit of this, is though its hard, there is a clear end goal and benefit to learning the extra language. This is of course outside of my personal desire to really put in the effort of trying to fit in this city and going the extra mile to do so. And to hopefully reach a point where I can call it home with out a shadow of a doubt. thanks paige for being the anglo Jesus to guide the way to salvation of near full integration with the quebec french.
@@PaigeMTL honestly you are the only channel I know of that has somewhat dedicated to trying to make sense of this city as an anglo and who shares it with the world. You may as well haha
1:49 It's true, as anglophones we don't learn our own grammar, so even though we do conjugate verbs most of us don't even know what that means. I took German at university and the prof was pulling her hair out, not because the students didn't understand German, but because they didn't understand language in general. My saving grace was that I learned French in school, so I was at least aware of the grammatical concepts she was trying to explain.
To second this, learning Japanese taught me a bit about English grammar, and helped me a bit with wrapping my head around Latin grammar (still can't do Latin yet but yeah)
I also think that *Duolingo sucks* , and so do most other apps. Sit on your ass, folks, and learn that book full of French verbs. It will be hard only the first way; when you move on to Persian, and need to memorize Persian abjad, you'll already be "middle class" among the learners.
Great video! And talking about Francization in MTL, I'm doing it full time now and it really is amazing. Most teachers are really passionate about what they do, and the material is 95% updated (at least in my school). Small classes these days and I can see the students, and myself, improving weekly. They point out your errors, practice real QC French/life/events. Just in lvl 4, and when practicing outside of class (due to hobbies, workshops, events), I was able to direct a short film in French haha. So yeah, if anyone is on the fence - do it. It is really tiring but so worth it, and free/they pay you. You meet people in very similar situation to you, they host events. I think it's the best way to go about learning French in QC (if possible)! :))
Excellent video! I'd recommend the Tandem app which would fit in the active lifestyle section for people who want to speak a language but don't have opportunities to speak it around them. The app matches you with people that want to learn your language and speak the language that you want to learn.
I thought it was fine when it gave me simple sentences. Not the best but decent with just starting until they teach you (For example I am learning German) "I am a worm!" like when will I ever say that in a conversation.... ever.
I just tried Duolingo out for the first time a little more than a week ago and I think it's definitely true that the app wastes your time with a lot of inefficient (unspaced) repetition, questions that are nearly impossible to get wrong, etc., and this is probably by design because they're worried making lessons as hard as they ought to be would be bad for engagement or whatever. I do also think app probably works well enough for a lot of people (maybe not to get fluent in a language, but to get good enough to be intrinsically motivated to keep going), and the issue isn't that Duolingo sucks so much as Anki is just really powerful
I did all you explained. But in reverse (was raised in french, now im bilingual in english after learning in my 20s). You forgot the ultimate tip to bilingualism: dating!! A partner in the other language is the ultimate active lifestyle trick :D
Love this video but you get a lot of slack being Australian learning French. As a native anglo the shit I got for not being fluent was huge. Working on it now though. Much more confident now against criticism.
My 2 cents on this: I found that taking at least one or two structured classes is probably the best thing to do when you're starting. This will give you the basics necessary to be able to read simple material or to have some basic conversations with people on the street. At that point, it opens up options for the really immersive route or the watching Netflix / reading books route. I tend to really like reading books because it's a great way to expand your vocabulary while doing a fun activity. It also puts you in a position where you know what words to use in conversation, you just have to practice your accent and verbal fluidity. I will say though: Formal courses should definitely include more stuff you would hear on the street like the vocabulary and rules for swearing in French.
Planning to move to Montreal in a year. Any advice on how to prepare for someone with only a lot of schoolbook French? (When I lived in Ottawa and took the low-cost provincial French, I was told my accent was "elitist.") PS I'm in Texas.
The website "Je parle québécois" has lots of useful resources on spoken Quebec French (including an introductory course). There's also a TH-cam channel "Street French" with videos on how to speak less like a textbook (e.g., when to use "on" instead of "nous"), although it's from France so it won't necessarily help with accent.
It all depends on who you are, your way of finding active learning is going to be different and unique. No one else will learn the language like you. You just need to think of a scenario that increases your likeliness of speaking French and do it. My tip, if you like to have a drink, go to Bar A on Rue Rachel and only speak French when you're inside.
Watch lots of Québec TH-cam. Also I recommend the channel Maprofdefrançais, she has a whole website course on learning Québec French and her channel is themed basically on learning Québécois expressions and culture for people who already have a base level of French knowledge
I will also point out as some one who moved here only 6 months ago, if you are coming to Montreal area specifically, you can get away with only knowing English, and knowing any French at all is a huge boon. This is not to excuse learning French, you should treat moving to Quebec like you'd treat moving to Germany, and learn the language of the people there. But this is to say that dont worry if your French isnt exquisite when you arrive, you can get by with English then really hone in your French by putting it to use here.
@@StephenLester-kl7oy well under the point of 'immersion' if you want that In Montreal then the answer is be bilingual not no English at all. I was talking function not immersion. Cause as far as I can tell it takes years, even with active learning to get good at french. The fellow whose comment we are replying to is planning on moving here next year. Unless he can basically full time job learning french. It ain't gonna happen that he will be fluent when he arrives. That's not including finding a place. Finding a job. Getting your address for all your credit cards and Id transferred over. Your car registered. And so on
But no one thinks people are idiots or ridiculous when they make mistakes in a foreign language. If they do, they're *decks* and no one gives a frick about their opinion. The techniques you're describing is the way a whole lot of bilingual francophones learned English (it's wasn't in school believe me, even if we have English lessons from grade school on.)
Im moving to Montreal from the states later this year and will be taking one of those classes. Are they full immersion or tailored to the students native language?
To be more specific, there are different available formulas. This is a copy-paste from the Quebec government website (here is a link: www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/settle/french-courses.html) : "The Gouvernement offers different course structures varying in duration and frequency. Classroom course: - Beginner or intermediate level; - General full-time courses, 25 to 30 hours per week; - General part-time courses; 4, 6, 9, 12 or 15 hours per week; day, evening or weekend; - Part-time specialized courses by field of employment; 6 hours per week. Online courses, to learn independently at your own pace: - Accessible in your home country; - Intermediate or advanced level; - General courses with support from a tutor; - Specialized modules by field of employment." Depending on your personnal situation (e.g. immigration status, employment status, income and assets etc), you could be elligible to financial support while you take those courses.
This is the best video demonstrating the superiority of in person classes. You get to talk to people. It's also a social experience. Apps on the other hand are antisocial.
It's mind boggling how even with a good language level (e.g. native) if I did some exercises in Duolingo I would feel stupider afterwards. Not only stupider but I would feel like the most braindead child
Great video! I live in Sydney,Australia. Would you say Montreal is more inclusive than Australian cities? I am a visual person too and this video is wayyy too relatable. Duolingo is exactly how you described it- I can only match words but cant "read" any French elsewhere except on the app.
I like the Quebecois thing, representing the North American style of the language. The unique mixing of cultures is what make it fun and down to earth.
love this channel man
Your french actually got really good in comparaison to a year ago. Also, it's interesting that you say that you can make friends in french classes because it's really true, I still have friends from the french class from 15 years ago.
And thanks for your words on the preservation of our culture and nation, you're a true Québécois.
I recommend LingQ, as it focuses on language acquisition through reading and listening - and you can import and select materials and subjects that are areas of interest for you. If you purchase a yearly subscription, it works out to about $10-12(Cdn)/month. I am a second language teacher and taught using TPRS (Teaching Proficiency thru Reading & Storytelling), and this is the closest thing there is to having access to a teacher that used this method. You can adjust the speed as well.
You can also listen to Fairy Tales on YT in any language or choose a topic you are interested in - in your target language (it's just Fairy Tales tend to have simple, repeatable vocab and recognizable tropes). The subtitles are in English. but I cover them up with a piece of paper after the first couple of listens - and you can adjust the speed as well.
Great video! Je suis content de savoir que je n'était pas le seul à penser que Duolingo ne m'aidait pas vraiment à apprendre les langues haha.
Keep learning French and making these videos! They are of stunning quality.
C'est vrai, j'ai étudié le français pour deux années et j'ai eu un niveaux introductoire-intermédiaire mais je n'ai pas eu une bonne compréhension pour les situations quotidiennes, mais j'ai déménagé à Pologne pour sept mois et j'ai obtenu le même niveaux que en deux ans d’éducation formel, bon j'ai habité a un ville petite (en comparaison à Montréal ou la Varsovie) avec une majorité de la population monolingue, j'ai dû apprendre pour manger et survivre. Maintenant j'habite à Montréal mais je pense que je vais déménager à Sherbrooke ou une outre ville plus petit et plus francophone pour avoir une preuve de feu lol
I can relate, still learning Spanish to know what my in-laws are saying agaisn't me at the diner table.
Quand les beaux-parents ne savent pas que tu as atteint le niveau B1 en Espagnol ☕👌
I'm a native Spanish speaker from Colombia. Depending on their country of origin and region, it can be quite hard! Some regions speak super fast. Kinda like Québec hahahah. (If you're at all into language exchange I can teach you and learn French BTW)
"Adding japanese music into your playlist"
>shows Boris
yeah this guy knows his stuff.
Glad someone noticed. I wanted to point out that Korea doesn't just mean K-Pop in the same way that American doesn't just mean Rock'n'roll. The idiosyncratic cultural powerhouse of Japan has made great stuff in every genre of music.
12:27 Chalice of a tabernacle followed by a nod of comprehension had me in stitches 😹
Just when I was starting to feel smug about my 50-day streak, you come in with the real talk. The worst part is that you're absolutely right. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. Mercy bocups.
C'est merci boucoup.
I had the same experience, although I've stuck with Duolingo for now. I find as long as I ignore the app's attempts to push me to drag my heels in order to maximize XP and rankings. Pushung myself to test out of a unit whenever I can helps.
Great video, the production quality is very impressive.
Came for the urbanism content and stumbled upon this video. Was truly your best video for me as a fellow anglophone living in a foreign country and struggling to learn the language. I think expectations management is also an important component and leads to some disillusionment among language learners. It’s not an endeavor for the feint of heart.
Hope your French becomes less shit, I’ll be attempting to cheer you on in German. Appreciate your great videos!
hahah I've been using duolingo for 8 years, I will say It was more so for funsies before, but it was always in the back of my head that my career may take me to Montreal. Oh so silly of past me to think it probably wouldn't happen. This was before some of the longer term complications of staying in Vancouver were becoming more apparent, and I realized for what I wanted in life, I may want to choose a different location, which led to a serious effort to go to Montreal.
The app in question has made it so I can read French pretty well but I cant speak it to save my life, and I think I will need other people for that. Its definitely on my to do list to get into a French learning course, but I am waiting until there are actually people there/when covid is no longer preventing classes.
I will definitely check out those anki cards.
There is one tidbit of extra practical motivation for me and it is the pay grade increase of being bi-lingual. The one major benefit of this, is though its hard, there is a clear end goal and benefit to learning the extra language. This is of course outside of my personal desire to really put in the effort of trying to fit in this city and going the extra mile to do so. And to hopefully reach a point where I can call it home with out a shadow of a doubt.
thanks paige for being the anglo Jesus to guide the way to salvation of near full integration with the quebec french.
My mum says I should run with Anglo Jesus
@@PaigeMTL honestly you are the only channel I know of that has somewhat dedicated to trying to make sense of this city as an anglo and who shares it with the world. You may as well haha
1:49 It's true, as anglophones we don't learn our own grammar, so even though we do conjugate verbs most of us don't even know what that means.
I took German at university and the prof was pulling her hair out, not because the students didn't understand German, but because they didn't understand language in general. My saving grace was that I learned French in school, so I was at least aware of the grammatical concepts she was trying to explain.
To second this, learning Japanese taught me a bit about English grammar, and helped me a bit with wrapping my head around Latin grammar (still can't do Latin yet but yeah)
I also think that *Duolingo sucks* , and so do most other apps.
Sit on your ass, folks, and learn that book full of French verbs. It will be hard only the first way; when you move on to Persian, and need to memorize Persian abjad, you'll already be "middle class" among the learners.
Great video! And talking about Francization in MTL, I'm doing it full time now and it really is amazing. Most teachers are really passionate about what they do, and the material is 95% updated (at least in my school). Small classes these days and I can see the students, and myself, improving weekly. They point out your errors, practice real QC French/life/events.
Just in lvl 4, and when practicing outside of class (due to hobbies, workshops, events), I was able to direct a short film in French haha. So yeah, if anyone is on the fence - do it. It is really tiring but so worth it, and free/they pay you. You meet people in very similar situation to you, they host events. I think it's the best way to go about learning French in QC (if possible)! :))
Where are you taking classes? I’m looking at different schools but there are so many!
@@lannalast7455 I guess it doesn't matter much but CEA Champlain :)
Excellent video! I'd recommend the Tandem app which would fit in the active lifestyle section for people who want to speak a language but don't have opportunities to speak it around them. The app matches you with people that want to learn your language and speak the language that you want to learn.
Dude!....I've just watched this video of 20 mins without even noticing it!...awesome editing & script btw!
I thought it was fine when it gave me simple sentences. Not the best but decent with just starting until they teach you (For example I am learning German) "I am a worm!" like when will I ever say that in a conversation.... ever.
I just tried Duolingo out for the first time a little more than a week ago and I think it's definitely true that the app wastes your time with a lot of inefficient (unspaced) repetition, questions that are nearly impossible to get wrong, etc., and this is probably by design because they're worried making lessons as hard as they ought to be would be bad for engagement or whatever. I do also think app probably works well enough for a lot of people (maybe not to get fluent in a language, but to get good enough to be intrinsically motivated to keep going), and the issue isn't that Duolingo sucks so much as Anki is just really powerful
Oh I saw Centre Lartigue! The school where I'm studying French!
Mate you are so bloody funny and charming that you could make a whole doco about deck sealants and I would pay to watch
I saw this video in my feed after watching Zoe Bee's "Grammarly is Garbage" video. The Zs/Millenials are coming for the language apps 😱
>Millennials are ruining the language app industry.
I did all you explained. But in reverse (was raised in french, now im bilingual in english after learning in my 20s). You forgot the ultimate tip to bilingualism: dating!! A partner in the other language is the ultimate active lifestyle trick :D
A video with zero dislikes for 5months..
I think you have a good future. What a nice video! 👏
Got so confused when I saw my primary school used as footage
I'm on my way to learn my 4th language, french! I believe there's a faster way to learn any language than the one they teach us in school!
Oh my the funniest yet!
Love this video but you get a lot of slack being Australian learning French. As a native anglo the shit I got for not being fluent was huge. Working on it now though. Much more confident now against criticism.
He's not Australian.
Source: am Australian
Your pal Mav recommended me this video! Glad he did too
mavthyme
My 2 cents on this:
I found that taking at least one or two structured classes is probably the best thing to do when you're starting. This will give you the basics necessary to be able to read simple material or to have some basic conversations with people on the street. At that point, it opens up options for the really immersive route or the watching Netflix / reading books route. I tend to really like reading books because it's a great way to expand your vocabulary while doing a fun activity. It also puts you in a position where you know what words to use in conversation, you just have to practice your accent and verbal fluidity.
I will say though: Formal courses should definitely include more stuff you would hear on the street like the vocabulary and rules for swearing in French.
From one kiwi to another, amazing video!
Love all your videos Paige! Do you want to maybe share your batman anki decks?
Excellent video. Can apply to other areas of learning too. Thank you.
I want to learn Japanese to listen to anime without the subtitles. Nice to know that listening to anime is a great way to learn Japanese!
Planning to move to Montreal in a year. Any advice on how to prepare for someone with only a lot of schoolbook French? (When I lived in Ottawa and took the low-cost provincial French, I was told my accent was "elitist.") PS I'm in Texas.
The website "Je parle québécois" has lots of useful resources on spoken Quebec French (including an introductory course). There's also a TH-cam channel "Street French" with videos on how to speak less like a textbook (e.g., when to use "on" instead of "nous"), although it's from France so it won't necessarily help with accent.
It all depends on who you are, your way of finding active learning is going to be different and unique. No one else will learn the language like you. You just need to think of a scenario that increases your likeliness of speaking French and do it. My tip, if you like to have a drink, go to Bar A on Rue Rachel and only speak French when you're inside.
Watch lots of Québec TH-cam. Also I recommend the channel Maprofdefrançais, she has a whole website course on learning Québec French and her channel is themed basically on learning Québécois expressions and culture for people who already have a base level of French knowledge
I will also point out as some one who moved here only 6 months ago, if you are coming to Montreal area specifically, you can get away with only knowing English, and knowing any French at all is a huge boon. This is not to excuse learning French, you should treat moving to Quebec like you'd treat moving to Germany, and learn the language of the people there. But this is to say that dont worry if your French isnt exquisite when you arrive, you can get by with English then really hone in your French by putting it to use here.
@@StephenLester-kl7oy well under the point of 'immersion' if you want that In Montreal then the answer is be bilingual not no English at all. I was talking function not immersion. Cause as far as I can tell it takes years, even with active learning to get good at french. The fellow whose comment we are replying to is planning on moving here next year. Unless he can basically full time job learning french. It ain't gonna happen that he will be fluent when he arrives. That's not including finding a place. Finding a job. Getting your address for all your credit cards and Id transferred over. Your car registered. And so on
Dude Star Trek sounds soo weird in French, and I’m from Montreal! Quebec Simpsons is my jam though.
La localisation c'est hot! 💅
I'm working my way through Henri Pis Sa Gang
I have found 100% of the info in this video to be painfully true, from personal experience
But no one thinks people are idiots or ridiculous when they make mistakes in a foreign language. If they do, they're *decks* and no one gives a frick about their opinion. The techniques you're describing is the way a whole lot of bilingual francophones learned English (it's wasn't in school believe me, even if we have English lessons from grade school on.)
Well there’s a lot of bilingual families now too. Producing these daywalker kids who can blend in anywhere. I used to work with a lady like that.
actually i see this a lot in english, even happened with me
I've got no idea how I ended up on this video, but it's funny and informative.
All hail the algorithm!
Great Video Paige....Makes so much sense to me .
Could someone give me the tl;dr of what’s the best way to actually learn?
Im moving to Montreal from the states later this year and will be taking one of those classes. Are they full immersion or tailored to the students native language?
Full immersion
To be more specific, there are different available formulas. This is a copy-paste from the Quebec government website (here is a link: www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/settle/french-courses.html) :
"The Gouvernement offers different course structures varying in duration and frequency.
Classroom course:
- Beginner or intermediate level;
- General full-time courses, 25 to 30 hours per week;
- General part-time courses; 4, 6, 9, 12 or 15 hours per week; day, evening or weekend;
- Part-time specialized courses by field of employment; 6 hours per week.
Online courses, to learn independently at your own pace:
- Accessible in your home country;
- Intermediate or advanced level;
- General courses with support from a tutor;
- Specialized modules by field of employment."
Depending on your personnal situation (e.g. immigration status, employment status, income and assets etc), you could be elligible to financial support while you take those courses.
Es extraño. Poder entender todo lo que dices es tan automático pero cuando lo pienso es la cosa más surreal del mundo.
Fratm parlo italiano e non so una virgola di spagnolo però capisco comunque il tuo commento. Gg per me
This is the best video demonstrating the superiority of in person classes.
You get to talk to people. It's also a social experience.
Apps on the other hand are antisocial.
Always entertaining!
It's mind boggling how even with a good language level (e.g. native) if I did some exercises in Duolingo I would feel stupider afterwards. Not only stupider but I would feel like the most braindead child
Great video! I live in Sydney,Australia. Would you say Montreal is more inclusive than Australian cities? I am a visual person too and this video is wayyy too relatable. Duolingo is exactly how you described it- I can only match words but cant "read" any French elsewhere except on the app.
Nice acting
If you really want to learn a language with an app, use Busuu, it's great, and so much better then duolingo!
I used it years ago for Chinese but can’t remember it at all. Does it allow you to add your own words and phrases?
Cest bon Mon Amie. 🗣️✌️
Be a venue! To learn en Françis.
Really channeling that 90s motivational poster energy Franco
you have 345k subscribers or 3.45k subscribers. this doesn't make sense to me
i thought you were kiwi
There’s French. Then there’s French Canadian...🤢
Practically all languages have different dialects/accents. It's normal and not unique to French.
I like the Quebecois thing, representing the North American style of the language. The unique mixing of cultures is what make it fun and down to earth.
Unless you speak R.P english your english is not better !You are the pot calling the kettle black . lol