Is Canadian French...? ...so I'm working in a restaurant, and the guests at my table are speaking 'something', but I recognize some of the words as being French. I ask the guest 'are you speaking a fo

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Is Canadian French...? ...so I'm working in a restaurant, and the guests at my table are speaking 'something', but I recognize some of the words as being French. I ask the guest 'are you speaking a form of French?', and he says 'no, we ARE speaking French'. I say to myself 'I'm no idiot, I know what French sounds like', and maybe every fifth word or so, they are speaking words that sound like French to me. I ask a friend, who speaks Russian, to go over to my table and listen to the guests speak - and tell me what language they are speaking, 'I know they are not speaking French', I say to him. He agrees. After a few minutes, he walks over to me - and he says, 'they are speaking Canadian French'. The Question: Is Canadian French - real France French...? Or is Canadian French slightly different like, British English and American English...?

Jul 25, 2014 2:53 AM

Answers · 17

French is one language. We speak it in many countries, with different accents. It's like if I asked you 'are you speaking a form of English?', and you says 'no I SPEAK English' so I add 'I'm no idiot, I know what English sounds like because I live in Great Britain'. Would you not be insulted? There can be as much difference between Canadian French and French from France as there is between Texan English and Scottish English for example.

July 25, 2014

Quite different. It obviously started with France-French, however due to the distance and the lack of French oversight due to British victory in the war of 1812, it vastly diverged. Some of the words still in common use in Quebec are considered 'archaic' in France. It is, however, still French. Québécois can go to ?France and understand the language and vice-versa.

July 25, 2014