Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[lio45]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Why are they airing that here?

Might be a national Subway campaign for their new/temporary lobster sub.

Guy with atrocious Acadian accent: "Yum! How authentic! Totally reminds me of my roots!"
Girl: "... aren't you from Longueuil born and bred?"

The country being a lot larger for English, if they're really using the same campaign for the entirety Anglo Canada, then you're the proof that they should've picked a more recognizable alien-to-lobster city, say, Winnipeg or something.

[SignalHillHiker]

Subway forgot about Canada's regionalism, it seems.

The accent in the English one is awful too. I think it's trying to be purely Irish.

[SignalHillHiker]

Gleeson, who is from Ireland, does an excellent Newfoundland accent. Makes up for the butchery Dame Judy Dench and Julianne Moore did in The Shipping News.

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[lio45]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Subway forgot about Canada's regionalism, it seems.

I think a single ad could work for the entirety of Anglo Canada IF the Newfoundland accent is something that Anglos from everywhere in Canada can recognize. (No idea, but I'd guess yes.)

Then, the ad could use the NF accent for the guy, and a city that's easily recognized by all Canadians as not sea oriented at all. It would work everywhere.

[SignalHillHiker]

It wouldn't be completely bewildering as it is now, but I don't think it would be effective.

Might work Ontario and West but Winnipeg wouldn't be effective here. Toronto would work, though.

[SignalHillHiker]

The accent of a Newfoundland anglophone who learns French.

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[Mister F]

Originally Posted by lio45

I think a single ad could work for the entirety of Anglo Canada IF the Newfoundland accent is something that Anglos from everywhere in Canada can recognize. (No idea, but I'd guess yes.)

Then, the ad could use the NF accent for the guy, and a city that's easily recognized by all Canadians as not sea oriented at all. It would work everywhere.

The Newfoundland accent is recognizable enough for commercials like this to be made.

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[SignalHillHiker]

That's not what we actually sound like, though. But at least it's exaggerating what we actually do sound like, not just copying a blended Dublin/Glasgow accent like the Subway commercial.

Here's an interview I did with CBC last week, this is how we really sound:

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[begratto]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

The accent of a Newfoundland anglophone who learns French.

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Actually, her pronunciation is quite good. If she spent a couple of months in Saguenay she'd be fully bilingual.

[SignalHillHiker]

Glad to hear it. My anglophone French teachers in school used to say the same about me.

[ue]

Originally Posted by lio45

I honestly don't think so. Most American and Anglo tourists aren't fluent at all in French; in today's Quebec it's nearly impossible that there won't be at least one person in the store, or somewhere nearby, whatever your situation is, who speaks at least decent English.

Something quite typical, most recently witnessed in a large Sherbrooke pharmacy yesterday (but I see it happen quite often), the employee initally answered an unilingual Anglo guy in extremely basic English and then called a co-worker to leave him (the Anglo guy) with her (the freshly arrived decent-English co-worker).

How do you live in Quebec as a unilingual Anglo? I would think it would be necessary, or at least the courteous thing to do, to learn at least some basic phrases enough to get you through a checkout. Reminds me of the story I heard on the news about the Alouettes player with 15 parking tickets 'cause he doesn't understand the signs.

It is nice that Quebec makes things easier for Anglos such as myself, but it does feel a bit unfair. I mean, Quebecois in Edmonton are not going to be served in French.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

Might be a national Subway campaign for their new/temporary lobster sub.

Guy with atrocious Acadian accent: "Yum! How authentic! Totally reminds me of my roots!"
Girl: "... aren't you from Longueuil born and bred?"

The country being a lot larger for English, if they're really using the same campaign for the entirety Anglo Canada, then you're the proof that they should've picked a more recognizable alien-to-lobster city, say, Winnipeg or something.

Exactly! Longueuil!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by begratto

Actually, her pronunciation is quite good. If she spent a couple of months in Saguenay she'd be fully bilingual.

Do we actually know if she speaks French and is not simply reading a phoneticized text? I have done speeches like these for people before.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ue

How do you live in Quebec as a unilingual Anglo? I would think it would be necessary, or at least the courteous thing to do, to learn at least some basic phrases enough to get you through a checkout. Reminds me of the story I heard on the news about the Alouettes player with 15 parking tickets 'cause he doesn't understand the signs.

It is nice that Quebec makes things easier for Anglos such as myself, but it does feel a bit unfair. I mean, Quebecois in Edmonton are not going to be served in French.

The percentage of unilingual anglos in Quebec is much lower than in the past, but it is still a lot higher than one might expect.

It was one of the most surprising things when I moved here and got to know the province more. In places outside Quebec where I've lived where francophones were 25-30% of the population, there were few unilingual francophones, but in Quebec even in areas where areas where anglophones are a very low percentage, a good number of them are still unilingual.

For example, I recently was looking at some stats and was surprised to find that roughly 10% of anglos in Quebec City are unilingual.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ue

Perhaps, but in Montreal at least (perhaps Gatineau too), it is preferable to have workers in the service industry who are bilingual or have at least some bilingual staff. It's an asset as the city still has a large Anglo population as well as many tourists. I was actually surprised at how Anglo parts of Montreal can be and how 99% of people could speak at least a little of both.

My point was simply that a francophone bookstore in downtown Montreal is probably more likely to employ staff who speak French only than an anglophone bookstore is to employ people who speak English only. If only because the latter is probably still under the legal requirement to be able to serve customers in French, while the former has no such obligation with respect to English.

Aside from that I totally believe you, although I also regularly hear and read complaints from anglophones about a lack of English service in Montreal (even downtown) and in Quebec in general. Including Gatineau.

[ue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The percentage of unilingual anglos in Quebec is much lower than in the past, but it is still a lot higher than one might expect.

It was one of the most surprising things when I moved here and got to know the province more. In places outside Quebec where I've lived where francophones were 25-30% of the population, there were few unilingual francophones, but in Quebec even in areas where areas where anglophones are a very low percentage, a good number of them are still unilingual.

For example, I recently was looking at some stats and was surprised to find that roughly 10% of anglos in Quebec City are unilingual.

How do these people get jobs or understand their bills or deal with those who can't speak English? It seems kind of limiting.

[ue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

My point was simply that a francophone bookstore in downtown Montreal is probably more likely to employ staff who speak French only than an anglophone bookstore is to employ people who speak English only. If only because the latter is probably still under the legal requirement to be able to serve customers in French, while the former has no such obligation with respect to English.

Aside from that I totally believe you, although I also regularly hear and read complaints from anglophones about a lack of English service in Montreal (even downtown) and in Quebec in general. Including Gatineau.

Meh, there were some who were clearly more comfortable in French and it showed in the interactions with my table vs a Francophone one, but I didn't mind. Quebec is a Francophone province, so I took it as a courtesy that they would even greet me in English. That aside, there were also many who were clearly more comfortable in English or who were perfectly comfortable in both.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ue

How do these people get jobs or understand their bills or deal with those who can't speak English? It seems kind of limiting.

You can get basically any bill or form you want in English here. Anything from the federal government of course, but also anything from the provincial government as well (tax forms, driver's licence renewals, child support payments, hydro bills, etc.) National companies all provide bills in English, and even the Quebec-specific ones like Vidéotron will as well. CAA-Québec even produces an entire English version of its monthly magazine for its minority of anglophone members.

Unilingual anglos do have jobs they can occupy (but quite a number are self-employed, so if they need French they hire bilingual people to take care of that stuff), but aside from that the number of jobs as an employee of someone or something that don't require French is shrinking. Many of the jobs even at anglo institutions like McGill or hospitals require French. And you can't work in a reporter in the anglo media either if you are unilingual because city council meeetings are in French, and police tweets about car crashes and crimes are in French as well. As are press briefings.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by ue

How do you live in Quebec as a unilingual Anglo?

I personally know many unilingual Anglos in the Townships...

I would think it would be necessary, or at least the courteous thing to do, to learn at least some basic phrases enough to get you through a checkout.

Necessary, no, courteous, yes.

It is nice that Quebec makes things easier for Anglos such as myself, but it does feel a bit unfair. I mean, Quebecois in Edmonton are not going to be served in French.

That's one of the main arguments for turning Quebec into an unilingual country once and for all. We wouldn't care at all whether or not it's fair that we can't be served in our language somewhere else, and would more gladly switch to English and/or encourage its use as it would then be much less of a threat.

Americans can be served in English in Stockholm, Swedes can't be served in Swedish in NYC, but the two aren't politically united so 'more useful' English is never going to displace 'less useful' Swedish in the long run. So, the Swedes don't really have a reason to be worried about the 'unfairness'.

[ue]

Originally Posted by lio45

I personally know many unilingual Anglos in the Townships...



Necessary, no, courteous, yes.



That's one of the main arguments for turning Quebec into an unilingual country once and for all. We wouldn't care at all whether or not it's fair that we can't be served in our language somewhere else, and would more gladly switch to English and/or encourage its use as it would then be much less of a threat.

Americans can be served in English in Stockholm, Swedes can't be served in Swedish in NYC, but the two aren't politically united so 'more useful' English is never going to displace 'less useful' Swedish in the long run. So, the Swedes don't really have a reason to be worried about the 'unfairness'.

As sad a day it may be, I can definitely foresee a time in the future where Quebec is no longer part of Canada. It makes sense. The place feels different from English Canada.

My comments about it seeming 'unfair' are more to do with the stupid luck English-speakers have been given. There is a double standard in place and it skews heavily in favour of Anglophones worldwide.