Fluency in French. Does it happen often at McGill?

Blobof
Sat, 24 Nov 2007 22:30:43 +0000

One doesn’t come to McGill to become fluent in French. And Montreal is a terrible place to learn French. For one thing, many out-of-towners stick to the McGill/Concordia ghetto (or pick in NDG if they actually decide to live off campus) where they can live exclusively in English. Second, bilingual Francophones will almost automatically switch to English the second they notice the slightest accent or hint of hesitation if you try to speak French.

Those who actually want to become fluent enroll in immersion programs outside of Montreal during the summer months. Heather Monroe-Blum, McGill’s principal, went to Chicoutimi for example, a friend of mine went to Moncton, New-Brunswick, another acquaintance went to La Pocatiere, though I don’t know he picked that place.