Language lessons in Montreal

One of the things that make Montreal unique is how embedded bilingualism is in its culture. With more than half of the city residents being able to communicate fluently in French and English, the most common greet you’ll hear if you walk into any store is “Bonjour, Hi!”. What’s more, you might find some Montrealers using both languages interchangeably in the same conversation, as bilingual dialogues are not a rarity in the city. 

However, as widespread as these two languages are, they are not the only languages you’ll hear in Montreal. In fact, according to the 2016 Canadian census, 22% of total residents in the city speak non-official languages. Among these, the most commonly used are Arabic, with 149,135 estimated speakers, Spanish, with 118,305 and Italian with 117,530.

As you can tell, being monolingual in Montreal is not the best idea. Whether you’re thinking of learning Chinese, Greek or Creoles, being able to speak more than one language will open many doors for you in the city. Not only will you be able to build deeper connections with the local immigrant communities, but you’ll also be able to understand the richness and complexity of the Montrealean society.

Where to study foreign languages in Montreal

If you’re new in Montreal, the first thing you might want to do is learn the most common language in the city, French. The Gouvernement du Québec offers free French courses for foreign-born and Canadian residents that go from beginner to intermediate levels. If you’re an immigrant, in addition to covering the basic language skills, these courses will help you learn all you need to know about the local culture, values and labour market.

For those interested in learning some of the non-official languages, there are many useful resources you can check out the language laboratory at any of the Bibliothèque National branches around the city. Here, you’ll find course books in many languages and levels you can use with one of your tutors or to study on your own. There’s also a multilingual collection where you’ll find all sorts of novels that can help you expand your vocabulary,  like La Naturaleza de la Bestia, a fascinating story about a police officer in Montreal that Spanish learners can’t miss, or La Voce del Violino, a novel by Andrea Camilleri that will captivate any Italian learner.

Language exchange groups in Montreal

There are many language societies and groups around Montreal that meet regularly to help each other improve their oral language skills. If you want to boost your German and find out more about the German culture, you should attend the German Montreal Stammtisch, an event organized by the German Society of Montreal. These meetings take place once a month at Les 3-Brasseurs, 732 Ste-Catherine Street and they are the perfect opportunity to meet native speakers and other local German language enthusiasts.

If you’re currently learning Russian, Montreal Russian Language and Culture exchange group holds monthly meetings where you can test your skills. Most of their events take place at a wonderful local Russian restaurant called Nevski, located at 1228 Stanley St, so in addition to getting to chat with native speakers, you’ll be able to try traditional dishes like pelmeni, vareniki, and pishkis.

Cultural institutions and events in Montreal

As a language learner, you’re probably well aware of the importance of getting to know the cultures where your target language is spoken. Fortunately, there are many events and activities in the city that will help you do just that.

If you want to learn more about the different Arab cultures, you can’t miss the annual Arab World Festival in Montreal, held in November. This festival showcases the best Arab films, amazing live music and incredible performances. In this multidisciplinary event, you’ll be able to discover shows, creations, conferences, debates and films, and meet some of the most important artists, filmmakers and intellectuals from all around the globe.

Whether you’re Greek or just love everything about Greece, every March you have the chance to take your Greek or Canadian flag and celebrate the Greek Independence Day. In this fun event, you’ll get to watch and be part of a big parade that showcases many local Greek groups like members of the Hellenic Community of Montreal, Greek associations, educational institutions, and various cultural communities. What’s more, after the parade, you can attend a dinner event where you can try traditional Greek food, meet people from the local community and see who’s chosen as the “Hellene of the year”, a distinction to a Greek nominee in recognition of their social contribution and scientific and business successes.

Language jobs in Montreal

Although there are many job opportunities in Montreal for people who can speak only one of the two official languages, bilinguals who can speak both French and English earn 60 percent more than their monolingual counterparts, according to the census. If you can already speak both of these languages, you can get even more opportunities if you decide to learn a third or fourth language. For instance, there are many tech companies in Montreal like Element AI, Imagia and Smooch who are constantly looking for applicants that can help them expand into international markets, so having Chinese, Spanish, Arabic or German in your CV would really increase your chances of landing a job in these companies.

What’s more, due to the growing numbers of foreign-born residents in the city, there are many job positions available for people that can communicate in non-official languages like Spanish Bilingual Advisor, German Bilingual Developer and Mandarin Bilingual Customer Service Representative. 

Get started now!!!

Now that you have finally decided to start learning a language, the next step is finding the perfect place to do so. Here at Listen & Learn, we offer the best language courses that stand out from the rest because they are completely personalized. You’ll no longer have to learn using outdated materials, since our native teachers will create completely unique lessons tailored to your interests and goals. All you need to do is send us a quick inquiry and one of our team members will contact you as soon as possible to help you find the perfect course.