Many of the first settlers to Alberta were French-Canadian. Brought by fur traders, French was in fact the first European language spoken in Alberta. These French origins are still evident today and, according to the 2016 Census data, more than 418,000 (or 10.5%) of Albertans are of French or French-Canadian heritage.
Which Canadian province speaks the most French?
Quebec
Quebec, the only province that is primarily Francophone, adopted the Charter of the French Language , which provides for the predominant use of French within provincial government institutions and in Quebec society.
What percentage of Canadian citizens speak French?
English is the first official language spoken by just over three in four Canadians. This proportion increased from 74.8% in 2016 to 75.5% in 2021. French is the first official language spoken by an increasing number of Canadians, but the proportion fell from 22.2% in 2016 to 21.4% in 2021.
How many people speak French in Edmonton?
Figure 4.1 Population by knowledge of official languages, Edmonton, 2011
| Official language | Population (percentage) |
|---|---|
| English only | 91.2 |
| French only | 0.1 |
| English and French | 7.3 |
| Neither English nor French | 1.4 |
Do people speak French in Alberta?
French is the mother tongue of 1 in 5 Canadians and approximately 86,705 Albertans (2% of the population). According to 2016 Census information, Alberta’s French mother tongue (Francophone) population is among the fastest-growing French-speaking populations in Canada.
Is French declining in Canada?
Proportion of French speakers declines everywhere, including Quebec Back to video. Statistics Canada says over three in four Canadians report English as their first official language, a proportion that’s increased over the five-year period.
Do French people understand Quebecois?
Although these accents may cause confusion, typically both Metropolitan French and Québécois speakers can understand one another. However, Québécois can be much more informal of a language by utilizing idioms, words, cultural references, and expressions unique to French-Canada.
Why is French declining?
The relative decline of French in Quebec can be explained partly by a younger anglophone population, immigration from non-Francophone countries, and Quebec losing fewer English speakers to other parts of the country, according to a Statistics Canada analysis of Wednesday’s data.
Why is Canada mostly French?
During the 17th century, French settlers originating mainly from the west and north of France settled Canada. It is from them that the French Canadian ethnicity was born. During the 17th to 18th centuries, French Canadians expanded across North America and colonized various regions, cities, and towns.
What cities speak most French in Canada?
Quebec City and Montreal
As the province with the highest proportion of French speakers in Canada, Quebec is an ideal starting point for anyone seeking to learn “quelques mots”! The Great Trail takes you to the beating heart of this proud but welcoming community by passing through the cities of Montreal and Quebec.
What percentage of Calgary speaks French?
English Only 979,520 90% 1,108,175 90% 13% French Only 1,005 0% 1,170 0% 16% English and French 81,455 7% 89,400 7% 10% Neither English nor French 25,425 2% 29,245 2% 15% Sources: Statistics Canada 2012a; 2017a. 38,805 3% Source: Statistics Canada 2017a.
Is French spoken in Calgary?
Of the total population of the Calgary census metropolitan area, 84,675 people (7.9%) reported knowing French or both French and English. The vast majority of Calgary Francophones speak both official languages.
Do you need to know French to live in Alberta?
Yes. All applicants must provide proof of language ability in one of Canada’s two official languages. You must give us official test results designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. See more information on language testing.
How many Albertans are bilingual?
In relative terms, the provinces with the largest increases in their bilingual population are Alberta (12.4%), Newfoundland and Labrador (10.6%) and Saskatchewan (10.3%).
The growth of English–French bilingualism comes mostly from Quebec.
| Alberta | |
| number | 235,565 |
| 264,715 | |
| 29,150 | |
| percent | 12.4 |
What is the most common language in Alberta?
English
Knowledge of official languages, Alberta, 2011 and 2016
| Language | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Percent | |
| English | 3,698,765 | 91.9 |
| French | 3,895 | 0.1 |
| English and French | 264,715 | 6.6 |
Is French valued in Canada?
While it’s true that French is a minority language in Canada, it is still the main tongue of about 7.3 million Canadians. That’s about 20 percent of the population! Take the case of Quebec, a predominantly francophone province where 71.2 percent of the population are French speakers.
Is French an advantage in Canada?
If you are proficient in french you can travel across Canada without hesitation. One of the major advantages of learning French is that you can get Job If you are proficient in the bilingual language, you can also choose between jobs that are available only in English or only in French.
Is French beneficial in Canada?
Open up job opportunities: French language skills are often required for government positions, especially in federal departments. Studies have shown that Canadians fluent in both official languages can earn more than unilingual job candidates, even if they’re not required to speak French in the work place.
Can French understand Cajun?
The vast majority of words, structures and pronunciations used in Cajun French would be recognized and understood by fluent French speakers from other countries even though some of those them are not current anymore in Standard French.
How do Québécois say hello?
French people stick to the usual “bonjour”. That said, if you’re wondering how to say hello in French Canadian then look no further. In Canada, particularly in Quebec, we can say “bon matin”. As far as afternoons are concerned, there’s no other special way to say hello during the day until the evening.
Can Parisians understand Canadian French?
Canadian French has different vocabulary, idioms, slang, cultural references, and expressions that may be unfamiliar to those who speak European French. However, the largest difference is pronunciation, so much so that Canadian and European French are not always mutually intelligible.