French Classes - FREE???!!!

[lonestar]

I read somewhere in this forum that there are French classes offered for free for the newly arrived in Canada. Is this true? Has anyone heard of French classes offered for free?
I searched online also and in the Canadian immigration website but I only found english classes ofered that were free but no french.

Thank you

[Bevdeforges]

You may be thinking of the French classes offered in France for those issued their first carte de séjour. Those classes are free of charge, and compulsory if you're planning on renewing that card at the end of the year.

If there are free French classes for Canadian immigrants, I'm betting they're only offered in Quebec.
Cheers,
Bev

[Auld Yin]

Originally Posted by lonestar

I read somewhere in this forum that there are French classes offered for free for the newly arrived in Canada. Is this true? Has anyone heard of French classes offered for free?
I searched online also and in the Canadian immigration website but I only found english classes ofered that were free but no french.

Thank you

In general there are no free French classes for new immigrants to Canada. The only exception may be the Province of Quebec but even there it's probably on a limited basis.
There are French education classes available for small fee at many nightschools/colleges..

[lonestar]

Originally Posted by Auld Yin

In general there are no free French classes for new immigrants to Canada. The only exception may be the Province of Quebec but even there it's probably on a limited basis.
There are French education classes available for small fee at many nightschools/colleges..

Thank you Auild Yin and Bev for your quick responses. This Forum has proven to be very helpful for me. Hopefully I will be able to pass on the good karma once I get settled in Canada.

[Punktlich2]

Originally Posted by lonestar

Thank you Auild Yin and Bev for your quick responses. This Forum has proven to be very helpful for me. Hopefully I will be able to pass on the good karma once I get settled in Canada.

Others have correctly surmised that Québec might offer help in French language instruction. The answer is online. i'm not allowed to post the URL but you can Google "Immigration-Québec - Learning French in Québec" and the first hit will provide the answer -- there are free courses for immigrants paid for by the Québec government.

Unless you are an enrolled First Canadian or a tourist it's difficult to survive in Québec without understanding French. But you knew that already.

Good luck.

[lonestar]

Originally Posted by Punktlich2

Others have correctly surmised that Québec might offer help in French language instruction. The answer is online. i'm not allowed to post the URL but you can Google "Immigration-Québec - Learning French in Québec" and the first hit will provide the answer -- there are free courses for immigrants paid for by the Québec government.

Unless you are an enrolled First Canadian or a tourist it's difficult to survive in Québec without understanding French. But you knew that already.

Good luck.

Thank you Punktlich2. Yea I knew I had to know french in order to live in Quebec. I checked it out and I am very disapointed that it is offered only for people who live in Quebec. Too bad

[Punktlich2]

Originally Posted by lonestar

Thank you Punktlich2. Yea I knew I had to know french in order to live in Quebec. I checked it out and I am very disapointed that it is offered only for people who live in Quebec. Too bad

Actually there are elementary schools taught entirely or partly in French all over Canada, some operated by orders of nuns and some secular. But these of course won't help you.

That said, there may well be subsidised adult education classes for adults.

Language has been highly politicised in Canada, no surprise there. I once landed at Toronto airport and was dismayed that no immigration desk was marked "French spoken". The moment I complained somebody told me to "wait here" and rushed to get a French speaking officer. She turned out to be a diminutive Vietnamese Canadian who spoke perfect Parisian French and didn't bat an eyelash over my request to speak French even though it was obvious that I was bilingual.

[lonestar]

Originally Posted by Punktlich2

Actually there are elementary schools taught entirely or partly in French all over Canada, some operated by orders of nuns and some secular. But these of course won't help you.

That said, there may well be subsidised adult education classes for adults.

Language has been highly politicised in Canada, no surprise there. I once landed at Toronto airport and was dismayed that no immigration desk was marked "French spoken". The moment I complained somebody told me to "wait here" and rushed to get a French speaking officer. She turned out to be a diminutive Vietnamese Canadian who spoke perfect Parisian French and didn't bat an eyelash over my request to speak French even though it was obvious that I was bilingual.

I guess then that in Toronto they favor more the English language then. Thank you again for giving me great resources Punktlich2. I actually wrote to one French organization that I found in Toronto but that was on saturday so I don't expect an answer from them probably until Monday. Take care.

[mljcbsn]

In Montreal, Quebec, there are many free French classes. You could definitely learn how to speak daily French.

[Auld Yin]

Originally Posted by lonestar

I guess then that in Toronto they favor more the English language then. Thank you again for giving me great resources Punktlich2. I actually wrote to one French organization that I found in Toronto but that was on saturday so I don't expect an answer from them probably until Monday. Take care.

In all of Canada, except Quebec and a few very small pockets in New Brunswick and Manitoba, English is the language of the masses. You would find it quite difficult to find someone in Toronto who speaks French on a day to day basis. You would have better luck finding someone to speak Mandarin/Cantonese, Punjabi, Spanish, Urdu etc, etc. Toronto is one of the world's great multi-cultural cities.