They Have a Language Police, and Other Fun Facts About Québec

If you've always wanted to visit a French-speaking country, keep in mind that France isn't the only place that should be on the list! Although it's not a country, Québec is a very close alternative to satiate your desire for some Francophone culture.

Birthplace to Céline Dion, Québec has much to offer. It is at the centre of French-speaking culture in North America. Its culture is a symbol of a distinct perspective. Not many people know this, but it has some of the strictest language laws in the world.

Signs must be in French, or must use mostly French; food service or retail employees have to greet customers in French; and there are even laws on whether parents can send their children to English or French school. The OQLF (Office québécois de la langue française) are the language police. They hand out fines to noncompliant businesses, and are usually plain clothed and covert.

However, you might be surprised to find that many Québécois speak joual, a "working-class" dialect with unique contractions and anglicisms unlike "proper" Québécois. The most creative and colorful joual usually entails combining multiple words into one, leaving off extra syllables or casually dropping English terms with French pronunciation. For instance, most people simply say le weekend instead of la fin de semaine (which mean the same thing). To punctuate sentences, they use tsé, instead of tu sais (you know)?

Interesting too, Québec has its own national holiday. St. Jean Baptiste Day, or Fête Nationale (translated as "national party") is held on June 24. Because it falls in the beginning of summer, the holiday is characterized by outdoor festivities. St. Jean Baptiste Day is the perfect time to check out the music this province has to offer--just make sure to wear blue, as the background of the Québec flag is blue, as well as the French Canadian version of the flur-de-lis, two symbols of the celebration.

If you ever decide to visit our neighbors up north, make sure to stop by Québec! They might be impressive with your knowledge about their home and it's also a great opportunity to practice your French!