Language
In terms of mother language (first language learned), the 2006 census reported that in the Greater Montreal Area, 66.5% spoke French as a first language, followed by English at 13.2%, while 0.8% spoke both as a first language. The remaining 22.5% of Montreal-area residents are allophones, speaking languages including Italian (3.5%), Arabic (3.1%), Spanish (2.6%), Creole (1.3%), Chinese (1.2%), Greek (1.2%), Portuguese (0.8%), Romanian (0.7%), Vietnamese (0.7%), and Russian (0.5%). In terms of additional languages spoken, a unique feature of Montreal among Canadian cities, noted by Statistics Canada, is the working knowledge of both French and English possessed by most of its residents.
1996 | 2001 | 2006 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
French | 71.2% | 72.1% | 70.5% | |
English | 19.4% | 18.5% | 18.5% | |
Other language | 13.4% | 13.1% | 14.6% | |
Note that percentages add up to more than 100% because some people speak two or more languages at home. |
Language | Greater Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
French | 65.8% | 79.7% | 22.0% |
English | 13.2% | 9.0% | 58.6% |
Arabic | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
Spanish | 3.1% | 1.8% | 1.3% |
Italian | 3.1% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
Creole | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.2% |
Greek | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
Chinese | 1.1% | 0.6% | 1.3% |
Portuguese | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
Romanian | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Vietnamese | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
Russian | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Farsi | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Tagalog | 0.4% | 0.2% | 1.2% |
Armenian | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Polish | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Tamil | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
Punjabi | 0.3% | 0.2% | 1.4% |
German | 0.3% | 0.2% | 1.3% |
Bengali | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Cantonese | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.2% |
Urdu | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Mandarin | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Montreal
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—Richard Rorty (b. 1931)
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—Terry Eagleton (b. 1943)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)