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. |
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| 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
Famous quotes containing the word language:
“Man, even man debased by the neocapitalism and pseudosocialism of our time, is a marvelous being because he sometimes speaks. Language is the mark, the sign, not of his fall but of his original innocence. Through the Word we may regain the lost kingdom and recover powers we possessed in the far-distant past.”
—Octavio Paz (b. 1914)
“It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to.... The feeling for the things themselves, for reality, is more important than the feeling for pictures.”
—Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890)
“Was there a little time between the invention of language and the coming of true and false?”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)