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:
“Upon my tongues continual slanders ride,
The which in every language I pronounce,
Stuffing the ears of men with false reports.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.”
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)
“We might hypothetically possess ourselves of every technological resource on the North American continent, but as long as our language is inadequate, our vision remains formless, our thinking and feeling are still running in the old cycles, our process may be “revolutionary” but not transformative.”
—Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)