15 ways to discover Quebec while learning a new language

Want to spice up your weekends in Quebec while adding a new string to your bow? Good news: learning a new language doesn't have to be boring! Between road trips, festivals and encounters, Quebec is full of opportunities to immerse yourself in a different culture and improve your language skills. According to Statistics Canada, almost 20% of Québécois speak a language other than French or English at home. So why not combine business with pleasure? Here are 15 practical, fun and stylish ideas for exploring La Belle Province while boosting your language skills. Ready to step out of your comfort zone?

Take a bilingual road trip along the Route des Navigateurs, from Lévis to Rimouski. Download podcasts in Spanish or Italian to turn every kilometer into a mini-lesson. To make rapid progress, try Lingopie: you can watch series in the language of your choice, perfect for coffee breaks on the road.

Montreal is the capital of festivals! Try the Festival du Monde Arabe or the Festival Orientalys to immerse yourself in new cultures. Take the time to chat with exhibitors and artists, even if you make mistakes. According to Tourisme Montréal, there are over 120 festivals in the city every year, so you'll never get bored!

Spend a few nights in a youth hostel in Quebec City or Trois-Rivières. Travelers come from all over the world, and the atmosphere is conducive to trade. Use Mondly to brush up on your vocabulary before going out for a beer with your new pals. There's nothing like practicing in real-life situations!

Quebec's public markets, like Jean-Talon or Atwater, are ideal playgrounds for practicing a language. Try ordering your products in Spanish or English, depending on the stand. Shopkeepers love to trade and share stories. According to the Association des marchés publics du Québec, over 2 million people visit these markets every year.

Sign up for a Mexican, Italian or Japanese cooking workshop in Montreal or Quebec City. Chefs often share anecdotes in their native language. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn culinary expressions and impress your friends at the next dinner party. According to a Université Laval study, cooking in a group promotes language learning through interaction.

Chinatown, Little Italy, or Montreal's Portuguese Quarter: each corner has its own atmosphere and language. Take a stroll, order a coffee in the local language and observe the conversations around you. It's total immersion without leaving the city!

Join a Spanish, English or German conversation club. Several cafés and libraries in Montreal and Quebec City organize these meetings every week. It's a chance to practice without pressure and meet motivated people like yourself. According to Meetup, there are over 50 active language groups in Quebec.

Give a few hours of your time to an association that welcomes newcomers. You'll be helping out while practicing a foreign language. The trades are authentic and enriching. According to Centraide, over 15,000 volunteers work in multicultural organizations in Quebec every year.

Test your knowledge at a quiz night in an English- or Spanish-speaking pub. Questions and trades are conducted in the target language, perfect for making progress while having fun. Several Montreal bars offer this kind of event every month.

Turn your subway or bus journeys into express learning sessions. With Rosetta Stone, you can progress at your own pace, even between stations. According to a Babbel study, 15 minutes a day is enough to improve your level in just a few weeks.

Trade an hour's conversation in French for an hour's conversation in your neighbor's native language. It's simple, friendly and free. Many Québécois are bilingual or trilingual, so take advantage of this richness around you!

Take part in a workshop or guided tour of an Aboriginal community. Discover words in Innu, Mohawk or Algonquin and learn more about Quebec's history. According to the Quebec government, more than 10 Aboriginal languages are still spoken in the province.

Independent cinemas in Montreal and Quebec City regularly show films in their original version. Go and see a Spanish or Italian film, without French subtitles, to boost your listening comprehension. According to the Observatoire de la culture, attendance at independent cinemas jumped by 12% in 2023.

Change the language of your favorite video games and play in Spanish or German. Dialogues and missions become fun exercises. According to Statista, 67% of gamers say that video games help them learn new languages.

Invite your friends to a brunch where everyone has to speak a different language at the table. Prepare dishes from all over the world and have fun trading anecdotes in your chosen language. To prepare some useful phrases, watch a series on Lingopie before the event. A great atmosphere and guaranteed progress!