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Canada is among the countries that have French as a national language. According to the available statistics, Canada has the second largest number of French speakers, the first being France. 22% of Canadians speak French and 57% speaks English and as a result, both are official languages.

After Saint Lawrence Gulf exploration in 1534, France laid their claim on today’s Canada and set up a flourishing colony. They imposed French as the national language and the locals were expected to comply.

In 1763, the British defeated France and captured Quebec and Montreal. They took over Canada and the authority was passed on to the British crown. As a result, French elites left Canada and put a stop to all business transactions with the locals. Within this time, there was a decline in French language teaching.

The result of the above interactions is what turned Canada into a French-speaking nation. In the 1960s, there was a Quiet Revolution where language was at the center of the debate. As a result, French was recognized as Quebec’s national language and sectors such as labor, administration, commerce quicklyadopted these changes.

Though the British tried to wage war against making French as a national language in Quebec, they couldn’t do much. France has established a formidable army of French Canadian and had very close ties with some aboriginal group from Ohio Valley. Due to these deep roots, it was impossible to stop the spread of the French language.

Today, 80% of Quebec residents speak French and they are really proud of their culture and heritage. In some regions, people would frown at you if you spoke English. You will not miss a French-speaking family in every province though Quebec is the only place where French is the majority language.

If you have plans to visit Canada in the near future, knowing some basic French will make your stay comfortable. You will be able to express yourself in places where French is largely used such as Quebec. The effect that the interaction between France and the locals had was too binding which is why the affected regions fought to maintain French as their national language.