Archiver > QUEBEC-RESEARCH > 2003-03 > 1047166233

From: "kfrog" <>
Subject: [Q-R] Language question from husband
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 15:30:33 -0800

My husband was just reading an article in the Modern Language Association
Journal about the dialect in Montreal, which is called "joual". Having been
trained in French in the US by French professors from France, he thought it
was called "patois". His professor callled him "Mssr. l'Anglicisme" because
he was attempting to make Ken's French more standard French. Last New
Year's, he overheard, in a restaurant, a young man trying to make a date
with the female waitress in joual, which came back to him upon hearing it
again. So his question is: "What exactly *is* the difference between joual
and patois?

My French is progressing! We thought we would spend the week speaking French
here at home, but it only lasted three days because we wound up laughing too
much. But I can now say, "J'ai un the' citron froid", which I am sure will
come in quite handy if we ever get to Montreal. He is going to install a
program for me so I can study on the computer. It is the facial expressions
and grunts that I have the most trouble with, but he has had linguistics, so
he can tell me exactly the position that one's tongue and teeth should be
in-but it is still humourous to moi, une Americaine.

Calins et bijoux, my Q-R jewels of friends.


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