Faces – May 2019

compiled by Carolee Miot McIntosh

Kylie

This month, Kylie corresponds

with Sofia, a 15-year-old from the

Canadian province of Quebec.

French is the most widely spoken

language in the province. In 1995, the

people of Quebec voted to become

independent from Canada. It was a

very close vote, but the referendum

failed, and Quebec remained a

province. However, the Canadian

government passed a resolution

recognizing Quebec as a “distinct

society” within Canada. Read along

with Sofia and Kylie as they talk

about going to school and learning

different languages.

Dear Sofia,

My name is Kylie. I am 13 years old and from New

Hampshire. I love to do fun things like skiing, playing

soccer, swimming, and hiking. I love to travel, too. I visited

Montreal, Canada once. I don’t remember it, so I am very

excited to be reminded all about it.

Generally, English is spoken where I live, but some

families speak other languages at home. We all begin to

take language classes in eighth grade. I am taking French

(which makes my Papa happy since it is his first language).

I have heard that French is spoken in Montreal. Which

language do you use at school and which at home?

From,

Kylie

Dear Kylie,

My name is Sofia, and I’m 15 years old. I love sports like soccer,

flag football, and skiing. I also spend most of my weekends with

friends. We often just hang out at the mall, watch movies, or go out

to eat. I also love to travel. I am actually leaving for Paris in about a

week for a school trip.

Here in Montreal, the main language is French, but in general, we

are bilingual. At my school, Villa Maria, there are two sectors, English

and French. I am on the English sector, but I still have some classes in

French. In Canada, our schooling is a bit different from yours. Grades

1 through 6 are called elementary. Grades 7 through 11 are called

high school. Grades 12 to 13 are called college followed by university.

How does your school system work?

At home, I mostly speak English and Italian, not much French,

but I went to a French elementary school, so I am perfectly fluent in

French.

Sofia