Written by Gabriela Estrada

If you live in Canada and are learning French, a visit to Montreal, in the province of Quebec, can be an invaluable language immersion. The best way to take advantage of this opportunity is by using public transportation (les transports en commun) to get around the city. It is on the bus, subway or train that you will have the opportunity to listen, read and grasp the Canadian French used in everyday life.

In this blog, we'll take a tour of Montreal and I'll introduce you to commonly used vocabulary related to public transportation. Read to the end and take note of the French words and phrases you will hear on a daily basis. Let's go for a ride now!

French vocabulary to go to the historic center of Montreal 

In this step-by-step tour, you will learn vocabulary associated with the means of transportation to get around the city. 

The first thing to do is prendre le métro (take the métro) at the nearest station and buy a billet (ticket) at the borne de billetterie (ticket vending machine) to go to the line that will take you to the historic center.

When leaving the station, look for an bus stop (bus stop) to take a bus (bus) to Vieux-Montréal (Old Montreal). Stroll through the cobblestone streets and visit the gare (train station) of Montreal! There you will find beautiful colonial architecture.

If you want to have lunch or take a break, look for a café near the quai (platform) of the port area and enjoy a typical Quebecois lunch. Would you prefer to get around by bicycle, in that case, use a vélo en libre-service (public bicycle) to get around the area faster. Then head to the bateau-bus (ferry) station and cross the river to the island of Sainte-Hélènewhere you can visit the Jean-Drapeau Jean-Drapeau Park.

To return, take a tramway (tramway) to the city center and be sure to see the exhibition of the month at the Museum of Fine Arts. Last but not least, use your carte de transport (transportation card) to take the metro back home.

To pay transportation, you will need to buy tickets and/or cards. Let's see what they are called:

The main card for public transportation in the province of Québec is a carte rechargeable (rechargeable card) called OPUS.

Here are the common names of the tickets:

• Billet à un seul voyage/ticket simple (single trip ticket/single ticket). The passage or the billet can be paid in cash (monnaie exacte) directly on the bus.

• Billet de deux trajets (two-trip ticket).

• Forfaits de voyage (travel packages).

• Pass de jours illimités (pfor unlimited days), for example: Laissez-passer 3 jours (3-day pass).

• Passe de week-end illimité (unlimited weekend pass).

• Passe mensuel (monthly pass).

Another excellent option for touring the cities of Quebec and its surroundings is to rent a car (location d'auto). In Quebec, you will find the main car rental agencies (compagnies de location de voitures) such as Enterprise, Avis, Hertz, Budget and Alamo.

RecommendationsDon't forget to take note of the French words you may pick up during the tour and then practice them.

If you are not traveling to Quebec, but you still want to learn new French words, you can make this visit digitally. digitally, with a map of the city.

Strategies to expand vocabulary in French 

Complement the tour with these activities:

• Oral production:practice real dialogues about public transportation by simulating the purchase of tickets.

• Choose a partner and role-play a conversation in which one of you buys a billet (ticket) at the borne de billetterie (vending machine).
• Repeat the words and sentences several times to improve fluency.

• Listening comprehension: listen to conversations and announcements in transportation stations - analyze messages in the subway to get the context of words!

• Search for audios or videos of announcements on métro stations. métro (subway) in Paris or Montreal.
• Listen to phrases such as "Le prochain train arrivera dans deux minutes" (The next train will arrive in two minutes).
• Write down what you understand and check with the subtitles.

• Written production: create texts using the new vocabulary. You can write a transportation guide.

• Write a user guide for the transport en commun in a French-speaking city.
• Include information on how to purchase a billetthe types of transportsand tips for getting around the city.
• Use key terms such as tramway (tramway), gare (station), quai (platform).

• Reading comprehension: read and analyze real texts about public transportation, with interpretation of timetables and signage.

• Search for maps and transportation schedules on a French-speaking website.
• Identify keywords such as horaires (timetables) and tarifs (rates).
• Answer questions about bus times and routes bus (bus) o bateau-bus (ferry).

Do you want to learn other strategies to speak French? Log in to Planeta Immiland Educationour immigration language school for Canada, and select the course according to your level. See French Courses available.

Test your level of French for free and find out which course you should take. At Planeta Immiland, we have specialized teachers who will help you advance in the language. We are certified by Languages Canada, so your learning is guaranteed to integrate you into the French Canadian community.

I hope you have enjoyed your walk and start using your new vocabulary about les transports en communSee you soon!

With love, 

Planeta Immiland Education