Written by Gabriela Estrada

If you are in Canada and want to improve your French, take advantage of the summer to speak! At this time of the year, Canadians are more open than ever to conversation and it is very common to have social gatherings in the streets where you will hear typical phrases very useful to practice the language and gain more fluency and confidence in speaking. 

In this blog, I will give you some interesting ideas on how to speak like a French-Canadian. Read all the way to the end and write down the typical phrases you hear in the beautiful Canadian summer. Let's get started!

Speaking French during summer vacations

When the vacations arrive in Canada, life moves outdoors. The streets, parks and beaches are filled with natives and immigrants spontaneously conversing and sharing, then typical phrases appear such as: "Je voudrais une glace à la vanille, s'il vous plaît"to ask for an ice cream. Some may use the word cornet to ask for a cone, depending on the type of glace (ice cream) they want.

It's hot!

In this relaxed atmosphere, it is common to talk about the weather. For example, in the Vieux-Québec (Old Quebec), everyone uses the phrase: "Il fait chaud aujourd'hui!", that is, "It's hot today!"

For beginners of the language, I leave a word-by-word breakdown!

• Il → He (used as impersonal subject in this case).
• fait → does (from the verb fairedo)
• chaud → heat
• aujourd'hui → today

Shall we go to the beach?

Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine (The Madeleine Islands) is the most typical beach area of Quebec, there it is common the phrase: "Il y a du soleil, c'est parfait pour la plage" ("There is sun, it's perfect for the beach")..

Many foreigners visit the province of Quebec during the summer vacations and it is quite frequent that they have to interact with locals to ask about areas they want to visit. In this case, ask like this: 

• "Où est la plage la plus proche ?" (Where is the nearest beach?).
• Or, with les formules de politessethat is to say, with the words of politeness: "Excusez-moi, où est la plage la plus proche, s'il vous plaît ?" (Excuse me, where is the nearest beach, please?).

Summer songs 

Teenagers, young adults and seniors in Canada love the alternative pop music of these French-speaking singers: Stromae, Angèle, Zaz, Kendji Girac. It's common to listen to these artists while outdoors, so you're sure to learn vocabulary without even realizing it!

An easy song to practice French with music is: "Papaoutai" by Stromae. The word "papaoutai" is a phonetic contraction in French of the phrase. "Papa, où t'es ?", which means: "Papa, where are you?".

Now, continue to explore other typical Canadian summer songs and you will see how the French language will become more and more familiar to you.

Strategies and recommendations to advance in French

Improve your language skills by doing this:

• Take the initiative to say hello and ask questions. Don't hesitate to start a conversation about the weather, events, etc., or to ask questions and make local suggestions.
• Observe and listen carefully how they use idioms and tone in different contexts.

• Actively participate in outdoor in outdoor conversations, hiking or volunteering to get involved.
• Don't be afraid to make mistakesRemember that every mistake is an opportunity to learn and improve.
• Keep a personal record with new words and expressions.

After the summer walk, it is important to reinforce what you have learned at home. To do so:

• Take at least 15 minutes a day to practice.
• Use language applications to recognize words and their pronunciation.
• Assess your level of French and identify which skills you need to work on to understand French as a local.

Learn French with Planeta Immiland Education

Planeta Immiland is the first language school for immigration purposes in Canada. Our courses are focused on teaching French and English so that the student can adapt to daily Canadian life and speak fluently like a native speaker. Each program will allow you to advance your level in an average time of two months. 

In addition, we have a Completely free testwith instant results and a special discount at the end of the test, so you can locate your level of knowledge and evaluate where to start from.

Discover all the curriculum, prices and the team of teachers of our academy at: https://www.planeta-immiland-education.com/.

I hope you have enjoyed this topic and that you will practice French consistently throughout the summer in Canada. If you wish to write to us for more information contact us at and we will be happy to help you.

Thank you very much for reading! See you in the next blog!

With love,

Planeta Immiland Education