14 sessions to discover Quebec differently

Because settling in also means understanding Quebec, its culture and its French. Passerelle vers le Québec is made up of 14 themed sessions where culture and language meet:

7 CULTURE sessions

To get to know the place where you live — or where you’re about to live.

Session by session, Gilles introduces you to topics such as the origins of French in North America, Montreal and Quebec City, the regions of Quebec, some distinctive features of Quebec society and its food culture.

7 QUEBEC FRENCH sessions

To finally make sense of what you hear around you.

Pronunciation, vocabulary, expressions, grammar features, origins and usage: you’ll learn to recognize the traits that give Quebec French its distinctive colour and better understand why people speak the way they do in Quebec.

7 sessions to get to know Quebec. 7 sessions to understand its French. Passerelle: the bridge between the two.

The 7 stops of the program

Here is the journey, stop by stop.
Hand pointing at the St. Lawrence River on an antique map of New France, with a magnifying glass and a brass compass
1

Where does Quebec French come from?

Culture: French around the world and in North America

Quebec French: Long vowels

Wooden fishing boats on a pebble beach in a Gaspésie village, with a red-roofed shed and a lighthouse
2

Back to the roots of Quebec French

Culture: The origins of the French spoken in Quebec today

Quebec French: Archaisms, maritime terms, neologisms and anglicisms

People walking on a cobblestone street in Old Montreal in autumn, with the dome of Bonsecours Market in the distance
3

Montreal

Culture: Montreal, Quebec’s metropolis

Quebec French: Diphthongs

Snowy Dufferin Terrace in Quebec City, with people looking out at the icy St. Lawrence River and Lévis
4

Quebec City

Culture: Quebec City, the capital of Quebec

Quebec French: The interrogative tu

Commuters in winter coats on a Montreal metro platform in front of a ceramic mural as a train passes
5

Living and getting around in Quebec

Culture: Transportation

Quebec French: Affrication

Village with a white church among autumn-coloured hills by the St. Lawrence River in Charlevoix
6

Discovering the regions

Culture: The regions of Quebec

Quebec French: The unstable final t

Family rolling maple taffy on snow at a Quebec sugar shack in spring
7

Quebec at the table… and on the tongue

Culture: Quebec’s culinary specialties

Quebec French: Pronouncing oi: “Le roé, c’est moé”

Is Passerelle for you?

Already living in Quebec?

You speak French well, but you want to better understand Quebecers, their references, their culture and the French you hear every day.

New to Quebec?

You want to go beyond the practical steps and discover the society where you’re starting a new life.

Preparing your move?

You want to arrive with more than a French level: keys to understanding Quebec and what makes it unique from your very first days.

Simply curious about Quebec?

You love the French language, history, culture and the linguistic features of Quebec, and want to discover them with a teacher who is passionate about them.
Recommended French level: B1 and up. Not sure of your level? Take your French level test. Not at B1 yet? Our general French courses can get you there.
Gilles Lavoie, French as a second language teacher and author of Passerelle vers le Québec

Gilles Lavoie

The author of Passerelle vers le Québec
A French as a second language (FSL) teacher since 2019, Gilles Lavoie works with adult immigrants, including at Quebec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) and the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM). His career has also taken him to UQAM and the Cégep du Vieux Montréal, and he has particular expertise in phonetics and Quebec French.
Passionate about the origins and features of the French spoken in Quebec, he developed a course on Quebec culture and Laurentian French (the French of the St. Lawrence Valley) for international students.
With Passerelle vers le Québec, Gilles brings together what has driven him for years: teaching the language, but also helping people understand the culture that keeps it alive.

Want to discover Passerelle?

The next edition is in the works.

The Discovery Evening is an online get-together to meet Gilles, explore the program through one cultural and one language example, and ask your questions.

Pre-register to be among the first to hear about the free Discovery Evening, the program dates and fees, and the opening of registration.
Pre-register
No commitment. The form is in French, like the program itself.