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My students ask this several times a year, every single year. It always comes up. They want to know if they are learning Québécois French, French from France (aka French French), Franco-Ontarian speaking patterns and accent, or what? 

I bet that French teachers who hail from African francophone countries get this question a lot too!


I try to introduce variations, especially when it comes to vocabulary options that exist in different francophone countries and even regions around the world. Synonyms and flexibility are good things, in my opinion. I'd really like my French students to be able to communicate with francophones from a variety of backgrounds that they might meet throughout their lives. (Am I the only one who is disturbed by the number of TV shows with subtitles added just for English speakers with some kind of an "accent"... as if we ALL don't speak with some sort of an accent!)

I'm also disturbed by francophones who attack other francophones, accusing them of not speaking "real French." Trust me, I'm picky about spelling, punctuation, and grammar... in both my languages, but I also recognize that no one speaks perfectly all the time. So suggest an alternative, introduce cultural flavours, but don't judge.

So, what kind of French are YOU teaching, anyhow?