Québec - Canada

I spent my year abroad working as a language assistant in a secondary school in Québec. I lived in a lovely small town called Joliette, which was about an hour outside of Montreal, possibly my favourite city in the world. By the end of my first week in Canada I had stood on a stage at parent’s evening, introducing myself in French, and I had been on a tiny dinghy in the middle of a bay, whale-watching; both equally intimidating experiences! I soon discovered that Joliette, while small, is a great place to live. Local history is abundant. Every October the many bars and cafés play host to an annual jazz and blues festival, plus the local art gallery boasts its very own original Rodin sculpture. In terms of my language skills, I found that a “sink or swim” environment can be incredibly motivating. While close to Montreal, where English is spoken freely, the community in Joliette was much keener to speak.

Phillip Ellis