Days are getting shorter, nights are getting longer, and inevitably the fall session of ‘Urban Hiking and Conversation’ is becoming a nocturnal affair. It’s amazing though, how many people there are on the Mountain at night, jogging, Nordic walking, and biking.
This conversation activity is a true exchange. This fall we’ve had participants from Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, France, Algeria, Iran, Turkey and Syria, some on a regular basis, and some just to check things out. It is very inspiring to see people doing their best to speak only in French on French night, only in English on English night. When they have time, participants often come to help out if they’re strong in one language, and they’re very patient. It’s a safe environment in which to spend an hour and a half just learning and practicing. Otherwise, in Montreal, as soon as you start speaking one language people might switch to the other, to help out, but it makes it hard to practice…
