Worried about not knowing English or French? Do not worry about it.
Canada is a bilingual country where you will mostly speak either English, French, or both. Having said this, it does not mean that these are the only two languages that you will be using or that Canadians know. Due to international migration, you will find a wide variety of languages spoken here, and you will likely meet people who speak your native language, even if it isn’t English or French.
I arrived to Canada with a solid foundation in English thanks to my experience attending a British international school in Mexico City. However, I did have two main concerns regarding my language skills:
1) My accent: I did not know if people were going to understand me or not.
2) Understanding the accent of others
My first worry disappeared upon arrival, as I realized that there are many Canadians who do not have English as their first language. Many Canadians’ first language is French, and many others grew up speaking multiple languages at home. This means that there are a lot of Canadians who speak languages such as Spanish, Mandarin, or Arabic as their mother tongue. Furthermore, within the university environment, the student population is very diverse, originating from different countries and speaking different languages. On campus you will likely find someone from your own country and/or people who share your first language.
What’s more, the Canadian population is very welcoming. Students who move to Canada with little knowledge of English or French often find that Canadians will do their best to understand and assist with basic activities, such as getting groceries or paying for coffee.
I cannot forget about the first time that I went to the supermarket and tried to find ingredients which I only knew in Spanish. Such a basic task can at times seem overwhelming, but it is a common experience. In this case it is important to have courage to ask for help, or bring a buddy along who can assist you.
Overall, I think that as a student in Canada, you should not be worried about the fact that you might not be absolutely fluent in either English or French. You will find people that will be eager to help. Please keep in mind that with patience and collaboration on your side, anything is possible, even if language presents a special challenge.