Prominently featured are Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Hebrew, as well as scores of others. The neighborhoods, restaurants and festivals reflect this ethnic diversity. Contrary to some expectations, Montreal is a very open, accepting city that makes the most of its multifarious heritage. All languages are acceptable on the streets and in businesses, in spite of some problems with official language regulations. Students participating in the program will be encouraged, however, to make the most of the opportunity to practice their French with all comers.
Transit is extremely inexpensive.
Montreal is also a shopper s paradise. Its attractive underground mall extends 19 kilometers in every direction under downtown. The exchange rate between the Canadian and American dollars makes for good bargains. Old Montreal, for its part, is a delightful little slice of old France.