The Boardroom Contender™

Meet Adriano — a Toronto‑born millennial entrepreneur who now proudly calls Montréal home. He can chat in French with his chums québécois without breaking a sweat, especially when the conversation turns to whether the 2025 Blue Jays could take down l’équipe des Expos de 1994. But he usually sidesteps the Leafs‑versus‑Habs debate, knowing that one is a lost cause from the start! 

As a proud Canadian, Adriano made it a personal mission to become fluent in both of the country’s official languages. He’s well integrated dans la société québécoise, yet French in professional settings remains a major hurdle. 

The moment French becomes the language of project updates, negotiations, or written communication, the pressure spikes. Reading data reports in French feels like deciphering a foreign code — the terminology simply doesn’t land. 

Cultural nuances add another layer of difficulty. Adriano often makes unintentional faux pas when dealing with Francophone stakeholders. Just last week, he sent un courriel to Marie‑Pier, a Chartered Professional Accountant working with one of his clients. He referred to her as a “comptable professionnel agréé” instead of “comptable professionnelle agréée.” The client was so irritated by the mistake that Adriano nearly lost the account. 

Like those reality‑TV boardrooms where contestants feel the heat, mastering French business language and corporate etiquette is the game‑changer that keeps you out of the ejection seat. 

If any of these situations feel familiar, start by visiting our Products page and choosing the language‑level assessment that fits your needs.