Over the next few weeks, The duty offers a foray into unique independent bookstores rooted in their community to discover the stories, dreams and favorites of those who carry them at arm’s length. Today, the Michel Fortin bookstore, the only bookstore specializing in language learning in America.
“Learning another language is a bit like becoming someone else. If these words of Haruki Murakami are true, then to take the step of the Michel Fortin bookstore in Montreal is to open the door to a myriad of ways of apprehending the world.
This establishment, the only one of its kind on the American continent, offers a myriad of resources — methods, games, books and dictionaries — for learning foreign languages.
As soon as you push open the door of the boutique, located on Parc Avenue, the tone is set. On the display stand are exposed a dozen copies – in Hebrew, German, Mandarin, Spanish, Italian and even in Latin – of the book The little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. “I even have a copy in Croatian,” says a customer with a wink. “The Little Prince is a great ambassador of languages, says Ronald Thibault, director and owner of the bookstore. Because he comes from elsewhere, because he is sincerely interested in others, he is a symbol of the possibilities that learning a language holds. The book is also an excellent first read, since the story is known and the narration is simple and accessible. »
Behind, huge brick walls are covered with shelves on which are found more than 14,000 titles covering some 250 dialects. “There are bookstores elsewhere in Quebec that specialize in a single language. Here, no matter what language you want to learn, there is a good chance that we can help you. We have learning methods for the most common languages, but also books in Zulu, Latin, ancient Greek or Wolof. »
dream big
In 1982, at the very beginning of a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic studies at the University of Montreal, Ronald Thibault came across the Michel Fortin bookstore by chance, while he was looking for novels in Spanish to complete his learning. First set up by the Cultural Education Center (CEC), the establishment had just been acquired by Michel Fortin, following the adoption of Bill 51 on the development of cultural organizations. “At the time, the CEC was 50% owned by Hachette, a French distribution group. However, the new law forced bookstores wishing to set up shop and do business with libraries and schools to be wholly Canadian owned. »
First hired as a bookseller, Ronald Thibault soon obtained a management position. “Apart from a small parenthesis in the 1990s, I have been involved from the start. In December 2019, he bought the bookstore, with the aim of making it a unique and recognized destination across the continent. “For me, learning a foreign language is a way to break down barriers, to open up a world of possibilities, to allow access and to dream of greater things. »
Although the majority of his revenue comes from communities—schools, libraries and organizations—the owner takes great pleasure in building lasting relationships with individuals looking for a challenge. “We offer several different learning methods for self-taught people. As booksellers, our challenge is to find the method that best meets everyone’s needs and objectives. Then, we try to follow the customers over a long period. We find on the shelves easy and structured readings, first readers. Then, we accompany them in the choice of first novels, with the aim of finally offering them books that really respond to what they like. »
We offer several different learning methods for self-learners. As booksellers, our challenge is to find the method that best meets everyone’s needs and objectives.
Adapt to trends
Over time, the bookseller has seen needs and interests change. At first, many followers of the series star trek had discovered the shop in hopes of learning Klingon, a fictional dialect spoken by the aliens of this universe. The same phenomenon took place in the early 2000s, when the film adaptation of the trilogy The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) heightened curiosity about Elvish.
Today, the growing popularity of manga motivates a growing number of fans to learn Korean or Japanese. Aboriginal languages are also experiencing a major resurgence in popularity. Ronald Thibault, however, regrets not always being able to meet the demand in this regard. “The offer is not there. There are more and more First Nations authors who publish in French, but what people are looking for are books written in Innu, Abenaki or Wendat. I would like us to become a reference for this type of content, but that’s all there is,” he says, pointing to a shelf with less than a dozen bilingual content, including copies of the trilogy. Songs of the North Wind (Prise de parole, 2020), by Cree writer Tomson Highway.
One thing that hasn’t changed over time is the newcomers’ passion for learning the French language. The bookseller had long dreamed that a Quebec method would be offered to students, to compete with a French offer that was not always adapted to the North American reality. In 2017, the publishing house Marcel Didier launched the methodThis way, always highly sought after. “I’ve been insisting for a long time. To accompany these students over a longer period, I also work very hard to convince the publisher to collaborate with authors from here to write novels adapted to readers in learning. »
Thanks to its specialized offer, the Michel Fortin bookstore is better known as a destination business than as a neighborhood bookstore. However, Ronald Thibault hopes to be able to combine the two. Installed since January on the avenue du Parc, after a long stay on the rue Saint-Denis, he notices that more and more passers-by stop to wander and leaf through the books, before returning with goals and dreams in head. “We are unique, and we deserve to be known. But our priority is human contact. »