foreigner
– B2-C2 (intermediate to advanced) –
Practice Your Listening Comprehension
Practice Your Reading Comprehension
In Canadian English, this word typically means:
(noun; negative connotation) a person who does not belong in a particular region/country because they are from a different region/country
NOTE
In Canadian English, the word, “foreigner,” is often considered offensive.
Canada is based on a mosaic sociopolitical structure, so seeing people and things originally from other countries every day is considered normal. These people and their heritage, languages, traditions, religions, cultures, etc. are welcomed in to Canadian society and, as a result, are adopted as a part of Canadian culture. This means that whoever chooses to live in Canada belongs in Canada; they are not foreigners, socially and culturally they are authentic Canadians.
Due to this general Canadian mentality, Canadian English typically uses other words than “foreigner” to describe people from different regions/countries around the world:
international (countable noun/adjective) = a person from another region/country outside of Canada who has not chosen to officially live in Canada (e.g., tourist, exchange student, businessperson, political leader, etc.)
tourist (countable noun) = a person who is visiting from another region/country
immigrant (countable noun) = a general word to refer to a person who moves to another country
newcomer (countable noun) = a person who has recently immigrated to Canada
permanent resident (countable noun) = an immigrant who has been given permission from the Government of Canada to permanently live in the country without needing to become a citizen
resident (countable noun) = a person, in general, who lives in Canada, regardless of their status*
local (countable noun; adjective) = a person who was either born and raised, or born or raised, in Canada, regardless of their status*
*A person’s status refers to their relationship to Canada (e.g., citizen, third-generation Canadian, immigrant, refugee, tourist, etc.).
EXAMPLES
“Numerous internationals travel to Canada every year for tourism, education, and business.”
“Canada’s largest centres, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, have a very high concentration of tourists, compared to other Canadian cities.”
“After graduating from our Master’s programs, my wife and I moved from Canada to Spain. We’ve been immigrants in the country for 2 years now.”
“There are many social services for newcomers to Canada: classes on Canadian culture; English, French and Indigenous language classes; post-secondary educational programs, and much more.”
“Congratulations on becoming a permanent resident!”
“Thanks! I am so happy to no longer be a part of the immigration process–there was so much waiting! It feels so good to officially call Canada my home now.”
“Canada is a culturally diverse country, with residents from all over the world: Brazil, Algeria, Ukraine, India, China, the Philippines, Japan… The list goes on.”
Have you ever travelled to another country? Where did you go and what did you like best there? Practice your English by letting me know in the comments below.
