Born in New York, Daniel Kraus moved to Québec in 1995, both for a job in the software industry, and also with a desire to live in a principally-Francophone culture. Upon arriving in Montréal, he quickly discovered that the French he'd learned in Europe was dramatically different from the language being spoken around him. After several months of frustration, and a few embarrassing social situations, he started to keep a word list.
Though the years, this list evolved from just nouns and adjectives into verbs and phrases. Finally, with the encouragement of several friends - and a few months of concentrated effort - the first version of Speak Quebec! was born.
The first edition of Speak Quebec! was published and distributed by Humanitas in 2003, followed by a revised second edition, published by Multimedia Aperio, in 2006. The third edition, launched in late 2014, was printed and distributed by the author, and made available globally in both printed and digital editions. This version, significantly extended, contains over 500 new words and phrases, as well as entirely new chaptres providing insight into the language.
Today Dan lives in both Berlin (Germany) and Miami, and travels frequently to Montréal. During his regular visits to Québec, he always seems to find new words and phrases popping up, which only adds to his admiration for the language's speed of evolution. He's immensely greatful for the help of the many friends and colleagues who have contributed to the book, and continues work towards the next edition.
© 2015 by Daniel Kraus. All Rights Reserved.