A charming shop in Paris
ricain(e) (ree-kah(n) ree-kahn)
: American (slang)
Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc pronounce the French lyrics to the famous song, below: Download MP3 or Wav file
Si les Ricains n'étaient pas là, vous seriez tous en Germanie. If the Americans weren't there, you'd all be in Germany. -Michel Sardou, French singer
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE… by Kristin Espinasse
Ricane English and Hound dog French
The other night I received an unusual request from my daughter. Standing in the doorway, her voice was soft: "Can we practice English?"
"Bien sûr!" I said, patting the cushion beside me. We've come a long way since elementary school days, when my kids would stop me at the gates of their école maternelle: "Please don't talk, Mom. Pas un mot!"
What had been embarrassment has turned, over the past few years, into fierté. "I am so lucky to have a mom who speaks English!" Jackie acknowledged, entering my bedroom.
Seated beside me now, my 15-year-old is determined. "I want to pronounce my r's like an American!"
"Really?" I say, beginning our lesson.
"Weally!" Jackie smiles, happy to jump in.
"No, rrreally," I correct her.
"WWWeally," Jackie tries again, clearly struggling. Funny how that R humbles both of us, Jackie in English—and me in French!
"Not 'wheely'."A wheely, I point out, "is something you do to show off on your bike! Try again. Rrrreally… rrrraspberry… rrrrow… row row row your boat."
Jackie laughs. She doesn't recognize Row Your Boat, but the rhyme is funny all the same. My daughter repeats the words, impatient when I don't respond right away.
"Corrige-moi!" She pleads, reminding me of her summer plans. She'll spend a month in Idaho, at her grandparents', and she wants to lose her accent, rrrrapidos!
"OK. Listen up: rrrred… rrrromania… rrrrachel… rah rah rah shish boom bah! "
My student laughs. The pop culture reference escapes her, but silliness is universal, and that she gets.
Enough silliness, Jackie reminds me this is serious business! She only has 5 months to learn to speak like a star-spangled ricaine!
"But you don't have to sound like an American. Everyone will love your French accent!" I assure her.
Jackie shakes her head, and the look on her face is slang for nothin' doin! "I need to learn argot, too!" my daughter adds.
Jackie's wish to conquer her thick accent and to speak street English reminds me of my own aspirations to sound like a native. As an American, I have always wanted to speak French like Jodie Foster!
Jackie urges me to talk in full sentences now, for more repetition and comprehension.
"OK," I agree, wondering what to talk about….
"It is a gift to be bilingual…" I begin.
(Jackie smiles, as she repeats)
Encouraged, I keep the drill going, sneaking in a few affirmations… Jackie repeats each line:
Speaking French and English will open many doors for me…
I enjoy studying language….
…and math, too!!… (Jackie shoots me a sarcastic look, but is obligated to repeat my English words… Which reinforces my idea…)
I know that the more education I get, the more opportunities I will have in life…
I organize my school supplies…. And enjoy keeping my room tidy…. I make my bed each morning…
Jackie shakes her head as she repeats the last sentences. "OK, Mom. Can we work on the r's again?"
As we go through Roxanne, row row, and raspberry shish boom bah, I steal glances at my daughter, admiring her profile as she twists her lips, trying to find the American r channel. If she keeps twisting, she just might reach it! Her silky hair cascades off her shoulder in a fountain of brown and blond. "What is it you call that style?" I ask, referring to her recent trip to the hairdresser's.
"Tie and dye."
The tie and dyed hair looks great on her; but the brown-roots-blond-ends wouldn't work for me, though. I go to the salon to reverse that effect!
As Jackie struggles with the string of "r" words, I reach over and pat her on the shoulder, sweeping her bottle-blond ends aside.
"Don't worry, Jackie. I am incapable of pronouncing certain words, too."
"Weally?"
"The French word for 'truffle'… Impossible for me to pronounce it!
"Vas-y! Let me hear you say it!"
I shake my ahead, ashamed.
"Truffe! Go ahead, say it!"
I can't! I can't say the word. To say it is to appear a fool in front of my student. To say it is to lower oneself below even the Parisian mud puddles. To say it is to eat humble pie…. To say it is to sound like a hound dog. I don't want to sound like a hound dog in French! I want to sound like Jodie Foster!
"Say it, Mom! Come on, truffe!"
"You really want to hear it?"
"Weally!"
"Twoof."
***
French Vocabulary
bien sûr = of course
une école maternelle = preschool
pas un mot = not a word
corrige-moi = correct me
la fierté = pride
ricain(e) = slang for American
l'argot (m) = slang
vas-y! = go ahead!
une truffe = truffle
Our daughter, Jackie. Highlights à la "tie and dye" or "ombré" hair is all the rage in France at the moment.
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It’s fabulous that Jackie appreciates what a great opportunity it is having a native English speaker for a mom and trying to learn all she can from you. She sounds like a smart girl. This reminds me, Kristin, that when I listen to you speak French, which you do beautifully, I have noticed that your r’s stand out. What I hear you doing is a combination of the American r and the French r, that is, you start out with the American r and then finish with the French throat sound. If you could just forget the American part I bet you could improve it. Ask Jackie what she thinks about that.
It’s fabulous that Jackie appreciates what a great opportunity it is having a native English speaker for a mom and trying to learn all she can from you. She sounds like a smart girl. This reminds me, Kristin, that when I listen to you speak French, which you do beautifully, I have noticed that your r’s stand out. What I hear you doing is a combination of the American r and the French r, that is, you start out with the American r and then finish with the French throat sound. If you could just forget the American part I bet you could improve it. Ask Jackie what she thinks about that.
Thanks, Leslie. That is helpful. I will listen to my sound files, to pick out this r, and try to turn it over completely to the French. I do notice that when I hear my accent recorded, I am able to pick out the imposter sounds… only I dont often dare to listen ( just a quick go-through to make sure the recording is complete.)
Thanks again for all these kind and encouraging words. Jackie and I continue to love our evening practice sessions, in English!
Thanks, Leslie. That is helpful. I will listen to my sound files, to pick out this r, and try to turn it over completely to the French. I do notice that when I hear my accent recorded, I am able to pick out the imposter sounds… only I dont often dare to listen ( just a quick go-through to make sure the recording is complete.)
Thanks again for all these kind and encouraging words. Jackie and I continue to love our evening practice sessions, in English!
To non-French nationalities, the sound of someone speaking English with a French accent is beautiful, almost mesmerizing. I think it would be a great pity for your daughter to lose her French accent completely when speaking English.
To non-French nationalities, the sound of someone speaking English with a French accent is beautiful, almost mesmerizing. I think it would be a great pity for your daughter to lose her French accent completely when speaking English.
My dear friend Coco is French and has lived in the U.S. for at least twenty years now. We all adore her accent but have a lot of fun with her H’s. She will drop them on words which begin with H and add them to some words which start with a vowel. It has become a running joke to really exaggerate the phenomenon such as – “I can’t ‘ear you, my hears ‘urt” (I can’t hear you, my ears hurt).
‘ave a ‘appy day!
Suzy
My dear friend Coco is French and has lived in the U.S. for at least twenty years now. We all adore her accent but have a lot of fun with her H’s. She will drop them on words which begin with H and add them to some words which start with a vowel. It has become a running joke to really exaggerate the phenomenon such as – “I can’t ‘ear you, my hears ‘urt” (I can’t hear you, my ears hurt).
‘ave a ‘appy day!
Suzy
Such a sweet little story. As a mother of two teenager daughters, I know these type of moments are precious.
Such a sweet little story. As a mother of two teenager daughters, I know these type of moments are precious.
Loved this story for so many reasons – Like Kim, I cannot say ‘roi’, strangely ‘rue’ seems to be OK. I am Australian with Chinese heritage and I can speak Cantonese semi-fluently without an Australian twang but my Uncle who lives in England says my French has an Aussie accent. My boys are learning French which they love but they will not speak any Cantonese (or Hokkien which is their paternal grandparent’s dialect)as that is too embarrassing and one of our funniest family stories comes from my grandfather who, after 40 years of living in Australia still mixed up L & R and exclaimed while watching the tennis one day (many years ago now) – “Oh! McEnloe and Rendl had a tellific larry!” Weally!!
Loved this story for so many reasons – Like Kim, I cannot say ‘roi’, strangely ‘rue’ seems to be OK. I am Australian with Chinese heritage and I can speak Cantonese semi-fluently without an Australian twang but my Uncle who lives in England says my French has an Aussie accent. My boys are learning French which they love but they will not speak any Cantonese (or Hokkien which is their paternal grandparent’s dialect)as that is too embarrassing and one of our funniest family stories comes from my grandfather who, after 40 years of living in Australia still mixed up L & R and exclaimed while watching the tennis one day (many years ago now) – “Oh! McEnloe and Rendl had a tellific larry!” Weally!!