Thank you very much, on behalf of all of our family, for your touching messages following my beau-père's passing. Many of you noticed an error, throughout my story, when I referred to John as my "father-in-law." I really meant to say "step-father!" Did you know that the French keep it simple–by using the term beau-père for both step-father and father-in-law? I like this–especially as the words beautiful father do much to honor John!
We return, now, to our French lessons. I have a very special edition for you written by a teacher that I admire. Benjamin Huoy has written a few posts for us before and he is back, today, with a helpful lesson on French pronunciation. Enjoy and, as John always said, don't worry about a thing!
Amicalement,
Kristi
7 steps to follow to get a French pronunciation you can be proud of
Imagine the scene.
You just arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport and would like to buy a croissant, so you go to the Paul bakery in the corner, take a deep breath and say "Bonjour, je voudrais un croissant s'il vous plaît".
Then you realize the seller didn't understand a word you said. Embarrassed and feeling dumb, you switch to English and wonder what you did wrong.
Something similar happened to me when I tried to speak English for the first time (I'm a native French speaker), and I can still remember how embarrassing it was.
The reason this happens to so many of us is that we've been learning languages the wrong way.
Luckily, getting a French pronunciation people can understand isn't that hard if you use the right method.
Here are 7 steps you can follow to make sure you have a French pronunciation you can be proud of and don't get embarrassed next time you order a croissant in a bakery.
#1 Listen before you read
When you learned your native language, you started by listening.
In fact, you waited years before learning how to read.
You need to do the same in French. You need to learn with your ears before you learn with your eyes.
Why?
Because you're used to the sounds of English, so if you see French words, you'll automatically pronounce them the way you think they should be pronounced and not the way they're actually pronounced.
That's how I spent the first 4 years of my English-speaking life saying "hey-veal" instead of "evil". So embarrassing!
In French like in English, it's better not to know how words are spelled, because they usually don't sound anything like the way they're spelled.
Don't believe me? Read the following sentences out loud!
je mange
tu manges
Il mange
Ils mangent
"Mange", "manges" and "mangent" are all pronounced the same way even tough they're written differently.
But if you don't listen before you read, you're likely to pronounce the final letters without knowing they're in fact silent.
If you don't make listening before reading a habit, you'll associate the words you learn with the wrong pronunciation, won't be understood and will have a hard time understanding spoken French, because the French you'll hear won't be the same as the French you imagined.
#2 Avoid simplified French pronunciations
most textbooks and French courses include simplified French pronunciations.
They tell you that "bonjour" is pronounced "bawnjour" and that "Quelle sorte de légumes avez-vous?" is pronounced "kehl-sohrt deh leh-gewm aveh-voo".
This may seem helpful, but it's actually ruining your pronunciation.
French and English don't use the same sounds and trying to pronounce French words with English sounds is like cooking chinese food with traditional ingredients of French cuisine. You may end up with something similar, but it won't taste Chinese at all.
If you want to sound French and be understood, avoid simplified French pronunciations at all cost and listen to the words first.
It'll take more time, but locals will actually be able to understand you when you speak.
#3 Use pronunciation dictionaries
The best way to get a good French pronunciation is to choose a course which includes audio spoken by native speakers and not simply text or robot voices.
But what if you read a book and don't know how to pronounce a word?
In this case, you can use a pronunciation dictionary like Forvo or Rhinospike.
Forvo contains recordings of thousands of French words while Rhinospike allows you to ask people to record words and sentences for you.
#4 Make listening to French a daily habit
Listening to French is the activity you should spend most of your time doing as a French learner, because it's the best way to get used to the sounds of the language.
Every time you listen to French, you improve your understanding of the language, naturally learn grammar and improve your pronunciation.
But don't listen to random shows and podcasts just because they're in French. It's essential to listen to something you partially understand so you can learn from it.
If you're a beginner, this means the best listening material is probably your French course itself or some easy children's books.
If you're an intermediate or advanced French learner, you can listen to real-world material or to podcasts made specifically for French learners such as Français Authentique.
#5 Get feedback on your pronunciation before going to France
Simply listening before reading is the guarantee that your French pronunciation will be much better than average, but the only way to make sure it's perfect is to get feedback.
In fact, I recommend you to try to get feedback every time you learn a new sentence.
The best way to do that is to have a French conversation partner, but you could also use the Judge My Accent subreddit where you can submit a recording of yourself speaking French and get feedback.
Getting feedback is terrifying, but it's the best way to notice mistakes and to correct them before you have the time to develop bad pronunciation habits.
Think about it this way. Would you rather practice your pronunciation with a helpful friend or find out whether people can understand you or not for the first time when you talk to complete strangers in France?
That's it, you now know the 4 most important steps to follow to get a good French pronunciation.
French pronunciation is only one of the three main skills you need to master if you want to become a confident French speaker though. Which is why I created the 30-Day French course, it helps you learn French naturally using proven methods and real-life conversations.
Many thanks, Benjamin, for sharing your pronunciation lesson with us–and for scrambling for a photo when I asked for one to accompany this post!
Here is Benjamin and his fiancé, Aysa, in the vineyards of Noizay where French vignerons make the famous Vouvray wine.
Click here to learn more about Benjamin's 30-Day French program
Discover more from French Word-A-Day
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Good advice ! Merci bien, Kristin et Benjamin.
I am familiar with Benjamin and everything he says makes good sense. Under #4 he also mentions Français Authentique which is the MOST HELPFUL way I’ve ever found in learning French. The creator Johan stresses “Ecoutez” and gives you plenty to listen to. If you have some level of French and want to improve, I HIGHLY recommend Français Authetique, in addition to French-Word-a-day bien sûr!
Thanks so much Kristin. I am so sorry for you and your family about your loss. It sounds like he was a wonderful man!
Best,
Margie
Oh, my gosh! I think I’ve got it! My husband and I are retiring at the end of the year and we’re going to do it. No more head-tilted-sideways-responses when we speak to a Parisian.
Merci, merci, merci, Monsieur Huoy. We will be following your advice and taking you classes.
jb
Wonderful post – will check out his course.
Also love Vouvray wine and, dare I say it on a French site, Marachel Foche wine (even with the legend of how it was named).
Sheila in wine country in Oregon
How lovely that you loved your stepfather so deeply. And if I did not send you condolences, I am doing it now. Your beautiful maman must be very, very triste. So…thinking of you, many times about many things.
Suzanne
I couldn’t agree more with his comments. I have tried to explain to people who are learning a new language that they need (as much as possible) to learn it the same way they learned their native language. I also tell them that the main problem is we are too smart – we almost always try to convert the sounds into English and worry about individual words. As a baby/child, all you did was listen and eventually repeat – getting corrected as needed. Most of us would be happy to speak that new language at the level of competency that we had in our native language when we were 5 or 6 years old. No-one ever told me growing up that one says “I am’ but ‘she is’. We learned it through listening and sheer repetition. At that age, no-one told us that when saying ‘There’s a moon out tonight’ the first two words are really ‘there is’ and that ‘tonight’ is one word. Again, I wholeheartedly agree with him.
HOWEVER – and to be honest this may be because the section was cut and pasted from a different document – we need to work on his mathematics skills! The title says “7 steps” but there are only 5 listed, and after the last one it says there are “4 steps”. Sorry, but I am a mathematician (which makes it difficult for me to learn a language because I always try to make logic out of it!) And as the author correctly notes, that is the worst thing to do.
Bonjour Kristie. I am a completely bilingual person. I was born in Canada, but always very conscious of the difference between French and French Canadian.
Both my parents were bilingual (French/English) and alternated between both languages freely, whichever word came first. There were some pretty humorous results! My mother thoroughly confused her American dentist when she spoke of the plumbing in her teeth (think of the French dental term, “plombage”). Or, completely unnerved her American future son-in-law, when she announced that we were starting our meal with raped carrots (carrottes rapées)!
I myself have been told that the only indication that English is not my native language is that I have no trace of an American regional accent. People are always asking me what part of the US I’m from. They ask my bilingual sister the same thing, but not my three younger siblings who, by and large, no longer speak French. I have lived in different parts of the country and have picked up local colloquialisms, but never the accent!
Ditto, I have no regional accent when I speak French. My family hails from the Belgian border, but I say “pain” not “pan” as they do in Lille. I adore the Provençal accent, but know that if I attempt it, I sound phony. My Canadian relatives speak their style of French. They refer to writing instrument as “une plume” whereas I say “stylo”. And so on…
A few years ago my dear hubby and I spent a mini sabbatical in Montpelier and the apartment we leased had a TV. I insisted that my husband watch French TV, not just the BBC. He fell upon a Canadian feuilleton called “Un gars et une fille” which was hilarious. It was French Canadian, spoken in French Canadian and SUBTITLED in French!!!
So, the advice in today’s blog is absolutely correct. Speak as you are spoken to, not as you have read!
An interesting post. I think there’s a lot of truth, but I think there’s one important lesson he missed (maybe it was number 6 or 7 that was not included…) – exaggerate the accent – I speak French, but also a little German, and the same lesson applies to both – in England I grew up (showing my age) with an amusingly stereotypical show called ‘Allo ‘allo. In this sitcom, set in the Second World War, there was the overly accented French policeman and the overly accented German officers – imitating these accents leads to a surprisingly good reception of my accent! I think the trick is that what sounds weird to us in our own language spoken by a non-native speaker is precisely what we need to emphasise when speaking foreign languages – you may feel a bit silly doing an exaggerated accent, but you will find that other people’s comprehension improves dramatically!
It is so good to read this, and it’s exactly the approach we use at Waring School in Beverly MA where I teach. We are also Ecole Bilingue de Beverly. Our 6th and 7th graders listen and sing and recite long before they see any written French. They learn the language the way that babies learn to speak. For that reason, most of our students have wonderful accents. I wish that I had learned to speak French before I saw it written. Today, I speak well and fluently, but nobody mistakes me for a native. My students, on the other hand, can pass in basic conversation.
The advice I’m taking away from this is to find some French to listen to every day. Trying to understand what others are saying to me is my biggest challenge in France because every word and every sentence runs together. A French friend said this is a problem even for them, especially when they talk to people from different regions of the country.
For several years I really struggled to communicate until a native speaker told me I should focus on my pronunciation more than my syntax. And I’m more than happy to take corrections from everyone I meet. When the server this summer told me I wanted a carafe d’eau and NOT a carafe de l’eau we all laughed and I will never forget that when I order ever again.
Dear Kristi,
I send my condolences to you and your mom. It is a sad time,I know,having lost so many dear family members. I am in deed an orphan and the weight of that responsibleity is enormous. Courage! And much love and support to you and yours. The French Autentique cite is terrific. Johan starts off slowly and then does a speed up to normal speed. It is a good challenge. Les gars were the first to respond but we gals love it too.
Stay strong😊
The Francais Autentique cite is a treasure as well. I so enjoy the language lessons. They are great.
Those of us who have some French knew exactly what had happened with beau-père. Your apology (not needed) got me thinking about idioms. I speak Afrikaans most days and it is rich with idioms, often to describe the South African environment. The French expression that I love, which you use so often is “amicalement”. Untranslatable. I enjoyed Benjamin’s post. Part 5 made me think of My Fair Lady – “The French don’t mind what you say as long as you pronounce it correctly!”
Tot siens.
Hi, Kristi. Two comments: a) I don’t know that there even exists a word in French for “stepdad”. If there is, I’ve never found it. Thankfully, I’m Acadian and we’ve always called stepdads “beau-père”. That must be from way back when my family lived in France, I suppose; and b) I liked your beau-père’s saying so much (Don’t worry about a thing. Just enjoy life.” that I printed it off and posted it on my wall! Words to live by.
Good advice from Benjamin. I’d also add that the French use their facial muscles much more than English speakers. I find that when I speak French I exaggerate and loosen the muscles round my mouth and cheeks. I also feel find that my shoulders start to produce a Gallic shrug. It does work! By the way, Aysa is Benjamin’s fiancée, not fiancé.
..Briliant and concise article…. very well done. I agree with all he said, and luckily I had two tutors , paid for by the Disney compmay for one year before we moved to Paris in 1989. One was for grammar and conjugations the other strictly for conversation and speaking correctly . I loved them both and when we moved to Paris, we had them both over with their families for dinner! I have a lovely French amie here in Tallahassee, and she corrects me all the time, which I like. We leave for the south of France for a month on the 29th, so I will get to practice my French a lot! Cannot wait!!! Judi Dunn, Tallahassee, Fl.
Lovely picture of John and sweet Breezy. Thank you for sharing.
Our Dear Kristi,
What a beautiful picture of your dear Mr.John!
Please know that we continue to keep him,and all
of your family, in our prayers,asking God to give you light and comfort.
A dear friend whom I deeply respect told me that when we loose someone we love,they live on in our hearts,often making us feel closer than ever.I wish I could relate how much her words have helped me.
I really enoyed Benjamin’s advice and lessons.I have grown to accept that in my case,my pronunciation is always going to leave a great deal to be desired,and well,so be it.I will always love the French language,enjoy (TRYING)to converse,and
make an effort to do the best I can.
It was much simpler when we lived in Montreal and spoke Qubecoise.Noone was adverse to hand gestures,or even in an emergency,drawing pictures.Total fun! was 19,a newlywed,and savored every second of our joie de vivre.Unlike then,these
days there is more behind than ahead,so let’s make every moment count.
Blessings always.
Love
Natalia. xo
Derien :). I’m glad you like the tips I give here Jacqueline.
You’re right David, I’m bad at counting, but not that bad :D. The reason the number in the title doesn’t match the actual number is that I wrote the title thinking there would be 7 steps and decided to simplify and only use 4 at the end.
The lack of thinking is actually the main advantage of children over adults in term of language learning. Kids don’t fear mistakes, they don’t obsess over details and this makes them better language learners.
That’s a great tip Nigel :). I think that’s because we are always afraid to look stupid when we speak a foreign language and exagerating the accent often leads to a better accent.
Another great idea is often to simply speak louder. people often speak too low when they speak French, because they lack confidence. Then they think people don’t understand their accent, when they simply didn’t hear well enough.
That’s awesome Tim. Your students are lucky, it’s rare to see schools using modern learning techniques.
Hi Honey,
I will be home in ten minutes if you would like to call. XOXO MOM
This was very useful info = going to check out Ben’s system, sounds great. Also it was very helpful all of the comments by your wonderful readers – also, going to check out the Francais Authentique site that several readers mentioned. I got a little start when I just saw a quick note above from your Mom. I’ve missed her comments. I’m thinking of her a lot and how she is managing through her days and nights. Praying for her and you!