How should you pronounce French in a more authentic way?
When you start to learn a foreign language, it’s sometimes difficult to pronounce some new sounds. It’s very common, don’t worry!
French is a language which is difficult to pronounce because words are not written in the same way as they are said. Like English!
Some very French sounds:
- The nasal vowels. They are articulated with the nose. You have all the French nasal sounds in the following sentence: “Un bon vin blanc.“
- “U”, that you can find in “tu”.
- “R”: The French is “R” is pronounced with the uvula (the small organ which hangs at the back of your throat). You can find “R” in “rue”.
Some tips to have a positive attitude to improve your way of pronouncing the French language:
- Don’t give up! The first classes are the most difficult but it will get easier and easier.
- Listen to the French language outside the classroom: on the radio, on TV, in movies to get used to these new sounds.
- Focus on the prosody, that is to say the melody of the language.
- Find the sounds that YOU have problems to pronounce and focus on them.
- Listen to them carefully and try to imitate them. Learning a language also means that you need to act. When you speak a foreign language, you become somebody else. Don’t be scared of the French version of yourself that you’re becoming.
- Speak French even if your pronunciation is not perfect at the beginning.
- Practice your French sounds when you’re by yourself and when you’re available: in your bathroom, in front of the mirror, for instance.
- If you like French songs, listen to some and try to follow the lyrics to understand how the sounds are pronounced by the singer.
- Read out loud
All these tips will help you feel more comfortable in your new language. It’s not easy but the more you listen to the French language and practice it, the more comfortable you’ll feel. You will even think that it’s pleasant to pronounce new sounds and you will be proud of yourself.