Learning French

Pronunciation

« English is nothing but French badly pronounced”, Georges Clémenceau, French prime minister (1841 – 1929)

Most of all language is verbal communication. As many English words are French, your main task will be to know how to pronounce them. First of all you must listen very carefully to French as you can only reproduce sounds that you hear accurately. You will not only need to actively listen but also to use new muscles in your mouth and understand the mechanism of French articulation rather than simply repeating. French is called the language of love and gives an overall feeling of flow, softness and intimacy. To be monitored by a French native teacher who can advise how to position your lips, tongue, soft palate and jaw is indispensable. To sound like a native speaker might not be, for most, a realistic goal but you should aim to feel less self-conscious and to be understood. You will greatly benefit from a conversation class.