How to identify different accents in France when learning French 23112018
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How to identify different accents in France when learning French

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23rd November 2018
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The Museum of Knowledge highlights how to identify different accents in France when learning French.

Identifying the Parisian accent

Standard French is the Parisian dialect. However the Parisian accent is very well defined. Parisians speak quickly and they enjoy highly accentuated tones. A flowery dialect that stands apart from the rest of the country, most language providers that emphasize speaking and listening in their language learning programmes will utilize the standard Parisian accent for the purpose of learning.

Identifying the French accent from the South of France

In the South of France in regions such as, Lyon, Nice, and Provence the speed of spoken French is slightly slower but the accent is different with words and phrases not always pronounced as clearly as they would be by a Parisian speaker. Paris is definitely more in line with standard French in terms of accents.

Other French-speaking regions with slow-speaking dialogues include West Africa, but the dialect in this region is slightly different. Language learners can assess different tones and accents and make a final decision on what is more important when learning a language; speed or accent.

 

Museum Of Knowledge, 5 Tips Learn French French accent blog 26012018
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Five ways to speak French with a French accent, @MOKKnowledge guide

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26th January 2018
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Students often ask the Museum of Knowledge for its top tips for language learning, so we explore five ways to learn French and speak French with a French accent. One of the most challenging aspects of learning French is acquiring the right accent. Of course there are many types of French accents, from the standard Parisian accent, the accents of the South of France, the French accent of Quebec in Canada, the Swiss accent as well as the accents of the French Caribbean, just for starters.

Here follows the five great Museum of Knowledge tips and guidelines to help students speak French with a French accent.

  1. Speaking French with a French accent is achievable by learning how to accentuate tones. The French accent is very sharp so achieving this technique is important.
  2. To speak French with a French accent, language learners must learn to roll the letter “r” and also work on pronunciation differences between the letter “e” and letter “é” with accent aigu.
  3. As French is a very emotive language and highly accentuated there is more importance attached to the movement of the mouth when compared to other languages such as Spanish for example.
  4. Listening to French radio, documentaries, news bulletins and debates can also help French language learners improve their spoken French skills. Understanding how words are pronounced, how phrases are constructed and recognising the differences between spoken and written French are key skills that can develop the student’s accuracy and enable him/ her to speak French with a French accent.
  5. Confidence is the next step that will assist students to speak French with a French accent. Confidence will enable French language learners to project their voices, accentuate and combine all skills they have learnt.

In conclusion, the Museum of Knowledge has highlighted some of the main tips that are most likely to enable French language learners to succeed. In particular to speak French with a French accent, French language learners must perfect the skills of accentuation, precision and the rolling of the letter “r” in order that French speakers sound as natural as possible when they speak French.