How to Develop a French Accent
– Tips and Tricks –
May 10th, 2011... From The Desk of Corinne Corbeau:
 One of the biggest problems encountered by people studying French is producing,
and maintaining, a good French accent. You may be able to say "Bonjour!" convincingly, but the
further you get into a conversation, the less accurate, and the less intelligible, your accent becomes. If you
have this problem, try these simple tricks for developing your accent.
Begin by renting or downloading DVDs in which real French actors are speaking. (Don't know any American movies
with French actors? Try Gigi with Maurice Chevalier, or Green
Card with Gérard
Depardieu.) It honestly doesn't matter if they're speaking French, or English with a
heavy accent – just so long as their French accent is very pronounced.
At first, listen for the types of sounds they're making. You'll notice that the nasalized "on" sounds
hollow, as if the speaker's voice were imitating a deep, cavernous bell. You'll notice that there are never any
"h" sounds – "heat" and "eat" sound exactly the same. You'll notice that there are many
hissing "s" sounds, and soft brushing consonants like "f" and "v." Even "b" and
"p" – normally kind of explosive sounds – manage to sound soft. Listen to the cadence, the rhythm, in
which French is spoken, and the way the various syllables flow into one another.
Watch the movie all the way through, and then watch it again. This time, repeat the French actor's lines after
him, reproducing the sound of his accent as closely as you can. You're speaking English, of course, but even so,
you're introducing your ear to the sound of French, because that is what a French accent is – English spoken with
French sounds.
And here's another suggestion -- learn some simple songs in French – Alouette, for
example, Au Clair de la Lune, or Frère Jacques. You
can easily find these on the Internet. Sing them as heartily, and with as much of a French accent, as you can. If
you like to sing, you may really enjoy this exercise, and I'd encourage you to learn as many French songs as
possible. They don't have to be silly children's songs; there are many beautiful love songs in French, like Jacques
Brel's Ne me quitte pas. French music runs the gamut from rock to pop to rap to opera; use your Internet
skills to find songs you like, and then sing to your heart's content.
As you can see, the trick to developing a French accent is to practice speaking with one! Mimicking French movie
actors will familiarize you with the distinctive sounds of the French language while still maintaining a firm
footing in English. Singing in French gives you practice in actually using French words without the terror that
often accompanies making conversation. All this rehearsing will get your pipes ready for the ultimate challenge –
speaking French!
If you want more proven tips and tricks learning French fast, then check out my guide,
How to Learn
French...
Regards,
Corinne Corbeau
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