Parlez-vous français ?
French is an extremely unique in the pronunciation and spelling of words, as they often contain hidden letters within that are not spoken. The hard “r” sound in French can also be difficult for non-native speakers. Fear not, French is fun once you get the hang of it.
Hearing native speakers for the first time in Rennes, a city of which I was not familiar, was daunting. I found that listening was the greatest tool of all from phonetics to syntax. I tried my best to imitate the sounds my host parents made and the slang words that my host sister used, because textbook French doesn’t teach you verlan (par exemple: meuf pour la femme) or phrases such as “piquer un fard”. To me, this was important, as I wanted to sound more natural and advance my level of French for when I return to the classroom setting.
Furthermore, the concept of gendering inanimate objects is curious for a native English speaker. Who knew tables were feminine? Through listening carefully to the “le” and “la” placement, I felt invigorated in my memorization skills. My favorite thing though about the French language is how many homophones that make for great tongue twisters. My host mom would often give me funny tongue twisters as an after-dinner game. This aided my pronunciation, but I did love seeing other family members get stumped.
France, overall became an important experience for me, because the language shows history and cultural norms that I would not have known if I did not study abroad. To me, it is important to study another language and, linguistically, French proved to me that there is more than meets the eye.
Lauren Orfinik
Furman University
Related Posts
“Petits” Discoveries Every Day
Language is a tool that opens a door for you to explore a new culture, people, tradition, and more. Its acquisition can take any method: studying grammar and vocabulary by... keep reading
A Day in My Life in Rennes, France
When I decided to study abroad in France, something I had always dreamed of doing, I knew that my life here would be a lot different than what I was... keep reading
Shopping In Rennes : A Chance to Explore New Places and a Form of Self-Care
When I decided to study away in Rennes, I knew that I would spend part of my time going to shops throughout various parts of Rennes. Most of the time... keep reading