| Welcome to Speaking and Singing French: Lessons and
Exercises for Conversational and Formal Pronunciation. This course
is designed to teach the rules of French pronunciation for informal
conversation and for singing, and how the two pronunciations are
different. We will use the International Phonetic Alphabet to associate
each sound of French with a symbol and we will teach tongue, soft
palate, and lip positions associated with each sound and symbol. Manners
of articulation and voicing will also be discussed. We will apply the
rules of pronunciation to song texts, both speaking them and singing
them. Special attention will be given to the rules governing liaison,
the linking of words by pronouncing a usually silent final consonant and
how we decide whether or not to do optional liaisons depending on the
level of formality of the situation. The audio on this web site is
designed to be used with each lesson in the printed text. The examples
in the lessons are pronounced by two native speakers of French: Caroline
Szylowicz, a native of the region around Paris, and Michaël Vallée, a
native of central France. The dialogues in Appendix B and the song texts
in Appendix C are also read by them. Note that the dialogues are spoken
at a normal conversational speed which will seem fast to non-native
speakers. Click on Table of Contents to select one of the Lessons or one
of the Appendices.
Richard Hertel |