Euphony - French Pronunciation Maintaining euphony (agreeable or harmonious sound) in French - By Laura K. Lawless, About.com
http://french.about.com/cs/pronunciation/a/euphony.htm?nl=1
In French, there are rules about maintaining euphony; that is, agreeable or harmonious sound. French is a very musical language because it tends to flow from one word to the next with no hiatus (pause). In situations where euphony doesn't happen naturally, French requires that sounds be added or words changed.
As a general rule, French does not like to have a word that ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that begins with a vowel sound. The pause created between two vowel sounds, called a hiatus, is undesirable in French, so the following techniques are used to avoid it [brackets indicate pronunciation]:
Enchaînement is the transfer of the sound at the end of one word onto the word that follows, such as in the phrase belle âme. The L sound at the end of belle would be pronounced even if the next word began with a consonant, which is what distinguishes enchaînement from liaison. Thus, enchaînement does not avoid hiatus the way liaison does, because there is no hiatus after a word that ends in a consonant sound. However, what enchaînement does is make the two words flow together, so that when you say belle âme, it sounds like [beh lahm] instead of [bel ahm]. Enchaînement thus increases the musicality of the phrase.
© Laura K. Lawless, About.com
Euphony - French Pronunciation
Maintaining euphony (agreeable or harmonious sound) in French
By Laura K. Lawless, About.comIn French, there are rules about maintaining euphony; that is, agreeable or harmonious sound. French is a very musical language because it tends to flow from one word to the next with no hiatus (pause). In situations where euphony doesn't happen naturally, French requires that sounds be added or words changed.
As a general rule, French does not like to have a word that ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that begins with a vowel sound. The pause created between two vowel sounds, called a hiatus, is undesirable in French, so the following techniques are used to avoid it [brackets indicate pronunciation]:
- Contractions
Contractions avoid the hiatus by dropping the vowel at the end of the first word.
For example: le ami [leu a mee] becomes l'ami [la mee]
- Liaisons
Liaisons transfer the normally silent sound at the end of the first word onto the beginning of the second word.
For example: vous avez is pronounced [vu za vay] instead of [vu a vay]
- T inversion
When inversion results in a verb ending in a vowel + il or elle, a T is added between the two words to avoid hiatus.
For example: a-il [a eel] becomes a-t-il [a teel]
- Special adjective forms
Nine adjectives have special forms used in front of words that begin with a vowel.
For example: ce homme [seu uhm] becomes cet homme [seh tuhm]
- L'on
Putting l' in front of on avoids the hiatus. L'on may also be used to avoid saying qu'on (sounds like con).
For example: si on [see o(n)] becomes si l'on [see lo(n)]
Enchaînement is the transfer of the sound at the end of one word onto the word that follows, such as in the phrase belle âme. The L sound at the end of belle would be pronounced even if the next word began with a consonant, which is what distinguishes enchaînement from liaison. Thus, enchaînement does not avoid hiatus the way liaison does, because there is no hiatus after a word that ends in a consonant sound. However, what enchaînement does is make the two words flow together, so that when you say belle âme, it sounds like [beh lahm] instead of [bel ahm]. Enchaînement thus increases the musicality of the phrase.
© Laura K. Lawless, About.com
Au Restaurant (Compréhension orale)
ACTIVITE DE COMPREHENSION ORALE Au restaurant
Visit the following website:
http://ml.hss.cmu.edu/fol/fol1/modules/module5/exercises/F1M50304E5.htm
"In a restaurant, a couple is discussing the menu each of them is going to have. Listen to their choices and answer the following questions."
Listen to the recorded dialogue as many times as needed and answer the MCQ.
(Listen to the whole dialogue before you answer the MCQ, or else, it would stop the file from playing.)
Other useful websites:
http://www.discoverfrance.com/dining.html
REVISIONS
Les questions
There are several ways to ask questions in French.
1. Use your voice.
The easiest way is by changing the intonation of your voice, raising the pitch near the end. (You also do this in English.)
e.g.: I’m eating some candies.
You’re eating some candies?
Je mange des bonbons.
Tu manges des bonbons?
2. Put est-ce que at the beginning of your sentence.
Another way is by using est-ce que at the beginning of your question.
e.g.: Tu manges des bonbons. = You are eating some candies.
Est-ce que tu manges des bonbons? = Are you eating some candies?
Elle mange des bonbons. = She is eating some candies.
Est-ce qu’elle mange des bonbons? = Is she eating some candies?
Notice that que forms a contraction when it precedes a words starting with vowel.
3. Switch the verb and subject pronoun.
The third way to ask a question in French is by using inversion, or switching the verb and the subject.
e.g.: Tu manges des bonbons. = You are eating some candies.
Manges-tu des bonbons? = Are you eating some candies?
Parlez-vous français? = Do you speak French?
When you use inversion with il or elle, you must add “t” between your verb and the subject pronoun if the verb does not already end in “t”.
e.g.: Le bébé, est-il beau? = Is the baby beautiful?
Joël, mange-t-il des bonbons? = Is Joel eating candies?
Isaac, regarde-t-il la television? = Is Isaac watching television?
Exercice:
Ask the following question three ways. Are you eating cake (du gateau) ?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________
BC0010F: Intermediate French – Alan Gwilherm Yann Le Bras / (Material used © Norma Allen 2009)
Les questions
There are several ways to ask questions in French.
1. Use your voice.
The easiest way is by changing the intonation of your voice, raising the pitch near the end. (You also do this in English.)
e.g.: I’m eating some candies.
You’re eating some candies?
Je mange des bonbons.
Tu manges des bonbons?
2. Put est-ce que at the beginning of your sentence.
Another way is by using est-ce que at the beginning of your question.
e.g.: Tu manges des bonbons. = You are eating some candies.
Est-ce que tu manges des bonbons? = Are you eating some candies?
Elle mange des bonbons. = She is eating some candies.
Est-ce qu’elle mange des bonbons? = Is she eating some candies?
Notice that que forms a contraction when it precedes a words starting with vowel.
3. Switch the verb and subject pronoun.
The third way to ask a question in French is by using inversion, or switching the verb and the subject.
e.g.: Tu manges des bonbons. = You are eating some candies.
Manges-tu des bonbons? = Are you eating some candies?
Parlez-vous français? = Do you speak French?
When you use inversion with il or elle, you must add “t” between your verb and the subject pronoun if the verb does not already end in “t”.
e.g.: Le bébé, est-il beau? = Is the baby beautiful?
Joël, mange-t-il des bonbons? = Is Joel eating candies?
Isaac, regarde-t-il la television? = Is Isaac watching television?
Exercice:
Ask the following question three ways. Are you eating cake (du gateau) ?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________
BC0010F: Intermediate French – Alan Gwilherm Yann Le Bras / (Material used © Norma Allen 2009)
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Bonne fin de semaine!
Oui, bien sûr !
Everything you always wanted to know about how to subscribe to BC0010F blog without daring to ask it ;)
C'est facile !!
Follow these few steps and there you go, you're registered and from now on receive all the updates:
click on "Devenir membre" (become member)
Connect with an exisiting account (should you not have an google account or any other proposed on this page, it's high time you got yourself one;)
Most of you, I figure, will click on Google.
From there, a new window pops up:
Enter your "E-mail" and "Mot de passe" and voilà !
After you've registered yourself, you'll receive updates to the blog and you can also post comments randomly.
Should you encounter any problem with the registration procedure, do not hesitate to let me know @ alanlb@kdu.edu.my / alan_lebras@mac.com
or @ bruno@kdu.edu.my
Bonne fin de semaine!
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