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French Speaking?

I'm currently sitting Advanced Higher French (equivalent of A-Level or 1st Year university French) and while I'm confident in writing, reading and listening, I'm struggling with the speaking.

Tips and hints would be appreciated! (and if anyone feels social enough to exchange Skype details and properly practice speaking in French, that would be brilliant! :biggrin:

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Reply 1

Paralove

Sameeeeeee! I'm in my first year of uni doing French and Spanish, and as Spanish is from scratch, the intensity of it has affected my French pronunciation in particular.

My supervisor has said to read aloud two or so pages every day, and take your time when reading to make sure you get the pronunciation right. I tend to rush in panic and mess it up (like I did horrifically in my mock oral at the end of term...).

Have confidence. It helps, even if you get it wrong, because worrying only makes it worse! And have a look at phonetics, like those weird letters next to words in the dictionary so that you know just how to pronounce it - I actually had my first two lectures on this.

Reply 2

WeeTubaGirl

Thanks! I'm usually okay with the pronunciation; I'm just atrocious at constructing meaningful sentences quickly. My brain wrestles with the grammar, and by the time I'm finished, there's been an awkward ten minute silence :P

Reply 3

AnnieFraz

I find listening to french radio and music helps :smile:

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Reply 4

Paralove

I'm sort of the

Original post by WeeTubaGirl

I'm sort of the other way around - it just kind of comes out before I have the time to actually think about the correctness and accuracy of what I've said, and I've been so self conscious of pronunciation the last few weeks anyway. My supervisor pointed out how my r's sounded Spanish, and ever since, everything just got worse - to the point my spoken French is worse now than when I began in October. :frown:

Reply 5

bad_username

Can you write up what you are going to say or is it made up on the spot?

Reply 6

WeeTubaGirl

God, I feel for you. My teacher says my pronunciation is fine, but my dad - who has never done French in his life - tells me I sound horrendously Scottish. It makes me really self-conscious! It's the unpredictability of the exam that scares me; I've never spoken French without a pre-learning script before...

And @bad_username, it's made up on the spot. You have no idea what the examiner will ask.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 7

Paralove

Original post by WeeTubaGirl

God, I feel for you. My teacher says my pronunciation is fine, but my dad - who has never done French in his life - tells me I sound horrendously Scottish. It makes me really self-concious!

Awww! When I was in Bordeaux in August, I was told I had an English accent when I spoke French, but I could actually speak the language. Everyone has an accent when they speak another language, even if you convince yourself that you don't!

Reply 8

WeeTubaGirl

Original post by Paralove

That's comforting to know :smile:

I've downloaded a podcast called Slow News in French, which is insanely helpful - like the name suggests, it's a French news broadcast that's been slowed down, but keeps the same difficulty of language. I'm hoping that'll help a little!

Reply 9

L'Evil Fish

Bonjour

I find when speaking French, I don't think at all, it all just comes out. But then when I stop and think about what I should say, I'm just like errrrr

Just let it flow out of you :lol:

And keep things short. Overly long sentences just complicate everything and you get yourself in a muddle.

Reply 10

tr3sbelle

I find that films help because you find out block sentences of which you remember the structure then you can play with the idea.
As for an accent, in my opinion, the more you mockingly try to do it the better it comes out.
And use french "sounds" - e.g bahh, ouaiss, mais non etc; it will really help you.
Listening to the radio does help but less so than watching T.V because its harder to pinpoint what exactly is going on whereas with a visual aid or experience of speaking it (being in a french country) you are automatically immersed in it.
I am british but even i was in Paris this week and had no problems speaking, some of them thought I was native French which was pretty cool! The more you practice speaking with anyone and everyone (me and my fellow french students only talk in French most of the time unless its something serious, it annoys our other friends but it works).

Good luck! (p.s I am only an A2 student which may just disqualify everything I've just said but speaking is definitely my strong suit)

Reply 11

WeeTubaGirl

Thank you for your help guys!

Original post by L'Evil Fish

And keep things short. Overly long sentences just complicate everything and you get yourself in a muddle.

I think one of my problems is that I'm naturally a good writer in English, so I constantly try to translate complicated grammar directly from English...which, needless to say, doesn't work very well.

Original post by tr3sbelle

Good luck! (p.s I am only an A2 student which may just disqualify everything I've just said but speaking is definitely my strong suit)

I have absolutely no idea what that is, but you sound like you know what you're doing! Thanks a lot :biggrin:

Reply 12

L'Evil Fish

Original post by WeeTubaGirl

Thank you for your help guys!

I think one of my problems is that I'm naturally a good writer in English, so I constantly try to translate complicated grammar directly from English...which, needless to say, doesn't work very well.

I have absolutely no idea what that is, but you sound like you know what you're doing! Thanks a lot :biggrin:

A2 is end of a level btw

Ah I see. I tend to use the passive a lot, making me seem a pretentious so and so