FREN 2100 - Pronunciation of Standard French

Spring. 3 credits.

Prerequisite: FREN 2060 or FREN 2090 or higher, or CASE Q+ or permission of instructor. Cannot serve to fulfill language requirement.

T. Alkire.

This course, which can be taken at any point once the prerequisite is met, focuses specifically on accent reduction. Students will engage in systematic listening and pronunciation exercises while simultaneously leaning how to transcribe French sounds, a skill essential to mastering the language’s complex sound-spelling correspondences and thus being able to pronounce correctly words newly encountered in print. The pronunciation exercises target accurate perception and articulation of vowels and consonants, the basic intonational patterns, and speed of production. During the last four weeks of the course students begin practice with expressive intonation. Class work includes memorization of short dialogues and/or scenes from films. By the end of the course students will achieve noticeably improved pronunciation, greater fluency, improved aural comprehension, and increased self-assurance in spoken French.