Hard Sounds in French—Part 2: “eu” plus a pronounced consonant

In this article, we will examine another of the “combination vowels”, that is, those vowels that have the tongue position of one vowel, but the lip position of a different one.

This is the vowel spelled “eu” when it is followed by a pronounced consonant. Since we do not have this sound in English, most students find it rather challenging. You find it in words like coiffeur, soeur, jeune, seul, ils peuvent. (phonetic symbol [œ]. Notice that in each case, the spelling “eu” is “closed off” by a consonant sound.

There are other cases where the”eu” is NOT closed off by a pronounced consonant and this is a different sound, as in “deux, il peut, je veux, il pleut.

So for the “eu” sound in words like ”professeur” the tongue is going to say the vowel “e” as in “sept” or “fête” or “elle” (phonetic symbol [ɛ]). To make this sound, the tongue is just slightly rounded in the front of the mouth. (Remember again, that in the “French mouth” the tip of the tongue is always behind the lower teeth with tension in the tip.)

Keep saying that sound as in “elle”. But then, you have to round your lips AS IF you were saying the “o” of “école” or “comment”. (phonetic symbol [ɔ]). In my video course, Mastering French Pronunciation, I teach that the correct lip position for this vowel has the corners of the lips coming in towards each other, with tension in the lips. This sound is fairly close to the English “au” as in “autumn”. So you pass from “cette” to “soeur”, from “quel” to “coeur”. It's a little hard to describe these sounds without hearing them, so be on the look-out for a video that I will post soon on my You Tube channel so you can hear the sounds. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Ei4rO_PLwhmyClIe6ABog).

In the Rick Steves' little book, French Phrase book and Dictionary, he gives some English equivalents for those who may not know any French at all. These substitute sounds he offers are NOT the correct French sound, but they may get you close enough to the sound to be understood by the French listener. So for the sound in “seul” or “jeune” he suggests the English “uh” as in “but”. And for words with an “r” like “soeur” he suggests the English “ur” as in “purr”. But to make the authentic French sound, refer to the paragraph above.

In Part 3 of this series, we will look at this sound again, this time with some different spellings—just to confuse the student of French! Again, send me an email to let me know how you are doing.  

Word of the Week #1

 For all those who would like to sound more French! I am dedicated to helping improve the quality of spoken French among teachers, students and all who wish to sound more authentic when speaking this beautiful language. To this end I have produced--so far--over 40 mini video lessons found on You Tube. These little lessons teach not just how to pronounce the vowels and consonants of French, but also are an introduction to the larger work I have created, Mastering French Pronunciation, an 8-chapter video course. This course is my “labor of love” in which I unlock the code to what the French do to sound French! Do check it out on the website. I will be posting some of these videos on my blog, so enjoy these mini lessons which are an introduction to the in depth material taught in the course. My heart is particularly open to teachers of French who with this course will have the tools to continue their professional development and become even better models for their students. I would love to hear from my readers: please comment on difficulties you have in French pronunciation, words you would like to see included in my Word of the Week or Hard Words in French series, and just feedback, etc. Enjoy!

A New Video Series for the New Year!

Bonjour! I'm Geri Metz and this is my latest series of mini video lessons "Hard Words in French" In this series I'll be taking up those particularly hard to pronounce words as chosen by expats living in France.

Hard Words in French w/ Geri Metz

 I am offering a new video series called “Hard Words in French”. These lessons will be similar to the Word of the Week series of 39 mini lessons (that you can find on You Tube) but will treat words that many people find challenging to say. I am hoping that many students, expats, teachers and travelers will have fun with these words. Some of them are really tricky like “serrurerie” where many of us non-native speakers are scared to go! Enjoy and start a conversation where you share your favorite “hard words” and please comment with your favorite hard words for future lessons. Merci!

Experience France with Geri: Ile de la Cité Part 1

Way back in 1973 I was the director of the French student teacher program at UC Santa Barbara and visited the local high schools to evaluate and guide the young interns. Along the way the students in their classes got to know me and asked if I would take them to France. And so began a delightful career that lasted until 2005. I always tried to give my participants the most authentic “France Experience” (the original name of my tours) possible-- from the teenagers who were my first and longest fellow-travelers, to the adult wine tours I led in the late 1990's. I thought it would be fun to share these travels on this blog site, and for the first in this series, will begin with my favorite tour day in Paris. This is the day we visit Ile de la Cité, literally from one tip of the island to the other. 

At around 9:30 in the morning, we go to the open air market at the Maubert-Mutualité métro stop at Place Maubert, ( 5e arrondissement) to buy provisions for a picnic we will have later. Don't forget your shopping bag or filet, and be sure to have some utensils with you, like a knife for spreading and cutting, a corkscrew and a small cup for drinking if you have wine. This market is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the year and is a real cultural experience. There is even a little section for “bio”, organic produce. And if you don't find what you want at the market, there are several permanent stores at the same location for bread (la boulangerie), cheese (la fromagerie) and wine (of course). 

 After gathering all the delicious breads, cheeses, and charcuterie, we will cross Bd. St-Germain and walk down the little street rue de Bièvre, just opposite the market. A little anecdote: for years this street was closed to automobile traffic and two policemen were always on duty as French President Mitterand lived in an apartment on this street. The street is named after a creek (la Bièvre) still active underground and running to the Seine. You arrive at the Seine and cross the river on Pont de l'Archevêché. This brings you to one of the best photo ops of Notre Dame Cathedral so don't hesitate to spend a little time here with perhaps boats gliding past below or moored along the banks. The next stop on this tour will be looked at in the next blog as we actually start our day on Ile de la Cité. This spot is practically unknown and more rarely visited but it will touch you in many ways. Don't miss the next installment!

My love for France doesn't stop with its physical attractions. I am also passionate about the sound of the language. I came out of retirement to share with the world my particular take on how to correct our English language accents so we sound more authentically French. I think I have something to offer to the non-native French speakers of the world and a gift to give to the propogation of the purity and the beauty of this language we all love. Please look at my website (pronouncingfrench.com) for more information on myself and the course being released on January 31, 2016, Mastering French Pronunciation. Dedicated to French teachers, students, expats living in France, those doing business with France, and all who would like to sound more authentic when speaking the beautiful French language! Merci!.