French

[slowmotion]

Watch the news in French.
[media]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t_RjTBQMYE
[/media]

 

[sazzaa]

Watch the news in French.
[media]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t_RjTBQMYE
[/media]

Ooft.

 

[slowmotion]

Most newsreaders ( with the exception of North American ones ) enunciate words quite clearly and don't talk particularly fast. Besides, I always learned more in the classes where I was hopelessly in love with the teacher.

 

[Aperitif]

Agree with the TV news bit - simply because the talk with accompanying pictures are aides-memoire and besides...
I read L'Equipe, Midi-Libre and Le Parisien from time to time...never tried a novel in French though. Speed of enunciation was a bit of a shocker when I went South, having been used to stumbling over the kerbstones of Parisien accents, I was gunned down by the rat-a-tat-tat of the Languedoc and beyond. Smashing language though.

 

[jazzkat]

I keep trying.
I gave up at school when it came to choosing my exam subjects, my only real regret in life as I was quite good at it.
I had some lessons about 10 years ago which got me back up to speed, but a change of job and house move away stopped the lessons. Last year I started on the http://www.duolingo.com/ course. It was helpful but I've let it slide again.
Maybe this year I'll get stuck in again.

 

[asterix]

Have been attempting to speak French for years but unfortunately my elderly Limousin neighbours have a very thick accent and don't understand the concept of speaking slowly so it can be a struggle! When they speak to each other I don't recognise a word as it sounds more like Italian. In the Savoie region this year I was surprised to find that the accent there was far easier to understand. I am far more at home in France than Spain though!

 

[Cycleops]

Get a french boy/girlfriend! Its the best way, although your current one may object.

 

[Berties]

I can read French to a intermediate level ,even ask for items,buts it is when some one answers me ,I get lost and do the Del Boy thing,holiday in France every year,and even have family there
I have just employed a young lad from Paris hoping to improve his understanding of English spoken,it's a up hill struggle

 

[Fnaar]

*smug git alert* I can more than get by in French, and can manage very well indeed in Spanish. Can also 'do' similar languages well (Catalan, Gallego, Portuguese, plus Italian).

 

[s7ephanie]

Have been attempting to speak French for years but unfortunately my elderly Limousin neighbours have a very thick accent and don't understand the concept of speaking slowly so it can be a struggle! When they speak to each other I don't recognise a word as it sounds more like Italian. In the Savoie region this year I was surprised to find that the accent there was far easier to understand. I am far more at home in France than Spain though!

Here they speak with a very heavy Creuse accent

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Here they speak with a very heavy Creuse accent

That surprises me. I've spent a fair amount of time in the Corrèze and I never noticed anything particularly different from standard French, just a small splattering of patois words, mostly thrown in for comic effect. Provence, Marseille, now, they have a distinctive accent.

 

[Aperitif]

[QUOTE 2849325, member: 259"]Especially in swearing! [/quote]
Every medium has its pros and cons.

 

[Aperitif]

Now you mention it, I've just noticed my son's ''French for dummies'' CDs here on the desk. I'll put them in the car and give it a go.

You'll progress in leaps and bounds.

 

[Melonfish]

non, je ne pas parle francais.

 

[sazzaa]

Get a french boy/girlfriend! Its the best way, although your current one may object.

Current one would probably object but I've told him if he buys a house in France or Belgium then I'll stay with him :-)