Help with intonation, please! (1 Viewer)

[Kittikhun]

My teacher has told me that I really need to work on my intonation and to stop rushing when I speak French. She has told me that I need to rise and fall my voice more when I speak French, like a little melody, but the thing is, I can't, no matter how hard I try. I just sound so articifical. Are there any techniques you guys know to overcome this weakness of mine? How did you guys master it when you first learned French? It's so friggin' hard!

Thank you.

 

[kiki_koala]

Native French speakers tend to speak 'monotonally'.
That's how they can tell that we're not natives because we go 'up and down' when speaking, stress certain words and use tone. The French use words to express themselves, rather than tone (for the most part).

 

[Kittikhun]

Native French speakers tend to speak 'monotonally'.
That's how they can tell that we're not natives because we go 'up and down' when speaking, stress certain words and use tone. The French use words to express themselves, rather than tone (for the most part).

Certain words?

 

[ashie0]

You need to raise the pitch of your voice when asking a question, intonation differentiates statements from questions.

 

[Kittikhun]

You need to raise the pitch of your voice when asking a question, intonation differentiates statements from questions.

I see, but how about you when you are conversing? Do you raise your voice up after the end of each clause or at the word that you want to put emphasis on?

 

[ashie0]

Try to be subtle, only a slight inclination over the course of the question is required. You will find you probably already use intonation when speaking English. The more you practice the more natural it will become. It's not something to stress about, it's relatively easy.

 

[princessashe]

I am having a similar problem. Apparently everything I say goes up toward the end, making everything sound like a question. For example: Tu as quel age? J'ai dix-sept ans? J'aurai dix-huit ans dans huit mois?
Any tips?

 

[roadrage75]

I am having a similar problem. Apparently everything I say goes up toward the end, making everything sound like a question. For example: Tu as quel age? J'ai dix-sept ans? J'aurai dix-huit ans dans huit mois?
Any tips?

this might sound really sily, but maybe read out the questions/statements in english first, so "How old are you?" "I'm 17" "I'll be 18 in 8 months", and then try to say them in french again....

 

[hdizzle123]

I find we do that a lot in english too. just in normal speaking we go up at the end of our sentences.
maybe try practicing going down at the end of a sentence in english, then in french.
my teacher also tends to say that it happens because we're unsure of our work... :|

 

[Kittikhun]

I find we do that a lot in english too. just in normal speaking we go up at the end of our sentences.
maybe try practicing going down at the end of a sentence in english, then in french.
my teacher also tends to say that it happens because we're unsure of our work... :|

That's only if you speak in an Australian accent.

 

[sexii_Can_I]

Try listening to people speaking French, like interviews of French celebrities on Youtube, people getting interviewed in the French news or the dialogue of French films. People's intonation may get a bit more artificial or theatrical since they're presenting on camera, but at least it will help you get an idea of what native speakers sound like. You can also go to www.text-to-speech.imtranslator.net where you can type in sentences in French and a simulated voice will say it aloud. I don't know if that's how native speakers actually sound like, but it's useful for hard to pronounce words or figuring out how words are meant to flow in a sentence.

Bonne chance

 

[misscaitlamity]

Yeah, in french you've got to speak in much more of a monotone than in English, because we don't realise but our style of speaking is quite lilting.
When saying something in French, don't take this as a uniform rule, generally it will be the opposite to a question, in a sentence the pitch should decline in pitch towards the end. Generally in French you speak more quietly than in English too I've noticed.

 

[meggo-meggo]

That's only if you speak in an Australian accent.

Yep, definitely. Try listening to your friends really carefully, to their intonation, and you will find that they will go up at the end of their sentences. Its an interesting phenomenon (subject for thesis paper?) and is really quite funny once you begin to notice it. Point it out to them and they'll deny it, but then realise that they actually do it naturally. Its like with 'like'.

 

[oputipo]

Text-to-speech software program is helpful for you to improve your pronunciation and listening, such as free Panopreter Basic, however you have to install a French voice.