1 French is no Stranger
In beginning your study of the French language you will be surprised to learn that you already know, or can make a good guess at, the meaning of thousands of French words. For there are some 4,000 words which are of the same spelling and meaning in French and English, and thousands more of the same meaning which differ only slightly in spelling. Of course the pronunciation of the French words differs greatly from that of the corresponding English words.
There are also many words borrowed directly from the French without any change in spelling and with little or no change at all in pronunciation.
Here are a few examples of words alike or very similar in French and English:
(a) Words spelt alike and having the same meaning but different in pronunciation:
(b) Words of the same meaning, slightly different in spelling and different in pronunciation:
riche |
oncle |
balle |
objet |
rich |
uncle |
ball |
object |
salade |
madame |
touriste |
sévère |
salad |
madam |
tourist |
severe |
difficile |
famille |
qualité |
liberté |
difficult |
family |
quality |
liberty |
visiter |
excuser |
arriver |
entrer |
to visit |
to excuse |
to arrive |
to enter |
scène |
hôtel |
brun |
bleu |
scene |
hotel |
brown |
blue |
rivière |
parfum |
mètre |
poste |
river |
perfume |
metre |
post |
docteur |
acteur |
enveloppe |
signe |
doctor |
actor |
envelope |
sign |
désirer |
commencer |
dîner |
inviter |
to desire |
to commence |
to dine |
to invite |
(c) Words borrowed directly from the French with no changes in spelling and only minor changes in pronunciation. These words contain some good clues to French pronunciation:
There are some French words whose appearance is deceiving. Thus: demander means to ask or ask for, not to demand. You must be on the watch for such deceivers.
2 French and English Pronunciation Differ Greatly
The similarities between French and English in vocabulary will be of great help to you in learning French. However, French and English pronunciations are very different, so that you must learn not only to pronounce the French words correctly but also to understand them when you hear them. As in English, there are many silent letters, and some sounds, particularly the vowel sounds, are spelt in various ways. You will have little difficulty with the spelling if you practise writing as well as saying new words and exercises. The most important words appear many times in this book, which will also aid you greatly in remembering pronunciation, meaning and spelling.
In Chapter 2 the pronunciation of the French sounds and their spelling is explained in detail. The description of the sounds and the pronunciation key should enable you to pronounce them quite well, but the assistance of a French person is of great value, for it is of paramount importance to hear the sounds correctly spoken and to have your own pronunciation checked.
You can improve your pronunciation and understanding of the spoken word by listening to French recordings and radio broadcasting. At first a few minutes of listening each day will suffice. As you progress in your study of French you should increase the amount.
3 French is Spoken by Many People
French is spoken not only by the 53,000,000 people of France. The language of about one half of the population of Belgium and about one fifth of that of Switzerland is French. In Morocco and Algeria French is spoken by large groups of people. In the Western Hemisphere French is the language of the inhabitants of Quebec in Canada and of the people of French Guiana and Haiti.
For many years French was the sole language of diplomacy and the favourite foreign language among educated people in European countries. It is today the most useful single language for tourists and for the Common Market and business people who are flocking to the Continent in increasing numbers.
A knowledge of French is not only of great practical value. In addition, it opens the door to a better and deeper understanding of the great French people, their culture, art, literature, science, and way of life.