This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in phonetics, an introduction to French phonology as well as techniques for improving their own pronunciation or for teaching French to others. We will examine the relationship between the sounds of French and their spelling, the rules on the pronunciation of « universal » French as well as on syllabification, liaison, and the deletion or retention of the ‘mute e’.

Homework for each class consists of reading theory, writing phonetic transcriptions using the International Phonetic Alphabet, oral practice using recordings on Canvas, and analyzing phonological problem sets. Written homework, tests, and a final written exam will evaluate students’ ability to recognize and describe phonological and orthographic patterns and use the phonetic alphabet. Participation, recordings, and the final oral evaluation will be used to evaluate proficiency in pronunciation.

This is NOT a conversation or oral proficiency course but rather an introduction to one aspect of phonetics. The course requires attention to details, especially in the transcription system, in recognition of patterns, and in pronunciation. Typically, students who enjoy this class and do well are detail-oriented and comfortable with the type of thinking that people often associate with logic, math, or science.

FRENCH 333 is taught entirely in French.

Required Textbook for the course: Etextbook - Dansereau, Diane. Savoir dire. Cours de phonétique et de prononciation. 2nd edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

Class Format:

Taught entirely in French.

Class will meet in person as often as possible, but there will be some days during the semester when class will be remote via Zoom.