#neonicsnow
1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)
Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.
Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.
There was a study that showed languages generally transmit the same amount of information in the same amount of time. Some variation of course, but things were pretty close.
It's mostly a question of getting used to it, and I find French has some features that can make it feel faster than it is when you're not used to them, notably liaison and the way schwas can be dropped
Whenever I'm trying to read something in French or write in it, it feels "natural pace", if that makes sense? But whenever I hear it spoken it feels like I'm just listening to a youtube video that I've accidentally put to 1,5x or even 2x speed...
Which at times makes it feel incredibly counter-productive as it makes it very hard to understand and even at times nothing at all. Just wanted to ask because so far, I'm finding it very overwhelming with spoken French and am unsure if its just something that I need to grow accustomed to or if it is indeed faster than the average language. 😅
Totally get it, pretty much everyone goes through it
Don't be afraid to slow down audio, or use transcripts/french subtitles to help get a feel for it
every language sounds fast when you're not used to it.
When it comes to syllables per second, French is usually slightly faster than English and slightly slower than Spanish. When it comes to information rate, it's about the same as citrons said
For another reference point, I found it easier to pick out Spanish words/syllables than French ones starting out
I would recommend starting with media tailored for beginners, like specialized channels, podcasts, etc
Also things like slice of life anime can be much easier to understand than fast-action ones:
- characters tend to speak slowly
- they talk about everyday stuff
- little background noise
that's just an exemple but it can give you an idea of what's easier to listen to
Fair enough, makes alot more sense when you put it that way!
Its just that it feels like some words kind of... merge togheter in a way when spoken, due to how fast it feels which I think is where the problem for me lies, As well as how certain words throw me off by alot as I've noticed that alot of words don't pronounce alot of the characters/letters in them. 😅
you can also listen to media you've already seen in your native language and want to experience again. That way, you already know the context which helps a ton when it comes to filling out the blanks, and you won't be as frustrated not to understand everything because you already experienced it
yes, spaces between words disappear, weak sounds like schwa get dropped, also silent letters and liaison can make things not be pronounced the way you would have thought if your reference is written French
qu'est-ce que tu fais => pronounced "kestufé"
Pace yourself. Don't shoot for native speech immediately. If you don't understand anything, it won't help much.
Start with easier media. You're gonna get there eventually.
Do you have anything you could recommend by chance? Like a youtube channel or such?
I don't have a lot to recommend myself, not being a learner, but you can ask others in #🌈anglais-français or by making a new thread in #salle-de-classe probably
I know InnerFrench is a popular podcast for that
InnerFrench is a solid one, DuoLingo podcasts can be good early too
Ooh yes and don’t forget EasyLanguages and EasyFrench
try innerfrench, there's a site
ah
already mmentioned