Different French accents

[cefmac]

Does anyone find, when studying French, that certain accents are much clearer and easier to follow? At school, we were taught by teachers from both the North and the South, and while I got used to both, I definitely found the Northern accent easier to follow. It's much less sing-song-y, in my opinion. As for the accents from French-speaking countries and regions outside of France, I have no idea.

What French accent do you find easiest to understand?

[BWL]

I was first taught French years ago by a Marseillaise and I the Southern accent was what I was used to hearing for a long time. Nowadays I definitely find Parisien to be the easiest to understand simply because I hear it all the time on the TV and on the news. This has also become my "default"" French accent.

The worse accent has to be Quebecois, it's almost like a foreign language to me!

[cefmac]

I'm not actually familiar with the Quebecois accent. What's it like, BWL? Does it have much influence from English-speaking Canadian dialects/accents?

[Topcho]

From what I remember from high school, Canadian and Belgian French were the hardest for me. First time I hear Canadian, I didn't get a word  :speechless: I had to hear the text several times  to understand what was going on.

As for different regions of France, I don't know. We had teachers only from the North.

[BWL]

I'm not actually familiar with the Quebecois accent. What's it like, BWL? Does it have much influence from English-speaking Canadian dialects/accents?

Here is a clip from "Tout le Monde en Parle", a popular Canadian celebrity talk show. Everybody on the show has really thick French Canadian accents.

[cefmac]

Here is a clip from "Tout le Monde en Parle", a popular Canadian celebrity talk show. Everybody on the show has really thick French Canadian accents.

Ah, I see what you mean! Although I have to say, I did manage to understand a good amount of that. It seems like it follows English speech patterns a bit more than standard French, and - this is going to sound weird - it's more "clicky"!

[BWL]

Yes, the word order and word choice has some English influences. They also use some words in an English manner for example, I once heard a Canadian friend say something like "Bienvenue" when another friend thanked her for something. I realised that she was saying "you're welcome"!

No French person would use "Bienvenue!" to mean "you're welcome" after somebody thanks them in place of "de rien"! This is definitely influenced by the English word "welcome".

[BWL]

Another clip in Canadian French. This one is a web animation called Têtes à claques - a face so irritating you want to slap it!

The accent is a very exaggerated version of a French Canadian accent done for humorous effect!

[tulosai]

For me, all the French in France sounds the same.  This probably means I have no ear for accents but oh well.  My biggest problem is understanding French speakers from Africa.  I am lucky if I can catch every other word.  As others have said, my second biggest problem is with following Canadian French.

[Meera]

It's hard for me to understand, but I love the French from Africa, I think it sounds so beautiful!

[polybus]

Although I am from Canada, I have a harder time understanding Quebec French than European French. This is mostly just exposure; I have ironically been more exposed to the French of France. I am okay with the "clicky" parts of Quebec French (the palatalization of ti and di sounds) but when it is spoken quickly I sometimes have a hard time catching all of it.

[Joe D.]

I was surprised and inordinately pleased, the first time I went to Montreal, to find that most French speakers there thought I was from Paris rather than from the states. I was taught French originally by a Parisian - and initially absorbed the accent well. With the time I spent in Montreal, I actually found the Quebecois accent easier to understand than the Parisian. Alas, if I went back now I suspect the natives would think my accent to be 'soup kitchen.' I need some brushing up.

[whatupswags]

When I first started living in France, I was right outside of Paris - so most of my friends and coworkers had the Parisian accent. However, I did have one coworker from Toulouse, and I actually found her the easiest to understand with my limited knowledge of French! I think her sounds were stronger as compared to the Parisian slur between words. The French-Africans I have met have always been very difficult for me to understand; I think it is because they speak very rapidly, but with a strong accent. I have never talked to a French-Canadian, but I lived in Belgium for a few months. The Belgians just have a more gritty texture to their French. It is fun to finally understand enough to notice accents, though!

[SpringBreeze]

That's so true... And so annoying because I sit there saying, I should be able to understand you. I find the easiest accent to understand is the American teacher accent. Hahaha... They usually speak slower and clearer and they use less colloquial wording. But they are also the worst to learn from when you're trying to adopt a more French accent.

[FatesWing]

It's interesting to hear about all of the different experiences you all have when coming in contact with those who speak the language but have different accents. I have been working on projecting a more authentic accent as for pronunciation and clarity.