É vs È: Never Be Confused Again!

Many consider that speaking is the hardest skill to improve when learning a new language.

When learning French, you will soon realise that it requires a different use of your jaw, throat, and mouth muscles, which can produce some discomfort and/or tension in your face at the beginning. This is perfectly normal as you are getting used to a new way to produce sounds. Be patient and kind to yourself: with time and with the help of my great pronunciation tips, you will eventually sound more and more French!

Some learners have a natural ear for languages and find it very easy to mimic the sounds of foreign languages. Others will struggle for a long time if they aren't provided with the right pronunciation tools, despite many months or even years studying French. Working with the right teacher, someone who understands how to produce French sounds from an English speaking mouth, will definitely speed up your learning process and help you make much faster progress.

During the completion of my bachelor degree in Opera & Languages at McGill University (Montreal, Canada), I had to attend a French diction class given by... an English speaker! At first, I thought: "Why would I have to attend such a class, being a native French speaker myself? It is ridiculous and unnecessary!"

Well, my dear francophiles, that happened to be one of the most useful classes I took in my life since, thanks to Michael Meraw, wonderful baritone and French diction teacher, I started to learn many little tips to trick an English speaking mind into producing French sounds. Over the last 12 years working in Germany and Switzerland with English speaking expats from all around the world, I have developed my own tips and have helped hundreds of them to speak better French.

Do you understand the difference between "é" & "è" in French? Would you know how to pronounce "j'ai parlé" & "je parlais" correctly?

Here Are My Great Tips to Always Remember The Difference Between É & È In French!

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You might still be struggling with French "Rs" or "Us", two topics I have already discussed in previous videos. I invite you to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to receive our weekly videos with pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar tips which will help you dare to speak better French.

Isabelle

As a native Québécoise, born to a Franco-Belgian family, now living in Nyon with her two children, Isabelle is no stranger to the expat reality! Trained as a professional opera singer, her passion for arts and languages led her to become an ambassador of the French language & francophone culture, i.e. a French Teacher!

She founded Prêt à Parler in January 2015. Since then she's been hard at work helping native and non-native English-speaking expats make French part of their everyday life! Prêt à Parler's mission is based on what Isabelle does best: helping busy professionals and parents improve their French language skills by providing a high quality, eco-friendly, fun, no-nonsense approach to learning French online!

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