Le groupe français 2016 - 2023 Les Voyageurs

[Speakeasy]

French "Immersion"

I am well aware that the linked article has nothing to do with language-learning. Nevertheless, those of you who are studying French might welcome the opportunity of practising your reading skills and, at the same time, of developing a different perspective on the meaning of the word “immersion”* …

Projet Immersion: tout peut arriver – La Presse

*Un coup de pieds dans le ventre.
*A kick in the stomach.

[Carmody]

Ok this thread is a real stretch for me but I thought I would give it a go. It has to do with pronunciation and fluency, both of which all of you folks do far better than I.

The following is an interview between Stephen Kaufman and Johan on Français Authentique. Feel free to listen to listen to as much as you wish.

This episode of Comment Steve Kaufmann a appris le français et plus de 10 autres langues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNqwcFJOpAQ&t=56s

My own comments are:
“Steve Kaufman was born in Sweden and raised in Canada. Fine. But am I the only one to be shocked by how totally flat and heavy his French accent is compared with Johan? I am an American and I find he speaks with a flat American's accent of being ignorant of both tone, timbre, and rhythm of the French language. And he has been speaking French a very long time. For me it is really almost grating to the ears. Or am I alone on this. I will admit at the outset that my ear and pronunciation of the language are poor, but I am not a teacher of French.

So is his “ear” for the French language as bad as I think it is or what…..I don’t want to learn French and end up speaking it the way he does.

For me the musicality with which Johan speaks is clear and palpable.

Please advise.

[guyome]

(...)
Please advise.

For what it's worth, I find Steve Kaufmann's accent/prosody/pronounciation quite good. To my ears, there is a hint of English and Quebec French in it but I certainly wouldn't call it flat or grating. Quite pleasant to listen to, in fact.

[Arnaud]

(...)
Please advise.

For what it's worth, I find Steve Kaufmann's accent/prosody/pronounciation quite good. To my ears, there is a hint of English and Quebec French in it but I certainly wouldn't call it flat or grating. Quite pleasant to listen to, in fact.

Same for me

[DaveAgain]

TV5Monde have changed the url and appearance of their catch-up service website.

tv5mondeplus.com > revoir.tv5monde.com.

[Carmody]

Many thanks for the heads up on that........

[Speakeasy]

Boss de bécosses
Du pur Québécois : Fini, les “boss des bécosses” à Québec.

In the above-linked article, the term “boss des bécosses” is described as referring to « un collègue zélé au travail, un inconnu autoritaire dans une file à l’épicerie, ou encore un conjoint ou une conjointe qui en sait long sur l’unique manière correcte de plier un t-shirt. » A “boss de bécosse” is a demeaning expression referring to someone whose self-styled importance in society is viewed by others as being no more significant than that of a “boss of a backhouse or latrine.” The Québec Solidaire politician, Manon Massé, who (knowingly and deliberately) used this term in the Québec National Assembly whilst referring to the Prime Minister of Québec was reprimanded by the Speaker of the House and the term has been added to the long list deemed non-parliamentary the use of which are forbidden.

Bécosse
As to the etymology of the term “bécosse”, a number of years ago, one of my Québécois brothers-in-law told me that it entered the language as a mispronunciation/deformation of the English “backhouse”, which Québécois itinerant workers had picked up during the 19th century in the states of Maine, New York, and Vermont.

So, ya wanna impress your Québécois acquaintances?
Um, er, for those of you who wish to appear “authentic” when speaking with your “Québécois pure laine” acquaintances and hope to impress them with your use of “bécosse”, I would suggest that you exercise the usual restraint. While most Québécois would likely recognize the term, it is never used in polite speech. That is; its use would be akin to using the English “shithouse*” at work, in restaurants, et cetera, and it would generate a similar reaction. To wit, everyone in the Québec National Assembly recognized the word and understood the expression; nevertheless, its use was condemned.

*To the Moderators: the asterisked term should not be interpreted as an infringement of the forum rules, it is used for explanatory purposes only.

[reineke]

SK

If you're consuming exclusively French media content his accent may sound a little grating. Arnaud lives in France and is exposed to a variety of accents. It's also not hard finding native French people who find the French Canadian accent grating. His accent is not very pronounced. Once I got into a bit of trouble with Steve when I commented on his Italian. He posted those videos too soon and I believe they actually detract from his accomplishments.

[Carmody]

reineke
Many thanks.

[DaveAgain]

I'm reading le horla at the moment. One line confused me a little:

À gauche, là-bas, Rouen, la vaste ville aux toits bleus, sous le peuple pointu des cloches clochers gothiques.

I couldn't understand what was meant by

... sous le peuple pointu des cloches clochers gothiques.

https://www.ebooksgratuits.com/details.php?book=476

I looked up an english translation on gutenberg.org:

On the left, down yonder, lies Rouen, that large town with its blue roofs, under its pointed, Gothic towers.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21327

On the left, down yonder, lies Rouen, populous Rouen with its blue roofs massing under pointed, Gothic towers.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/593

I ended up thinking of it as "... under the pointed crowd of gothic steeples."

EDIT
corrected spelling, thanks Guyome