We all have this goal somewhat when learning a foreign language, we don't want to hear that we are from elsewhere, we want to be in the country without looking like a tourist. We want to speak like a native!
It's not possible to speak like a native French speaker!
Firstly, it's not possible to speak like a native French speaker! At this point, you hate me because I'm supposed to give you advice on how to speak like a native French speaker, but I'm telling you it's not possible.
To be honest, it's a bit vague as a goal to speak like a native French speaker. Mainly, because not all French people speak the same way: a Parisian doesn't speak like a Marseillais, or a Lyonnais or a Belgian or a Quebecois.
This goal is not precise enough and might quickly discourage you, as you will realize that all native French speakers do not speak in the same way.
Moreover, even if you speak a foreign language, you should still keep some of your personality. Often, people who learn French want to erase their foreign accent. Why? It's useless! It would be sad if we all spoke in the same way, like robots. It's much more lively to have people talking to each other and hearing foreign accents, it's also a conversation starter!
I always distinguish "accent" and "pronunciation". It's important when you speak French to have good pronunciation to be understood better. You need to work on your pronunciation to make yourself better understood.
As for the accent, we all have one, even natives! Normally, an accent does not interfere with comprehension. You can perfectly have a foreign accent and be very well understood by natives. Plus, I think that the accent adds charm to a person, it's a positive thing. Do not erase your accent.
Now, I'm going to give you advice, not to speak like a native, because it's not a concrete and good objective for you. I will give you advice to improve your level of French, be better understood by French people and sound more natural in French.
Improve your French pronunciation
I mentioned this just before, to be better understood by French people, it's important to have good pronunciation.
So, yes, it's not easy at all, French pronunciation is difficult. Having good pronunciation in French will require a lot of time and practice. If you want to improve your French pronunciation, there is one thing that will help you a lot and that you need to do very regularly: shadowing!
Shadowing is a technique in language learning that involves imitating a native speaker when they speak. You will reproduce the same intonation and pronunciation at the same time as a native French speaker. It's very effective for improving your pronunciation, for speaking with more ease and in a more authentic way. It also helps to better assimilate vocabulary and sentence syntax.
You play a video with a French person speaking with subtitles, it's better. You listen once and repeat what he or she just said right after him or her. You can also play the video and repeat at the same time as the person without pausing. You take the rhythm, the flow, and the intonation of the person speaking.
If you want to do guided shadowing exercises, I invite you to watch my YouTube pronunciation playlist. I help you to shadow in order to improve your pronunciation.
Master spoken French
You've probably noticed that there's a big difference between written French and spoken French, the French that native speakers use. When the French speak, they cut off words, they don't pronounce all the letters, they use shortcuts, and they use more familiar vocabulary. And generally, this is not what you learn in traditional language schools.
Sometimes you feel like you're learning a new language when you discover spoken French.
That's why I've created a special ebook for you in which I explain how to master spoken French. In this free ebook, you'll find help, tips to better understand the French when they speak, but also how to speak more like them, appear more natural when you speak French. You can find the link to this free ebook "Master Spoken French".
Learn the vocabulary of native French speakers
Often my students tell me, I don't understand at all the vocabulary that the French use when they speak or in television series, for example.
When we speak, we most often, outside a formal context, use familiar vocabulary. We use slang and idiomatic expressions. It's not necessarily vocabulary, again, that you learn in traditional schools.
The best way to learn this vocabulary is to listen to a lot of content in French, beware of authentic content! Content created by French people for French people. French series and films, for example, are a very good way to discover familiar vocabulary, the vocabulary we use a lot in everyday life.
Practice as much as possible
In addition to all this, it's important to put into practice everything you've learned! To speak a little more like the French, to appear more natural in French, you inevitably need to practice.
You need to speak, to practice to improve your pronunciation, but also to test it. It's also important that you try to use spoken French, the familiar vocabulary that you've learned.
And a very good way to put into practice all your knowledge of French, is to join my French conversation group, Ohlala French Coffee. Thanks to this group, you will practice your French orally up to 8 times a week in a friendly and welcoming French conversation group and finally express yourself naturally and confidently in French.
You'll practice with great students like you, of the same level as you and you'll be guided by native teachers!
In summary, if you want to improve your level of French, be better understood by the French and appear more natural in French:
- Improve your pronunciation, notably thanks to shadowing exercises.
- Master spoken French, you can do this with my free ebook.
- Learn the vocabulary of native French speakers by watching series, French films, authentic French content.
- Practice in French as much as possible, especially thanks to my conversation group, Ohlala French Coffee.
