French Semi-Vowels and Its Teaching for Chinese-Speaking Learners

Abstract

The three French semi-vowels [j], [w], and [?] present challenges and noteworthy problems to Chinese-speaking learners of French. Despite the fact that few domestic studies are related with French semi-vowels and their inclusion in French textbooks, the uniqueness of semi-vowels has always revealed itself in the learning process of French pronunciation. This paper, focusing on semi-vowels in French, intends to elaborate the phonetic features of these semi-vowels; following that, an exploration of the reasons for the exception of words to the phonetic rules of semi-vowels is conducted from the perspective of etymology. Since these semi-vowels have vowel-like sounds but act like consonants, the performance of semi-vowels in some phonetic rules, such as syllabication, word stress, and the aspiration of voiceless stops, is analyzed. This study has implications for the teaching of semi-vowels in French.