La Prononciation française pour de vrai by Penelope Sewell

Abstract

A selected bibliography and filmography is also supplied, listing for example the reference editions of Corneille’s work, a selection of books and articles about Corneille and his work, works on the seventeenth century, works on French literature in general, possible sources for the play, other important authors and their works of the seventeenth century, as well as a list of films and recordings of Corneille’s plays and other works, including operas and dance, which deal with seventeenth-century France, the addresses of companies that sell these recordings in the USA, and finally a few Web sites concerned with seventeenth century French theater, Corneille, his life, and his work. To conclude, the volume ends with a list of useful vocabulary to talk about theater plays, pictorial credits, acknowledgments, and a few words about the authors. This volume is very clear, written in simple yet accurate French, well laid out and would work well for students who are novices in classic theater or as a part of a basic introduction to French theater class. Armstrong Atlantic State University (GA) Dorothée Mertz-Weigel SEWELL, PENELOPE. La Prononciation française pour de vrai. London: Birkbeck, University of London, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9561796-0-9. £30.00 This program is a series of 24 lessons aimed at English speakers with a high intermediate or advanced level of proficiency in French. The program is presented entirely in French over five hours and forty-three minutes on a set of 3 DVDs. The content is detailed, thorough, well sequenced and challenging. It is obvious that Penny Sewell has a wealth of technical knowledge and expertise in teaching about the sounds of French and how to pronounce them. The program uses three native speakers to provide examples throughout the program. While the content is excellent, the production and delivery limit how the program might be used as an instructional tool. The material in this program is organized into 24 lessons. Lessons 1–8 focus on stress, rhythm, and intonation; lessons 9–17 focus on vowels; lessons 18–23 focus on consonants. The 24th lesson is a pot-pourri of useful information, including common phrases that differ between written and spoken French and onomatopoeia. These lessons vary in length, ranging from about seven to twenty minutes in length. Additionally, there is a Livret d’accompagnement with exercises on the phonetic alphabet, syllabification, and intonation. The longest segment of the DVD series is the twenty-four minute introduction. In this segment, Sewell explains how the program is structured, presents essential phonetic terms in French and English, teaches the International Phonetic Alphabet and explains its importance, discusses common problems English speakers face when learning French, and explains how to learn to pronounce French like a Francophone. The subsequent lessons on the first DVD focus on syllabification, intonation and accentuation, and rhythmic groups. The second DVD of the series offers an in-depth look at vowels. It begins with some generalizations of sounds and continues with how to form one’s lips to create the appropriate vowel sounds. The remaining lessons in the second DVD focus on at least one, but no more than three vowels in each lesson. Sewell offers comparisons and contrasts between vowels pronounced in French and 636 FRENCH REVIEW 84.3 those in English. Additionally, native Francophone speakers are used to model the pronunciation. In each of these lessons, there is ample opportunity for the student to gain practical skill in pronunciation and listening. The third DVD focuses mainly on consonants. As was the case in the prior lessons, the student has ample opportunity to practice the sounds along with Sewell as well as with native speakers. The information is detailed and thorough. Again, Sewell makes many comparisons between French and English and points out common errors Anglophones make in pronunciation. This program’s weakness is in the production value and technical delivery of the material. While Sewell’s information is thorough and comprehensive, the method in which it is delivered is lacking. Throughout the three DVD series, Sewell is seated in front of a green or blue screen and reads from off-screen notes. Often, there is an informational slide projected behind her...