French Speakers Research Articles

Another voice for another language?

Abstract This study examines crosslinguistic vocal register variations (pitch level and range) within speakers of L1 French-L2 English and L1 English-L2 French. Participants were recorded on three tasks: reading aloud, video retelling, and free speech, in both French and English. A separate analysis of the f 0 of voiced pauses in relation to vocal register is presented. The main hypothesis is that French is spoken on a higher vocal register than English, the difference being due to the divergent prosodic systems of the two languages, as opposed to an effect of the language status for the speaker (L1 or L2). The results partially confirm it, although the L1 and the task type influence the language effect. In addition, results indicate that pitch level and pitch range can vary independently; that the task has a significant effect on vocal register; and that the f 0 of voiced pauses is lower than the average speaking f 0, thus impacting its measure and raising methodological issues for the study of vocal register.

Alignment in ASR and L1 Listeners’ Recognition of L2 Learner Speech: French EFL Learners & Dictation.Io

This study is an extension of Inceoglu et al.’s (2023) study on Google Voice Typing as a pronunciation learning tool. We used the Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) tool on the dictation.io website (Agarwal, 2022), and our participants were L2 English learners of a different L1, but similar proficiency level. Twelve L1 English listeners assessed the L2 English from four L1 French speakers in terms of intelligibility and comprehensibility, measured by word transcription and Likert scale ratings respectively. Their scores were compared to ASR output. The goal was to determine how accurate the tool is, and to what extent its accuracy correlates with human listeners. The results were generally consistent with those of Inceoglu et al. (2023), with few exceptions which we discuss in the current study.

Realisation, elision and intrusion of /h/ in French learners of English

As the phonological systems of English and French diverge both at the segmental level and at the prosodic level, French learners encounter difficulties with English pronunciation. One example is the glottal fricative /h/ since it is absent from the French phonemic inventory–with the exception of the onomatopoeia “haha” to express laughter. Following studies by Exare (2017) and Kamiyama et al. (2011), this paper aims to provide further empirical evidence of the realisation, elision, and intrusion of /h/ in French speakers’ English productions. The learners were university students who did not major in English. The participants were given three tasks, i.e., word reading, sentence reading, and spontaneous speech. Auditory analyses were then carried out by the researcher. Results show four speaker-profiles: (1) /h/ is absent altogether; (2) /h/ is accurately realised; (3) /h/ is accurately realised in addition to regular occurrences of intrusive /h/; (4) only intrusive /h/ occurs. Although the speaking task has an influence on intra-speaker variability, intra-speaker consistency has been observed, with participants belonging to one of the above learner-profiles. Also of interest were the differences between men and women. These results suggest that different teaching strategies should be established to better suit the needs of the different profiles.

Verb database: Structure, clusters and options

The content and volume of language corpora provide an opportunity to obtain reliable information about the real use of a particular linguistic unit. Nowadays, there is a large number of corpora in different languages, their formation technologies are being improved. Nevertheless, some problems and limitations arise when using these resources in comparative studies. Corpora users need to work with annotated data submitted to tagging through annotation protocols. The article presents the structure and functionality of the supracorpora verb database (SVD) developed on the basis of a parallel Russian-French subcorpus of the Russian National Corpus (RNC) and reveals the difference in their potentials. The described database is a pilot version of the final software, which is currently under development and is being tested. It consists of several clusters focused on solving such linguistic tasks as studying the grammatical semantics specifics and the distribution of verb forms in Russian and French; identifying the polysemantic structure in the two languages, which in turn verifies the understanding of the linguistic worldview of the speakers of Russian and French. It has been found that the mechanism of functioning of SVD cluster formations allows us to study both individual characteristics of verbs and the semantics of verbal lexemes and collocations. The manual annotation enables users to identify the systematic asymmetry of verb forms and cases of contextual and low-frequency asymmetry. Thus, SVD can be used in language pedagogy, teaching and studying discursive grammar, as well as the analysis of translation models variability.

Use of gradient anticipatory nasal coarticulatory cues for lexical perception in French

The current study examines anticipatory nasal coarticulation in French, a language which is known to exhibit a) quality differences between phonemically oral and nasal vowels and b) relatively low amounts of nasal coarticulation in CVN contexts. In a production study, thirty native Northern Metropolitan (Parisian) French speakers produced seven sets of CṼ-CVC-CVN words (e.g., [sɛd] cède, [sɛn] scènes, [sæ̃] saint). Consistent with previous studies, results indicated quality differences between the vowels in CṼ versus CVC and CVN words, and also that acoustic nasalization in CVN contexts was relatively small; nevertheless, it was still significantly greater than in CVC contexts, and variable across speakers. In a perception study, the CV portions of the production recordings were played to fifty French listeners, who identified the corresponding word in a forced-choice task. Results showed that stimuli from CVN contexts were highly confusable with CVC items, but not with CṼ items. Most importantly, increased degree of acoustic nasalization on individual CVN stimuli significantly correlated with accuracy. We conclude that, despite the overall relative weakness of coarticulatory cues to nasality, French listeners can nevertheless employ these cues when they are stronger.

French Memory Support System: A Proof‐of‐Concept Study

AbstractBackgroundMild cognitive impairment (MCI) confers a higher risk of developing dementia and may interfere with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The Memory Support System (MSS) is a curriculum and calendar/note‐taking system that has proven effective to sustain independence in IADLs in individuals with MCI and protect mood among support partners. Until recently, the MSS has only been utilized among English‐ and Spanish‐speaking samples.MethodThis study investigated the use of a translated and culturally adapted MSS in four French‐speaking participants with MCI (75% female, age Mean = 69.3 [SD = 5.6], education M = 15 [SD = 2.6]) and their support partners. A within‐subject multiple baseline design (baseline, treatment end and 8‐week follow‐up) in a 10‐session, 2 to 3‐week MSS training schedule was utilized. Outcome measures included treatment adherence as well as self‐ and informant‐report questionnaires of IADLs, cognitively‐relevant everyday abilities, self‐efficacy, anxiety, depression, caregiver burden, and quality of life.ResultBy treatment end and follow‐up, participants with MCI showed improvement in adherence to the MSS calendar (Cohen’s d = ‐3.32 & ‐2.31); IADLs (d = 0.83 & 0.68); everyday abilities requiring memory (d = 0.35 & 0.43) and planning (d = 0.47 & 0.40); self‐efficacy (d = ‐1.43 & ‐1.62); symptoms of depression (d = 0.26 & 0.71) and anxiety (d = 0.09 & 0.2); and quality of life (d = ‐0.71 & ‐0.9). Support partners showed improvement in their own quality of life (d = ‐0.34 & ‐0.85) and depressive symptoms (d = 0.19 & 1.33), while their caregiver burden and anxiety symptoms generally remained unchanged.ConclusionFindings suggest that with appropriate training, French‐speaking participants with MCI can and will use the MSS. This may lead to improvement in their IADLs, some cognitively‐relevant everyday abilities, anxiety symptoms, and self‐efficacy. MSS training may also improve depressive symptoms and quality of life in both participants with MCI and their support partners. Overall, although results are generally consistent with previous studies using the MSS, further research using a larger sample of French speakers with MCI is needed to confirm current findings.

Articulatory Insights into the L2 Acquisition of English-/l/ Allophony.

In many English varieties, /l/ is produced differently in onsets and codas. Compared with "light" syllable-initial realizations, "dark" syllable-final variants involve reduced tongue tip-alveolar ridge contact and a raised/retracted tongue dorsum. We investigate whether native French and Spanish speakers whose L1 lacks such positionally conditioned variation can acquire English-/l/ allophony, testing the hypotheses that (1) the allophonic pattern will be acquired by both groups but (2) learners will differ from native speakers in their phonetic implementation, particularly in codas; and (3) French-speaking learners will outperform their Spanish-speaking counterparts. The production of syllable-initial and -final /l/ (singletons and clusters) in words read in isolation and a carrier sentence by 4 French- and 3 Spanish-speaking learners as well as three native English speakers was analyzed via electropalatography and acoustic analysis. While some learners produced distinct onset and coda variants and all learners had moved away to some extent from their L1 production, they differed from the native speakers in certain ways. Moreover, between- and within-group variability was observed including greater target-like anterior and posterior contact reduction in codas in the L1 French versus L1 Spanish group and generally higher F2 values in both learner groups compared with their native speaker peers. A comparison of the learners' L1 and L2 production revealed L1-based patterns of positional reduction of the tongue tip and dorsum gestures. We conclude by addressing the contributions of EPG to our understanding of L2 speech and highlight avenues for future research including the study of both linguistic and speaker variables.

A corpus-based study of quoi in French native speech

Abstract Based on data drawn from two corpora collected in Orléans, France, in two waves (ESLO 1, 1968–1971; ESLO 2, 2008–) over a 40-year period, this paper investigated the use of quoi as a discourse marker (DM) in the speech of 234 French native speakers. Our results indicate that the DM quoi has increased in frequency in the more recent corpus. The distribution of its discursive functions has changed between the two corpora. Meanwhile, we also demonstrate that the DM quoi is mainly used in final position and this tendency continues to increase in ESLO 2. Regarding the relation between function and particle position, the planning function is the only function favored by medial position in ESLO 1, while in ESLO 2, the quantification function also becomes one of the favored functions in this position. We suggest that this might indicate potential competition for the same position. Meanwhile, we also point out that the benchmarking function is quasi-categorically used in final position in ESLO 2. The relation between functions and positions changes between the two corpora.

The PURPLE mystery: Semantic meaning of three purple terms in French speakers from Algeria, France, and Switzerland

AbstractStudies on the color category PURPLE yielded inconsistent category boundaries, focal colors, and color‐emotion associations. In French, there are at least three color terms referring to the shades of purple, potentially weighing on these inconsistencies. Thus, we tested the semantic breadth and richness in semantic meaning of violet (basic term), lilas (non‐basic), and pourpre (non‐basic). We collected free associations in 274 French speakers from Algeria, France, and Switzerland, yielding 2079 responses, of which 436 were discrete and 275 were unique. Frequency analyses and semantic coding supported the basicness status of violet in French, within a hierarchically structured semantic system. Moreover, the meaning of the three terms was not synonymous. Violet had the most abstract meaning. Lilas had the narrowest meaning, mainly referring to Natural Entities. Pourpre seemed close to RED. We found no differences between the countries. Future studies should extend this approach to other languages and other color terms.

De Vlaamse Beweging en de patstelling van het Nederlands in de publieke overheid en het onderwijs in het jonge België (1830–1850)

Although the freedom of language use was anchored in the Belgian Constitution of 1831,in practice it led to almost complete Frenchification of public life, because civil servantscould choose their own language. Dutch thus became the language of the countryside andthe lower classes. Secondary and higher education were exclusively French speaking. TheFlemish Movement came into being as a reaction to this. Cultural associations werefounded and standards for Dutch language established. A petition in 1840 revealed theextent of the problem – the Flemish Movement demanded language equality and theestablishment of a Flemish Academy. Although there was partial success in 1850(Dutchification of primary and secondary education in Flanders), the petition alsoprovoked a hostile reaction among French speakers who accused the Flemings of antibelgitude. The Flemish Movement therefore issued a pro-Belgian manifesto. But thegovernment remained French speaking, so there was a stalemate.

Crosslinguistic differences in initial word recognition

Abstract The present article addresses the extent to which learners’ mental representations, in particular the phonological and lexical representations of learners’ background languages, influence their ability to perceive and extract linguistic units from a novel speech stream. In the study, native speakers of French were exposed to an unfamiliar language, either Polish or Modern Standard Arabic. A word recognition test taken at first exposure revealed important differences in how French speakers/listeners extract words from the Polish or Arabic speech stream, suggesting that source language representations work differently depending on the specificities of the target language. In addition to providing insights into the effects of source and target language properties on speech perception, these results contribute to on-going discussions about what constitutes crosslinguistic influence and conceptual transfer in second language acquisition research.

Pathways to depalatalization of the palatal nasal in Quebec and hexagonal French: An EPG study

Abstract The palatal nasal is one of French’s most variable consonants with attested variants including [ɲ] alongside [nj] and, less frequently, [n] and [ŋ]. Variation is conditioned by both linguistic (position in the word, lexical item, flanking vowels) and speaker variables (in particular, variety). Except for insights provided by the studies reviewed in Recasens (2013), little is known of the articulatory properties of French /ɲ/ including the degree of inter-varietal and -speaker variation or the proportion of coronal and velar depalatalized realizations. We present here an electropalatographic (EPG) study of two European (EF) and two Quebec French (QF) speakers’ /ɲ/ production in both word-medial and -final positions in isolated and contextualized words. Quantitative indices and qualitative investigation of the linguopalatal contact profiles reveal that the EF speakers produced a relatively anterior /ɲ/, differing minimally from /n/ followed by /j/. Whereas one of their QF peers produced uniquely backed velar realizations of /ɲ/, the other speaker had fronted alveolopalatal variants word-medially versus backed velar realizations word-finally, with the latter differing minimally from the /ŋ/ of jogging. These findings are consistent with pathways to depalatalization observed in other Romance varieties and call into question the phonemic status of the palatal nasal in French.

Longitudinal change in linguistic resources for interaction

Abstract This article presents a longitudinal study of a second language (L2) French speaker’s (Aurelia) use of the construction tu vois (‘you see’) over 15 months. Research on first language (L1) French has shown that tu vois has been subject to grammaticalization, whereby the construction in spoken language frequently serves as a discourse marker rather than a complement-taking predicate construction expressing visual perception. Drawing on longitudinal Conversation Analysis, I qualitatively and quantitatively analyze Aurelia’s use of tu vois in relation to its turn position and interactional purposes. I document a similar change happening in Aurelia’s use of the construction over time as what has been observed in L1 French: While she initially deploys tu vois exclusively in its ‘literal’ sense of visual perception and with a complement (tu vois X, ‘you see X’), she eventually starts using it as a semantically bleached discourse marker for interaction-organizational and interpersonal purposes. A few ‘hybrid’ cases demonstrate the progressive nature of this change, and indicate further similarities between L2 acquisition and L1 grammaticalization processes. I discuss possible reasons for the documented change and address implications of the findings for research on both the development of L2 grammar-for-interaction and language change more generally.

Palatalized/affricated plosives in Paris French. A sociophonetic production-perception study of a dynamic working-class and/or language contact phenomenon among middle-class speakers

A long tradition of attracting work forces to Paris from outside countries has produced a high proportion of inhabitants using other languages than French (Gadet 2008). Geographically, most of the immigrants and their descendants are housed in cheap residential areas in the northern and eastern parts of the capital and its surrounding suburbs - zones that were historically the home of working-class Parisians. Recently, sociolinguists have observed that a specific way of speaking French in these areas has emerged (Fagyal 2010; Gadet 2017), and might be spreading. There is agreement that part of the lexical phenomena in this “multiethnolectal French” is due to language contact between French and the immigrant languages, but as for phonetic features, diverging claims exist. Are the palatalized and affricated plosives (qui [kji]), voiture [vwatʃyr]), the strongly articulated /r/’s, and the frequent drops of phonetic material an effect of contact with Arabic or are they features of working-class Parisian French that have been boosted through an identity-based process of reallocation? Regardless of the answer to this complex question, we seek here to grasp the potential of the palatalized/affricated plosives to spread socially upwards to non-multicultural, middle-class speakers outside the area in question. On the basis of our recordings with upper- and lower-middle-class Parisians (Hansen ms.) and of the attitudinal data we have gathered from a listening experiment among 235 predominantly middle-class French speakers (Hansen 2015, Hansen ms.), we conclude that the phenomenon in question does show signs of active adoption and social spread upwards, while being intriguingly little salient for our participants according to the perception results, as compared to other phonetic phenomena. Only when occurring with other features (in casu strongly articulated /r/’s, with which it shares the ambiguity of being both a popular French and a possible French-Arabic language contact feature), a few listeners comment overtly on its presence and associate its users to Maghreb and/or poor suburban descent.

Canadian English translation and linguistic validation of the 13-MD to measure global health-related quality of life

ABSTRACT Background The 13-MD is a new instrument designed to measure more globally the various aspects of the health-related quality of life. Its structure is balanced around physical, mental, and social aspects of health. Objective To translate the 13-MD into Canadian English and to ensure that it is conceptually equivalent to the original version in Canadian French. Methods Forward and back translations were conducted. A linguistic validation was performed in both Canadian French and Canadian English following an iterative process. This validation was conducted with 15 participants in each group (French and English speakers) using face-to-face cognitive debriefing interviews. This process was done in accordance with academic standards. Results The two forward translations resulted in 35.8% of identical sentences (59/165). Back translation indicated that 83.6% of the sentences were identical or almost identical to the original Canadian French version. The review of the back translation led to a few changes in the reconciled forward translation (4/165) and the original version (11/165), while the linguistic validation process led to 24 changes over a possibility of 165 sentences in the Canadian English version and 6 over 165 in the Canadian French version. Most changes provided were minimal and were done to ensure a better understanding of the 13-MD. Conclusion The translation and linguistic validation processes were successful in creating a valid 13-MD in Canadian English (13-MD-CE) that is conceptually equivalent to the original version.

A Variationist Study of Quotative System in the Non-native Speech of French

Abstract: Based on sociolinguistic data collected with 40 Chinese L1 learners of French in Paris, this article examines the quotative markers used by nonnative speakers of French in their direct speech reporting. Our results confirm previous findings in other ethnic groups that both linguistic and extralinguistic factors influence the use of some socio-pragmatic variables in non-native speech. On the one hand, it provides new data on the acquisition of socio-pragmatic competence by a less studied learner group; on the other hand, it offers a further reflection on the influence of linguistic taboo on learners’ L1 and the impact of the critical period in the immigration process on their language acquisition.

Понятие «франкофонии» и ее влияние на развитие французской социолингвистики и лингводидактики

The article examines how the concept of «francophonia», which has become established and spread in culture and science as a result of the works of L.S. Senghor, influenced the vectors of development of the French sociolinguistics and linguodidactics. If earlier the attention of scientists was focused on the French language of France, its normalization and codification, and any deviation from the norm caused censure (in this context, we mean regional uses that did not correspond to the norm), then with the advent of the concept of «francophonia», territorial varieties of the French language became separate object of study, thereby giving rise to a new direction of language variation studies, aimed at exploring the richness and originality of regional varieties of the French language. The article gives the names of the first collective monographs dedicated to the peculiarities of the French language, depending on its territorial affiliation and social stratification.As for the French linguodidactics, until the last quarter of the 20th century, its development took place in two directions: teaching French as a mother tongue and teaching French as a foreign language. Here the concept of «francophonia» played an important role, revealing another independent category of French speakers who speak it as a second language. Being initially the achievement of theoretical linguodidactics, the concept of «French as a second language» provoked the development and creation of new teaching aids, mainly for French-speaking countries (with French as a second language for the majority of the population), and later for allophones arriving in France and other French-speaking countries (with French as a mother tongue for the majority of the population).

Adaptation and Reliability of the Cinderella Story Retell Task in Canadian French Persons Without Brain Injury.

Main concept (MC) analysis is a well-documented method of discourse analysis in adults with and without brain injury. This study aims to develop a MC checklist that is culturally and linguistically adapted for Canadian French speakers and examine its reliability. We also documented microstructural properties and provide a normative reference in persons not brain injured (PNBIs). Discourse samples from 43 PNBIs were collected. All participants completed the Cinderella story retell task twice. Manual transcription was performed for all samples. The 34 MCs for the Cinderella story retell task were adapted into Canadian French and used to score all transcripts. In addition, microstructural variables were extracted using Computerized Language Analysis (CLAN). Intraclass correlation coefficients were computed to assess interrater reliability for MC codes and microstructural variables. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlations, Spearman's rho correlations, and the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. Bland-Altman plots were used to examine the agreement of the discourse measures between the two sessions. The MC checklist for the Cinderella story retell task adapted for Canadian French speakers is provided. Good-to-excellent interrater reliability was obtained for most MC codes; however, reliability ranged from poor to excellent for the "inaccurate and incomplete" code. Microstructural variables demonstrated excellent interrater reliability. Test-retest reliability ranged from poor to excellent for all variables, with the majority falling between moderate and excellent. Bland-Altman plots illustrated the limits of agreement between test and retest. This study provides the MC checklist for clinicians and researchers working with Canadian French speakers when assessing discourse with the Cinderella story retell task. It also addresses the gap in available psychometric data regarding test-retest reliability in PNBIs. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24171087.

The Influence of Anglo-American Borrowings on the Current State of the French Language in French-Speaking Countries

The purpose of this study is to describe the language situation of the French-speaking countries in connection with the massive spread of Anglo-Americanisms and their influence on the current state of the modern French language. The research material covers 186 Anglo-American borrowings extracted from articles published and videos posted in French and Canadian periodicals, websites and forums. To achieve the purpose of the study, the following methods were used: the method of continuous sampling of the material, descriptive and comparative methods of the selected material analysis, comparative analysis of dictionary definitions, the method of contextual analysis, as well as the method of statistical data analysis. The results of the study showed that, penetrating into the French language, Anglo-Americanisms undergo lexical, morphological, graphic, syntactic and semantic assimilation in the recipient language. Lexical assimilation, in which Anglicisms are used by native French speakers without adaptation to its language system, is the most frequent phenomenon. The results of an online survey of native French speakers confirmed the following fact: a number of lexically assimilated Anglo-Americanisms most commonly used in everyday life were identified. The survey also revealed a high percentage of respondents inclined to using this layer of vocabulary in their native French language. The study also provides examples of regulatory documents and the names of some public organizations that counteract the penetration of foreign language vocabulary into the French language. An attempt is made to identify extra- and intra-linguistic factors of the integration of Anglicisms into different spheres of human activity. The authors give examples of parallel use of English borrowings and their French equivalents. In the study, the authors pay attention to the etymology of the term Franglais, give a classification of Anglo-American borrowings, as well as represent the ambiguous views of leading linguists and politicians of the French-speaking space regarding the reasons for the appearance of Franglais and their influence on the purity of the French language.

Introducing a new protagonist in L2 Chinese narratives: Syntactic construction and information organization

Building a complex discourse is not an easy task for second language learners. This study investigates how learners that have French as their first language (L1) and Chinese as a second language (L2) convey the function of referent introduction in narratives. It aims to identify which syntactic constructions are used to highlight new information and relate it to given information at the utterance level, and how learners organize information between utterances to ensure discourse cohesion. The procedure used consists of the analysis of an oral corpus collected from five groups of participants ( N = 110): French and Chinese native speakers, and three groups of learners (low, intermediate and advanced levels). The stimulus of the elicited task is a comic strip. The results show that low learners mostly follow the canonical word order, while intermediate learners demonstrate more syntactic diversity but still differ from native speakers at the discourse level. Advanced learners almost achieved native-like proficiency and demonstrated only one difference when compared with the target pattern that lies in the lexical-semantic characteristics of the predicate used.