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[L209]Learning The French Language

by Valentine Taylor, Val

Cajuns are an ethnic group in the U.S. state of Louisiana, whose ancestors were exiled from the former French colony known as Acadia (now a part of the Maritime provinces of Canada and in Maine), in 1755, during the catholic ethnic cleansing campaign, known as the Great Expulsion, initiated by British Crown. The term "Cajun" is derived from the English pronunciation of the French word “Acadien”.

Cajun French language is a dialect of French spoken by this ethnic group, with traces of influences from Quebec French, Haitian Creole, European French, and Haitian French. Cajun French language is distinct, mainly in fields of pronunciation and vocabulary, from Parisian or Metropolitan French.

The First Cajun French Language Dictionary

“A Dictionary of the Cajun Language”, the first Cajun French language dictionary was published in 1984 by Father Jules O. Daigle. It is not exhaustive or comprehensive, and omits certain alternate spellings and synonyms considered to be “perversions” by the author. However, it remains to be popular among Cajun speakers and writers, and is commonly considered to be the authority on the Cajun French language.

Where is Cajun French Language Used?

The primary region where Cajun French is spoken is called “Acadiana”, which differs from “Acadia” where Acadian French is spoken. In the United States, Cajun French is mainly spoken in the state of Louisiana, particularly in regions such as Lafayette Parish, St. Landry Parish, Terrebonne Parish, St. Mary Parish, Assumption Parish, St. Martin Parish, Evangeline Parish, Vermilion Parish, Lafourche Parish, and Iberia Parish.

The number of Cajun French language speakers has significantly decreased in recent years, and its survival has been questioned a number of times. This is mainly because majority of the Cajun French speakers live in an English-speaking nation, are bilingual, and are encouraged by parents to use English. However, there have been some attempts to revive the diminishing language by certain organizations such as the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL).

Some of the Main Differences between Standard and Cajun French:

• In Cajun French language, almost all past tense constructions are made using the verb avoir (to have). Standard French, on the other hand, has important verbs whose compound past tense is made using être (to be).

• “Nous Parlons” in standard French is always “On Parle” in Cajun French.

• Pronunciations not similar with standard French: 1) /a/ is pronounced with tongue towards the back of the mouth, sounding more like /ɑ/. 2) /d/ is pronounced /ʤ/ (before /i/). 3) /k/ pronounced /ʧ/ before /a/. 4) /t/ is also pronounced /ʧ/ before/i/. 5) /r/ is pronounced as an alveolar trill or flap and not the uvular fricative of standard French, and is omitted at the end of a syllable. 6) /wa/ pronounced /we/, and also often more like /ɔ/, with a bit of an offglide towards /u/.

The two main aspects to language study are learning and practicing, and they go hand in hand. Memorizing vocabulary words won't do you any good if you are unable to use them, so you have to supplement your studies with practice.

Here are some tips on the best way to learn French fast and easy:

You need dedication and motivation. Learning a new language is not easy and may take time but if you have the needed motivation and dedication, you can learn any language fast and easy. The dedication to put your time and effort to learn the language and the motivation to achieve your goals are the most important things you need before finding the best way to learn French.

Know the reasons why you want to learn French. Are you eyeing for a job that requires an ability to communicate in French? Are you a student who wants to get high grades in your French class? Or are you living in a French speaking country and want to communicate better with the people around you? Acknowledging the reasons, necessity and the importance of learning the language will give you the motivation and inspiration to put all your efforts and achieve the goal to learn and speak the language fluently.

Get the best course or find the best way to learn French language. If you already have the motivation, the time and the inspiration to learn the language, you should find the best way to learn French. The best way to learn French is to have a French language course that will teach you to speak French in an easy way. It is important that the course includes audio course, for you to learn the correct pronunciation.

You can buy a book and try to teach yourself though without hearing the words spoken you cannot learn it correctly. If you can find a local class that meets when you can attend, isn't too expensive or too far away and moves at a pace that works for you then that would be a good choice. But how many of us have a local French class that we can attend?

The best way to learn to speak French is to put yourself around native French speaking people. Just making the effort to learn French is half the battle.

Article Source : Pg. 74

About Author

Both Valentine Taylor & Nick Clipton are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Valentine Taylor has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education. in 3 months and understanding the