L'aspiration en anglais : un défi pour les francophones
English pronunciation can be quite tricky for second language learners. In school, you might learn things like the pronunciation of the letter h, the stress of words, or the difference between fill and feel, all of which differ from the French pronunciation and stress pattern. Some people learn to master the more perceptible pronunciation traits of the English language, yet they might wonder why they still have “an accent.”
Naturally, everyone has an accent, both native speakers and second language learners, but it is common among language learners to want to perfect their pronunciation. This is not an easy task, especially because not all phonetic traits are as easily perceived. Oftentimes, native speakers are unaware of the subtleties of their own pronunciation.
There is a phonological phenomenon in English that most people ignore, yet it often gives away a speaker’s identity as a native French speaker. That is, the aspiration of the consonants [p], [t], and [k] or, as referred to in linguistics, voiceless stops/plosives. This means that an extra burst of air accompanies the consonant, which does not happen in French. As a result, the word too in English is pronounced differently than tout in French. This is not the case for all words that contain one of these three consonants. Notice how “stop” does not have that puff of air. This is because voiceless stops are only aspirated when they are at the beginning of a word or a stressed syllable. For example, the word pat is pronounced with a noticeable aspiration, while the word spat is not.
If you are looking to perfect your pronunciation and want to practice the aspiration, a useful piece of advice is to place your hand in front of your mouth when you pronounce the aspirated words. When pronounced correctly, you should feel the puff of air on your hand.
Horaire et coordonnées - trimestre d’automne 2024
- Lundi : 13 h à 16 h
- Mardi : 13 h à 15 h
- Mercredi : 9 h à 13 h et de 14 h à 16 h
- Jeudi : 12 h à 16 h
Local : E1-1027
Courriel : cle.anglaise@USherbrooke.ca