LMU-CFR121: COMMUNICATION IN FRENCH

COURSE OUTLINE (Plan du Cours) :

Week 1 : Introduction to French.
Week 2 : Les salutations en français (Greetings in French).
Vocabulaire de famille et d’amis (Vocabulary of Family and Friends.
Week 3 : Les articles et les pronoms personnels (Articles and Personal Pronouns).
Les verbes : être, avoir, s’appeler, travailler, voyager, parler, manger, etc. au présent (verbs :
to be, to have, to work, to travel, to speak, to eat, etc. in present tense).
Le, la, l’and les as object pronouns.
Week 4 : Les professions et les nationalités (Professions and Nationalities).
Se présenter (Introducing Yourself/Others).
Week 5 : Les nombres (Numbers) : cardinaux et ordinaux (Cardinal and Ordinal).
Vocabulaire d’argent et de quantité (Vocabulary of Money and Quantity).
Week 6 : Quelle heure est-il ? (What Is the Time ?)
Quel âge as-tu ? (How Old Are You ?)
Week 7 : Les jours de la semaine/ les mois de l’année (Days of the Week/ Months of the Year).
Vocabulaire de couleurs (Vocabulary of Colours).
Week 8 : Les prépositions (Prepositions). Emploi de « où se trouve/trouvent… ? etc »
Week 9 : Les adjectifs (Adjectives).
Les adverbes (Adverbs).
Week 10 : Le Nigéria et la France.
La CEDEAO (ECOWAS).
Vocabulaire de banque et d’ordinateur.
Week 11 : La négation (Negation).
Vocabulaire de manger et de cuisine (Vocabulary of Eating and Cooking).
Week 12 : Exprimer ses goûts (Expressing One’s Likes or Dislikes).
Les parties du corps (Parts of the Body).
Vocabularaire de santé (Vocabulary of Health)
Week 13 : Vocabulaire d’école et d’étude (Vocabulary for School and Study)
Révision/examen (Revision/Exam).
Recommended Reading
Ajiboye, Tunde (2002) : Practice in Oral French, Ibadan, Bounty Press.
Chapman, R. H. B. (1971) : A French Vocabulary for West Africa, London, Cambridge University Press.
Fournier, Isabelle (1998) : The Ideal Course for Absolute Beginners, London, BBC Books.
Harrap’s Compact, Bilingual dictionary, French/English, Great Britain, Chambers Harrap Publishers
Ltd.
Ojo, Ade (2002) : A Comprehensive Revision Handbook of French Grammar, Ibadan, Signal
Educational Services Ltd.
Sonaiya, R. (2008) : Je Démarre ! Méthode de français pour débutants, Ibadan, Dokun Publishing
House.

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INTRODUCTION

French as an International Language

In the early 17th century the poet François de Malherbe, through his poetic and critical works,
succeeded in establishing a standard of exactness in the use of French words. That standard shaped the
language into a sophisticated instrument for the clear, concise expression of thought. One of the most
important steps toward standardizing and otherwise improving the French language was the compilation,
in the 17th century, of a dictionary by the French Academy, a literary society formed in 1635 by the
statesman and cardinal Richelieu.

The Academy began the compilation of an official French dictionary in 1639; the first edition
appeared in 1694 and was followed by seven others; the eighth appeared in 1932-35. During the reign of
Louis XIV, the French language reached the highest point of importance in its history, becoming an
international language in Europe, especially for diplomats and scientists.
By the 17th century the French language had developed into what is essentially its present form.
Inflectional endings inherited from Latin had been for the most part dropped, and the language depended
instead on prepositional phrases and word order to indicate syntactical relationships between words.
Publication of the dictionary, widespread literacy, and the extensive use of printing all contributed to the
stabilization of the language.

Changes occurring later in French were virtually limited to the slow modification of
pronunciation and to the addition of new words. The wars with Italy in the first half of the 16th century
had resulted in the introduction of about 800 words, for the most part of two types: those derived from
the arts, such as fugue and opéra; and military terms, such as colonel and soldat. French wars with Spain
in the early part of the 17th century enriched the French language with about 200 words, including
cigare and nègre. French wars with Germany in the 17th century resulted in the introduction of a small
number of words from German, such as blocus (“blockage” ) and cible (“target”). A section of the newly
founded (1795) Institut de France, successor of the old French Academy, issued an edition of the
dictionary in 1798; the appendix of the work included a number of words that had been coined since the
outbreak of the French Revolution. Among those that survive in the French language are divorcer (“to
divorce”), guillotiner (“to behead with a guillotine”), and bureaucrate (“bureaucrat”).

Modern Influences
In the early part of the 19th century, the exponents of French literary romanticism inaugurated a
movement to restore many archaic words to the language. That and a similar movement led by the
symbolist poets later in the century had little permanent effect on the language, however. On the
contrary, the whole tendency since the late 18th century has been to enrich the language with words
dealing with new objects and concepts.

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 Most additions to French since the late 19th century have come from one of two sources, the
English language and technological or scientific terms. Among French words that have been taken from
English and are spelled the same in both languages are sandwich, square, ticket, toast, and weekend;
others given new spellings are boxe (“boxing”), bouledogue (“bulldog”), and rosbif (“roast beef”).
Terms taken from technology include automobile, jet, photographie, and télégraphe.

In the 16th and 17th centuries French replaced Latin as a common language for international,
especially diplomatic, communication in Europe, and it continues to be used for that purpose. It is one of
the working languages of the Secretariat of the United Nations.

French-speaking Countries
French is spoken officially in 33 countries – that is, there are 33 countries in which French is
either the official language, or one of the official languages. This number is second only to English,
which is spoken officially in 45 countries. French and English are only languages spoken as a native
language in five continents and the only languages taught in every country in the world.
French is the native and official language of France and its overseas territories* as well as
fourteen other countries:
1. La République du Bénin 8. La Guinée
2. Le Burkina Faso 9. Le Luxembourg
3. La République Centrafricaine 10. Le Mali
4. La République Démocratique du Congo 11. Monaco
5. La République du Congo 12. Le Niger
6. La Côte d’Ivoire 13. Le Sénégal
7. Le Gabon 14. Le Togo, etc.

French Territories: DOM -TOM

Départements d’outre-mer (DOM), also called Régions d’outre-mer (ROM) French Guyana,
Guadeloupe, La Martinique, La Mayotte**
La Réunion de collectivités d’outre-mer (COM), formerly called Territoires d’outre-mer (TOM)
French Polynesia, New Caledonia, saint Barthelemy (st. Barts), *** Saint martin, *** Saint Pierre
and Miquelon, ** Wallis and Futuna.
Territoires d’outre-mer (TOM)
French southern & Antarctic lands
** These two were formerly Collectivités territoriales
*** These became COM when they seceded from Guadeloupe in 2007
French is also the official language of certain regions of multilingual countries:
Belgium: Wallonia region,
Canada: Quebec province
Switzerland: Jura, Genève, Neuchatel and Vaud districts
II. French is one of the official languages in the following countries:

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 Belgium Equatorial Guinea
Burundi Haiti (the other official language is French
Cameroun Creole)
Canada Madagascar
Chad Rwanda
Channels Islands (Guernsey and Jersey) Seychelles
Comoros Switzerland
Djibouti Vanuatu

The Status of French in the World: a Language Spoken in all six Continents.
French is one of the very few languages spoken all over the world, ranked the sixth most widely
spoken language after Mandarin Chinese (over a billion speakers), English, Hindi, Spanish and Arabic.
There are currently over 220 million French speakers worldwide, including 72 million so-called partial
French speakers. As a result of population growth, the OIF estimates that the number of French speakers
will rise to over 700 million by 2050, 80% of whom will be in Africa. This would take the proportion of
French speakers in the world population from 3% to 8%.

French is unusual in that it often exists alongside other languages in multilingual contexts. In
Europe (excluding France), the largest populations of French speakers are essentially to be found in
Belgium (45%) of the population), Switzerland (20% of the population) and Luxembourg. French is
Europe’s second most widely spoken mother tongue with over 77 million speakers, after Germany
(around 100 million) but ahead of English (around 61 million). Demographers forecast that France’s
birth rate will make French the most widely spoken mother tongue tongue in Europe, ousting German by
2025. French is an official language of 29 countries, second only to English in this category. French is a
language taught throughout the world.

French shares with English the distinction of being taught as a foreign language in the
education systems of most countries around the world. French is thus the second most widely learned
foreign language in the world with almost 120 million students and 500,000 teachers. An estimated two
million school pupils in some 50 foreign countries are enrolled in bilingual sections with French as one
of the languages of instruction.
French plays a special role in international sporting life as an official language of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) and hence of the Olympic Games. The inauguration in
1989 of the Francophone Games has underscored the existence of a real International French-
speaking Sports Community. France and French-speaking countries play an active part in the world
economy, accounting for 20% of world trade in goods. A study entitled The global economic
importance of the French language conducted by the Foundation for International Development Study
and Research (FERDI) in 2012 shed useful light on the positive correlation between a country’s
membership of the French-speaking community and its trading position. Sharing a common
language would appear to boost trade flows by some 33% on average, mainly by bringing down export
costs, making it easier for businesses to penetrate a new export market and helping to sustain existing

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flows. Membership of the French-speaking community, which accounts for 15% of the world’s wealth
and one tenth of its agricultural land, is thus a source of great potential, particularly in periods of
economic crisis, and particularly so for our partners in the Global South who stand to benefit the
most.
French also has a role to play in global communication, thanks to international media channels
TV 5 Monde (55 million weekly viewers), France 24 (45.4 million weekly viewers) and Radio
France Internationale (RFI) 40.1 million listeners)
French is also the official language of 29 countries, second only to English in this category. It is a
language taught throughout the world.

Importance of French Language Proficiency

The separation of French language from Latin was recognized in 813 long before French became a
national language. Just as the related Anglo-Norman language exerted itself by conquest in the
formation of English, so the tongue of Ile-de France also exerted itself by conquest treaty and
acquisition over similar tongues in the area which became France. The influence of the language was
extended by exploration, colonization, further conquests, diplomatic, economic and cultural interests.
In a post-colonial world, French maintains a well-deserved place of importance for a number of
reasons:
1. It is widely spoken in five continents and in many countries by approximately 200 million
people as a native tongue, a language of instruction, a language of governance, a lingual
franca of business.
2. It is among the principal languages of diplomacy and of important international organizations
3. It is estimated to be among the most important languages of the internet because of the
number of WWW pages up, vigorous efforts to create viable internet discussion lists, success
in connecting Francophone countries in the southern hemisphere and its use in page
translator applications.
4. Many people in Francophone countries are among the very enthusiastic promoters of the
French language. French speakers worldwide enhance their sense of linguistic community
through the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, now with 55 member countries
and 13 observer countries.
5. The language’s characteristics of semantic reliability and clarity, vessel of the universals of
contemporary material culture, strength in verbs, representation in Roman characters, are
positive attributes. So is its association with the more widely appreciated features of French
culture.
French Inventions
France is the focus of many French language and culture courses which has the largest concentration
of French-speaking people in the world. Since many seem to set it apart by its cultural distinctions
(culinary, literary and philosophical), it is important to present an aspect of French culture which brings
it very close to the heart of many American: the brilliant inventiveness of the French. The French,
along with the British, were the pioneers of western patent law; they both borrowed from each other’s
strengths. Perhaps it is the drive to invent that makes France NEARLY THE TOP COUNTRY of the

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world in RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURES. Its civilian research budget for FY97
was US$ 10.5 billion. There is roughly a chronological list of over 40 French inventors in the field of
natural and applied sciences boosting the rate of French science exposures to the world at large:
French Science
French thinkers have rightly made their mark in the fields of scientific discovery as well as in
inventions. Sadi N. CARNOT (1796-1832), a physicist, was among the founders of modern
thermodynamics (reversible Carnot heat engine cycle). Claude BERNARD (1813-1878), a physiologist,
was the founder of experimental medicine. André AMPÈRE, (1775-1836) formulated laws of
electrodynamics and circuit force law. Blaise PASCALE (1623-1662), French philosopher,
mathematician and physicist, derived Pascal’s law on pressure upon liquids which transmits equally in
all directions. He proved experimentally the height of the mercury column in a barometer depending on
the surrounding pressure and through his formulation of the mathematical theory of probability with
French mathematician- Pierre de Fermat; he invented the first mechanical adding machine. Charles A.
Coulomb (1736-1806), established experimentally the inverse square law for the force between two
electrical charges. George Cuvier (1769-1832), was the founder of paleontology and comparative
anatomy. René Descartes (1596-1650) invented the Cartesian coordinate concept, and was the founder
of analytic geometry. Antoine L. Lavoisier (1743-1794), founded modern chemistry and discovered the
role of oxygen in plant and animal respiration.
It is little wonder that the French have compiled an excellent record of Nobel Prizes:
13 in literature
11 in physics
10 in peace- if counting Médecins sans Frontières (October 15, 1999)
8 in medicine
1 in economics

French Opens Doors in Canada, our Top Trading Partner

Trade with Canada is NAFTA facilitated. Canada is bilingual (English/French), trade is regionally
conducted in French and labeling must include French. 25% of Canada’s population is native French
speaking and 52% of Canadians are native French speaking people who don’t live in Québec. The
trading relationship between the United States and Canada is, by far, the LARGEST in the world. Two-
way trade in goods and services accounts for approximately $1 billion (US) per day every day of the
year.
Québec is the SECOND largest concentration of French-speaking people in the world. Located
within our largest trading partner, Canada, Québec would by itself constitute the SEVENTEENTH
largest economy in the world. In the past 10 years, Americans have invested in Québec to the tune of
over $11 billion Canadian (representing over 40% of foreign ventures). The United States is both
Québec’s major foreign customer, receiving more than 82% of Québec’s exports and its major supplier
accounting for 45% of all imports.

There is French in English

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 Early French languages, such as Norman, have had enormous influence in the evolution of the
English language. They radically altered the character of English from its Anglo-Saxon roots between
1066 and the late fourteenth century while a language related to French (Anglo-Norman) remained the
official language of the English nobility. But French influence extended well beyond that period where
whole French vocabulary systems were borrowed in certain areas. There were periods of renewal in this
influence sparked by historical events such as the 100 years’ war in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries
and the reign of Charles II over 20,000 English words are cognates in French while over 30% English
words are derived French or Anglo-Norman roots.

The followings are the examples of English words derived from French words:
Money (from the French 'monnaie'), bottle (from the French 'bouteille'), chair (from the French
'chaise'), table (from the French 'table'), chamber (from the French 'chambre'), air (from the French 'air'),
flower (from the French 'fleur'), fork (from the French 'fourchette'), garden (from the French 'jardin'),
lamp (from the French 'lampe'), farm (from the French 'ferme'), forest (from the French 'forêt'), hotel
(from the French 'hôtel'), brick (from the French 'brique'), image (from the French 'image'), plate (from
the French 'plateau'), story (from the French 'histoire'), odour or odor (from the French 'odeur'), stranger
(from the French 'étranger'), beef (from the French 'boeuf'), vinegar (from the French 'vinaigre'), parent
(from the French 'parent'), herbs (from the French 'herbes'), arm (from the French 'arme'), army (From
the French 'armée'), source (from the French 'source'), grand (from the French 'grand'), joy (from the
French 'joie'), fluid (from the French 'fluide'), ray (from the French 'rayon'), bicycle (from the French
'bicyclette'), tube (from the French 'tube'), car (from the French 'char'), eagle (from the French 'aigle'),
lake (from the French 'lac'), mountain (from the French 'montagne'), lion (from the French 'lion'), voyage
(from the French 'voyage'), lizard (from the French 'lézard'), bullet (from the French 'balle'), hero (from
the French 'héro'), hazard (from the French 'hasard'), cave (from the French 'cave'), current (from the
French 'courant'), carbon (from the French 'charbon'), autumn (from the French 'automne'), case (from
the French 'cas'), pedestal (from the French 'piédestal'), parachute (from the French 'para-chute'), habit
(from the French 'habitude'), altitude (from the French 'altitude'), attitude (from the French 'attitude'),
final (from the French 'finale'), revenge (from the French 'revanche'), itinerary (from the French
'itinéraire'), orange(fruit) (from the French 'orange'), ticket (from the French 'étiquette'), barrel (from the
French 'baril'), retard (from the French 'retarder'), appeasement (from the French 'apaisement'), aviation
(from the French 'avion'), miracle (from the French 'miracle'), tablet (from the French 'tablette'), pincer
(from the French 'pincer'), tennis (from the French 'tenir'), exercise (from the French 'exercice'),
repetition (from the French 'repétition')), proposition (from the French 'proposition'), police (from the
French 'police'), apartment (from the French 'appartement'), atrocity (from the French 'atrocité'), ignorant
(from the French 'ignorant'), arrogant (from the French 'arrogant'), large (from the French 'large'), brave
(from the French 'brave'), stupid (from the French 'stupide'), luminous (from the French 'lumineux'), to
push (from the French 'pousser'), to touch (from the French 'toucher'), to cry (from the French 'crier'), to
gain (from the French 'gagner'), to join (from the French 'joindre'), to pray (from the French 'prier'), to
marry (from the French 'se marier'), to divorce (from the French 'se divorcer'), to return (from the French
'retourner'), to sign (from the French 'signer'), to mention (from the French 'mentionner'), to paint (from
the French 'peindre'), to pave (from the French 'paver'), to launch (from the French 'lancer'), to visit

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(from the French 'visiter'), to reduce (from the French 'réduire'), to obtain (from the French 'obtenir'), to
promise (from the French 'promettre'), to admit (from the French 'admettre'), to appear (from the French
'apparaitre'), to disappear (from the French 'disparaitre'), to vomit (from the French 'vomir'), to train
(from the French 's'entrainer'), to refuse (from the French 'refuser'), to invent (from the French
'inventer'), to mock (from the French 'se moquer de'), to emerge (from the French 'émerger'), to install
(from the French 'installer'), to reject (from the French 'rejetter'), to guard (from the French 'garder'), to
treat (from the French 'traiter'), to secure (from the French 'securiser'), to attack (from the French
'attaquer'), to complete (from the French 'compléter'), to consider (from the French 'considérer'), to
advance (from the French 'avancer'), to arrest (from the French 'arrêter'), to distract (from the French
'distraire'), to partake (from the French 'partager'), to forfeit (from the French 'forfait'), to reflect (from
the French 'refléter'), to render (from the French 'rendre'), to adore (from the French 'adorer'), to engage
(from the French 'engager'), to navigate (from the French 'naviguer'), to evoke (from the French
'évoquer'), to compromise (from the French 'compromettre'), to reinforce (from the French 'renforcer'),
to negotiate (from the French 'négocier'), to cascade (from the French 'cascader'), to appreciate (from the
French 'apprécier'), to pulvarise or to pulverize (from the French 'pulvériser'), to clarify (from the French
'clarifier'), to restore (from the French 'restaurer'), to refine (from the French 'raffiner'), to pardon (from
the French 'pardonner'), to excuse (from the French 'excuser'), to adjust (from the French 'ajuster'), to
glorify (from the French 'glorifier'), to (e)rase (from the French 'raser'), to enrich (from the French
's'enrichir'), to depart (from the French 'départ'), to contain (from the French 'contenir'), to maintain
(from the French 'maintenir'), to envelop (from the French 'envelopper')

French Words and Expressions in English and their True Meanings

Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions.
Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its
origins. Other words and expressions have retained their "Frenchness" - a certain je ne sais quoi which
speakers tend to be much more aware of (although this awareness does not usually extend to actually
pronouncing the word in French). The following is a list of French words and expressions which are
commonly used in English. The literal English translation is provided in quotation marks and followed
by an explanation
adieu "until God" Used like "farewell": when you don't expect to see the person again until God
(when you die and go to Heaven)
agent provocateur "provocative agent" A person who attempts to provoke suspected individuals or
groups into committing unlawful acts
aide-de-camp "camp assistant" A military officer who serves as a personal assistant to a higher-
ranking officer
aide-mémoire "memory aid"
1. Position paper
2. Something that acts as an aid to memory, such as crib notes or mnemonic devices
à la carte "on the menu*" French restaurants usually offer a menu with choices for each of the several
courses at a fixed price ( how to read a French menu ). If you want something else (a side order), you
order from the carte . *Note that menu is a false cognate in French and English.

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à la française "in the French manner" Describes anything done the French way
à la minute "to the minute" This term is used in restaurant kitchens for dishes which are cooked to
order, rather than made ahead of time.
à la mode "in fashion, style" In English, this means "with ice cream" - apparently someone decided
that having ice cream on pie was the fashionable way to eat it.
allée "alley, avenue" A path or walkway lined with trees
amour-propre "self love" Self respect
apéritif "cocktail" From Latin, "to open"
après-ski "after skiing" The French term actually refers to snow boots, but the literal translation of the
term is what is meant in English, as in "après-ski" social events.
à propos (de) "on the subject of" In French, à propos must be followed by the preposition de . In
English, there are four ways to use apropos (we leave out the accent and the space):
1. Adjective - appropriate , to the point : "That's true, but it's not apropos."
2. Adverb - at an appropriate time , opportunely : "Fortunately, he arrived apropos."
3. Adverb/Interjection - by the way , incidentally : "Apropos, what happened yesterday?"
4. Preposition (may or may not be followed by of ) - with regard to , speaking of : "Apropos our
meeting, I'll be late"; "He told a funny story apropos of the new president."
art déco "decorative art" Short for art décoratif
art nouveau "new art" Characterized by flowers, leaves, and flowing lines
attaché "attached" A person assigned to a diplomatic post
au contraire "on the contrary" Usually used playfully in English.
au fait "conversant, informed" Au fait is used in British English to mean "familiar" or "conversant":
She's not really au fait with my ideas, but it has other meanings in French.
au gratin "with gratings" In French, au gratin refers to anything that is grated and put on top of a
dish, like breadcrumbs or cheese. In English, au gratin means "with cheese."
au jus "in the juice" Served with the meat's natural juices.
au naturel "in reality, unseasoned" In this case naturel is a semi-false cognate . In French, au naturel
can mean either "in reality" or the literal meaning of "unseasoned" (in cooking). In English, we picked
up the latter, less common usage and use it figuratively, to mean natural, untouched, pure, real, etc.
au pair "at par" A person who works for a family (cleaning and/or teaching the children) in exchange
for room and board
aux trois crayons "with three crayons" Drawing technique using three colors of chalk
avant-garde "before guard" Innovative, especially in the arts
avoirdupois "goods of weight" Originally spelled averdepois
bas-relief "low relief/design" Sculpture that is only slightly more prominent than its background.
BCBG "good style, good sort" Preppy or posh, short for bon chic, bon genre.
belle époque "beautiful era" The golden age of art and culture in France in the early 20th century
bête noire "black beast" Similar to a pet peeve: something that is particularly distasteful or difficult
and to be avoided.
billet-doux "sweet note" Love letter

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blond, blonde "fair-haired" This is the only adjective in English which agrees in gender with the
person it modifies: blond is for a man and blonde for a woman. Note that these can also be nouns.
bon appétit "good appetite" The closest English equivalent is "Enjoy your meal."
bon mot, bons mots "good word(s)" Clever remark, witticism
bon ton "good tone" Sophistication, etiquette, high society
bon vivant "good 'liver'" Someone who lives well, who knows how to enjoy life.
bon voyage "good trip" English has "Have a good trip," but Bon voyage is more elegant.
bric-a-brac The correct French spelling is bric-à-brac . Note that bric and brac don't actually mean
anything in French; they are onomatopoeic.
brunette "small, dark-haired female" The French word brun , dark-haired, is what English really
means by "brunette." The suffix -ette indicates that the subject is small and female.
café au lait "coffee with milk" Same thing as the Spanish term café con leche
carte blanche "blank card" Free hand, ability to do whatever you want/need
cause célèbre "famous cause" A famous, controversial issue, trial, or case
cerise "cherry" The French word for the fruit gives us the English word for the color.
c'est la vie "that's life" Same meaning and usage in both languages
chacun à son goût / À chacun son goût "each one to his own taste" This is the slightly twisted English
version of the French expression à chacun son goût .
chaise longue "long chair" In English, this is often mistakenly written as "chaise lounge" - which
actually makes perfect sense.
chargé d'affaires "charged with business or man/woman in charge" A substitute or replacement
diplomat
chef d'œuvre "chief work" Masterpiece
cherchez la femme "look for the woman" Same problem as always
cheval-de-frise "Frisian horse" Barbed wire, spikes, or broken glass attached to wood or masonry and
used to block access
cheval glace "horse mirror" A long mirror set into a moveable frame

French is ONE of few official or working languages in a number of important international

organizations like the following:
1. The United Nations
2. UNESCO
3. International Monetary Fund
4. International Labour Bureau
5. International Olympic Committee
6. International Red Cross
7. Worldwide Postal Services (international services)
8. World Health Organization
9. International Nursing review
10. International Council of Nurses
11. International Organization for Migration

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 12. International Centre for Human rights and Democratic Development
13. International Marketing Supervision Network
14. World Heritage Information Network
15. Organization of World Heritage Cities
16. International Council for Monuments and Cities
17. World Innovation Forum
18. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
19. International Council of SportScience and Physical Education
20. Federation International de Gymnastique

L’ALPHABET ET QUELQUES PETITS RENSEIGNEMENTS (Alphabet and Some Basic

Information)
To start with, it is pertinent for us to know how to read the alphabet in French:
A(AH) B(BAY) C(SAY) D(DAY) E(EUH) F(EF) G(JAY) H(ASH) I(HE) J(G/JI)
K(KA) L(EL) M(EM) N(EN) O(OH) P(PAY) Q(KU/KO) R(ER) S(ES) T(TAY)
U(EW)V(VAY) W(DOOBLOO VAY) X(IKS) Y(IGREK) Z(ZED)
Please take special note of the pronunciations of letters G and J.

How Do I Master French Pronunciation?

Some sounds in French require a bit of closer attention. Such sounds need some practice if they
must be mastered. Among them we have, for example, the French r, which is more noticeable than that
of English. Another of such sounds is the French u, which contrasts with the French ou. The ou sound
corresponds with the English oo, as in who, fool, soup, etc., while the u sound corresponds with the
English ew, as in dew, few, mute, pew, etc.
The best way to acquire a good French accent is to listen as often as you can to the speakers of the
language on the cassette, CD, or on any other multimedia, and imitate them closely. For example, in
paying close attention to speakers of French, you will notice that the language contains several nasal
sounds (sounds produced through the nostrils), which are not used in English; they can only be learnt by
listening and imitating. Such sounds are manifested where the letters n and m end a word without being
followed by a vowel letter (a, e, i, o, u), e.g. Then in brun is nasalized while the n in brune is not. Other
examples include impossible, ingrate, impoli, information, etc.

What about Silent Letters in French?

In French, as in English, not all the letters in words are pronounced, especially final consonants.
For example, in the following words, the final consonants are not pronounced: lent (slow), court (short),
grand (tall), and vert (red). But wherever any of these is followed by a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), the final
consonant is pronounced, as in lente, courte, grande, and verte. The final e in the last examples is a
mark of the feminine gender.

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What Basic Things Do I Need to Know about French Vowels?
Quite a number of vowels in French sound approximately like the sounds in some English words,
which make it easier to learn how some French words are pronounced. Below are some of the main
ways in which French vowels are pronounced:

English Guide to Pronunciation of French Letters

a as in cat patron, madame, argent, tasse
But when followed by n, it is pronounced like the en in encore (as if pronouncing onkor or anchor in
English), e.g. plan, grand, dans, and sans. The same applies to the vowel e.

e as in uh, fur premier, fenêtre, le, regret

Remember that e in encore, vent, cent, and such words are pronounced in a different way, because of
the n that follows e, as given in a.
as in let merci, restaurant, bec
as in hay(when followed by z or r) trouver, trouvez, chauffer

ê as in help fenêtre, être, fête

é as in hay église, occupé, pitié
è as in air règle, père, élève
i as in he il, fille, vie
When followed by an n, it is pronounced like in the n in sang in English, e.g. vin, dolphin, enfin, matin,
etc.
o as in pot opérer, occuper, mort
As in oh poser, pot, mot
ô as in oh bientôt, aussitôt, plutôt
u as in dew tu, but, nulle
When followed by an n, it is pronounced like the u in the English word sung, examples are: lundi, brun,
commun, aucun, etc.
ai as in set mais, fait, lait
When followed by n, it is pronounced like in the English word sang, examples: pain, bain, sain, copain,
etc.
au as in stroll gauche, aux, faux
eu as in euh feu, deux, peu
eau as in oh seau, chapeau, réseau
ou as in who foule, tout, genou, cou

Are French Consonants Pronounced Like English Consonants?

French consonants do not really differ much from those of English, as most French consonants are
pronounced the same as their English equivalents, though there are quite a number of French consonants
whose pronunciations are determined by the vowel that follow them:
c --k as in cut when followed by these vowels: a, o, or u (cadeau,

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 cahier, écolier).
--s as in cell when the cedilla accent is added to the c (ça, garçon, déçu)
--s as in cell when followed by these vowels: e, i, y (citoyen, lancer,
cybercafé, citron)
ch--sh as in shop, notasin chop! (chemin, chaise, chaire)
g --g as in gate when followed by a, o, u (goût, gâter, gaz)
--s as in leisure when followed by e, i, or y (gym, genre, gens, juge, gilet)
gn --y as in yawn (gagner, ivrogne, oignon)
j --s as in leisure (jeter, juge)
q, qu --k as in kid (chaque, queue, quarante), but note adéquat is pronounced
like “adekwa.”
s --z as in zoo when it is between vowels (heureuse, réseau, oiseau)
--s as in sit it is not, (celeste, sac, caisse)
th--t as in take (thé, maths, théâtre)
t in –tion --s as in sit (nation, option, location)
ll--y as in yes (fille, paille, briller)
Note, however, that ville and mille are pronounced like the English word feel.

LES SALUTATIONS EN FRANÇAIS (Greetings in French)

Bonjour!
James : Bonjour, mon ami, comment ça va?
Tayo : Ça va bien, merci. Et toi?
James : Je vais très bien, merci. Et comment va Sam, ton frère?
Tayo : Il va bien. Tes parents, ils vont bien?
James : Oui, ils vont très bien.
Jennifer : Salut, mes amis! Comment allez-vous?
James et Tayo : Nous allons très bien, et toi?
Jennifer : Non, je ne vais pas très bien, je vais très mal. Je suis fatiguée, très fatiguée.
Tayo : Oh là là! Voilà, monsieur Ben arrive!
Monsieur Ben : Bonjour, les enfants!
Les trois : Bonjour, monsieur. Comment allez-vous?
Monsieur Ben : Très bien, merci. Et vous?
Les trois : Nous allons très bien, merci beaucoup, monsieur, et au revoir!
Monsieur : Ciao, et bonne journée.
Some Vocabulary on Greetings
bonjour : good morning, good afternoon, hi, hello à plus tard: see you later
bonsoir: good evening à lundi: see you on Monday
à demain: see you tomorrow, till tomorrow monsieur (M.) : sir, Mr (messieurs, plural)
à tout à l’heure: see you later madame (Mme) : ma, Mrs (mesdames, plural)
à bientôt : see you soon mademoiselle(Mlle): ma,Miss (mesdemoiselles)
salut: hi, bye ça va? or comment ça va?: how are you?

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bonne nuit: good night comment allez-vous?: how are you?
ciao: good bye bonne journée : have a nice evening
bonne soirée: have a nice evening bon appétit: enjoy your meal/ have a nice meal
à table: food’s ready (also used to invite à la prochaine: see you soon
someone to eat with you) bon voyage: have a nice trip, safe journey
bon anniversaire: happy birthday felicitations!: congratulations!
merci beaucoup: thank you very much de rien: you’re welcome(response to “merci”)
je vous en prie, or je t’en prie (it’s nothing, quoi de neuf?: what’s up? what’s new?
you’re welcome- response to « merci ») pas grande chose: not much, it’s no big thing
soyez le bienvenu (you are welcome pas mal : not bad
comme ci, comme ça : so-so désolé(e) : sorry
c’est dommage : what a pity très bien: very fine
enchanté: nice to meet you

VOCABULAIRE DE FAMILLE ET D’AMIS (Vocabulary of Family and Friends)

family : la famille father, daddy, papa : le père, le papa
mother, mum, mama : la mère, la maman son : le fils
daughter : la fille (also means “girl”) boy: le garçon
brother: le frère sister: la sœur
husband : le mari wife : la femme
spouse : l‘époux(m), l’épouse (f) uncle : l’oncle
aunt : la tante nephew; niece : le neveu; la nièce
cousin : le cousin(m), la cousine(f) elder, senior : aîné,
younger, junior : cadet(m), cadette(f) friend : ami(e)
mate, companion: camarade neighbour: voisin, viosine
dear, beloved: cher, chère intimate, close: intime..

Les pronoms personnels

The following are the personal pronouns in French :
Je (I)
Tu (you, familiar/singular)
Il (he, it)
Elle (she, it)
On (one), as in: The way he talks, one would think he is capricious.
Nous (we)
Vous (you, polite/singular or plural, depending on the context)
Ils (they, exclusively masculine)
Elles (they, exclusively feminine)
La conjugaison des verbes en –er, -ir, et –re au présent de l’indicatif en français.
Les verbes : être, avoir, s’appeler, travailler, voyager, parler, manger, etc. au présent

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Like in English, verbs are very much indispensable in French. However, the conjugation forms of verbs
in French are far more intricate than those of English; they require a lot of fastidiousness. French verbs
are actually categorized into three groups: the –er verbs, the –ir verbs and the irregular verbs. Among
the irregular, we have four that are very useful for beginners, être, avoir, aller and venir:

être (to be) avoir (to have)

je suis I am j’ai I have
tu es, you are tu as you have
il est he is il a he has
elle est she is elle a she has
nous sommes we are nous avons we have
vous êtes you are vous avez you have
ils sont they are ils ont they have
elles sont they are elles ont they have

aller (to go) venir (to come)

je vais I go/am going je viens I come/am coming
tu vas you go/ are going tu viens you come/are coming
il va he goes/ is going il vient he comes/is coming
elle va she goes/is going elle vient she comes/is coming
nous allons we go/are going nous venons we come/are coming
vous allez you go/are going vous venez you come/are coming
ils vont they go/are going ils viennent they come/are coming
elles vont they go/are going elles viennent they come/are coming

Les groupes des verbes français

Les verbes en premier groupe –ER.
Exemples: parler, arriver, manger, commencer, etc.
Les verbes en deuxième groupe –IR.
Exemples: finir, punir, élargir, réussir, etc.
Exceptions: venir, ouvrir,
Les verbes en troisième groupe –RE.
Exemples: rendre, descendre, attendre, etc.
Exceptions: apprendre, comprendre, prendre, etc.
-er verbs
How to conjugate 1er groupe verbs in French
La conjugaison du verbe regarder
Je -e Je regarde

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 Tu -e Tu regardes
Il -e Il regarde
Elle -e Elle regarde
Nous -ons Nous regardons
Vous -ez Vous regardez
Ils -ent Ils regardent
Elles -ent Elles regardent

How to conjugate 2eme groupe verbs in French

La conjugaison du verbe finir
Je -is Je finis
Tu -is Tu finis
Il -it Il finit
Elle -it Elle finit
Nous -issons Nous finissons
Vous -issez Vous finissez
Ils -issent Ils finissent
Elles -issent Elles finissent

How to conjugate 3e groupe verbs in French

La conjugaison du verbe rendre
Je -s Je rends
Tu -s Tu rends
Il - Il rend
Elle - Elle rend
Nous -ons Nous rendons
Vous -ez Vous rendez
Ils -ent Ils rendent
Elles -ent Elles rendent

All verbs in this group are conjugated in this same way, and take note that though aller ends in –er, it
does not belong to this group, that is why it is conjugated separately above. These are some examples of
verbs in the –er group:
parler (to speak) manger (to eat) écouter (to listen)
je parle I speak je mange j’écoute

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tu parles you speak tu manges tu écoutes
il/elle parle he/she speaks il/elle mange il/elle écoute
nous parlons we speak nous mangeons nous écoutons
vous parlez you speak vous mangez vous écoutez
ils/elles parlent they speak ils/elles mangent ils/elles écoutent
travailler (to work) voyager (to travel) marcher (to walk) acheter (to buy)
je travaille je voyage je marche j’achète
tu travailles tu voyages tu marches tu achètes
il/elle travaille il/elle voyage il/elle marche il/elle achète
nous travaillons nous voyageons nous marchons nous achetons
vous travaillez vous voyagez vous marchez vous achetez
ils/elles travaillent ils/elles voyagent ils/elles marchent ils/elles achètent
préparer (to prepare) élever (to lift/bring up) tomber (to fall) habiter (to live
je prépare j’élève je tombe j’habite
tu prépares tu élèves tu tombes tu habites
il/elle prépare il/elle élève il/elle tombe il/elle habite
nous préparons nous élevons nous tombons nous habitons
vous préparez vous élevez vous tombez vous habitez
ils/elles préparent ils/elles élèvent ils/elles tombent ils/elles habitent
s’appeler (to be called) se lever (to stand) se laver (to take bath) s’habiller (to dress up)
je m’appelle je me lève je me lave je m’habille
tu t’appelles tu te lèves tu te laves tu t’habilles
il/elle s’appelle il/elle se lève il/elle se lave il/elle s’habille
nous nous appelons nous nous levons nous nous lavons nous nous habillons
vous vous appelez vous vous levez vous vous lavez vous vous habillez
ils/elles s’appellent ils/elles se lèvent ils/elles se lavent ils/elles s’habillent

-ir verbs
finir (to finish) obéir (to obey) choisir (to choose) punir (to punish)
je finis j’obéis je choisis je punis
tu finis tu obéis tu choisis tu punis
il/elle finit il/elle obéit il/elle choisit il/elle punit
nous finissons nous obéissons nous choisissons nous punissons
vous finissez vous obéissez vous choisissez vous punissez
ils/elles finissent ils/elles obéissent ils/elles choisissent ils/elles punissent

Some Irregular Verbs

écrire (to write) dire (to say) apprendre (to learn) entendre (to hear) prendre (to take)
j’écris je dis j’apprends j’entends je prends

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tu écris tu dis tu apprends tu entends tu prends
il/elle écrit il/elle dit il/elle apprend il/elle entend il/elle prend
nous écrivons nous disons nous apprenons nous entendons nous prenons
vous écrivez vous dites vous apprenez vous entendez vous prenez
ils/elles écrivent ils/elles disent ils/elles apprennent ils/elles entendent ils/elles prennent

pouvoir(to be able) vouloir(to want) faire(to do/make) savoir(to know) connaître(to know)
je peux je veux je fais je sais je connais
tu peux tu veux tu fais tu sais tu connais
il/elle peut il/elle veut il/elle fait il/elle sait il/elle connait
nous pouvons nous voulons nous faisons nous savons nous connaissons
vous pouvez vous voulez vous faites vous savez vous connaissez
ils/elles peuvent ils/elles veulent ils/elles font ils/elles savent ils/elles connaissent

comprendre (to understand) partir (to leave) devenir (to become) sortir (to go out) vendre(to sell)
je comprends je pars je deviens je sors je vends
tu comprends tu pars tu deviens tu sors tu vends
il/elle comprend il/elle part il/elle devient il/elle sort il/elle vend
nous comprenons nous partons nous devenons nous sortons nous vendons
vous comprenez vous partez vous devenez vous sortez vous vendez
ils/comprennent ils/elles partent ils/elles deviennent ils/elles sortent ils/elles vendent

Examples of verbs in sentences:

1. Segun est mon ami intime. Il parle bien français.
2. Les acteurs indiens sont très forts.
3. À Landmark, les étudiants apprennent la langue française.
4. Qu’est-ce que tu veux? –Je veux un paquet de chocolat.
5. Qu’est-ce que les médecins font à l’hôpital? Ils soignent les malades à l’hôpital.
6. Est-ce que vous comprenez la leçon? Oui, nous comprenons.
7. Les soldats marchent avec toute leur force vers la caserne.
8. Est-ce que la guerre à Iran continue toujours?
9. Qui peut me chercher un bon dictionnaire à Ibadan? Moi.
10. Le chœur de la chapelle de Landmark chante très bien avec beaucoup de zèle.

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