With a kindergardener and a preschooler in the house, I sing the Alphabet Song on a fairly regular basis. Knowing the sounds of the alphabet are fundamental to learning any language, and crucial for reading and pronunciation. Whenever my students read out loud, I am always giving them little alphabet reminders, like "i" in French sounds like "ee" in English.
Even if you are 80 years old, you've got to go back to those fundamental building blocks if you are new to learning French. At least for us English speakers, the French alphabet is nice and familiar. No new letters or hard-to-decipher symbols.
Voici l'alphabet français. Go ahead and sing along!
A (ah), B (bay), C (say), D (day), E (eh), F (eff), G (zhay),
H (osh), I (ee), J (zhee), K (kah),
L (el), M (em), N (en), O (oh), P (pay),
Q* (kew), R* (air), S (ess),
T (tay), U* (ew), V (vay),
W (doo-bleh vay), X (eeks), Y (ee-grek), et Z (zed)
Some French sounds don't exist in English. The R sound is produced in the back of your throat. For U and Q, try saying "ee" but move your lips into position for "u." Listen to the pronunciation of the French Alphabet on this Studio4Learning video lesson:
Practice spelling your last name out loud using French letters. That's a skill that you will most likely use when you travel. Another fun way to practice the alphabet is to play a game of le Pendu (Hangman).
The following downloads will come in handy for helping you master the French alphabet. Most (but not all) are for children. Even so, learning through song is an effective, proven method for language learning.
Learn your basic French building blocks with l'alphabet français.
Photo Credit: CBI Design at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/149856
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