They express themselves amazingly in French: extraordinaire! EF's GO blog offers the latest on travel, languages, culture, international careers and student life. Thats why he learned several languages such as French, Spanish and Italian. Turn your smartphone into a French speaker. These pronunciations will hinder your ability to make yourself understood when you start having actual conversations. In Oceania, French is the official language of the Pacific island of Vanuatu, where it's spoken by about 89,000 people. Born to an American army officer and an opera singer from Germany, Sandy Bs parents are the reason shes bilingual. Whether you're planning to travel to a Francophone country or just want to be able to converse with a French-speaking friend, speaking French is not so much about memorizing countless vocabulary words and grammar rules. We cookies (miam miam) and use them to give you the best experience. 1. If we apply this thinking to learning a language, it means you could theoretically learn to speak French fluently after 10k hours by studying and practicing: So, studying 4 hours per day every day means it would take you 6.8 years to learn French fluently. But where did this mysterious, mono-named person come from, originally? Therefore she was raised bilingual. Others speak Spanish or German. Now, we are at another level. These celebrities can have a conversation in French using English words. So, here I mean to talk about Joey, his character in the series Friends. Finding an accent you feel comfortable in will boost your confidence when learning the language. Oh la la. In total she managed to speak 6 languages in her life. His accent is still quite strong but I love his positive attitude like you can feel in this video: Hugh Grant is another actor showing good vibes. [1] The "j" in "bonjour" is soft; it's a "zh" sound, or a combination between "sh" and . There are 2 other actresses you may not know they are almost bilingual: Sigourney Weaver and Ashley Judd ( I so much love these actresses too). With Korean parents and a childhood spent in Ottawa, Canada, its no surprise that Sandra has led a multilingual lifestyle from day one. But when youre in a country that itself is famously home to a huge French-speaking population, why stop at just English and Korean? Open your mouth less, and let your lips and jaw do the work of pronouncing the words. They are intermediate / advanced. How did these famous people learn French in the first place? "That was my only ambition and is still my only ambition to make a living out of playing music.". Keep reading to find out all these answers and more, except for the one about "Every Breath you Take" because we really have no idea what the deal is with that super-creepy song. However his French isnt perfect and its hard to understand what he sings sometimes in FrenchI guess its easier to perfect one language first instead of trying several ones at the same time. If you want to study more, click here:. Still, money doesn't just magically erase all obstacles from your life and the lives of your children. Both are politicians. Was it just a really odd coincidence that all three members of the Police had the exact same hair color? Im waiting for your email. However, Im even more amazed by the children who live in poor countries and are capable of speaking several languages in order to sell souvenirs to tourists. The interview from the French TV went viral. Finally she learned Spanish. Elton John also sang with a French singer (France Gall) and has a song entirely in French Je veux de la tendresse. True, its a business-savvy move, but his enviable Mandarin skills are also a gesture of love. which means "How are you?" France: Europe: 68,051,000 3. The family lived in a shipbuilding town not far from the shipyards, in fact, Sting once told David Letterman that his earliest memory was "the sky being blotted out by a massive ship, towering above the house. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. While it can be difficult or even embarrassing to listen to your recorded voice, it will help you identify errors in your pronunciation. During the Vietnam War John Kerry deciphered a map in French and saved lives. unlocking this expert answer. Because punk rock musicians are all blonde? You can find French ebooks online for free. He felt the iodine stinging like a needle thrust into his leg. Comment? Im sure he could speak French in a whole movie (the dream, non?). It just takes practice to get it right. In case you want to talk about the population, the number of islands or a distance between two cities or two countries, knowing the numbers in French is required. So it sounds like Sting's kids are all pretty talented, and they all seem to be going places, and we're sure that their dad's fame has nothing to do with that at all. You can listen to Elton John singing in French here. We love to gossip about them. But if you're using the repetition technique, you might say "Oh! This article was originally published on July 15, 2017. Country Continent Population; 1. She can speak other slavic languages like Serbo-Croatian, Polish and Russian. Who is famous? She lived there for a few years before going back to England. Support wikiHow by Think about how charming it is to hear someone speak fluent English with a foreign accent. Thanks! The other amazing example that one can be polyglot is the British actor Tom Hiddleston. Don't worry; the 10k-hour rule that Gladwell . The French pop star, who has sold 11million albums worldwide and regularly sells out stadiums throughout the French-speaking world, recently debuted a version of Stings 2004 song Stolen Car, in which she and the ex-Police man duetin French and English. Learning any new language is seriously impressive. It was spread far and wide by Roman colonists, but following the dissolution of the Western Roman Empire, many conquered lands became culturally and linguistically isolated. . For example, Listen to Papaoutai religiously. For Kristin Scott-Thomas, its natural to switch between movies in English and in French. They master Frenchand more: incroyable! Moreover, you can tell about the accent and intonation. Because punk rock and chewing gum go together like moonshine and milkshakes, which is to say not at all. Who says rock stars can't change the world? You lie, my sister, You break my heart. My only reproach is to exaggerate a little bit the articulation. Learning is far easier when you enjoy the process and not when its a chore. Did you know that French is one of the fastest growing languages in the world and that about half of all French speakers live in Africa? Speaking fluently French with an accent: excellent! Therefore, once you learn languages you become more open-minded and have a broader vision of the world. I listen, you speak. I didn't speak for four years. "Sting" is an unquestionably cool name. So when she suddenly found herself enrolled in school in L.A at age seven, she had no choice but to learn English quickly. Without my childhood, something else would've happened. Im not going to check her German and will trust her. Helen Mirren portrayed a French chic woman in The Hundred Foot Journey and was delighted to look like a French person. Im sure you assume as a queen she ought to speak other languages, fair enough! One of todays most successful entrepreneurs: its easy to assume that the founder of Facebook learned Mandarin because its spoken by over a billion people. According to a blog post she wrote, Styler was in South America when she got a firsthand aerial view of large swaths of burned and devastated rain forest. Shes even famously skipped movie premiers to study. I cry, you laugh. Quoi? Chances are, there's one near you. Indeed they master another language. French, like Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish, is a Romance language. Some of them have learnt it at school or with people. Interestingly, Jodie Foster insists on doing her own French voice for all of her movies. Salut. As if it wasnt enough, she can speak 2 other languages: French and Castillan Spanish. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Though Rita moved to England from Kosovo when she was just a toddler, growing up speaking to her Kosovar-Albanian parents in their mother tongue means shes fluent in Albanian. Sorry, kids, you get nothing Getty Images So it sounds like Sting's kids are all pretty talented, and they all seem to be going places, and we're sure that their dad's fame has nothing to do with that at all. In fact, Forbes called French the language of the future! All of those awesome theories are wrong, though. Well, Mick Jagger speaks French very well. He does have a French name because his dad is French Canadian and speaks fluently French. I got goosebumps when I heard her French. 5) Authors. John Kerry attended a Swiss boarding school and learned the language. By 2065, French is expected to have over one billion speakers. Sting and Mylne Farmer's version of "Stolen Car," which went to Number One in France, is now available in the U.S. Sting on Playing a Car Thief, New Duo Single, Sexiness of Singing in French, Rose McGowan on Her Unsettling New Music Video: Im Not a Commodity, Jason Derulo Pens First Book 'Sing Your Name Out Loud', Wizkid More Love, Less Ego Tour Postponed to Fall 2023, A Year After Brain Injury, Amy Grant Sets First Solo Musical Return in a Decade, Blink-182 Postpone First-Ever Latin America Tour Dates Following Travis Barker Finger Injury, Raye Relives Her Sexual Assault in Harrowing 'Ice Cream Man' Video, How to Watch 'The Mandalorian' Online: Stream Season 3 Now, Alex MurdaughCalled 'Family Annihilator' by Prosecution in Murder Trial. The country of Haiti itself, which is also located in North America, accounts for a further 10 million French speakers. Almost everybody is inspired by a famous person. French is the official language in 29 countries, which makes it the second-most used official language behind English. Her native language is Czech. Mistakes, never. Justin Bieber (Canadian singer-songwriter) Phil Collins (British singer) Julio Iglesias (Spanish singer) Mick Jagger (British musician) Elton John (British musician) Madonna (American singer, actress) And check this out, the song is also widely believed to be among the most requested radio songs of all time, though we're really not sure where that information comes from because it's not like radio DJs are noted for their meticulous recordkeeping skills. Johnson got the nod as the better of the two, due to his superior accent, but he might want to work on his vocabulary (hint: peigne means "comb".) Due to its abundance of liquid vowels and slippery consonants, French is often spoken quickly. Shakira has a passion for France and is interested in French music. How great do these famous people speak French? The New York Times thought the scene was "very tactfully filmed," and to be fair we really have no idea how Trudie felt about having cameras around during those very private moments. I just played the guitar. So farewell, kids, you can get your teaching and guidance from somewhere else because Mr. Sumner is gonna be a rock god. Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. 2 Practice French sounds that don't exist in English. But before he was a rock star, he worked a bunch of normal-person jobs. Phil Collins made the French version and 4 others for the movie Tarzan. Speaking French leads to more diverse movies. This table shows the total populations of the countries, not the number of French speakers (some of these countries such as Canada have a majority that do not speak French). First impressions matter. We can name a dozen French movies with her: Il y a longtemps que je taime, Partir, Elle sappelait Sarah, Suite franaise. In the movie he could speak an invented language (his author J.R.R Tolkien was passionate about languages and even invented one). Interestingly, Montreal is also the fourth largest Francophone city in the world. As in the Democratic Republic of Congo, French is often used as a lingua franca in countries with multiple local languages, and its also often employed as the language of administration and higher education. Another form of the past tense is the pass compos. Sting is also a godfather. They were motivated to learn French for professional reasons. According to a 1983 article in Teen magazine, which evidently was truthful enough to earn a permanent place on Sting's official website, the band needed to have matching blonde hair in order to be in this commercial, which wait why was that necessary again? "I always had the idea that I could make a living as a musician," he told North East Life in 2008. After graduation, Sting landed a job at St. Paul's First School in Cramlington, England, where he taught English and coached soccer. * the use or absence of English words With France's deep history, it's easy to think of French as a dying (or waning, at best) language. Generally, try to smooth out your language so that you roll easily from one word to the next. Most cities around the world, big or small, will have a community of French speakers. Copeland, though, claimed that during the reunion tour they were all "very nice to each other," which frankly sounds like the sort of congratulations you'd give to a toddler for doing a fine job of not pulling the dog's tail, but anyway, it at least beats "we were punching each other all the time." The British actress Emelia Clarke has fantastic French pronunciation as you can hear in this video: She would simply need to learn more vocabulary and grammar. Both Elton John and Sting have sung in French. 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