French Pronunciation Norms: A perceptual Study

This study is about the plurality of pronunciation norms in French. It focusses on the question whether only the Parisian pronunciation is currently still considered the correct one in the French-speaking world or whether the pronunciation perceived as correct differs depending on the region. The study is focussing on three regions: Paris as the center of the French-speaking world, French-speaking Switzerland, and Quebec, a French-speaking region in Canada. The study is guided by two questions: 1. Do Parisian, Quebecois and Swiss speakers prefer different pronunciation norms or is the traditional Parisian pronunciation norm still valid everywhere? 2. Which typical pronunciation features belong to these norms? To answer these questions, the study uses a combination of three methods: In a first step, 96 speakers from each region were asked in a questionnaire survey, whether they preferred the Parisian or a regional model as pronunciation norm for their own region. In a second step, the pronunciation of 20 newscasters per region was examined in detail and a list of pronunciation features for each region was developed. This group of speakers was selected because it is generally considered the group with the most correct pronunciation. Finally, in an experiment, 96 non-expert speakers per region evaluated short recordings of these pronunciation features. The test subjects had to indicate which of the pronunciation features would be in their opinion the most correct one for the pronunciation norm in their region. The results varied from region to region. In the case of Paris, results suggest that the pronunciation of a particular Parisian group is considered to be the most correct one. It is the pronunciation of Parisians who were not born in Paris but moved there from different regions in Northern France. Due to the speakers different origins, this pronunciation is largely free of regionalisms. In Switzerland, the results show that the Parisian pronunciation continues to be the most correct one. They also show that Swiss newscasters are adapting their pronunciation more and more to the pronunciation of Parisian newscasters. Quebec, in contrast, seems to have a regional pronunciation norm that enjoys as much prestige as the Parisian pronunciation in French-speaking Canada. Regarding these three regions, it can be said that the old assumption that French has only one single pronunciation norm coming from Paris is no longer appropriate. It can be assumed that there exist at least two pronunciation norms, a European one coming from Paris and a North American one coming from Quebec.

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