Imitating the “Spanish accent” in the French as a foreign language classroom: a didactic tool or just entertainment?

Abstract

In a recent article, Henderson and Rojczyk (2021) explore how imitating the accent of English speakers, when they speak French, can improve the English pronunciation of French-speaking students. Here, we propose a similar approach for learning French as a foreign language, combining imitation and observation, but for Spanish learners. The aim is to encourage Spanish-speaking students to listen to recordings of French-speaking comedians imitating Spanish speakers expressing themselves in French. This approach raises two types of questions. Firstly, what are the stereotypical pronunciation features of a “Spanish” or “Latin” accent, as perceived through the French phonological filter? Secondly, what modifications or adaptations would enable Spanish speakers to modify their French pronunciation to produce more ‘authentic’ sounds and rhythms? By analysing the work of French-speaking comedians-impersonators (from France and Belgium), it is possible to highlight the predominant features of a Spanish-speaking pronunciation of French. This analysis can provide a basis for a reflective process with students on French pronunciation, relating it to their specific situation rather than presenting it in a general or “theoretical” way.