Spoken French is harder to understand than other languages

To the Editor,

I can only agree with a former correspondent about contractions such as “shupas”, the pervasive use of argot, the machine-gun speed of most native speakers, and the apparent redundancy of several letters at the ends of words — all of which can make French, uniquely among the six languages I speak, virtually impossible to understand when spoken.

English, of course, presents many difficulties for non-native speakers, but it is generally easier to follow in conversation. 

George Bernard Shaw famously illustrated English’s own inconsistencies by pointing out that “GHOTI” could be pronounced “fish”: “GH” as in “laugh”, “O” as in “women”, and “TI” as in “nation”.

All languages have their peculiarities — disappearing “d”s in Spanish, split verbs in German - but French takes perseverance to a whole new level.

C.M. by email

Do you get by without speaking French in France? Let us know how you manage at letters@connexionfrance.com