Master the “liaison,” and you’ll begin to understand

Written by Gabriela Estrada

If you feel like the French speak at a speed that's impossible to keep up with, it's actually not a matter of speed, but of phonetics.

For a Spanish speaker, regardless of their country of origin, understanding French can seem difficult for one typical reason: Spanish separates words; French blends them using a technique called liaison.

That's why your brain looks for pauses where there aren't any, and the speed seems impossible to keep up with. The problem isn't how they speak or your ability to listen, but rather that your ear is programmed to look for pauses that don't exist in French.

A clear example is vous avez, where the “s” in the pronoun is linked to the “a” of the verb. 

In this blog post, I'll tell you a little more about the liaison, how it’s classified, and how to train your ear to master it.

What is the liaison?

The liaison is a natural phonetic feature and a linguistic rule in French that consists of pronouncing a final consonant—usually a silent one—by linking it without a pause to the vowel or silent “h” with which the following word begins. 

Its exact translation into Spanish is link or connection. 

Examples: 

• Children  - the “s” with the nasal “ɑ̃”

• At their homes  - the “z” with the “e”

Ranking

The liaison is divided into mandatory, optional, and prohibited according to grammar. 

In this section, the main focus is on the obligatory, which occurs inevitably between closely related elements such as an adjective and its noun (les amis) or a pronoun and its verb. 

This is the basic rule for stopping yourself from perceiving the language as fast and incomprehensible and beginning to incorporate it as a natural process of speech.

When the liaison is prohibited, it is because there is a natural grammatical pause or a strong separation between the elements of the sentence. If you were to link the words there, you would distort the meaning and structure of the sentence. 

The difference with the optional is is that it is optional and depends on the style.

When you're in a job interview, you articulate more clearly and make better use of liaison optional to sound clearer, more polished, and more formal.

It's the Spanish equivalent of pronouncing all final consonants with complete clarity (for example: “vamos a ver” instead of “vamo’ a ver”) or avoiding idioms and abbreviations when you want to sound more polite.

How the Brain Responds When Learning French

When a student learns French, they must adapt to the language’s distinctive phonetics. It’s not that speaking this language is difficult; it’s just that, at first, the brain doesn’t know where one new word begins and where the next one ends.

The system needs to understand that the vocabulary will not be heard as a separate list of words, but rather as a combination of them when the pronunciation calls for it.

This is grammar on the one hand and phonetic fluency on the other. The French speak neither slowly nor quickly; they simply speak in a manner consistent with their culture.

The secret lies in identifying the context of a topic so that the ear can immediately begin to pick up on the beginning of one word and the end of the next. In that combination, you'll find the liaison , and the message will get through clearly.

Practical Tip

Train your ear by listening to podcasts that interest you and interviews on YouTube where you can see the captions, and sharpen your listening skills at the grocery store or in any everyday setting that allows you to identify the context of the words. 

You'll find that as you listen to these phrases, French will stop sounding like a jumble of illogical, guttural sounds and will become a language that's easy to understand.

List of liaison by final consonant

The liaison does not occur only with the letter “s.” Depending on the structure of the words, various final consonants that are usually silent come to life when they encounter a vowel or a silent “h”. 

• Ten years: the final “x” is pronounced [z].
• Petit oiseau: The final “t” is pronounced clearly when it comes together with oiseau.
• A great man: the final “d” in "grand" changes to adapt to the [t] sound when it connects with homme.
• A man: The “n” is joined to the silent “h” in homme.
• My friend: The “n” creates a direct link to the initial vowel.

Which of these connections have you been able to identify in French so far? If you feel like your learning process needs some guidance, at Planeta Immiland Education we can help you.

Learn with us

At Planeta Immiland Education, we offer French and English courses tailored to your interests, at your level, and at your own pace.

If you want to master phonetics, overcome your fear of speaking, and take your language skills to the next level, our classes will help you.

We are the first language school with a focus on immigration. We are accredited by Languages Canada, and our teachers are certified to use the best teaching methods to help you improve your language skills while navigating the immigration process.

We offer: 

• English and French courses.
• Preparation for international exams.
• Programs focused on academic and immigration goals.
• Conversation activities to build your confidence in real-life situations.

Visit our online academy and find out what the ideal level is to start at: https://www.planeta-immiland-education.com/.

If this article was helpful to you, share it with those who need to improve their French listening skills.

See you in the next blog post, where we'll continue to explore how languages can help you understand your surroundings, open the door to new experiences, and discover international opportunities!

With love,

Planeta Immiland Education