Perfect Pronunciation?

[RumziGal]

I was listening to Charles de Gaulle the other day (the man, not the airport), and was surprised at how slowly and clearly he spoke.   Impressive!

I can't remember where I heard that, and this is the nearest I can find at the moment:

http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?tab=av&q=de+Gaulle&edition=d&recipe=all&scope=all&start=1

Unfortunately the sound quality is worse than what I listened to.   But if someone can find a good recording of a de Gaulle speech, it should be worth a listen.

[Pierre ZFP]

I liked Black Jacques Chirac for the same reason - his pronounciation that is, not necessarily his policies.  I found his slow measured pronunciation very clear - not made my mind up yet on the new kid on the block.

As for Lille, you have to remember that it's bang up against Flanders (and was part of Flanders not so very long ago) so around there, and other parts of Nord you have a blurring of language.  To me, Flemish is incomprehensible (as is Luxembourgish which is based on it) so throw in French with a bit of throat gargarling and you stand no chance!

[Gardengirl]

I'm from Sunderland, though I left there 40+ years ago. I used to have to translate everything my father said to my (now) husband for ages. My husband is from Sheffield, and my father from the docks area of Sunderland. It can be very difficult to understand!

One of my brothers has lived in Hampshire for 40+ years, and he and my sister-in-law still have very strong Wearside accents (not Geordie!) I tend to take up the accent of wherever I am, so French seems to come reasonably easily. I did have problems in the Tarn area a few weeks ago, when talking to a shepherdess with her flock of ewes - really hard to understand!

Jo