How GOOD is Luca Lampariello's FRENCH? (REACTION VIDEO)

[@Maxippouce]

Lucas is probably one the most impressive polyglot. His french is just amazing.

[@autentyk5735]

Luca

[@jonahwoolley4465]

Luca legit seems like a super human. I've never seen a polyglot with such fluency and a good accent in all of his languages. I've heard him in all 3 languages I speak well - English, Spanish, and French and he has a native or pretty much native level and pronunciation in all of them. I have no idea how the dude does it, it's insane, and it has to be something in his brain beyond just a good method, because even with a great method I've yet to see another polyglot replicate that feat.

[@thedavidguy01]

It's very interesting to have you point out the differences between what I would call idiomatic versus correct language. I notice this with my language partners regularly, that they say something in English that is grammatically correct, completely understandable but not the way a native speaker would say it. Those differences are incredibly subtle and demonstrate that there is a grammar beyond the traditional grammar.

[@KevinAbroad]

Definitly! Sounding natural is like the last step to sounding native. And the hardest one as well!

[@hellophoenix]

I agree with you David and I’ve noticed the same thing when Luca speaks English. His English is excellent but not the way a native speaks.

[@byronwilliams7977]

​@@hellophoenix 💯 i guess you'd have to acquire your active vocabulary from current videos/in the field as opposed to through literature. I don't sound half as good as Luca in french, but i do use a more literary standard of the language., Which isn't exactly how french is spoken day to day.

[@RogerThat902]

He's really good. I asked some French friends about him a couple of years back and they said that they would not know he wasn't French hah. I feel the same way with his English as you did w/ his French. His English almost sounds like someone that came to the US as a small child or had immigrant parents that spoke the language a lot. There are a few slightly "unnatural" ways he says things but you have to listen closely. And honestly, like you said, it's not entirely unclear that's even a mistake--it's slight pronunciation judged on a perfect standard. It could have just easily been explained by growing up in an Italian part of the city etc. I knew his English was amazing, but I was blown away when my French friends said his French was just as good to them. Incredible.

[@KevinAbroad]

I agree with what you said!

[@aiorosgalaviz9298]

I know how you feel, I am mexican and I can also say that besides his English, his Spanish is amazingly good, everytime I listen to him speaking Spanish I wonder ''how long did it take him to do such thing?'' you know, I really wanna be just like him in my target languages, so remarkable

[@barzinio92]

He's amazing but I wouldn't mistake him for a French

[@idraote]

Luca is impressive. Most of his "unidiomaticity" is actually him falling back on translating directly from English when he's at a loss for the correct idiom. I can relate to that. The foreign languages you use the most, the ones you are more at ease with, they are bound to imprint on those you are less familiar with. Although I like studying foreign languages immensely, I gave up on sounding "native" early on. The time needed to achieve that kind of perfection is time I can't use to study other languages and the latter appear to be more relevant to me. My goal is to shed any trace of my original accent so as to make impossible for the listener to understand what my native language is. When a native speaker asks me "where are you from?" I feel like I have achieved my purpose and if they add "you don't sound like an Italian" I bask in the glory of the perfect moment :)

[@coffeemachtspass]

This was an interesting perspective on Luca’s accomplishments. I can assure the listeners that his English and Spanish are also remarkable. Of course, he has hints of an accent in both, but if we judge him on the ability to express complex ideas and to interact with native speakers, there is really no barrier that matters here.

[@KevinAbroad]

I agree! If you can express yourself smoothly, there's not much point in going above and beyond to sound "native"

[@flexspanish]

Well said sir.

[@zendavesta1027]

@@KevinAbroad hi, could you, please, react to Graeme Allwright, “Suzanne” 1968? I really wanna know if his French is native like

[@KevinAbroad]

Hey, can you send me a video to my email? I can look into it :). My email is in the description

[@snterp]

Falls under the same box => falls into that category ;)

[@KevinAbroad]

Hahaha yes! I couldn't remember the phrase 😂

[@testingsomething5280]

I also feel like even though it's not usually said, "falls under the same category" could work as well

[@Guyomar]

It just goes to show that mastering a language or reaching the level of an educated native speaker is something really, really tough. Luca's French and English is up there in the top when it comes to non-native speakers, but those tiny details (like the weirdness of the "a" in "Prague", maybe trying too much to imitate standard French pronunciation and overdoing it) will be noticeable to a native speaker. My dream is to speak Italian so well that people make videos already stating "we know it's excellent, this is about the subtleties that make you sound not altogether natural"

[@KevinAbroad]

Haha! I guess he should take it as a compliment, yes. I haven't seen many people reaching this level of proficiency and "smoothness" in French

[@lacanam]

I just watched your critique of the Refold method, and I'm honestly shocked you're not only not a native English speaker, but you're a native French speaker. It's been a while since I studied French, I absolutely love the language, and I'm glad I could understand most of what Luca was talking about. He sounded flawless to my untrained ears, so your pronunciation and vocabulary observations were very useful and interesting, even if these days I'm no longer actively focusing on improving my French. Maybe one day I'll go back at it. Great video.

[@KevinAbroad]

Haha I'm taking this as a compliment ☺️. Thanks for watching

[@AntipodePolyglot]

A question about the French /a/ sound. I know that the traditional French phonology has both front /a/ as in "sa" and back /ɑ/ as in "pâte" but the modern standard Parisian French merged them. However, different sources disagree on the result of this merge: some say that it is front (like the old /a/) but the others describe it as central (in the middle of the old ones). Do you find the front pronunciation neutral? I remember how I was able to guess that a person is French based on his very front and open /a/ (otherwise his accent was very natural).

[@KevinAbroad]

Oops, somehow I missed that comment. If I understood you correctly, I would say it's neutral but also the only possible one in modern Parisian French?

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

Canadian French distinguishes pâte and patte, whereas they sound the same in standard French. Pâte sounds rather like English part, and patte like English pat.

[@jamesalphonse2125]

Amazingly enough.I don’t give.....😂😂😂like your background. Keep up the good work.

[@KevinAbroad]

Hahahaha I thought about removing it but I actually like it too much.

[@jamesalphonse2125]

@@KevinAbroad 💯💯💯

[@damien5688]

Je le suis depuis un moment sur youtube et c'est vrai qu'il parle beaucoup de langues et son français est incroyable.

[@byronwilliams7977]

Il y a un type japonais qui "nitpicks" comment certains etrangers parlent le japonais, ceux qui le parlent bien. Ta video m'a fait rappele de ca. Joli travail.

[@KevinAbroad]

Je crois que je sais de qui tu parles ! :)

[@juantorres90]

Great video. It's amazing the way Luca speaks and your analysis (I don't think you're too nit-picking). He can easily pass off as a French!

[@KevinAbroad]

Absolutely!

[@snterp]

If I had to guess, I would say that Luca "reste sur ses lauriers" a bit in French. I imagine it has been one of the languages that he studies the least for some time now. Just a guess. I picked up on the same things you did, so I guess my French is pretty good ;)

[@jrcowan992]

Great video Kevin! Your analyses are always interesting.

[@KevinAbroad]

Thank you Justin!

[@irenemcnamara9699]

He sounds like he is speaking American French. He has a very pronounced American English accent.

[@KevinAbroad]

In French? No I don't think so. He sounds pretty close to my own dialect (Parisian French)

[@mchobbit2951]

Something sounds a bit off/"not French" to me, but I can't explain what it is. I think it's something about the pitch? It doesn't sound American to me though.

[@KevinAbroad]

Yeah there's a little something I'd say. But he 100% doesn't sound American, that's for sure :D

[@jerstumc5033]

I'm late to the party but i think i know why luca made that mistake in "Prague", in french it's supposed to be no words that are stressed, and that's why french is really fast, luca tried to stress "prague" and when you unstress the weaker part of the word it sounds lower than the stressed part of the word, i guess that's why it sounded unnatural, i may be wrong Luca doesn't learn the IPA in every language he tackles, just by sheer listening he does and i assume that's what it sounds to his ears

[@Nluvwitmanuel]

As a native English speaker his French was out of this world!😂 I have been studying several languages for a long time and French is one of them. I am no where near this good but hey I just want to be able to enjoy different cultures and talk to natives about everyday stuff. I'm good with that. Awesome video though!

[@KevinAbroad]

Thanks for stopping by :)

[@jonathangamble]

From my understanding his English, French, and Spanish are that good, but curious what other languages he speaks are truly native like… German would probably be the next test.

[@rodrigoramos4071]

Le français de Luca est formidable, j'en envie beaucoup.

[@KevinAbroad]

Agreed!

[@AntipodePolyglot]

Thanks a lot for this video! Luca is my source of inspiration because of his attention to details in language learning. Luca's native-like pronunciation is a quality mark because many language learners have excellent grammar and vocabulary but having very good pronunciation is much rare. I am a language enthusiast and my passion is phonetics. I actually run a channel on phonetics and phonology of all languages that I learned. I am convinced that everyone can study phonetics and this knowledge helps to develop a better pronunciation in a shorter time. I remember your excellent video where you discussed Steve Kaufmann's view of linguistics and grammar in particular (I am fully on your side). I would like to ask: do you think that studying phonetics is the best way to improve pronunciation for an average student? Many people believe that if you just have exposure to native speakers, then your accent will improve naturally. But I saw way too many counterexamples of people who don't improve their accent at all after living abroad for more than 10 years.

[@KevinAbroad]

Hey! thanks for the comment :). It's hard to answer this question. Phonetics and phonology have greatly helped me to gain a natural sounding accent in English (although still accented). Some people have developped excellent accents without formal accent study. So... I don't know I have to say!

[@AntipodePolyglot]

@@KevinAbroad When I watched your video on Steve Kaufmann, I appreciated the quality of your English pronunciation! I think that phonetics and phonology is great not only in teaching you what sounds exist in a language and how to articulate them, but also in ranking pronunciation mistakes, so you know what you should concentrate on. I am using this hierarchy: 1) errors leading to breakdown of intelligibility (e.g., mixing up seek and sick); 2) errors leading to amusement or irritation (e.g., using a rhotic accent in England); 3) errors that provoke few reactions and may pass unnoticed (e.g., minor intonation mistakes). The latest video on my channel discusses the first group of errors for English and I am planning to make similar videos for French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish and other languages. Do you think that it is a good format or you would prefer another way of teaching pronunciation?

[@GoodMorningButch]

Je suis contente de ne pas être la seule que pense ça sur lui ✌C’est clair et net qu’il parle hyper bien français, mais il a occasionnellement des tournures de phrases un peu bizarres. Pas forcément incorrectes mais pas quelque chose qu’on dirait spontanément comme francophone.

[@KevinAbroad]

Oui, je pense que le seul reproche qu'on puisse lui faire c'est d'avoir des tournures de phrases peu naturelles. Mais même ça, ça arrive pas très souvent quand il parle !

[@bofbob1]

Yeah, his French is awesome. I don't know if I'd pick up on anything if I wasn't told beforehand he was a foreigner. And then once you know, it's hard to keep a handle on our own subtle biases, hard to know if it's not just an attribution bias on our part (i.e. he made a mistake, he's a foreigner, this mistake must be related to the fact that he's a foreigner). Dunno if you've ever heard of him, but since you're learning Japanese, another one who is freakishly good is this guy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n33QmHqPbKqXY6s

[@KevinAbroad]

I agree with what you said! Once you're in the know, you become biased! Son français est impressionant ! wow!

[@MidoSari]

J'aimerais voir plus de vidéos comme ça

[@KevinAbroad]

ok ;)

[@baltazarreyes6076]

A la fin, je crois qu´il a fait juste une erreur de preposition, il aurait pu aussi dire: merci de m´écouter sans ajouter le verbe avoir.... dans le sens de merci de m´avoir écouté;

[@KevinAbroad]

Hmmm je trouve que "merci de m'avoir écouté" ça sonne mieux dans ce cas là. Le seul contexte qui me vient comme ça avec "merci de m'écouter" ça serait plutôt un parent ou professeur qui s'adresse à des enfants en disant "merci de m'écouter !" haha. Je trouve que ça se dit pas trop une fois qu'on a fini de parler PS : je pense que tu voulais dire préposition :).

[@baltazarreyes6076]

@@KevinAbroad Oui, tout a fait preposition. Merci

[@baltazarreyes6076]

@@KevinAbroad Disons que je ne partage pas ton avis. Merci quand meme pour ta reponse.

[@baltazarreyes6076]

L’Académie répond : Remercier de est la construction classique du verbe, mais il faut remarquer que remercier pour s’est répandu dans l’usage. L’hésitation entre les deux constructions répond à l’incertitude du statut grammatical du complément, perçu comme un complément d’objet ou comme un complément adverbial marquant la cause. La construction du verbe subit, de plus, l’influence des autres formules de reconnaissance comme « faire, exprimer des remerciements » qui construisent avec pour. Il en va de même pour merci. Cela étant, le bon usage préfère de avec les noms abstraits (Merci de votre obligeance, de votre générosité) et les infinitifs (Merci de répondre, d’être venu) ; on rencontre surtout pour avec des noms concrets : Merci pour les chocolats.

[@baltazarreyes6076]

@@KevinAbroad Académie francaise II. Verbe transitif. 1. S’exprimer dans une langue déterminée. Parler sa langue maternelle. Parler la langue française, parler le français. L’article est couramment omis. Parler français, italien. Entre eux, ils parlent le patois, l’argot ou ils parlent patois, argot. On disait aussi Parler gascon, normand pour Parler avec l’accent gascon, normand.

[@phuongphan-mcmanamna3781]

New subscriber. Great video. Can you please analyze Wouter Corduwener’s French?

[@KevinAbroad]

If I can find a video of him speaking French, why not!!

[@JonathanOlelo]

Interesting review! I think his pronunciation is great, but yeah, he's not a native speaker

[@robw5735]

Maybe you should of added "Pronunciation" after the French for the video title. How good would his French be if he is having a deep dynamic conversation with native speakers on any topics. Looking at this video he should have no problem but is that really his reality ? 🤔 Your English is very good by the way to the point where you sound like it's your second language that you grown up with while in France.

[@KevinAbroad]

After this video I had the chance to chat with Luca on the phone and I can confirm his pronunciation is exactly the same :) Thanks for the compliment! :)

[@juanpablo-rdm]

3:11 un sourire d'approbation 🤓 …no entiendo nada. 🙉 Lentement, s'il vous plaît.

[@KevinAbroad]

Haha 888 c'était le teletexte. C'était un petit rire de nostalgie haha

[@luckyluckydog123]

thanks for the interesting analysis! You are one of my favourite youtubers, your videos are some of the most interesting and intelligent you can find. Regarding 'the French language', it also sounds odd in Italian. Perhaps Luca was uncounsciously affected by his knowledge of Russian or Polish, languages in which the corresponding form explicitly using the word for "language" (язык/język) is the normal, unmarked one. BTW your English is really good too (speakers of English as a second language don't hear this often enough IMO)

[@KevinAbroad]

Thank you very much!!! I'm glad you enjoyed it 🤗

[@harawibj1085]

@@KevinAbroad Is French your native language? You sound really good in English

[@KevinAbroad]

Yes, French is my native language :). Thanks!

[@camousjoel1661]

11/02/2024 12h40 🐾🐾🐾

[@camousjoel1661]

Oui "considéré " comme "un outil obligatoire ,il a oublié un mot

[@zendavesta1027]

Yes, I totally agree, Luca is great in all the languages he speaks at an Advanced level. But to me, Luca as being Italian and speaking nearly impeccable French sounds not as amazing as a hypothetical Chinese or Tamil native speaker who’d attempt to master French, since the former two are far more distinct from the latter than, say, Italian itself, or Spanish or any other language influenced by Latin and using the same script.

[@camousjoel1661]

Il prononce exactement comme un français ....

[@KevinAbroad]

Ouais, faut vraiment tendre l'oreille pour entendre une différence. C'est hyper subtil lol

[@camousjoel1661]

@@KevinAbroadIl a parfois un très très très léger accent (en prononçant TU " ) des PIEDS NOIRS français (rapatriés d'Algérie en 1962)