I have a slight problem. Well, a HUGE problem actually. I am going with my supervisor to a conference in France, and we are both going to present a paper. Initially, I wasn't meant to be speaking, just attending. Now, I can read French fine, and I can understand fine, but my pronunciation is sh*t. I'm not being modest, i absolutely hate talking in French because my accent is so bad. The thing is, I don't think any one really knows or believes me when I tell them this. I am completely dreading this and already thinking of ways to get out of it. The fact that my second supervisor IS French, and we don't get on very well does not help. I can't believe I have to sit next to him on a plane and stay in the same Hotel as him. YUK. Does any one have any tips on how I can improve my French accent in 6 weeks? Or, should I make up an excuse and not go?

I think you should go, the worst that will happen is that the audience will be a bit confused with your accent, appreciate the effort, and they could be presented with a paper copy to follow as well.

Speak slowly and breath. I notice at the institute where I am which has lots of different Europeans, that when people are nervous they panic and the English words start to roll into one at points. Even if you have to enunciate slowly, that's okay.

If you can read well and have the vocab, I think you can easily improve your accent in six weeks. Listen to french music on youtube or on the web. Watch French tv or listen to the radio. You could also organise a few coffees and an hour of chat with a french student via your univ's international society. When I have been learning swedish and german I found it useful to search youtube for songs in those languages that I like and then sing along - you learn the accent, and to speak in a more fluid and rapid style.

As much as you don't like your second supervisor, you should use his native ability in French to run through the paper and be given papers.

Good luck! do it, it will be a good experience!

Maria, I don't know if you know the programme Allo Allo, but when I was in french class at school I was taught to pretend like I was an extra in that to get the accent.

Hey presto, it worked, and it's worked well ever since!

As a foreign student in the UK, my best advice is: do not try to be perfect. I have just accepted the fact that my English skills will never be at the same level of a native speaker and that's OK. 
I completely understand your position and believe me or not I still get nervous when I have a normal conversation in English. Just keep on practising your French and do the best you can. In international conferences there are people from different countries and it's very difficult to find someone with perfect grammar or accent in a foreign language. I'm sure they'll be more focused on the content of your presentation.

Hope everything goes well!