Sing and learn!

Learning a new language is not easy. Just striving to learn the grammar and vocabulary the traditional way can make it too boring.Chances are the students can remain passive and may not respond due to lack of confidence(a statement made by experience) Then again learning mere grammar and the words doesnot make one fluent. The accent is the main challenge! 
Learning can be made fun! And what more, when music plays an important role in learning and spice up the language classroom?  Music appeals to anyone. Irrespective of race,  gender,  nationality.


Francois , my French professor at the Alliance Francais de Singapour has exceptionally succeeded in this art of teaching through music! Music being a part of the youth culture Francois has taken it to the next level of learning. French melodies help students to pick up the language with accent naturally and therefore makes the class more memorable and inspiring.Not to mention the atmosphere it creates in the classroom!Francois has made music is fun and effective way of acquiring the language! And you dont have to be a singer to join the class! Croak all you want and dont be shy!


Today's class was quite a revelation for me. Just a song can help you learn the intonation, the slangs, the grammar at the same time.Also broadens your horizons by exporing the cultural dimensions of the song! Francois has been teaching for over 20 years now and he is legendary. I had heard of him even before I had started taking French lessons,his way of teaching being quite unique and easy to grasp.


So here I post the video of the Fun class we had today. Looking forward to enriching my knowledge of French through music and fun! 

If you are a student in Alliance Francais , then you must be aware of the music classes Francois conducts every Saturday 1-2 pm( no fees charged! ) For those who aspire to learn this language or inprove their language skills, and also to know more about Francois please check Francois's blog 


www.classedechants.zeblog.com 

FETE DE LA MUSIQUE

Fete De La Musique
VENUE:Les Bouchons Rive Gauche @ Robertson Quay
By Alliance Française de Singapour
Saturday 25 June 2011

The Fête de la Musique -  literal meaning in French "The Festival of Music", is a festival taking place on June 21 every year in France( and now all over the world too) . June 21st is supposedly the longest day of the year , is there any other way to make the day more entertaining and exciting?? Fete de la musique started in the late 70's in France to promote music. French ofcourse are art , music lovers - The Aesthetics! French culture is such where every second child plays a musical instrument.This is a spontaneous event where all the people come down to the street and sing and dance and be merry- a festival of national integration.

Music festival is now celebrated internationally to motivate and encourage amatuer and pro musicians . Street performances are common making it accessible to the public. Music festival is a authentic Paris culture! Concerts and performances are given in every street , every cafes and restaurants day or night!

Although all over the world Fete de la musique was celebrated on 21st June, in Singapore we celebrated it on 25th of June. I must say quite convenient being a Saturday !

The crowd was astonishing! A mix of French and local Chinese! All dancing to the tunes of the international musicians who dedicated their time to perform for the audience for the cause. We heard several artists back to back.

 Yuzuru (Instrumental)
 Andayoma (Caribbean Jazz)
 Aziz (Rock)
 Yuzuru (Instrumental)
 Beatles Juice (Rock n Roll)
 Latin Affair (Salsa)
 Le Groupe (French chansons)

Although almost all musicians were new to me and I heard them for the first time, I still couldnt stop grooving to the music! I was so taken by the music that I dint even pose for pictures! Considering my obsession with preserving moments in pixels!

All said, the performances were terrific and the venue made it even merrier .Weary , tired and feet aching I returned home just to dream about more music and joy that it spreads to the world...

Belle Du Berry - An Exclusive interview.

Date : 14 May 2011
Venue: Alliance de Singapour
Artists: Belle du Berry and David Lewis
website: www.belleduberry.com

I had the opportunity to not only see and hear these Musical Maestros on this day but also to take a short interview and meet them upclose! Down to earth, humble and modest -thats how I would describe them. A once in a life-time experience to meet such celebrities !

It turned out to be a magical musical night at Alliance de Singapour on 14th of May 2011, when the music artists Belle du Berry and David Lewis gave a melodious hypnotising performance ,the French chanson, American jazz and swing.

Belle du Berry is French ,a lead singer, a song writer and an accordion player.The Charishmatic Belle du Berry has a huge fan following not only in France but also in the U.S and Europe where they perform regularly on their international music tours. David Lewis,originally from Australia is a multi- instrumentalist . David moved to France in his early twenties.

Belle's expressive voice and ethereal quality captivated and mesmerised the audience. The rapport between du Berry and David on stage was electrifying. The pair complimented each other as David played the piano and electric keyboards while Belle sang with her melodious soothing voice. David also played solos on trumpet , with  Denis Henault-Parizel accompanying on bass and guitar and Remy Kaprielan on drums who undeniably set fire on stage!

The ravishing looking Belle started the evening with her songs invisible et perfumes, Faux Amis etc.She continued with the tracks from her album "QUIZZ" They ended their performance by singing "Intoxicated man" by Serge Gainsbourg . With the energy exuding from the stage, it was overall an overpowering performance!

A Special thanks to Belle and David for being generous enough to give me the opportunity to interview them.
And also to Ms. Leelin Tan , my colleague who accompanied me to the music concert and shot the interview.

French French French!

Have you ever wondered why French words are used by us in our daily life? Right from havin ' Cafe'  early morning - there ! I used a french word already! The English language borrows several such words. A list which would not fit in here.. So why do we do it? Why use French, Spanish, Italian languages? Why not Polish, Thai or Danish? Thats because French language for example oozes grace, elegance and class! 

Sure, it might be chic and classy.Definitely would look good on a resume under language skills.  Yet very challenging.Its funny how you enjoy a hobby which gives pleasure yet when hobby becomes a compulsion it becomes stressful . I love to learn this god spoken language(at least I think so, God must speak French :) ) but its been stressful to learn the grammar and not to mention the accent! 

A hardcore fan of the FRIENDS series, I stumbled upon this video of the sitcom where Joey , tries to learn French.I laugh till I fall out of my chair everytime I watch it!!

 I wonder how I must sound to my French professor who is a native French speaker... )

Now here's another funny video of how a French man tries learn the English language. This clip is from the movie -  The Pink Panther, a hilarious movie and a must watch!

So learning a language is not that simple. Mastering any language be it Kannada, Hindi or any foreign language is an achievement in itself!

 ENJOY the videos while I go back to my French text books  and try not to be like Joey..

Au Grande Jamais- By Bense

Lyrics to Au Grand Jamais :
Suis-je parfois fragile
Ais-je vraiment le choix
M'arriverais-t-il d'être à cran, tout bas
Pensais-je à la mort
Pour enfin arrêter d'être si fort, sais-je au moins pleurer


Non jamais, au grand jamais
Regardez est-ce que je tremble
Non jamais, plutôt crever  laisser la vie me descendre
Non jamais, jamais, au grand jamais...


Céderais-je dans mes bras
La place de ma guitare
A une bague au doigt ou à ces filles d'un soir
Suis-je des froids glacés
Quand je monte sur scène
S'est on déjà brûlés à la chaleur humaine


Non jamais, au grand jamais
Regardez  ! est-ce que je tremble
Non jamais, plutôt crever  laisser la vie me descendre
Non jamais au grand jamais
Et achevez moi si je tremble
Car jamais, au grand jamais je ne laisserais cette vie me descendre

Non jamais ... jamais ... jamais
Au grand jamais
Augrand jamais

Translation:
Am I sometimes weak ?
Do I really have the choice ?
will I be flicked , so low ?
will I think about the death
In order to stop being so strong , Do I know at least how to cry ?
No Never , a big never
Look at me! Do I tremble
No never , I prefer to die and not to let the life make me down
No never , never and never
Would I yield in my arms ?
My Guitare's place
To a finger's ring or to This girls of an evening
Am I the kind of The cold iced
When I go on the stage
They are just burnt of the human's fire

My first French Song.

Voila!!   Moi Premiere Chanson Francaise!

 A couple of weeks ago I posted the tabs for this song. Here is the strumming version. I learnt this song quite some time ago although did not have the courage to post it. This song is easy to learn and a smart way to learn the language.      

                

Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman 

Ce qui cause mon tourment ? 

Papa veut que je raisonne 

Comme une grande personne 

Moi je dis que les bonbons 

Valent mieux que la raison.

TRANSLATION:

 Ah! Will I tell you, Mommy
What is tormenting me?
Daddy wants me to reason
Like a grown up person
Me, I say that sweets
Are worth more than reason

Just a sincere attempt.

The Unforgettable tune..

Haven't we all heard this tune before? Remembering your childhood? This tune brings back our earliest memories as toddlers. :) a warm feeling. 

Twinkle twinkle little star..  You guessed it right!    and wrong! Its also the tune of "Ah! vous dirai-je" (french rhyme) a composition by Mozart himself. Did you notice that Baa baa black sheep, and ABCD the alphabet song also sounds the same?

The Language of LOVE

My acqaintainces often ask me , Why I chose to learn French?  And my answer is always the same. I Love French. The language and the people.!As simple as that!

As a little girl I have always fancied the Eiffel Tower. I even remember telling mom that I would marry a man who will take me to Paris someday. (at the age of 8??)

 Before I kick the bucket I will visit my dream city. Sometimes I feel maybe thats why I am preparing myself(unknowingly), trying to master the language so that I am well equipped for my voyage to France.  As I write this I am watching the TV Monde French Channel which all the more motivated me to type a few words right from my heart,as usual very spontaneous without any edits. The language is so romantic! So soothing...After English it is the 2nd most understood language  .. Its like music to my soul.. I donot know WHEN I will be able to speak fluent French, but all I can say is , I am getting there..

mon professeur français

During my study I have made a list of few French words we use in everyday life. Now we can see how much the French language has influenced English!

café ------------------>a coffee shop (also used in French for "coffee")
bon appétit ----------->    literally "good appetite"; enjoy your meal
bon voyage ----------->   literally "good journey"; have a good trip!
déjà vu --------------->"already seen"  an impression or illusion of having seen or experienced something before
chauffeur ------------->driver
fiancé/e ---------------> a man/woman engaged to be married.
croissant -------------->a crescent-shaped bread
décor ----------------->the layout and furnishing of a room
eau de Cologne ------->a type of perfume, originating in Cologne, Germany. Its Italian creator used a French name to commercialize it.
eau de toilette --------->literally "grooming water."
entrepreneur ---------->a person who undertakes and operates a new enterprise
voilà! ----------------->literally "see there"; in French it can mean simply "there it is"
façade --------------- >the front view of a building
femme fatale ---------->"deadly woman"
Grand Prix ------------>a type of motor racing, literally "Great Prize
haute couture --------->"high sewing" : FASHION
sauté ----------------->quickly fry in a small amount of oil
touché----------------->acknowledgment of an effective counterpoint; literally "touched" or "hit!"
début ------------------>first public performance of an entertainment personality or group
encore ----------------->A request to repeat a performance
potpourri ------------->medley, mixtur
rendezvous ----------->"go to"; a meeting, appointment

Here's what I learnt in Class. Should have posted it earlier. Better late than never. Such cute drawingsof clothes by my professor!

Les Vetements, La Mode = Clothing,Fashion

I love the language more than I know..It feels , sounds so exotic. It makes me feel exotic...If you know any french words or phrases also used in English please let me know...