Learn French the fun way -- through musical immersion!
Free - No Downloads - Completely Fun and Learner Friendly!
First of all, let me say BIENVENUE to Musical Immersion (bienvenue means welcome). I hope this website will be all you need and more to develop your French further in a fun and easy way. Whether you're a beginner, already taking classes, or a French student from way back that wants to brush up on some rusty français skills, this site is absolutely free of charge and all of its resources are open to you.
To give you an idea of what this site is all about, I've typed up some answers to a few questions that you might be asking yourself.
What is Musical Immersion?
Musical Immersion is a website of my own creation, to help people learn French by immersing themselves in music from francophone, or French-speaking, countries. Think about it: how many songs do you know all or most of the words to, just by listening to them on the radio or on your mp3 player? Probably hundreds. If given the right tools (which this website is intended to give you), you can easily pick up a new language by listening to music, learning the lyrics, and then singing it to yourself in your head. This is how I learned French from French 2 all the way through French 4, and it's how I believe is the best way to learn a language. Musical Immersion allows you to listen to music through external links (Youtube, mostly), choose the songs that you like best, and access all sorts of resources to reap as much new information from those songs as you can.
The kind of information I'll provide you with is:
What makes learning a language through musical immersion better than learning from a textbook?
I can only speak from my own personal experience and the experiences of my friends, but as far as I can see, musical immersion is a much better way to learn a language, and here are just a few reasons why.
Let me tell you right now, I am not qualified in any formal way to teach French. I'm still learning just like you are. I have no teaching degree, and I'm not a completely fluent speaker. I've studied French for four years and have loved every second of it. The only reason I'm making this website is because I love the French language and want to help people who are having difficulty learning it, or just want to be better at it.
You may be worried, then, about the accuracy of the information that you're receiving here. Rest assured that if any of the information on this website is wrong, it's completely unintentional and I do go to extreme lengths to check everything for accuracy before I post it on the website. I have two of my French-speaking American friends, and two of my English-speaking French friends proofread all of the information before I post it online. I also run everything through an online translator to check for any spelling mistakes, and if I have any grammar that I'm uncertain of, I check it. I try my hardest to explain every concept myself, but also to back it up with external links, so that you can feel comfortable that the information you're receiving is from several reliable sources.
And of course, I don't claim to be perfect, so I do encourage anyone who notices a mistake on the site to please contact me and inform me of the mistake. I'll check to make sure that I'm being given accurate information and then correct the site, putting a notice on the homepage to explain my error and lead learners to the right info.
Why is the website so bare and boring right now?
The website is currently under construction. I take a lot of time making sure that everything's just right, so that I don't end up misleading anyone or telling anyone anything that's plain-out wrong. Don't worry, I'm working diligently to get some stuff up for you!
To give you an idea of what this site is all about, I've typed up some answers to a few questions that you might be asking yourself.
What is Musical Immersion?
Musical Immersion is a website of my own creation, to help people learn French by immersing themselves in music from francophone, or French-speaking, countries. Think about it: how many songs do you know all or most of the words to, just by listening to them on the radio or on your mp3 player? Probably hundreds. If given the right tools (which this website is intended to give you), you can easily pick up a new language by listening to music, learning the lyrics, and then singing it to yourself in your head. This is how I learned French from French 2 all the way through French 4, and it's how I believe is the best way to learn a language. Musical Immersion allows you to listen to music through external links (Youtube, mostly), choose the songs that you like best, and access all sorts of resources to reap as much new information from those songs as you can.
The kind of information I'll provide you with is:
- side-by-side English to French translations. Two translations for each song: one to give you a word-by-word translation of the song, then another to give you the general gist of the song (what the singer is trying to say). The two translations are particularly helpful in learning idioms and expressions in French, something that makes the difference between a good French student and a near-fluent speaker.
- links to thorough explanations of each word/phrase, so that I can hopefully clear anything up that you may not understand completely.
- notes on French culture expressed in that song, or any specific grammar rules used in that song so that you can make the most out of learning a new song.
- outside links that may help you understand a concept (verb conjugation charts, grammar rules, encylopedia articles, etc.)
- ways to contact me as well as message boards so that you can express exactly what you think of the site, or learn more about the French language and culture by communicating with others.
What makes learning a language through musical immersion better than learning from a textbook?
I can only speak from my own personal experience and the experiences of my friends, but as far as I can see, musical immersion is a much better way to learn a language, and here are just a few reasons why.
- An easy way to pick up new vocabulary: You can listen to music you're introduced to on this site while you're doing any absent-minded thing (cleaning the house, getting ready for your day, walking down the street...). As long as you give some thought to the meaning behind the words, you're developing your knowledge of the language, and before you know it, you've got all the words down pat! I know that there's been more than one occasion where I've forgotten how to say something in French, but by replaying a song in my head that I knew had that expression in it, I was able to figure it out. It really works, and it works well.
- A window into a whole new culture: By listening to songs and watching music videos, you can get a real feel for what life is like in francophone (French-speaking) countries today, not just an outdated glimpse at culture in a dusty old textbook.
- Pronunciation that you can mimic to improve your speech: French music allows you to hear real French speakers, so you can hear how real French people speak -- a nice break from language learning tapes that will repeat a sentence a few times and then leave it at that. Those things are made specifically for learners, and so don't give you a clear idea of what French really sounds like. If you plan to really use your French, you need to know what it sounds like in the real world, and music lets you do that.
- Some great new music to listen to: I don't know about you, but I get bored listening to the same music all the time, and sometimes I have trouble finding new music when I want it. The French play the same kind of genres (French word!) of music that we listen to in America: rock, rap... I've never heard French country music, but I'm sure it exists somewhere. The point is, if you like American music, you will definitely find some French music that you like.
Let me tell you right now, I am not qualified in any formal way to teach French. I'm still learning just like you are. I have no teaching degree, and I'm not a completely fluent speaker. I've studied French for four years and have loved every second of it. The only reason I'm making this website is because I love the French language and want to help people who are having difficulty learning it, or just want to be better at it.
You may be worried, then, about the accuracy of the information that you're receiving here. Rest assured that if any of the information on this website is wrong, it's completely unintentional and I do go to extreme lengths to check everything for accuracy before I post it on the website. I have two of my French-speaking American friends, and two of my English-speaking French friends proofread all of the information before I post it online. I also run everything through an online translator to check for any spelling mistakes, and if I have any grammar that I'm uncertain of, I check it. I try my hardest to explain every concept myself, but also to back it up with external links, so that you can feel comfortable that the information you're receiving is from several reliable sources.
And of course, I don't claim to be perfect, so I do encourage anyone who notices a mistake on the site to please contact me and inform me of the mistake. I'll check to make sure that I'm being given accurate information and then correct the site, putting a notice on the homepage to explain my error and lead learners to the right info.
Why is the website so bare and boring right now?
The website is currently under construction. I take a lot of time making sure that everything's just right, so that I don't end up misleading anyone or telling anyone anything that's plain-out wrong. Don't worry, I'm working diligently to get some stuff up for you!
