Chapter 1: The Essentials of Basic Communication – L’immersion
Immersion
Immersion is crucial to absorbing and retaining a language, so let's make it fun! This week, we will focus on slow, easy to understand movies, music, and media.
Le Film du Jour: Film of the Day
“Être et avoir”
This documentary chronicles the challenges and triumphs of a school teacher working in a one-room school in rural France. The film has received a myriad of awards, and the film's slow-moving progression allows beginners to keep up with the pace. Since this film also provides great insight into the French education system, you will be learning a lot about the French language and methods for learning it.
La Musique du Jour: Music of the Day
Edith Piaf
You have probably heard a lot of Edith Piaf. She is one of the most iconic French singers of all time, and songs like "Non, Je ne Regrette rien" and "La Vie en Rose" are well-loved even in the English-speaking world. This, along with her spectacular enunciation, makes her great for study. Each of her songs are simple and seem to touch on a great grammar point. "Non, Je ne Regrette rien" is an excellent example of this, as she showcases French negation in a variety of ways.
Note: Since she sings in an older style which draws out and elongates her lyrics, it is important to note that her style of speech is primarily for picking out nuances in pronunciation. Modern singers we will encounter in the coming days will adopt a more shortened style of pronunciation.
L’activité du Jour: Activity of the Day
La Bande Dessinée (Comic Books)
Comic books are a huge deal in France. Known as "the ninth art," French bande dessinée, or BDs for short, they are definitely not just for kids and teens.
The most famous BDs come from both France and Belgium (another says francophone, or French-speaking country), including but not limited to “Astérix,” “Tintin,” “Lucky Luke,” and “Spirou". These stories have cultural significance, bite-size dialog and grammar points, and wide appeal. It will also be a great conversation topic when you go to France!
Even if some of the language is too elevated for your current level, you will be able to glean context from the images along with it. These BDs are heavy on the history, but that only serves to heighten your knowledge of intellectual French vocabulary in a fun, engaging way. So have fun!