Learning a new language is more than just memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules. It’s about immersing oneself in the culture, understanding the nuances of pronunciation, and even deciphering the subtle shifts in everyday casual conversation. For a group of students in the Upper & Middle School French classes of Carolyn Dalton and Daniel George, this challenge took form in music: tackling the complex lyrics of a Stromae & Pomme song and reproducing them through their own creative music videos.
Students had three options for the project deconstructing Stromae’s & Pomme’s song Ma Meilleure Ennemie (My Best Enemy). They could create a TikTok-style lip sync video or a full karaoke or instrument sing-or-play-along. For those not inclined to lip-syncing or singing in music videos, they could simply analyze the song and lyrics to understand the tone of the song, whether it was happy, sad, romantic, nostalgic, etc., and determine who the song is for and why the singer is singing it.
While the project was a fun twist on the French language curriculum, it posed some logistical issues for students using their cell phones during the school day. The solution: students wore special lanyards while « filming on location » (roaming the halls and making music videos) so that faculty could help identify this was a school-related project. The infectious beats and thought-provoking lyrics filled the hallways as students dove into deciphering lyrics, mimicking accents, and crafting their interpretations of this popular French song, which also appears in the Netflix series Arcane.
Students enjoyed trying something new, using their creativity to interpret and perform the song, adding choreography, and finalizing the piece with their video editing skills.
Laura Almeida ’30 said, « This helped me learn lots of new words that are not in everyday conversation, which is really fun because I probably wouldn’t have learned those words in a normal class. I enjoyed working with my peers and using teamwork to help each other record and sing the song wonderfully.”
Aanya Gande ’29 added, « I really enjoyed working with my friends in that class. It was a free project, and we got to showcase our French-speaking skills in a fun way. I found the editing or how to act out what the words meant a little challenging for me and my group. I felt the locations to film it were also difficult because we had some restrictions, and either other people were already there, or…it was just complicated.
« This also deepened my understanding of French language and culture. If I hadn’t done it, I would have never known about the TV show that the song was from. It exposed me to a somewhat popular French television show.
« I had so much fun doing this project and am so happy I had an amazing group to work with. The level of difficulty of this project was just right. This project was an amazing way to teach me about the French language and culture in a fun and exciting way! »
« This project was very different from any other project I’ve had at MICDS, » said Yosiyah Griffin ’28. « But I think that’s what made me love it more! It wasn’t making a presentation or writing a huge paper; this was memorizing and understanding the lyrics and tone of a song to produce an original take. I loved that Mrs. Dalton gave us this assignment because it allowed me to experience a different take on learning! » Neel Thilak ’28 added, « I enjoyed that we were able to work in groups to deepen our understanding of the French language while also being exposed to French culture. At first, it was difficult trying to match the words we saw to the words we heard, but once we understood it, the rest was pretty simple. »
Victoria Noble ’28 shared, « Song projects are my favorite assessment in French 200! They are so engaging and allow us to interact with our peers in a creative and fun way. My favorite part of our most recent song project was immersing myself in the language by listening to French songs, dissecting them to find further understanding, and creating a music video for them.
« The most challenging element of song projects is picking up the lyrics quickly. Listening to any top hit on the radio takes time to memorize, but when listening to a song in another language, it takes more listening and practice to familiarize yourself with the lyrics and rhythm. Song projects help deepen my understanding of the language because by listening to the songs, we can hear how French is properly spoken. We will notice the quick sentences and different mannerisms built into their speaking/singing. »
The infectious melodies of Stromae will likely stay with these students long after the final credits roll on their music videos. By stepping outside the traditional textbook and into the vibrant world of music, they discovered that learning a different language can be an engaging, creative, and enriching experience!