Designed by the French Ministry of Culture, the website « Langues de France en Chansons » serves to increase public awareness of the amazing linguistic plurality of France. It is entirely in French and recommended for people interested in World Languages. It allows the user to find out about the richness of traditional and contemporaneous songs in many languages and dialects coexisting on the French territory. Covering regional languages (Alsatian, Breton, Basque, Catalan, Corsican, Flemish, Francique, Francoprovencal, Occitan, northern
French medieval dialects) . Overseas France (France doutre-mer) with (creoles from Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion, Langue from French Guyana, Kanak, Polynesian, Wallisian et Futunian, Mayottean). Languages imported with immigration (Arabian, Armenian, Berberian, Judeo-Spanish, Romanian, and Yiddish) and also the French Sign language. 25 linguistic spheres are offered. This collection is presented as a trip around the country by train. There are three ways to access the data, by map (access only the songs, but gives you an immediate panorama), by clicking on the landscape randomly, or using the trains directs to access, songs extracts, interviews, explanations, history facts, traditions, influences and the relation between culture, language and music by language. Each language is treated separately in his own module. Files can be downloaded including recording interviews and the explanatory text. At the end you can take a test, le jeu des chansons. A link to Le Hal de la chanson, will bring you to modern French songs. Le Hall de la Chanson is also under the label of the French Ministry of Culture.
Type of Material:
Collection, reference, tutorial
Recommended Uses:
- The site is exclusively in French except for the songs. It could be used as an assignment for student presentations and debate in the classroom. The site may be used to design projects around French culture and/or plurality. It also can be used directly in the classroom to illustrate musical diversity. Ideal for understanding French culture.
- Can be used for research on vernacular and vehicular languages in the world (French territory covers most of the continents).
Technical Requirements:
Optimal screen resolution 1024x768; Shockwave
Identify Major Learning Goals:
The object can be used to improve target culture knowledge, music appreciation in the different regions of Franceand the association of different regions with the appropriate musical genres.
Target Student Population:
The site can be used by all levels of language learners and music students.
It is ideal for students of linguistics.It can be used by independent learners and intermediate/advanced learners.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Some songs are in languages other than French,so some familiarity with those idioms might be helpful to some, but not essential.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The voyage theme that holds the site together is engaging and inviting. The user can approach the site in a non-linear or a linear fashion, at will. It is a multimedia jorney with sound, video, text and maps. The content is well-researched and presented in a way that does not overwhelm the user.The site hasnt been designed for learning language per se but to teach about the diverse styles of music in the regions of France. It serves as an excellent tool to introduce regional music in the French class. The information is accurate and in general the quality of content is high.
Concerns:
Some notion of French geography will be helpful as an advance organizer.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Students are not likely to know in advance just how diverse the musical traditions of France really are. The learning objectives are identified. It can be useful as a teacher resource for assignments, to open debate and to discuss about plurality in general. It is a really good way to present the subject. Advanced learners could easily write a composition on subjects inspired from the tour (about about plurality, colonialism, language extinctions, history of languages, history of modern French).
It is refreshing to have a musical tour in a discovery format where the user gets to visit and revisit the music at will, all while reading about the history and traditions of each genre.
The section on French sign language is a feature that language teachers might choose to use in the classroom to open a discussion on the different sign languages that exist.
Concerns:
The numerous songs might be difficult to sing since the scripts are not provided. Nothing about phonetics, grammar, basics of these languages is presented. There is some discussion of the relationship between modern French and these languages (common points). The songs are not translated into modern French, rather they stand in their original versions.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
It is very easy to use and the architecture is well built. It is clearly engaging and the design is clean, inventive and approachable. The newspaper format provides an attractive way to diplay the information. Clarity and consistence are evident throughout.The site is designed like a voyage, although it can be visited in any order.The main window (train cabin) is easy to navigate and the start to all activities.
The test is very interesting and challenging enough.
The idea of the module map/carte des chansons that gives sounds at a glance and the module fast train/trains directs that gives all the details and interviews and songs is very well done.
Concerns:
no
Other Issues and Comments:
n/a
Creative Commons:
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