These are powerful memory aids. By virtue of rhythm, rhyme and meaning, they lock in specific words and grammatical structures.
In the same way, they encourage the correct pronunciation of words; this can act as a template for their use in normal language. One thing to watch out for though, is that in actual songs, silent 'e's are often sounded, to make up the number of syllables - for instance, with 'au clair de la lun-uh' (the 'uh' being the sound for the french 'e').
If you work on a song which you really like, this can be quite motivating. You can also sometimes find a karaoke version on youtube, where you can take things to another level!
I am personally not a great fan of old nursery rhymes, which are often used in early language learning. The problem is that they often have archaic word forms and meanings. However, many people will have experienced them from their early education years, and have some familiarity with them, as well as a certain affection.
As songs are an art form, they are often not very literal, so it can be difficult to follow what is meant. For instance, even native French speakers seem to disagree about quite what is going on with ‘Éblouie par la nuit’ – I reckon she’s a junkie (les ‘yeux comme des têtes d’épingles’ – characteristic of opiate intoxication). However, for me this adds to the interest, and most artistic forms are open to interpretation.
The Google speech system simply involves speaking the text. Once you’ve made a bit of progress, it’s therefore a good idea to see how the song is carried out for real on youtube. To help with this, I’ve included a link showing the video at the bottom of each list.
The idea with this section is not to learn the songs off by heart (though you can if you want to), but simply to be able to say the phrases correctly, and to enjoy following the youtube versions.
Now record your own voice and listen to the playback - check for any differences
Repeat until they sound the same
A powerful technique is to play the word/phrase, and to 'shadow' - say the word/phrase out loud at the same time as you listen to it. Do this a number of times (until you feel confident), then go straight on to record.
As soon as you think that you are able to copy accurately, record and listen to your own voice first, then only check if you feel you need to.
Once you get the main pronunciation right, try to get the overall rhythm and tonality the same as well. In French, the main word emphasis is usually on the last syllable of the last word in each phrase.
It can often be a good idea to try a tricky word/phrase in your head a few times, before recording.
The time available for you to make the recording is set at normal talking speed, plus a small amount extra. When you are fluent with the word you will not need all of this.
When you listen to the word/phrase, a translation is also briefly shown below the buttons. This is only there as a reminder for you to check if you wish.
The speed adjustment gives you three levels:
Slow - for starting out, and when you are having problems with particular sounds.
Normal - this is close to formal speeches and will be used when people know that you are not French.
Fast - this is close to normal, conversational French. It is worth aiming for this as it's a form of 'over-rehearsal'. When you can do something fast, then it becomes automatic and you're less likely to regress.
Incidentally, it does seem true that French is normally spoken 16% faster than English. This appears to be due to the fact that French has a lower informational density, so you need to talk faster to get the same information across (Pellegrino et al 2011).
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