Contemporary French Music for Language Learning

Develop Listening Skills and Vocabulary Through Song Lyrics

Jun 18, 2009

Listening to contemporary French-language singer-songwriters is an enjoyable way to increase fluency and enhance your language program.

Becoming fluent in French doesn’t mean having to focus exclusively on memorizing long lists of words, untangling grammar and struggling through reading passages. Listening to contemporary francophone music is another good way to become familiar with everyday expressions and encounter the language as it’s used today. Here are a few suggestions for those looking to integrate French music into their language study program.

Contemporary French Musicians Perfect for Language Study

A singer-songwriter with a simple style is often much easier for students to follow, as opposed to a music group with a thick, instrument-heavy sound. Francis Cabrel and Jean-Jacques Goldman, for example, are two renowned French singers in the contemporary folk-rock genre. Both have had long careers and offer plenty of albums to choose from. This also means their music is easy to find, even outside of France.

Looking for something a bit humorous? Try Georges Brassens, a true classic with simple, elegant and often politically-inspired music, most usually accompanied by only an acoustic guitar. Brassens also set a number of famous French poems to music, which are a delight to listen to and facilitate interpretation and study.

Linda Lemay is a contemporary French-Canadian singer-songwriter with a straightforward style and a lovely voice. Her songs, sometimes humorous and often touching, are very accessible to language learners and can even be used in the classroom for discussion.

World Music in French

French music doesn't come only from France. Sample some of the many artists singing world music in French. One particularly successful band is Les Nubians. This talented duo sings soulful ballads with Afro-inspired rhythms and easy-to-follow but poetic lyrics.

Originally from Senegal, Youssou N’Dour began his musical career very young on the streets of Dakar and has become a cornerstone of Africa’s francophone music scene. His songs are uplifting, musically rich and combine traditional Senegalese mbalax music, modern jazz and rock. He sings in French, English and Wolof and his lyrics may be more of a challenge for some learners.

Ideas for Further Listening

There are more French artists and music groups than can be possibly summarized in a short article, but here are a few more names to consider in a variety of categories:

With access to international music easier than ever, take the opportunity to explore music provider sites like iTunes or Amazon for suggestions in a variety of musical genres. Categories like French Pop, Variété Française or World Music from Africa are great places to start.

Music is the perfect complement to any language learning program and will facilitate vocabulary building as well as improve fluency.

The copyright of the article Contemporary French Music for Language Learning in Learning French is owned by Michelle Bailat-Jones. Permission to republish Contemporary French Music for Language Learning in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.