A song for Autumn

Colchiques dans les prés - Autumn crocuses in the fields

As autumn is approaching, I thought I would share, with you, one of my favorite French songs.

Though written in the 1940's, I learned it in secondary school and have always remembered the lyrics to this beautiful melody. 

When autumn can seem gloomy at times, it is so positive and uplifting.

 The essence of the lyrics:

the autumn crocuses are blooming 

It's the end of summer

the leaves fall,​ taken by the wind

the chestnuts in the woods break under our steps

the clouds in the sky spread their wings 

this song whispers in my heart calling happiness 

I also enjoyed singing it to the children, at the pre-school I was working at last year.

I was sharing my bilingual songs and stories with them and finding a new theme each week.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuS5QzzxHLo

Songs, charities and learning what do they have in common?

Gloucester concert

Headway charity

As every year from November to January, since arriving in Swindon in 1993, I am exposed (even when I don't want to be) to Christmas carols and songs.

I do however, enjoy the Boxing day concert in Gloucester cathedral in aid of charity.

After singing some carols, I recalled some of the French Christmas songs I had learned as a child, such as 'Au grand St Nicolas' and 'Mon Beau Sapin.' I then I ended up pondering on how long it is taking me to learn the words of English carols. As children we absorb these songs effortlessly and remember them forever it seems. This is probably due to the fact they connect to the language as well as the music parts of the brain, rather than just one area.

Songs help us learn more than language.

You may realise the language used in the songs reflects culture, in this case the Christian faith. But children learn more than that. They pick up on the more subtle messages that come along with them. Their brain is not yet able to rationalise the message to decide if it is true or not.  Hence they believe in Farther Christmas.

In this one (Petit Papa Noel) the child feels he is to blame for making father Christmas go out in the cold.  In 'Au grand St Nicolas' mentioned earlier, you need to always be good to get presents. 

Like all children I wasn't always good.  I would worry that because, I had argued with my sister, I was not good enough to get treats. This was my overriding feeling and  though I was relieved to get a present, that was not enough to change the feeling of not being good enough.

This feeling is one that still hold me back, now and again, even though I realise it is only so, if I believed it is. So when I had my son, I was very conscious about the songs and language I used with him, hence the selection of songs that I then translated and which became my bilingual Nursery Rhyme book and CD.

More charity concerts

The charities I support are also chosen very carefully. They have to fit with my values of health, education, protect the environment and preferably help women.  Last year, I met Rosa Matherson, when she talked about her efforts to provide women, in Nepal, with reusable sanitary ware.

Julie Nicholls selling books at the Highworth concert 

This felt close to my heart and in November,  I decided to donate £3.50 from every book I sell to freedom Kit bags.  I sold enough before Christmas to be able to send one £25 bag.  One women in Nepal got a 'Christmas' present.

Rosa also organises regular concerts, in Highworth, to help an orphanage in Nepal. 
I will be at those to sell  book and raise more funds.  

If you enjoy music and would like to come along here are the details.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/70837733403/permalink/10155246763703404/

Whilst you wait for the concert, you might like this French rendition of jingle bells which I came across recently.

FREE French fun in November

5 little ducks went swimming one day 

French Fun Time

Come and have some fun play in the garden if it's nice weather, do some colouring, watch a French cartoon, listen to stories, sing and discover some well known English nursery rhymes and how you can sing them in French.

No knowledge of French necessary!

There will be time for colouring and puzzles and for parents to chat in French or listen for approx. 45 min followed by approx. 35 min songs and stories. Adults get to get conversation practice or improve their listening comprehension while the children are playing.

Venue: 5 Bibury Road, Old Walcot, SN3 1DD
Date:  Saturday 21st Nov 2015 4pm  to 5.30pm Book here
More dates will be available in 2016 (about once a month)
Cost: Free though a donation is appreciated

Paces are limited so please book so I know how many children to prepare for.   Thank you.

French Fun for all



Swing ball, football and tent building!

A good time was had by all!


As the children built a 'tent', I decided it would be good to read: 'Titou construit sa maison'.

Les enfants on construit une 'tent', alors j'ai lu 'Titou construit sa maison'.



Can I go in your tent!

We saw spiders in the garden so we sang incy wincy spider/ la toute petite araignée (my own translation of the song) and there's a spider on the floor/ il y a une araignée sur le sol (also my own translation)

Nous avons vu des araignée dans le jardin alors nous avons chanté incy wincy spider/ la toute petite araignée (ma traduction) and there's a spider on the floor/ il y a une araignée sur le sol (aussi ma traduction)

FREE French rhymes and story time

Special event at Liden Library,

FREE French rhymes and story time

Wednesday 22nd of October 2014,  2.00 to 2.30 pm.

Come and join the fun with Virginie to sing and copy actions of your traditional songs (head shoulder knees and toes; row row your boat, if you happy and you know and much more) in French.  All children 0-5 years old welcome!
Please book for this free event at virginie@fun-french-learning.fr or 07423065957

Christmas Carol causes havoc

Our son who was called 'a breath of fresh air' by his pre-school leader turned into a rebel after learning of Christmas carols for his pre-school play.

Aware of the impact the language children hear has on them, even unconsciously, I have always been very careful about the songs I have chosen to sing to him. I elected to avoid songs which talked about falling out of trees or beds and judge, braking and not being put back together again, sweets being better than reason and songs with any cruelty in them.

Our son was very good for his age, when it came to saying please and thank you. However around Christmas time I began to notice he was forgetting to saying please, was more impatient  and would say he wanted things right now. At first I thought this was just a phase and was not sure where it had come from, as it is not the kind of language we use at home, till we saw his Christmas pre-school play. They were singing we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.  If you're not familiar with the words here they are: 

We wish you a Merry Christmas (x3)
and a Happy New Year.

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Now bring us some figgy pudding (x3)
and bring some out here. (or, and bring it us here)

For we all like figgy pudding (x3)
so bring some out here.

Now bring us some figgy pudding (x3)

and bring some out here. (or, and bring it us here)

However in this version they sang: we all want a figgy pudding (3X) so bring it right now. They were also shown to stamp their foot when saying 'right now'.

It was then clear to me then, that my son thought that that was the way to get things and started behaving that way at home.

If I ever needed proof of the impact nursery rhymes, songs and everyday language has on behaviour this was it. It has taken just over two months to 'stamp out' this behaviour.

This is why I have chosen the nursery rhymes I translated into French very carefully and made some adjustments to the English version to make them more educational, more accurate (pigs don't eat roast beef) or to enable a rhyming translation. I hope you will enjoy them.