Singing in French

                            

Growing up bilingual has its advantages, especially when you live in France and take English in school. Sacha and Chelsea say it is class they don’t have to work hard at to have an easy grade.

The other day while I was cooking Sacha was singing an English song in a thick French accent. His voice hit me like the smell of cabbage, (no offense to cabbage but it odorous when cooking,) I looked at him with a turned up nose, waving my soup spoon at him, asking why the heavy accent?

"Oh Mommy I am singing how my classmates sing, they know the words, but man do they butcher this song, they mix all the words around! We have so much fun with it, and the French accent makes it sound even better!!

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While the soup simmered I listened to Sacha sing:

"Dee cat iz in dee fiss.

Dee fiss iz in dee ouse

Dee ouse iz in dee cimnee

Dee cimnee iz in dee fissbole,

Dee fissbole iz in dee mouSe,

Everytings in its place!

Everytings in its place!"

"Isn’t it great! All the words are mixed up, nothing is in its place, and yet it goes together well!" Sacha laughs.

Here is hoping that my children find their place, no matter where they are, and sing. 

Photo: A small gathering of objects, silk thread, plastic chicken standing on a token, a mouse smelling the perfume of a French woman. Where do you stand and sing?



Comments

31 responses to “Singing in French”

  1. Corey,
    Ma cher, I sing everywhere! It really is my trademark. Also, frequently I zing wit a bad french accent just for fun. I have “french cafe” and listen to it 3-4 times a week. Ask anyone who knows me; I make up my own words to popular songs.
    rel

  2. It was so funny when The Proclaimers sang “I’m on my way” and “500 miles” totally in their Scottish accents – it was the accents that made them so popular. Who knows- Sacha could be onto a good thing!!

  3. This was a funny story 🙂
    Even kids whose primary language is English can get a song all wrong, yet it still sounds right!
    My 5 yr old Jessica’s version of the Wedding March:
    “Here comes the bride, dress open wide”.

  4. Wonderful story! My daughter went to a French school and noticed the same thing. Undoubtedly, your son will find his place in the world! As for me, I sing wherever and whenever I feel like it (but usually in English). 🙂

  5. What a gorgeous story and what a wonderful relationship you must have with your son that he would sing for you!! It sounds like fun:-) Hearing your story makes me feel like a little girl again who just wants to sing and dance…Nel

  6. oh de accents of de bilingual … and the regional… we love accents in dis haus and der sound ist die muzik to my ehars!

  7. Ha! Very fun post. I think your children will always find their place with your love to guide them.

  8. With a sense of humor like that, they’ll do well!! It’s always an entertaining read!!

  9. Wonderful post…the sound of a young child singing is the sound of happiness and contentment with life.

  10. You DO have the best of both countries…! May Sacha grow to appreciate the whimsy you see so clearly!

  11. You DO have the best of both countries…! May Sacha grow to appreciate the whimsy you see so clearly!

  12. Hee! Love that your son isn’t shy to sing around you, his mother! Wonder what French Husband would think of Sacha’s song?

  13. Cute story..!
    Where do I stand and sing..right now by my desk..singing Sacha’s words, and wondering what the song is..!
    I know I led a sheltered childhood but this one escapes me..!

  14. hehehe. That is funny! Silly boy. He must have fun with that. I think I would, too!
    I still have a little something I mean to send you from this summer! *bush*
    oxox
    🙂

  15. Toni Mason`

    Your children will always have their place!…in your heart of course!!

  16. This is way too cute, and I laughed at the cabbage comment, wow, lol. It’s been a while since I visited your page, glad to see you are still keeping us inspired

  17. The “Sunny Side of the Street”!

  18. My husband, who is French, doesn’t often sing but I do get laughs from some of his mistakes in English, such as calling a checkbook his book check. Let’s don’t talk about my French mistakes-something to do with poisson and poison.

  19. heehee…
    i don’t doubt that they will

  20. I have the same hope for my little Fiona. We are about to go to her ‘other’ land for the first time, I wonder how she will see things as she grows up with parents from different parts of the world.
    This post is beautiful-as are all your other posts.

  21. Marie-Noëlle

    Usually I “sit and sing” as I like to sing in the car, while driving…
    When a teenager I used to “stand and sing” a lot in the kitchen with my mother , every evening after dinner, while she was washing up and I was wiping. Only in French though (just in case there could be a bilingual boy listening at our front door !!)

  22. In the garden ( well I usually hum or whistle).
    In the kitchen ( Shakira…hips don’t lie, is a good one when stirring the risotto).
    In the shower(‘Summertime and the living is easy’, when am feeling particularly happy).
    In the car ( I pretend I am an opera singer…it is an apalling saound!).

  23. Well, Corey, I sing when I cook…which is sometimes a bit odd because I cook in an open kitchen in my little cafe’. Sometimes I see people smiling at me oddly and then I know I’ve been singing too loud, again. Most of the music we play is in French so as your son, I often butcher it lovinginly. Aw, but it is such fun and brings such joy to my soul. My grandmother would be proud. 😉

  24. Oh the green and pink threads are just perfect next to each other!
    (I sing in the shower)

  25. I spent most of yesterday doing set design for a photographic shoot and how I wish you could have been there to help Corey. You have got what it takes. I would love to root through you flea market finds.

  26. I love to sing with an accent Michelle.. from the Beatles..
    although I have a good accent in bothlanguages..
    but at medical congress.. the french colleague’s english is .. un-understandable =))

  27. I sing in the car with the children – hideous renditions of ‘green grow the rushes oh’ and ‘Down in Demerara’ me trying to hold the tune while the kids bellow or croak slightly off key. They learn Xhosa and Afrikaans songs at school and are probably butchering those too, but they sound jolly impressive to me, as I still hardly know any words of either.

  28. WELL I HAVE STOOD AND SANG IN CHURCHES -ON STAGE , IN CLUBS,-WEEDINGS-FUNERALS-CELEBRATIONS- BUT, FOR NOW9AND FOR AS LONG AS I CAN RECALL,- I APPARENTLY STAND AND SING ALMOST ANYWHERE-AND OFTEN WITHOUT ANY SELF AWARENESS-SUCH AS SONGS FROM LES MISERABLE IN THE LINE AT TARGET =)
    I REALLY CANT HELP IT-IT LITERALLY SPRINGS FORTH FROM ME AS NATURALLY AS MY BREATH!
    hugs
    MB

  29. That really made me smile!

  30. c’est trop mignon! he’s got a good sense of humor. i can hear sacha sing it with the french accent. i find accents most charming! i sing or hum a tune anywhere.

  31. your sacha sounds so delightful>>>i’m not a bit surprised because he has une mere like you!

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