So, I’ve been on this kick lately of trying to get better at French, you know, beyond just ordering croissants and saying “merci.” I stumbled upon this idea of using movies I already know and love, and “Moana” popped into my head – I mean, who doesn’t love that soundtrack?
The “Moana” French Experiment Begins
My first step was simple: find the French dubbed version. I figured, I’ve seen “Moana” like a million times, so even if I don’t catch every French word, I’ll still know what’s going on. I already had it saved on my computer, and I easily changed the language in the settings.
Initially, I just wanted to get a feel for the language, the rhythm, the pronunciation. I wasn’t trying to understand every single word. Just vibe with it, you know?
- First Watch: Pure audio immersion. I closed my eyes a few times, just listening to the flow of the French dialogue and songs. It was surprisingly relaxing!
Diving Deeper (with Subtitles!)
Okay, after the initial “listen and chill” phase, I wanted to get a little more serious. Time for subtitles! I started with French subtitles, figuring it would help me connect the sounds I was hearing with the written words.
- Second Watch: French subtitles on. This was a game-changer. I could see how words were spelled, and I started picking up on common phrases and sentence structures. I did have to use my phone to look some words up!
Then, to make sure I was actually understanding, I switched to English subtitles, and I was still following the french audio.
- Third Watch: English subtitles with the French audio. This was like a comprehension check. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just relying on my memory of the movie. It was pretty cool to see how much I was actually understanding!
Sing Along Time!
You can’t watch “Moana” and not sing along, right? Especially “How Far I’ll Go” (“Le Bleu Lumière” in French, which is kinda pretty). I found the lyrics online, and let me tell you, belting out Disney songs in French is a whole new level of fun (and probably very entertaining for my neighbors).
- Printed out the French lyrics to the songs.
- Sang along (badly, but enthusiastically).
Still a Work in Progress…
So, am I fluent in French now? Definitely not. But I’ve picked up some new vocabulary, improved my pronunciation, and had a blast doing it. And the best part? I have a new appreciation for “Moana”! This is something I’m definitely going to keep doing, maybe with other movies too. Any suggestions for my next French movie adventure?
