Teaching French and Francophone Cultural Identities in a Course on Chanson

This article offers an innovative approach to teaching the hybrid form of chanson in an academic course where chanson and singer-songwriters (ACI) are the central focus. Conventional approaches have often been limited to the printed lyric and have omitted the singer’s public image and complete performances. In this course, students analyze the lyrics and musical production of singer-songwriters, as well as their media interviews, concert performances, and music videos in an attempt to define culturally-constructed “myths” about French and Francophone identities.