Loving Celine: a question of bilingualism

[Alex_Incognito]

Like many American fans, I started out with Celine in English. Of course I did, I can remember her as far back as "Beauty and the Beast" because I was a little kid and played the soundtrack over and over again.

 

My love of Celine didn't blossom until I was 10 when she released "FALLING INTO YOU." I was too young to really enjoy pop music before, but this woman truly was at a peak in her career.

 

I decided to take French in 2001 when I started highschool. Pourquoi? I wanted to understand Celine's French work. I felt like I was missing a big part of her career. I was doing JUST what she was doing before she learned English. I liked the voice and the sounds of the words, the music was pretty. But that was it. Nothing emotionally attatching.

 

Making that move to learn French was my smartest movement in my Celine life. It opened the doors to some of the greatest songs ever recorded. I can't believe I went so long without knowing how beautful these songs were! I learned them just in time! Just in time to fall in love with someone and know the lyrics to "Lolita (Trop Jeune Pour Aimer)", and the awful breakup and the craziness of "Pour que tu m'aimes encore."

 

The decision changed my life, and I am now in college with a major in French Education. Funny how she shaped my life!

 

Anyway...For all you bilinguals...isn't it great to have these songs in English and French? 2 different worlds, one wonderful chanteuse.

 

I feel sorry for those of you that just follow her French or just follow her English. Sure, you have an appreciation for the sounds, but I strongly suggest you learn the language. Your Celine fandom will become deeper and deeper!

 

That's my thought of the day.

[Dionesque]

Hello Alex!

 

I'm sure there are maaany others like you!

 

Me, I learned English since I was 7 so understanding Céline's English songs was no problem... but than, after my discovering of Céline in 1993 baceuse of her "The Colour Of My Love" album, I bought "Céline a l'Olympia" and I wanted to know what are those French songs all about?.... and than, the greatest album of all came, "D'eux" and I was going like crazy singing and trying to translate all the songs as they were just amazing!!!

 

That's exactely in 1995 as I started my French lessons just because of Céline - there was no French in my school but I was lucky enough to find a French lady who was just staying in my city for some reasons for several years... She discovered the beginnings of this beautiful language...

 

Now, I'm still not that perfect in French but I'm so happy to be able to understand her French songs and getting to know better and better Céline's mother tongue!....

 

Thank you Céline!!!

[marckvls]

Hahaha.. me too... I learned english at school, but I'm just finishing the 1st year of french!

[felixwhoals]

I learned French last year. I never learned much last year as I wasn't really paying attention that much in the lectures. I might continue to brush up my french in the future. I really want to master French!! Well not to master them but at least understand the basics and speak them. I would love to understand 80% of Celine's french lyrics.

[Costa Santos]

I'm Brazilian. I've learnt English for over five years. When I first met Celine - in 1.997 -, I felt love... I decided to start studyin' French in order to understand her French songs. It made me feel so good. Celine's changed my life. It's getting better and better... I love her. Nowadays, I can speak English and French. Thank you, Celine! She's the best singer in the world; besides, her way of life is out of this world. That's why I simply adore her.

[blue.grave]

I also took French class in college to understand Celine's French songs. And now I'm glad I did. Her French songs are so moving. I guess it helps that I already know Spanish before I started to learned French six years ago.

[Feidhlimbrennan]

i remember studying french in school, i was too young to fully grasp the fact that céline sang in both languages, i was always a day dreamer in those classes, until my french teacher shouted at me one day, knowing my love for Céline's english work she screamed at me, 'you know if you ever want to meet céline you better start paying attention because she won't appreciate you not making the effort' of course céline is good enough to speak to fans in both languages but at the time i was young enough to believe my teacher and i''ve been studying the language ever since, waiting for the day i can meet her lol

 

xf

[Alex_Incognito]

I'm so happy to read these! Right on, brothers and sisters!

[anewdayhascome]

i have no opportunity to learn French but it's my dream which will come true... I don't know if i learn in high school or maybe French studies but i will do it!

[Célinefull]

I've spoken both since the time that I can remember Céline so I have always had both sides to her musical career. I find that the French songs have a lot more feeling than the English songs; in English it feels sometimes that she is just singing, very well but she's just singing. Whereas in French you know she fully understands the songs and really sings them with emotion.

 

tu dois demander ce question dans le forum français!!

[Filine]

Well I guess for many Céline fans it's even MORE complicated because for me Céline sings in TWO foreign languages and that means I shoud be trilingual to understand everything completely I was raised with the Dutch language.

 

My English is pretty good, I am also pretty fluent in German, but I only had three years of French classes and my French is basic. I read and understand it pretty well but I am not good at speaking and wrting French. I know enough words to understand the most of Céline's French songs.

[manilou]

Sorry something got messed up Edited February 17, 2007 at 04:06 PM by manilou

[manilou]

I'm something like a Quatrilingual

 

I learn:

 

German : 17 years (so since my birth )

English: 7 years

French: 5 years

Spanish : 3 years

 

I want to learn Italian and maybe Chinese

 

I love learning languages and I think Céline is one reason for that.

[Elaine]

Well I guess for many Céline fans it's even MORE complicated because for me Céline sings in TWO foreign languages and that means I shoud be trilingual to understand everything completely I was raised with the Dutch language.

 

My English is pretty good, I am also pretty fluent in German, but I only had three years of French classes and my French is basic. I read and understand it pretty well but I am not good at speaking and wrting French. I know enough words to understand the most of Céline's French songs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm in the same situation....

 

I speak Portuguese and I was in love with English since I was very little, and that was about the time I saw beauty and the beast and couldn't stop listening to the soundtrack... Some years later I was finally able to learn English. And Céline was the one I listened by that time, so most of my vocabulary came from her. By that time I discovered she also sang in French, and soon French became my second passion. And I tried to translate Céline's songs, but as I had no knowlede of the language it was almost impossible! last year I finally could start my French course! I don't know many things yet, but at least I can understand some... And now I'm completely in love with the language and each day more and more sure that Céline exists to be our angel! to teach us things we'd never think we were able to...

 

That's why I love her more than anything in this world!

[Celinemaniac]

Celine should be very proud for all of us and of course about her achievement in promoting so well the french language and the Francophonie.

Especially french people who often laugh at her, about her quebecois, should be ashamed of it, because they are not "unique"... the standard French is not a "norme" everywhere! And even in France, people do have different accents, and this is happening in all the countries of the world... nothing so funny or weird about it!!!

Me, I started english and french since I was 12, and it's all because of Celine! Now, I've finished my French studies at the university and been accepted at a post-university program in translation studies (French-Greek). Everything is going well in my life! I've done what Celine inspired me of! And i want to thank her!!!!

 

P.S: Now, I want to master the english language as well, and then start spanish and italian.

[changepas39]

I follow both...I love her english & french...but sadly I do not know french, but thats doesn't stop me from blasting driving down the road with me singing along to it...I learn the songs but only know a few words here & there and understand the basic meaning of the song...but maybe one day I will know....

[Un Rêve]

Same for me here. I first listened to her English songs which I loved because of the music, but nothing else. I was raised speaking Dutch and I started listening to Célines music when I was 6. I didn't start to learn English until I was about 10 or 11 years old. And French even later, in high school, when I was 12 or 13 years old. I'm going to continue learning French in college and it's all because of Céline. My mother told me that during my first year of learning French I once said that I would never ever be able to understand the language. Then I started translating her songs and a year later, I told her I wanted to be fluent in French. LOL

Merci to Céline, because those French songs are the heart of her musical career and like she once said:

 

"La plus belle langue de dire des mots d'amour, ça sera toujours le français"

[anewdayhascome]

i haven't known french so far but i will... but it's not for me difficult because i sing french songs as well though i don'tk now what they mean

[charmedceline]

I've always loved learning different languages and so I attended a linguistic lyceum. The reason why I chose this school was of course Céline because I wanted to understand her French songs and this school has been the only one that could offer French lessons. Now I can understand songs of her that are German, English, French, and Italian......and let's not forget Latin Edited February 18, 2007 at 03:12 PM by charmedceline