Learn English by singing and playing POP ENGLISH

Pop culture, pop art, pop music… and then there’s Michel-Marie’s Pop English, a 10-year method for learning English (and other languages) through song for 3-year-olds. A structured, playful and progressive mode: the winning combination of over 40 years of “young” adventure!

Content provided by our partners

A lesson is a song

“SAbove all, don’t call me madam! laughs Michel-Marie Dupierre. The three regional coordinators-representatives participating in the interviews – Céline Dampierre, Letitia Herfeld Buissecour and Isabelle Morand-Bernard – do a great job. A good joke is three, two, one, zero. Let’s go to the very pop hour!

Michel-Marie’s adventure began in the 1970s in Ouagadougou, Africa, where she was an English teacher. This passionate musician found a career in singing on stage. Back in Paris, she would develop a pattern through chance encounters Learning English through song, Pop English. Distributed by Eddie Barclay, his first CD came out in 1976 by a (still) unknown young musician, Laurent Wolsey, who was interested in English pop. Right from the start, songs like Elephant in the chair, Crocodile in the aquarium or Pocket of the kangaroo enchant children and parents alike with their rhythmic beats and accompanying cartoons. Their success never faltered and they are still part of the educational apparatus of Pop English.

Play and creativity in the structured setting

Songs are a great language learning tool. In France, Michel-Marie was the first to understand this. By listening to a foreign language, children are enriched by “its musicality, its rhythm and its pronunciation”. The ability to observe and mimic helps them reproduce what they hear. The Pop English method focuses on engaging all the senses to develop memory and enhance learning. A variety of art activities like body language, drama, dance, visual arts, even a cooking workshop, are all good for motivating children and improving their ability to focus. They learn for fun and through play, in a structured framework that still leaves plenty of room for creativity. With an educational toolkit consisting of one hundred songs and about 4h30 video programs on a USB key, facilitators have a substantial work base that they use according to their personality, their intervention environment and the expected progress. The Pop English method has evolved over time thanks to the constant collaboration between Michael-Marie and her teams. Where will we go on holiday? (2022) found that speakers were able to adapt to new “job” generations while maintaining the necessary rituals that reassure children and structure their lessons.

When and where?

About 14,000 children between the ages of 3 and 10 are currently taking lessons with Pop English groups, native or bilingual instructors. From Brittany through the Lorraine, Lyon and Paris region to the Basque Country, they operate in a variety of settings. Outside school hours (MJC and other socio-cultural and extracurricular centres), lessons can be combined with various workshops, holiday courses etc. The collaborator works with the teacher as part of the National Education Program during school hours (in private education). But Bob’s English style, especially when speaking, is beyond expected abilities. Young students are therefore encouraged to take the official and recognized Cambridge Young English Learners Certificate. Applications for Coordinators and Organizers are always welcome on the Association’s website.

Children of Pop English

While English is the language most taught, the songs and method have been adapted into several languages: Spanish, German and Chinese. The videos are sold in many countries as far as Asia. No matter the language, this song helps children memorize, feel comfortable and communicate better. Seeing them sing in a class is, for animators, a sign of a successful lesson. And what about those who still remember I want to be a fireman, my hand is in your hand and other pop titles… English, of course! This method still has a bright future. The vinyl record book is produced and distributed in stores by Sony Music Entertainment. A book with lyrics and their charts is available on the association’s website, and a link to streaming audio completes the offering. Michele-Marie observes her method as she pursues her career as a singer-songwriter in Italy. But that’s another story, to find out Ladymm.fr.