All of the ADL French students participated in Manie Musicale this past March, which is an international song competition. A committee chooses 16 songs representing diverse French-speaking cultures and locations that were released within the previous year and creates a bracket based on youtube views.
Over 4,000 schools in 23 countries participated this year and thousands of students voted to choose a winner. Students learned about the artists and where they were from, the lyrics, and what they meant, and generally gained an appreciation of both the language and the cultures of the Francophone world.
Many students develop strong preferences for songs and artists, and it was common to hear singing in the halls during the tournament! A number of students added songs they liked to their personal playlists and shared back with the class other songs they like. It's a great community-building event and really helps the students enjoy learning French.
They also had a special assembly for all ADL French students to reveal which artist and song won the tournament. It was a lot of fun with prizes, posters, and excitement. Students are already suggesting songs and artists they hope will be in next year's tournament!