I know, I know, I can hear it now, "I don't like this, Dad. Turn it off. Can we listen to Bloody Toothpick instead?" (Or something.)
Don't worry. There are ways to get your kids to listen to this stuff, if you're willing to be patient and persistent.
1. Start with the language they're learning in school or at home. OK, so that's the easy one. But after only a little time with a cd, your children may start to notice their comprehension improving in their school foreign language classes. Not to mention their pronunciation, and their enjoyment and appreciation of that class. Instant benefits = willingness to try a few more cds, or even to branch out to a new language.
2. Be excited! Be enthusiastic! You're a salesperson. They're uninitiated. You gotta convince them. You can do this -- you do it all the time. Here's your approach: for younger kids, you're over the moon about this music. It's the greatest thing you've heard since Ralph's World did "What's New Pussycat" as a kids' song. (And that was cool.) It makes you smile and sing along. For older kids, try reverse psychology. This music is so good, and this cd so highly prized, you'll only let them borrow the cd if they promise to take out the compost and then wash the slimy, icky inside of the bucket without complaint.
3. Translate a few songs and tell them what the songs are about. If your kids understand that the name of the song is "Who Farted?" (see Benoit, Le Monde Est Petit), they may be way more willing to listen. Who wouldn't? (Who did fart, anyway?) If you don't speak the language yourself, I'll be providing synopses of many of the albums I review, so you can at least get a rough idea of what each song is about. My children want only that -- they don't like my long, drawn-out translations. Makes it easier on me.
4. Sing along. Pick your favorite song. Translate the refrain, commit it to memory, and belt it out with the cd. Teach it to the kids. There is something incredibly satisfying about mastering a few lines in another language. Click on "About the Songs" under "Categories" to get song summaries and a few translations. And if you've done some translating on your own, please share!
5. Show them some of the video clips in my posts. I'll include video clips whenever possible. Once they see that a band actually looks kind of cool (and funny), they'll be willing to listen to that same song on a cd. Then, hopefully, they'll be good for a few more songs.
6. Repetition helps. Wear them down, plain and simple. They can't ALWAYS pick the music you listen to in the car. Moms and dads have rights, too. When it's your turn, pop in the same old French cd you've been pushing on them. If it's good music, they'll start to like it. I've seen this happen with music I thought my children would never warm up to.
7. Bribe them. Some things are non-negotiable. Homework comes before sports. You gotta at least try everything on your plate. You speak politely to Aunt Medusa, and you never, ever put the cats in a basket and swing them out of a second story window, even if they seem to be enjoying themselves. These, we don't bargain over. But for some things, we are not above a little bribe. I bribed my kids to try dim sum (and they liked it). I bribe them to give certain books a try, ones that I know won't be immediately popular. I haven't yet had to bribe them to listen to foreign language music (see 1-6 above) but I'm sure that day will come. Pick your battles. If this is important to you, save some bribery credits for foreign language music.
Got any other ideas? Techniques that have worked for you? Let me know, and good luck!
