Introducing Song into the Language Classroom : Authentic Materials for Developing Intercultural Competence

This article examines the integration of Francophone songs as an authentic document in the teaching of French as a Foreign Language (FFL) in Japan, a context still largely marked by the traditional grammar-translation method.Based on the recommendations of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the works of Cuq, Puren, and Gourvennec, the study analyzes the linguistic, sociolinguistic, pragmatic, and intercultural potential of songs, as well as the didactic conditions that enable their optimal use without altering their original discursive logic.The article first defines the song as an authentic document and as a vector of sociocultural competence, before specifying selection criteria based on learners' profiles, educational objectives, and institutional constraints.Building on teaching experiences with Japanese high school and university students, four songs are presented as case studies: On brûlera (Pomme), Comme un homme / Sois un homme (Disney, Mulan), Lettre à la République (Kery James), and Saint-Denis (Grand Corps Malade).Each teaching sequence highlights the contributions of songs in terms of learner motivation, cultural contextualization, and the development of language skills, while also underlining the limitations arising from spatio-temporal and sociocultural gaps between the context of production and that of reception.The findings indicate that songs, when integrated within an action-oriented approach and accompanied by appropriate cultural mediation, can serve as an effective pedagogical lever for enhancing FFL learning in Japan, both linguistically and interculturally.