Learning a new language can be a challenging and rewarding experience, and there are many different approaches and resources that can help you succeed.
One often overlooked but highly effective method is learning through music. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, incorporating music into your language learning routine can have numerous benefits.
Let’s take a close up look at learning foreign languages through songs, and explore ways to use music to start learning a language.
Songs and music help you learn a language
Choosing material that interests and excites you is a key part of successfully learning a language. When you find material that captures your attention, it makes the process of learning a new language much easier and much more enjoyable.
Whether it’s a TV show, movie, book or a song in the language you are trying to learn, finding an enjoyable way to engage with the language will make it more likely for you to stick with it and continue learning. And what can be better than using music to learn?!
If you have passion for music listening to songs in your target language can be a great tool for learning. You can learn a language through song! Isn’t it music to your ears?!
Apps like iTunes, Spotify and Youtube make music accessible wherever you go. You can listen to songs in your target language on the walks, on the bus, and even while driving.
Songs were of great help to language learners for ages. Music tradition is very strong in every culture, and for a good reason. Music and language are two things that are preserved and passed from generation to generation.
Of course, they also evolve with the culture but they always maintain intrinsic characteristics specific to them, and language and music go hand in hand. A lot of linguistic heritage is preserved in song.
Songs just like any written text or spoken language are rich in linguistic information. They contain vocabulary and grammar as well as rich cultural references.
Music and songs have been used as education tools for ages. Haven’t you learned an alphabet through a song?!
So music and learning go hand in hand, and you will do very well to incorporate music into your language learning routine.
Music of Language and Language of Music
Language and music actually have a lot in common. You might have heard the phrase “language of music”. Many musicians think of music as language that they speak by playing instruments or singing.
Just like natural language music has its grammar (music theory), and many accents (different genres of music). Just like learning another language learning music is a life-long effort.
But I assure you, you don’t need to be a musician to reap benefits of learning language through music. You don’t even need to play a musical instrument, nor sing well. Although having a good ear will definitely help.
Learning languages through music aids memorization
Learning a new language can be challenging, but music makes the process easier and more enjoyable.
Music has been proven to aid memorization and language learning. Studies show that people who are taught new words through song have higher retention rates than those who are not.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise. How many times did you have a song stuck in your head just after hearing it once? It works for foreign songs too.
Of course, you won’t remember much of it after hearing it just once: perhaps only a word or a phrase. But as you listen to the song again and again, you quickly learn the lyrics. Musical context helps you remember the words with ease.
Besides songs tend to repeat the same phrases or words which also aids in remembering.
Sing along your favourite songs to improve pronunciation and accent
One of the main benefits of learning a language through music is that it can help improve your pronunciation and accent.
Singing along to songs in your target language can help you get a feel for the rhythms, melodies, and sounds of the language, and can help you replicate them more accurately when speaking.
Singing can help you develop fluency and learn to speak more like native speakers. It can also help you make accent less obvious.
As you sing along try to mimic the sounds you are hearing. Don’t worry too much about the correct pronunciation, simply try to imitate what you are hearing.
Grow vocabulary quickly through studying song lyrics
You like the song, you like the tune, you love the singers voice. I am sure you are eager to learn the lyrics and figure out what each word means! There is no need for anyone to force you to learn new words. Often you memorize them spontaneously and with little to no effort.
I remember when I was learning English, I eagerly looked up every name of the song even before I put on the record. You can learn lots of new words this way! And you can grow your vocab without much effort. It works because you listen to the same album and same songs again and again… and I get rhythmic nature of music helps with that too!
Well, maybe I am a bit old fashioned, and I grew up listening to cassette tapes and not Spotify… with Spotify you can mix and match songs, skip and repeat with ease. Still you will remember the names and lyrics of the songs you like with ease, and that is one of the greatest benefits of learning languages through music!
It is also a well-know fact that vocabulary is best learned in context. Context clues you to the meaning of the words and helps you make sense of them and helps you remember words better.
Music can also help you learn new words and phrases more easily, as you’ll be able to associate them with melodies and rhythms that are easier to remember.
Improve listening comprehension skills
In addition to pronunciation and vocabulary, learning a language through music can help improve your listening comprehension.
You can train your brain to understand the sounds and particular accents you are listening to. As you listen to a song you absorb the sounds of the language.
Listening to songs in your target language can help you get used to the flow and rhythm of the language, and can help you pick up on subtleties and nuances that may not be as evident in other forms of language learning.
It might be a good idea to watch music videos as you listen to music and follow allow with the song. It should help you follow the story of the song and understand its meaning.
Have fun learning languages with music
Whether you’re singing along to your favorite songs or discovering new artists, music is a great way to stay motivated and engaged in your language learning journey. And believe it or not you can actually learn a language while listening to songs in another language.
It is also a great way to immerse yourself in the culture of the country whose language you’re learning. After all music is an integral part and expression of the culture!
Of course it is not possible to learn much of anything if you don’t understand what you are hearing, so you will still have to put in the work to translate the lyrics.
Fortunately you can find the lyrics and translations online. Website like Lyrics Translate show original lyrics side by side with the translation.
You can also plug them into tools like Google Translate, or use the old-fashioned way of looking up words one by one. Language processing became so good these days! You can get accurate translation of the whole song in seconds!
You can also add lyrics to apps like LingQ which allow you to look up words and phrases and translate lines quickly. LingQ also keeps track of words you saved and highlights them for you. It helps you remember the words you learned in a different context.
This is my preferred method of learning with songs.
A great strategy to learn the words is by studying lyrics in chunks — one section of the song at a time. Once you are done with one section you can move on to the next part of the songs.
In any case, make sure your learning doesn’t become a chore and stays fun!
Find songs you like, music videos and playlists in foreign language on Spotify and Youtube
You can find lots of songs in your target language on Spotify and Youtube. You can find a song you like as well as playlists for different genres so you can pick and choose the music you like. Simply search for “songs in Spanish”, for example.
Popular songs on Spotify often have lyrics that you can follow along with the music:
The app provides lyrics and highlights words to the songs as they are being sung.
There is no way to look up unknown words or even copy them. Nevertheless it is a convenient way to follow along and make sense of what you are hearing.
Beware that many videos on Youtube often have auto-generated subtitles which are not always accurate.
Many artists produce so called lyric videos that display lyrics right in the video, or they provide lyrics in the description box so you can listen to the song as you are reading the text.
You can always find lyrics of your favorite songs online:
I recommend you choose songs that you like and save them into your own playlist. That way you can go back to them again and again.
Dangers of language learning through music
With many pros you have to be aware of some drawback of learning a language through songs and music.
Songwriter might choose unusual grammatical structures or expressions that match the song and rhyme, but are not common.
In songs many words and phrases are used figuratively thus the meaning might be obscured and not clear or confusing especially for beginners. You might understand the words but still not understand the meaning.
Once you advance in your learning and become more familiar with nuances of the language you can truly appreciate the art of the song in a foreign language.
You can’t learn a language through music only
Learning through music is a terrific way to become acquainted with the language and learn some basic vocabulary. However, it’s crucial to remember that music alone will not get you fluent in a language.
To truly learn a language, you must practice a wide range of skills including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. And while it is possible to apply and practice these skills while learning songs you have to realize that this method has its limitations.
To master the language you have to expose yourself to a wide range of material from different sources: books, videos, radio, podcasts — and different topics. And songs just can’t cover it all.
Conclusion
The truth is listening and studying songs in your target language is a great way to practice and learn a foreign language. If you’re looking for an engaging and enjoyable way to learn a new language, consider giving music a try.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, learning through music helps enrich your language learning routine and provides numerous benefits that help you achieve fluency more quickly. Happy singing!
Related Questions
It is possible to learn a language just by listening to songs?
You can’t learn a foreign language by merely listening to songs and even singing along.
To acquire the language you have to understand what you are hearing (comprehensible input). That means you might have to look up words and phrases, and study grammar. Listening to songs can be a great complementary activity with numerous benefits outlined in this article.
What language skills can be developed through songs?
For the most part it is listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and speaking/pronunciation training. To the lesser degree grammar as songs tend to use very simple or unusual grammatical structures.
What genres of music can you use to learn languages?
You can use any genre of music you like. Every genre has something unique to offer:
- Pop music: Pop music is often catchy and upbeat, and it can be a great way to learn common phrases and vocabulary
- Soul and Blues: Souls and Blues uses clear, spoken lyrics and covers a wide range of themes and emotions
- Hip-Hop and Rap: Hip-Hop and Rap often uses slang and colloquial language
- Rock and Metal: Rock and Metal can help you learn more formal language and vocabulary, as many rock songs explore complex themes
- Folk and Traditional: Folk and traditional music often includes traditional songs and stories that can provide insight into a culture and its language
To reap the most benefits you have to pick music you like.
How can you make songs part of your language learning plan?
There are several ways you can integrate songs into your language learning routine.
For example, you can dedicate some time to study and learn a song. You can then listen to the song while on your commute. You can also choose to sing along if you are driving. Listening to the music in your target language is a great way to learn languages while driving.
Is singing in a foreign language easy?
In some ways singing in a foreign language is easier than speaking. Opera singers often perform their parts in a foreign language on par with native speakers, but they rarely can speak the target language with no accent.
To sing in a foreign language well you will have to develop a good sense for the sounds and the flow of the language.
In a sense singing is easier because you are not thinking of what you are trying to say as much and can focus on producing the sounds in a free and flowing way. It is a great exercise to help smooth out the accent and make you more fluent, but it is not a substitute for speaking practice.
How Can You Find Appropriate Songs for Your Level and Interests?
It might be challenging to find songs that match your level, preferred genre and that you actually like.
Some ways to find them is by asking for recommendation on language forums. But in most cases you will have to browse music libraries like Spotify and explore what’s out there.
Does Playing an Instrument Help with Language Acquisition?
Playing an instrument doesn’t help with language acquisition directly. But it does help develop your ear which helps with learning nuances of pronunciation.
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