Music has always had the power to unite. You can see it first hand at any larger-scale event: a well-loved, familiar song starts pumping over the speakers, and you can see the excitement in people’s faces as they race to the dance floor to participate in something everyone around the world can appreciate and relate to: the universality of a good tune.
If the song happens to not be in English the crowd may not know what the lyrics mean, but they’ve memorized the words or sounds and can repeat them back. The charming phenomenon, besides speaking to the level of fans’ devotion, is actually tied to some hard science regarding music and language learning.
Children learn their first language through mimicry, just by repeating the sounds they hear from their parents. Just like children learn from their parents, when we start listening to a new song, we first mimic music’s lyrics, then become familiar with the sounds, and then finally, begin to develop a real understanding and comprehension of the words and their meanings. It’s easier for our brains to remember the elements like rhythm and intonation in music and songs than in spoken speech— so whether you’re learning a new language or teaching one to a child, make it a priority to have fun while listening to music in your target language. You’ll end up picking up new words and phrases without even realizing it.
Another bonus to using music as a language-learning tool is that it’ll expand not only your vocabulary, but it will introduce you to commonly used, often casual phrases and ways of speaking that are closer to how native speakers actually talk than what you might learn from a textbook—plus, music can be weightless and travel with you wherever you go, unlike the aforementioned bulky textbooks.
As we’ve talked about before, relaxing your pace is supremely beneficial to learning a language, and the idea of learning through music is no different. Throw on a playlist or artist that you can jam out to (the internet has article upon article filled with target-language playlists and artists that span genres & decades, so you’re sure to find something you like) while you’re cleaning, commuting, or relaxing, and before you know it you’ll find yourself singing along with the chorus. If you can, it also helps to have the lyrics available so that you can start matching phonetic sounds with visual characters or spellings.
Tips from Dimmi on choosing the right music for your goals:
Pick a genre you enjoy, but also, try not to limit yourself— you may be surprised at what you like.
When trying to learn new words, consider slower songs with a slower rhythm or that have clearly enunciated lyrics or choruses
Get familiar with the loop button and listen to the song on repeat
Don’t be afraid to sing along! Whether with friends at your next karaoke night or in the shower, sing along to help those words stick.
Groove on, friends!
This article is part of the Music edit of DIMMI DIGEST
