Learning English through music. Does it really work?

Hey there!

First of all, we hope your summer is going excellently so far! We know that during this time, attending classes might seem like a chore 🥱, and the only thing we want to do is lie by the pool and chill. That’s why many people resort to “passive learning” activities, like reading a book, watching movies or (can you guess it?) listening to music.

We have recommended it many times, as it’s enjoyable and feels effortless. Exactly what you’re looking for, right?

Now, we always recommend pairing it with other learning methods, as listening to music alone is not going to magically turn you into a fluent speaker (sorry about that…).

The question now is: How much can you actually improve through music?

Today, we’ll be exploring all the pros and potential limitations as well as how you can use music effectively to reach your goals. Let’s go!

Songs as study tools: Effective or just fun?

Why music can help

What is it that makes you enjoy the music you listen to? It’s probably the rhythm and melody.

Many would say that the lyrics are important too, but then there is also a large group of people who don’t really care… To the point where they also listen to songs in different languages without understanding a word that’s being said.

However, checking the lyrics can be quite beneficial if your goal is to improve your English. (And of course, we’re always referring to songs with English lyrics in this newsletter 😉)

Through music, you are automatically exposed to natural pronunciation, contractions and connected speech - something you’ll always come across when talking to natives.

Just pay attention to the next song you listen to. Some very common contractions that appear are: gonna (going to), wanna (want to), or lemme (let me).

So, in short, the rhythm and melody used in music can help with memorisation. Music boosts your motivation and even your emotional connection to the English language. Just think of your favourite song. You probably know every word of it, right? Learning through a song you like can make vocabulary stick better.

You might want to know this, though…

Now, as useful as music can be for hearing more “natural” spoken English, unfortunately, songs are very often informal or grammatically incorrect. And we get it, “Ain’t no sunshine” sounds great, but it is not standard grammar…

We are very sorry to break it to you, but also “just listening” to music without paying close attention to the lyrics (aka passive listening) doesn’t result in real improvement. Hearing a song on the radio doesn’t mean you’ll automatically remember the words unless you listen actively and (even better) read the lyrics and say the words out loud several times.

How to make the most of it

We know, the only think you want to know now is how you can use music in the most effective way as your passive learning. These are our top tips:

• Choose clear songs with understandable lyrics (artists whose songs are easy to understand are, for example, Adele, Ed Sheeran, The Beatles, Taylor Swift or Dua Lipa)

• Read the lyrics while listening, and note down new phrases. Don’t underestimate how powerful this is.

• Sing along to practise pronunciation and rhythm. Who knew your car rides could turn into English practice 😝

• Choose some phrases and try to translate them into your native language to test your understanding

• Create a mini vocabulary list from each song. Take “Someone Like You” (by Adele) as an example. You could create a good list of words, expressions and phrasal verbs to practise with. Here are some phrases we would highlight from the song:

  • settle down (phrasal verb)

  • hold back (phrasal verb)

  • turn up (phrasal verb)

  • out of the blue (idiom)

  • bound by

  • bittersweet (adjective)

Now it’s your turn to find their meanings and create example sentences to practise them 😌.

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Would you agree with us that music can be a powerful tool for learning a new language? But we want to reiterate that it works best when it is combined with other methods. Just listening to music is not enough, no matter how many words or phrases you learn from the songs. You need to use them actively to really improve. So, learning English through music is a great supplement, but it shouldn’t be the main method.

Why don’t you try listening to one song this week and breaking it down for language learning? Just do it for yourself, and you’ll have already done one more thing compared to last week. Yay!

See you in the next one!

Cami