Language Learning with Music

The article that jumped out to me this week was an article about language learning using music. I am currently making this blog post from France and we have had a few experiences here with difficulty speaking to locals to help with directions or questions. So I think this caught my attention because the first line talked about how hard it can be when learning a new language or traveling.

When learning a new language, it can be very overwhelming to learn the vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, etc. this article explains that research shows that people who sang words or phrases were better at remembering them later on. Based on an article in Memory and Cognition journal, music and language are linked at the neural processing level. Many early childhood teachers take advantage of this by having songs to help get dressed, clean up, etc. Phonics taught through song is a great way to capture the learners attention.

Another quality of songs is their repetitive nature. The song can be sung over and over again. Language learners can really benefit from this because it's helpful for them to repeat information.

I remember in my high school oceanography class we had a song all about magma - I can still sing the whole song with motions! In my class, I do not have any class songs but I would not be opposed to it if I could be creative enough to write one!



Article:
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/how-music-and-songs-boost-language-learning/education