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  • Writer's pictureSarah
    • Jun 14, 2022
    • 2 min read

Why music can help to learn a new language


Most people are aware that music affects our mood. But Music activates wide areas of the brain, awakens associations and emotions. It can also impact our ability to learn.



Whether you are actively or passively affected by music, it improves your language skills. Because of this, music can significantly enhance a person’s ability to learn a foreign language. It has surprising benefits for language acquisition, memory enhancement and attention.



1. Music stimulates the memory

Listening to music stimulates associative networks in the brain. That is why you can evoke emotional memories at the same time. In addition, both hemispheres of the brain are stimulated, enabling us to train our memory.


2. Singing in a foreign language improves pronunciation

By singing along with the interpreter, you improve your pronunciation by trying to mimic their diction. This is most effective if you also have the text in front of you. As a result, you know how certain words are pronounced.


3. Music expands vocabulary and language skills

Songs usually have colloquial words and expressions used in everyday speech, which you may overlook when learning a new language. Therefore, choosing a song text to translate can be pretty beneficial. You might learn some new vocabulary or phrases.





4. Melodies tend to stay in our minds and serve as a long-term support for retaining phrases

Our memory can hold onto melodies more easily than just sentences. Over time, combining words with songs is a more effective way to memorize information.

We usually remember specific phrases that occur in a lyric more quickly because we associate them with a particular melody, which is more easily imprinted in our memory.


5. You get a feel for the musical culture for another country

Due to the music of another country, you get the opportunity to get an insight into their culture. This enables you to build a stronger connection with the language you are learning.


Click here to read the same article in German



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