Why Music?
Who doesn’t like to listen to music? I love music in all languages. Even if I don’t know the language, I attempt to sing along to the lyrics. I started listening to music in English when I was very young. I used to learn the lyrics before I knew the meaning behind the song. My pronunciation was far better than my vocabulary at first.
In school, I used to memorize English songs and perform them at school events to show that I could speak English. I was good at pretending to know what I was saying. All I knew was how to to do is read and memorize the songs. After moving to the US, all that practice really helped me to improve my pronunciation dramatically.
You may think that the song is too fast, or that the vocabulary is too complicated for you. It all depends on your song choice. I am going to share with you some tips that I used to use music to practice English.
How is music useful to practice?
First, it helps you remember vocabulary better than memorizing flashcards as long as you actually enjoy the song. Your grammar can also improve without thinking too much about it and without having to read lengthy books. I am not much of a reader, so I found that music was more interesting and dynamic for me to improve my English.
Let’s think about your song choice. Make sure that the song is slow or fast enough depending on your level. If you already have a song you always wanted to learn, choose that one. If there is a song in your native language that is also in English, it may be an easier place to start.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Print or follow along on youtube or your phone using karaoke apps
- Don’t focus on what you don’t know, instead enjoy the music and try to follow along as best you can
- Once you feel confident that you can follow along, pay attention to new words, grammar and pronunciation
- It should be fun! It shouldn’t feel like studying
Use Music for English Practice: Let’s practice!
Read along to the following song “Manic Monday” as we go through the meaning behind some of the words.
It’s just another manic Monday
- meaning: a very busy day, a full schedule
I wish it was Sunday
‘Cause that’s my fun day
My I don’t have to run day
- meaning: Sunday is the day to relax and not run around working all day. It is an expression used when Sunday comes around “Sunday fun day”
These are just a few tips and practices to help you get started with your favorite songs. There are many resources out there that can help you understand the lyrics of certain songs on YouTube. Do your research and have fun!
If you liked this lesson, check out this one HERE about how I became fluent in English as a native Spanish speaker!
