Music in foreign languages is a great learning tool because it occurs so naturally in our lives. Music can be heard just about everywhere, whether in a car, on the television, on the internet, or when out shopping. Many parents even sing songs to babies and kids to help them fall asleep quickly at night.

There seems to be some indication that the brain can quickly pick up things if they are sung in songs, even to the point of remembering complete songs without putting in any effort except listening.

Lyrics teach vocabulary

If a child is learning a foreign language like with their own language they will pick up a language far more quickly if he or she is exposed to the language by using the lyrics of songs. Different songs accompanied by music can help the learner to pick up specific vocabulary.

Most songs are translatable into many languages so if you are familiar with a song in your own language you will help to understand the meanings of the words in the lyrics if you hear them in another language.

Rhyming and music provide a natural language learning tool

Rhyming in songs helps a learner pick up meanings in another language. The learner can also use the new language to make up rhymes and add music too to liven up the learning experience.

Using movement helps a learner

If you are dancing, running, swimming or hopping these are all movements. If used in the language classroom with music, it helps the foreign language learner to remember the meanings if they are engaged in the movement activities.

Learners don’t always realise they’re learning

Even when a learner doesn’t instantly understand the lyrics in a song in the language they are learning, once they have heard the song several times they will usually be able to memorise the lyrics without trying which helps a lot with the learning of the foreign language.

You don’t need to be a professional musician or singer to take advantage of music in foreign languages and songs as well do help you to learn another language. If you like a song, its lyrics will remain with you for a long time and you will soon learn to understand the words. That’s a great benefit of music in foreign languages.