Music is one of my favorite motivation tools. Whether I’m convincing myself to get out of bed in the morning, reassuring myself in the midst of a busy day, or trying to connect with my short story characters, music worms its way into nearly every moment of my life. Before coming to Taiwan, I began listening to songs by Chinese and Taiwanese artists. The longer I stay here, the more I realize how music can become a powerful language learning tool.
Listening to music in your target language turns entertainment into education if you actively listen to the lyrics. Songs make words fun to memorize, and if you write out the lyrics line by line, adding vocabulary to your study list as you learn the song, you’ll find yourself using new words in daily conversation. I learned my favorite idiom, 刻骨銘心 (Kègǔmíngxīn, lit. carved on the bones and engraved on the heart: unforgettable), through a song I listened to back in Texas. I didn’t realize until later that the same song was one of the most popular in Taiwan! Writing down song lyrics is especially helpful in Chinese because you can note the pinyin next to the characters to make sure you’re learning the correct pronunciation. Sometimes I have trouble determining tones in songs, so creating a visual reference helps me switch from song to speech.
Along with improving your personal language studies, practicing songs helps you accomplish the main goal of language — connecting with others! I surprised many of my local friends when I told them I knew a few Chinese songs and artists, and I loved singing a collection of songs I knew at KTV with my friends. In a car ride with my host family, I started discussing Chinese songs with my host sister. We spent the next half hour holding an impromptu karaoke session!
If you’re studying a foreign language, I encourage learning at least a couple songs as you study. Aside from increasing your vocabulary retention, you will gain another connection to the culture and native speakers of your target language. Plus, it will give you an academic reason to spend more time listening to music!