The Role of Music in Second Language Learning

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30th
JUL

Posted by Sarah under Cactus Languages Abroad, English, Learning a language

A recent blog post made me wonder why language teachers like to get lyrical…

Having attended various language courses across the world, from Cuba to Italy to Argentina, it’s always interested me how local language teachers are so keen to incorporate singing into their lessons. There hasn’t been one course where I haven’t had to listen to a song or, worse, sing along to it. But any inward groans of “do I really have to do this?” have quickly been replaced with communal jollity as you all realise you’re in it together and you may as well just get on with it. Initial inhibitions go out the window and you find yourself listening to the words, getting your ear in tune and, dare I say it, having fun.

I can’t really imagine stretching my vocal chords in a classroom in the UK, but in many European and Latin countries singing is an accepted and popular form of expression. Bring it into the classroom and it becomes a great tool for language practice - it trains the ears in valuable listening skills (which is even harder when the words are delivered as lyrics, alongside music), it unites the students, and it adds a fun element to the traditional language learning environment.

So it was with interest that I read a recent blog post about ‘The Role of Music in Second Language Learning: A Vietnamese Perspective‘. In this study, Mark Huy Le examines the role and utility of music in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom, from both the teacher’s and student’s point of view. Safe to say he comes to some interesting conclusions, as well as giving us an interesting angle on the increasing role of English in Vietnamese life.

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Tags:Argentina, Cuba, EFL, italy, second language learning, singing, tefl, Vietnam

Reader's Comments

Alex | August 1st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
When I worked as an EFL teacher in London, Brighton, Lima, Santiago and Tewkesbury I regularly used songs in EFL. If you use songs they already know it can be great fun as they get to learn exactly what these songs they hear of the radio are about.

When I came back from Peru I kept my Spanish alive and continued to learn new vocabulary by listening to the Spanish group La Oreja de Van Gogh and following the lyrics I took off the internet.
uk student | August 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Karaoke has been used to deliver difficult lessons to students studying nursing in Thailand. This programme has been a hit! Not just with the Thai university – 5 full karaoke lessons have been developed – but the world over. 200 copies of these karaoke lessons have, apparently, been used in classrooms worldwide. Full details here.

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July 30, 2025
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Argentina, Cuba, EFL, italy, second language learning, singing, tefl, Vietnam

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