8 Practical Ways to Learn English with Songs
Music is powerful. It gets into our heads and forces us to sing the same lyrics over and over again. This is why learning English with songs is such a great idea.
Ways to Learn English with Songs
1. Listen to Songs in English
You can learn English through music passively. That’s right. By just sitting around and listening to music in English you can improve your English skills!
When you are learning a new language it’s important that you immerse yourself in the language. That means you should expose yourself to English when you’re not in the classroom. Music is an amazing way to do this!
Download some songs from the internet or listen online, and enjoy learning English simply by exposing yourself to the language.
2. Sing the Songs
When you find songs you enjoy, sing along! You can learn English by singing while you listen.
If there are words that you hear but don’t understand, then write them down and look them up later.
Not only is singing a fun stress reliever, it’s also a great way to boost your speaking confidence.
3. Read the Lyrics While Listening
Look for music videos that include subtitles, so you can read the lyrics while you listen.
Reading the lyrics not only helps you learn English through songs, it also provides a way for you to read English in a way that’s fun and relaxing.
4. Read the Lyrics Without Sound
Read the lyrics of a song without listening to any sound. It can be fun to slowly learn what the song is about. You might be amazed at some of the stories behind well-known songs!
You can find the lyrics of most popular songs online. Print the lyrics, and study the words and phrases. Then try reading the lyrics out-loud as if the lyrics were a poem.
5. Study the Grammar in the Song
Most songs are written with a certain grammar function. That’s because songs tell stories and stories have verb tenses that match the events.
If you want to improve a specific verb tense, you can do a quick search online for songs with that grammar. Then, listen to the song and study the lyrics. Doesn’t that sound like an enjoyable way to improve your English grammar?
6. Re-write the Lyrics
Take a song you know well and change the words to describe something in your life. Make sure the new words match the melody of the song.
You might be surprised by how much fun it is to learn English with songs that you write yourself. When you are finished, try singing the new words to the music of the song.
7. Write Your Own Songs
If you’re a creative type, you can try to write your own songs. Many ESL classes focus on one theme at a time. Take what you’re learning in class, and write a song about it. For example, use the vocabulary you are learning this week and create a funny song.
Because songs are repetitive, catchy, and entertaining, you are more likely to remember new information if you make a song about it. See if you can remember your new vocabulary words better when you put them in a song. Just remember to sing it!
8. Share Songs with Others
Music is a joyful event that should be shared with others. Share what you learn with others in your ESL class. Teach a song to another person. Listen to music with another person. Make it a social event.
The more you use English in a natural and enjoyable way, the more you increase your chance of remembering and retaining all that new information you’re learning.
