Melissa
Listening to Music in Your Target Language

I love music, even when the songs are sung in languages I don't know. I really enjoy using music to help me learn a language, as well. I find that it helps me learn (and remember!) pronunciation and vocabulary. I find the lyrics to the songs online and read along as I listen. I try to learn the words so I can sing along without reading the lyrics. There is a website, LyricsTranslate.com that has popular songs translated into several languages. If you can't find the translation you need, you can request a translation and hopefully someone in the community will be able to provide it. Listening to music in my target language helps me to "think" in that language as well. It is the closest I can get to immersion right now. :)

I'm currently learning French and have found several artists to enjoy. I really like Christophe Maé, Mylène Farmer, Indila, Keny Arkana, Kendji Girac, TAL, Zazie, Shy'm, and many others! 

Do you listen to songs in your target language?  Has it helped you with your language learning?  What language are you learning, and what songs or artists do you enjoy listening to in that language? 

Jul 25, 2016 11:44 PM
Comments · 9
2
I've been experiencing that method over the past years and I found it really useful and thoroughly enjoyable. However , this method works only if your listening approach is "active" as yours. Just listening to  the tune without checking out the lyrics and looking  up on the dictionary  the words or the expressions you dunno is completely useless.
July 27, 2016
1
I agree! Best option ever, maybe only for me because I love music, but if you are keen on music then you shoud always be surrounded by foreign language music to help you improve your foreign language skills. It's priceless! :)
September 10, 2016
1

Hello, Melissa. I absolutely agree with you. Every day I try to listen songs in my target language. Sometimes even I do not understand all words, then as you said I look at websites where songs are translated. You are right, when we listen songs we begin to think in our target language. Today I listen this song and I think I will listen it some times. Very nice:)

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5GFtYgFRkx4

 

 

 

August 2, 2016
1
I think you're absolutely right, listening music recorded in other languages makes your brain work differently. Anyway, I think we need to be careful with what kind of music are we listening, too many slang could fry our brain (well,  it could twist the learning curve).
July 26, 2016
1
I try and listen to music in any language, just because it's so interesting. I listen to so much Korean music that I've picked up a few terms and phrases, even though I'm not actively learning it at the moment. Listening to Chinese music has definitely helped my language learning. My preferred Chinese music artists are A-lin, G.E.M, JJ Lin, Jay Chou, and Jolin Tsai. 
July 26, 2016
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Melissa
Language Skills
English, French, Gaelic (Scottish), Spanish
Learning Language
French, Gaelic (Scottish), Spanish
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