Learning English from songs and movies may not be so helpful...
My Opinion...
I honestly believe that learning a language from songs or movies may not be as helpful as some people think and suggest.
Once a person reaches an advanced level they will be able to identify the poor grammar and slang in songs, so at that point listening to songs may be enjoyable, but the listener will not be influenced negatively by the poor language used in the lyrics of the songs.
Here's why, in my opinion (IMO), songs and movies may not be beneficial:
1 Songs and movies contain a lot of slang.
But knowing slang is not as important as learning proper vocabulary and good grammar.
2 Songs and movies also use a lot of idioms and colloquial expressions, which is fine if you
plan to live in the country where the song or movie originates. If not, then why waste time learning
these phrases that you’ll never use or might even misuse.
3 Songs are a little like poetry; the words (lyrics) don't always make sense, and are usually not constructed
in a grammatically correct manner.
Don't believe me? Check out the lyrics from the songs below:
"Ridin' on a horse, ha
You can whip your Porsche
I been in the valley
You ain't been up off that porch, now
Can't nobody tell me nothin'
You can't tell me nothin'"
My personal comment: "What the _______? ... :)
4 People often misinterpret/misunderstand the lyrics in songs. Check it out for yourself:
Song Title: Dancing Queen, ABBA
Misinterpreted lyrics: Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tangerine
Actual lyrics: "Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine."
Song Title: We Will Rock You, Queen
Misinterpreted lyrics: Kickin' your cat all over the place
Actual lyrics: "Kicking your can all over the place"
Song Title: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly
Misinterpreted lyrics: In the garden of Eden, honey
Actual lyrics: In a gadda da vida, honey
Song Title: Chasing Pavements, Adele
Misinterpreted lyrics: Or should I just keep chasing penguins
Actual lyrics: "Or should I just keep chasing pavements"
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Want to see more misinterpreted song lyrics? Go to:
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What's your opinion?
Is learning a language from songs and movies a productive technique?
What has been your English-learning experience watching movies or listening to songs?