Sing the language you're learning
How can you remember a song from your childhood to this day? Why do your teachers use songs to teach you English? It seems there is a scientific reason for this.
Researchers are now studying the relationship between music and remembering a foreign language. They find that remembering words in a song is the best way to remember even the most difficult language.
"Singing could be a new way of learning a foreign language. The brain likes to remember things when they are used in a catchy and meaningful way," said Dr. Karen Ludke. The findings may help those who have difficulties learning foreign languages. In his blog, Dr. Ludke writes, "A listen-and-repeat singing method can support foreign language learning, and opens the door for future research in this area."
Many language teachers know the value of using music and singing. Hua Zhuying, a teacher at a Chinese language school in Washington, D. C. , depends heavily on songs in teaching Chinese. She says, "I use music all the time to teach children Chinese. For little kids usually we use English songs but teach them the Chinese lyrics(歌词). So it's easy for them to start because they know the music. Not only does it work, but it is fun for the kids."
"Sometimes, I think if I were taught English in that way, maybe I would speak much better English than now," Hua Zhuying adds.
Our brain likes music, especially for remembering. So, if you're still struggling in learning a language, why not try singing it out?
