Put the Ear-Worm to Work
Put the Ear-Worm to Work
Catchy songs can help you learn a language
Sometimes a song, like the heart of Connie Francis, has a mind of its own. It shows up without so much as a “by your leave,” plays itself over and over again, and, like an ill-mannered guest, overstays its welcome.
I know no tricks for getting rid of such ear-worms. I do, however, know a way of providing them with productive purpose. Here’s how the technique works.
First, find a song that meets the following criteria.
The lyrics are sung in a language that you would like to learn.
The instrumentals refrain (pun-intended, of course) from overwhelming the words. (No headbanger anthems need apply.)
The tune is catchy.
Second, listen to the song, a lot. Do this, moreover, at different times of the day and in different places. (Robert and Elizabeth Björk, please call your answering service.)
Third, keep a written version of the lyrics close at hand. (If you are new to the language in question, use this to find the written versions of words that are now stuck in your head. If you are more familiar with the language in question, do the same for complete lines and verses.)
Fourth, don’t try to catch all of the words and phrases that are sung. As is the case with music in your native tongue, there is a good chance that you will misunderstand a portion of what you hear.
The learning that results from this technique can be enhanced by enjoying foreign-language versions of songs that are also available in English. (The songs from Disney cartoons have been translated into a large number of languages. The same is true of many popular songs from the sixties, seventies, and eighties of the last century. To find these, use such search terms as Disney en français, Abba auf Deutsch, and Connie Francis en español.)
