Advice

Listening to music is an entertaining activity which can help students learn the target language and culture.  Music and songs can be used in many different ways; here are a few ideas for teachers:

• A little music in the target language can relax and motivate students  
• It can help to create the right atmosphere for more "serious" learning
• Students can study the lyrics of songs or try to write them down as they listen
• They can also read lyrics out aloud, sing along to the music, or invent their own 
• Another option is to focus on the sounds, intonations, word stress and rhythms used 
• The lyrics of some songs could be the starting-point for a discussion or a piece of written work. 

Encouraging students to learn a song by heart helps them to memorise useful phrases, particularly songs with repetitive lyrics.  There is such a range of different types of music available that  students can feel very "cool" studying the slang used in pop songs, or more studious when analysing the poetic lyrics of more classical compositions.  Whatever approach you adopt, the vast range of music available in most languages is a valuable resource for stimulating and enjoying the learning experience.

Please see a good selection of links to online music sites from around the world on our music broker page