The Power of Music in Language Learning
How a silly song helped me master German prepositions
I don’t speak Tagalog, but I have the first two lines of the Filipino national anthem memorized.
I volunteered at an orphanage in the Philippines in high school, and our group was asked to perform the national anthem, so we practiced it over and over.
Years later, I still remember the first two lines in my head!
It’s fascinating how music and rhythm help us memorize sounds, even in foreign languages that we don’t speak. The cadence, melody, and repetition of a song make words stick, even if we fully understand them or not.
Learning Prepositions with Music
I used music to tackle one of the most notoriously tricky aspects of learning German: prepositions.
They have always been one of my biggest struggles when learning a foreign language. Prepositions often don’t translate perfectly across languages, and German is particularly difficult because they trigger different grammatical cases, known as accusative, dative, and genitive.
At first, I tried the traditional approach: rote memorization. I copied the list of prepositions into my notebook and tried repeating them over and over. But they just wouldn’t stick no matter how many times I repeated für, bei, mit, nach…
Then, I found a series of silly German prepositions songs on YouTube. The familiar tunes and exaggerated pronunciation made it easier to learn. I started singing along, and eventually the prepositions were stuck in my head. I’d think about them while having breakfast, taking a walk, or even in yoga class (yes, I know). It was surprisingly effective for me!
Why Music Works
Do you still remember the childhood songs like the ABC song?
A study by Ludke et al. (2014) from UC Davis found that singing can improve memory for foreign language phrases, specifically Hungarian in their research.
Singing boosted short-term memory recall, and participants in the singing group outperformed those who only learned through speaking on recall tests after just a 15-minute learning session!
The structure of music with its rhythm, pauses, and melody, helps us remember phrases more easily and naturally. Singing also reinforces the natural intonation patterns of a language, helping to improve pronunciation and fluency as well.
Music is also emotional - it activates the brain’s reward system and releases dopamine, which enhances motivation. No wonder so many people love karaoke!
Making It Work for You
I’m not much of a singer, but I do enjoy music. It’s embarrassing to admit that I sometimes hum along to the German prepositions song while others are singing the latest Taylor Swift hits…
Next time you struggle with tricky vocabulary or grammar, try searching for songs in your target language. Whether it’s children’s songs, educational jingles, or even pop music, you may find that singing along helps reinforce what you’re learning.
Sometimes, the most unexpected methods, like music, turn out to be the most effective. And the research backs it up!
What other creative methods have you tried to help you master tricky concepts in foreign languages? Let me know in the comments.
It's so incredibly cool to think about how the two can be so connected. Even just the power of music while concentrating on a task.
Enjoyed this post. I love writing to music. When it works— like, really works - it’s a ton of fun. I never learned music though, couldn’t write a song or lyrics to save my life. Cool what music does for the mind, even those who have no training.