If you like music, learning through lyrics could be a great way for you to study a new language. Listening to music in a foreign language is a great way to pick up new words and also practice your listening skills. Read our top tips to see how lyrics can help you to learn.

Lyrics Training

The Lyrics Training website is a great resource online for anyone wanting to learn through song. With fill-in-the-gap activities you can practice at four levels from beginner to expert, choosing from a variety of popular songs. Listen to the song, the lyrics pop up underneath, and when there is a gap, type the word you hear. It’s great fun, and with 12 languages to choose from, millions of learners can enjoy this online game.

Sandra Heyer Songs

Sandra Heyer is an English teacher with tons of experience and a passion for learning through music. On her website, you can find over 200 classroom-friendly songs with activity ideas and lesson plans to go with them. While this is primarily a source for teachers, language learning students can also make use of the website.

Listen to the Radio

Whichever language you are learning, tune into a radio station which broadcasts in that language. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand every word – simply immersing yourself in the language and listening to a native speaker talking naturally (rather than the graded, simplified language you may encounter in a language classroom) will be great listening practice.

Other Websites

There are countless websites which have materials for learning language through lyrics online. A quick Youtube or Google search of ‘ESL lyrics’ will bring up a host of resources, such as the materials websites busyteacher, songsforteaching and newtongue. You could even search for a specific band or artist to make sure you get some music you like!

About the Author

Celia Jenkins is an experienced ESL teacher who has taught in several countries around the world, including China, Japan, and her home of the United Kingdom. She is also a freelance writer.

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