The benefits of learning a language through music

The benefits of learning a language through music are outlined in an article called Teaching the Target Language Through the Lyrics of Melodic Music, written by Tom Blodget, M.A, and published in www.songsforteaching.com.  Learning a language through music is good because music:

1.     Presents the material in a new way,

2.     Imprints linguistic patterns, so students retain vocabulary and grammar patterns,

3.     Makes kids happy so kids participate more, and

4.     Correlates with improved academic performance, which means that music helps students learn languages.

The article goes on to say that teaching a language through music is especially effective when accompanied by:
1) kinesthetic (dance, clapping, stomping, body movement, percussion
2) musical (listening, singing, playing, distinguishing)
3) linguistic (interpreting lyrics while listening or through exercises)
4) logical/mathematical (music is math)
5) social (choral, dance, cooperative learning with the exercises)
6) visual (illustrations, dramatizations, video)
7) individual (the fallback for all of the written exercises, as well as with individual projects and culminating activities).

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