The Power of Music for Language Learning
Ever catch yourself singing a song in a foreign language that you don’t even speak or understand? That’s because singing in a foreign language can help you remember phrases more easily and accurately! Get this- language learning happens in the temporal lobes of our brains which also happens to be where music is processed when we hear songs. Add constant exposure to the same language, words and phrases you commonly hear in songs, and…voila!ou begin to truly learn the target language – and that is the magical power of music for language learning!
Introducing music and singing songs or rhymes to children in the target language is a powerful way to strengthen their vocabularies and help them learn the rhythms of your target language, especially from birth to five years. These first five years of a child’s life are essential for language learning because of the brain’s maximum flexibility as well as the new pathways that are being developed during these years. Our interactive musical books for toddlers and babies were specifically designed to appeal to and benefit this age range. They feature popular nursery rhymes and lullabies in Spanish, like Los Pollitos Dicen, that make Spanish learning for kids fun, engaging, and most importantly, effective through the use of rhyme and repetition!
What better way to optimize this window of learning opportunity than with fun and catchy songs that children love to hear and dance to anyways? Practicing new words in songs and rhymes can help children understand their meanings while also helping them feel more confident in speaking them in their day-to-day life. Even if most of the words are unfamiliar at first, imitating the words in a song can help children practice producing sounds in the new language. Eventually, the sounds give way to actual understanding as the song is practiced over and over again. Add some exciting bonding time with your child that might just lead to off-the-charts dance parties and you have yourself a winning, language-boosting activity that will give your child a head start in language learning!