Did you know that listening to music makes every part of our brain light up*? Amazing!
Listening to songs is a really great tool for learning another language. I’ve been working on a Spotify playlist recently. As my special interest is supporting multilingual families, all the songs are about parenting, perhaps you know some of them already? Click through and have a listen. Some are classics! What songs have I missed? Let me know and I’ll add them.
How to use the playlist – 3 musical language learning activity ideas for families:
-Choose your favourite song follow along with the lyrics (the song words) that Spotify provides on screen (or look up the lyrics online). Read them while you’re listening to the song. Cut them up and see if you can put them back together! Listen to the song to check if you’re right.
-Sing along to the song, sometimes it’s easier for our mouths to find their way to form new sounds and words when singing.
-Draw what comes to your mind when you’re listening to the song. Your children will especially love to do this one with you too.
Which activity will you try first?
Can music help babies with language development?
Playing music is wonderful for opening a baby’s ear to the sounds of different languages. Listening to songs helps infants to learn and memorise words more effectively.
Do you know many nursery rhymes for babies in English? I created a YouTube playlist together with my children. It was a fun family project during lockdown and now you can learn the nursery rhymes with your children too. Click through to our channel here:
Making memories
Listening to music in the early days of being a parent is also an excellent way for you to cement your precious memories.
Now when I listen to certain songs I’m transported back in my mind to the newborn baby days when I used to listen to the same music. Actually, listening to the Sounds of Parenting playlist sometimes makes me cry because in some ways I miss those days so much!
“If you play someone’s favorite music, different parts of the brain light up,” Sugaya explains. “That means memories associated with music are emotional memories, which never fade out — even in Alzheimer’s patients.”
https://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/your-brain-on-music/
If you live in Geneva and you want your child to grow up with all your family languages, join one of our in person classes or events!
*Read the research here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205081731.htm
