Music and foreign languages
The purpose of this post is to identify which music is best to study a language to. That means which type of music will help you learn a foreign language. I also will talk about when is the best time to study to music, that is before, during or after. The reason I know about this is I am a linguist and had personal experience with brain research. I also love music.
What is working memory and what does it have to do with learning a language?
Working memory is the ability to hold independent blocks of information and manipulate that information in your brain simultaneously. Therefore, if your wife is telling you about dinner and you thinking about golf this weekend, if you have a good working memory you can think about both ideas at the same time. In fact, if you are really smart you could somehow make a connection between the two.
On the other hand, there are some brain experts tell you that your brain can only really focus on one thing at a time. What happens is your brain will switch back and forth between two things incredibly fast. It will just seem like your brain can do two things at once.
Here is the truth based on my research. Your brain can multitask. However, if it is about unrelated subjects it will work harder. If it is about related subjects your brain will find it easier to make order out of chaos.
I stand in opposition to some brain experts will tell you that you can not study by music as your will be taking up RAM or working memory of your brain. Your brain will need to engage more energy to try to enhance focus, but I do not believe it. Music helps you lean and in particular a languages. Music and languages are connected.
Music and languages are related as they both are auditory and rhythmic. Therefore, if you can tune into the right music it will enhance your learning efforts for a foreign language.
Studying to music
There are three ways to study to music.
- Listening to music if you have problems with learning in general or need linguistic confidence – Some people listen to relaxing music before they study to put them in an alpha or theta state to absorb information. These brainwaves as you know are associated with greater openness.
- If you have problems with focusing for a long time – Some people listen to music while they are studying, this is mainly to keep it from getting boring. This is me, I need to increase my cognitive diligence. If music becomes distracting turn it off, but if you choose the right music studying will be less painful.
- Memory problems – If you listen to music after you study for 20 minutes you will retain and process the information better. You can either just relax or try to review in your memory what you just studied, without picking up your text-book, just in your imagination.
Ideally I would like to do all three. But since I have time constraints I do the second one. Also if I had to choose between the first and last I would choose the last. That is I think the best way to study to music is after you are done, relax, listen to music and review in your mind’s eye what you learned.
The best music to study and learn by is the music you love
This is very cliché but it is true. I could not study to rock. I love Gregorian chants and classical music. However, try that, if Mozart is not your thing, I think you would get bored. Therefore not one shoe fits all. If you are going to study to music the best is relaxing. Maybe is good, as it does not mess with you. Or Ancient Celtic music. I like something spiritual as I feel like it helps me with motivation.
The most important factor to studying is motivation. This is were pleasant inspiring sound can help. Here is the way I see music and language study.
- Gregorian chants and sacred- Delta brainwaves or at least theta brainwaves – opening, low-level of conflict. If you listen to this after you hit the books, I think this will really help. Try this genre if you can.
- Polyphonic music – I find this too complicated with two melodies, although very beautiful. The ideal is to blend two or more melodies so it sounds like one in a sense. Maybe your brain can handle this.
- Baroque – Alpha brain waves light and positive. Ah Bach. Mozart gets into true classical and a little more lively. Some like the former and some like the latter.
- Romantic classical – Often too moving for me to study by.
- Jazz – Many people like it, but too chaotic for me. I do not understand this. If someone wants to explain the idea of Jazz to me, I am all ears.
- Gospel – Give me that old-time religion, I find hymns, spirituals and blue grass very motivational.
- Country music – Believe it our not, cows produce more milk to this music than any other. If it is good for them, it can not be that bad. I like it from time to time.
- Rock – no way for me, maybe if you are a teenager.
- World music – I love this, especially if you connect it to a culture or country you are studying. If you are trying to learn Spanish, try some Latin music, or are you learning Arabic, try some Tunisian music. I like yoga chants, again it does not compete with other parts of my brain.
- New age music and Enya type – works well, puts you in a deep alpha state
- House, trance techno – I can actually study well with this. It is a little like formless Gregorian chants.
Please let me know your own personal experience with music and learning in general. I think it goes without saying that if you can leverage your time, in a pleasurable way, all the better.
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