Is listening to English Songs a Good Way to Learn English?
Yes and no. There you go, that’s the simple answer. For a more detailed answer read on!
Yes:
It is a good way to help with fluency because you are hearing the language you are learning. This helps to built strong memory pathways in your brain for the words you already know, and helps you remember them more quickly in future. You also might learn new vocabulary from songs. Complete beginners will even find that it helps to train their brains on when a word begins and ends. I found that listening to Portuguese music helped to train my ears to when words began and ended, before this it was just one long strange word to me. It can help you learn some slang (unofficial) English as well as common ways that people express ideas such as love, enjoyment, or anger for example. Songs often contain a lot of common expressions and idioms.
No:
The grammar is really bad in a lot of English songs. Songs are written to be catchy and to fit to a tune, not to be studied for English learners. Here are some examples of the grammar you can expect in a song: Gwen Stefani, “Bubble Pop Electric” – “I’m restless, can’t you see I try my bestest.” Backstreet Boys, “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” – “As time goes by, you will get to know me a little more better.” Tim McGraw, “Angry All The Time” – “Twenty years have came and went since I walked out of your door“. I am a music lover and I will sing along to the terrible grammar in songs quite happily. I do feel a little stab in my heart though when I think about people who have told me they listen to English songs to improve their grammar. Tim McGraw would not pass A1 grammar. Songs also completely make up words: Capone-N-Noreaga feat. Foxy Brown, “Bang Bang” – “I aim you, so you should just let us be/Or find yourself shot up, in the hospitee”. What is a hospitee? Do not come to songs looking for an accurate representation of the English language.
In summary, listening to music can be a good way to help you immerse yourself in (be surrounded by) English. It should only be an addition to the other ways you are learning English. If you tried to learn English just from songs you will be asking paramedics to take you to a “hospitee” when you break your leg, and telling people they are your bestest friend. It’s not the end of the world but you might get some strange looks.
For more examples of terrible English in songs visit Hooks and Harmony where I found these terrible grammar examples.
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