Thursday, May 30, 2013

Beyond Gangnam Style: Learning Language via Music

Language learning offers unique and exciting opportunities to integrate music. Many people have had the experience of learning a world language and singing simple, silly songs in class. The introduction of music provides a light-hearted and fun way to interact with another language and culture.
In fact, music and language are linked in Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences. The Multiple Intelligences theory states that there are eight basic ways of people being "smart." In this case, "smart" is defined as the strengths that each learner has in acquiring new information. The eight intelligences are:

·  Logical-mathematical intelligence (number/reasoning smart)
·  Linguistic intelligence (word smart)
·  Spatial intelligence (picture smart)
·  Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (body smart)
·  Musical and Linguistic intelligence (music and language smart)
·  Interpersonal intelligence (people smart)
·  Intrapersonal intelligence (self smart)
·  Naturalist intelligence (nature smart)

Musical and linguistic intelligence could be supported by listening to and analyzing popular songs from the times. Every person has these intelligences, but we all have our preferences and strengths, so a lesson plan that includes a variety of activities is bound to capture students' attention and facilitate learning.

In addition, it is worth noting that different kinds of activities may give English Language Learners an opportunity to participate in ways that build their confidence or fit their learning styles — a student who is shy or insecure may surprise you with a remarkable music or art assignment!

If you are studying or planning to study a particular language, learning the language partly through music would be a great option available to you. If you want to find the lyrics for a particular song, you can, most of the time, simply google the name of the band and song, and get them translated. It only takes a couple of days of study to get the hang of it, so don’t be put off by these strange characters!
Otherwise, simply enjoy discovering a new culture. Remember, music is truly diverse, creative, and addictive. If you have any additional bands you think are worthy of mention, please let us know in the comments section! Also, this list is highly subjective, there are simply too many good bands to include in one go, so don’t hesitate to make your own suggestions and we will most likely write an additional post in the future by request, lingholic, if people are interested!



Ten Reasons to learn the interesting language- English!

There are many reasons behind learning English. It is one of the most ambitious languages to learn and therefore it is important to focus on exactly why you should learn English. Here, we will look at the ten great reasons to understand why English is very important. This could probably motivate you to keep going even when you are tired of trying to figure out which witch is which!

1. Learn English to be able to communicate with millions of people around the world!

English is the most commonly spoken language around the world. Every one person out of five understands it! Imagine being able to communicate successfully with all those people if you learn English.

2.  Enjoy the Latest Movies, Books, and TV When You Learn English!

Learn English and enjoy the Hollywood Oscar movies or follow TV series and read some bestseller novels. You can get more source of entertainment this way and it will add a language to your resume.

3. You will be able to visit the 45 countries where English is the official language!

English is the official language of United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Sudan, South Africa, Singapore, Mauritius, Canada, Bahamas, and so on. If you are fluent in English, you can visit these countries for job opportunities or simply to spend holiday.

4. Speaking English is a tremendous asset to your professional career!

English is the official language of India. Thus, many companies prefer English-speaking employees to people who do not speak it. Getting a hold of this language can lead to growth in your career.

5. If you learn English, you will be able to visit most websites!

The number of websites available in English is far more than the sites in regional languages. Not only the quantity but also the quality of English websites is far better. The picture and video qualities are very clear. You can enjoy them when you learn English.

6. Learning English will help you make new friends.

Wherever you travel around the world and you are not sure what to talk about when meeting new people abroad, well-known British brands such as The Oxford University and Manchester United are sure to provoke opinions, no matter who you may be talking to!

7. Learning English will not only add a language to your resume but will also give great knowledge to you.
If you learn English, you will be able to interact with more people, read more books, and get more exposure. This will help you be part of the globalized market.

8. English is the international language of business.
If you are a businessperson and think that you do not need to learn English, you are absolutely wrong. If you learn this language, you can market your business worldwide and can interact with more people and deal with international clients.

9. If you are a student, you can think of going abroad for further studies.
Be it a third world country, youngsters always like to travel abroad especially for studies. Getting a hold of the English language makes things easier and convenient at any point of time.

10. English is an easy language.
English is not hard to learn, compared to many other foreign languages! If you are dedicated and really want to learn it, then it will not be very difficult for you.

Besides all these advantages, who would not like to learn English?

Symbiosis (ELTIS) offers you a helping hand in learning English. Join ELTIS to learn international English!