Why listening to music is the best way to learn Spanish

Gone are the days of learning a language from a dusty textbook. Songs that actively engage you in the language through culture and immersion are where it’s at. 

Learning a new language can sometimes get frustrating. From endless grammar and an overload of vocabulary, the sparkle and excitement can sometimes begin to fade as it all becomes a bit too complicated. 

Getting ready for Karaoke

For me, rooting myself in the cultures of the language I’m learning has been a game changer, and no more than listening to music. 

Nothing can make you feel more smug than singing along to that complicated Shakira song that you’ve heard blasting out at a club in Medellín.

How can songs help us learn?

• Listening to Spanish songs improves our pronunciation and tone (and maybe even grammar!) - Mimicking a singer’s pronunciation and cadence when listening to a song can help us as students develop a more natural and authentic accent. Some studies have even found that learning a language through music helps you to develop a better understanding of grammar and structure of language.
  
  

• Listening to Spanish music exposes us to the culture of the language we are learning - Music is a deep rooted part of a culture, and no more so than in America Latina. Listening to music can help us understand beliefs, practices and heritage of a region. It can also help us keep up to date with informal language and slang works that we might find difficult to come across elsewhere (dusty textbook be gone).
  
  

• Listening to Spanish music helps improve our listening skills - When we listen to a song in another language we are compelled to pay close attention to the lyrics, melody and rhythm. When we connect with a piece of music we can get emotional, and guess what, emotions activate our memory processes. All this makes music a powerful tool for memorising new words (in a non-painful way).
  
  

• It's a fun way to learn - Listening to music injects fun into language learning and is enjoyable. Singing along with lyrics is a fun way to practise Spanish while boosting our motivation and confidence. Listening to songs helps us remember words, phrases and sentences, putting them in a real-life context. 

At Spanish Adventure, one of the regular projects we get to take part in is a Karaoke project. In groups we listen to and learn three songs to sing and perform in front of our classmates. It was so much fun getting to know a selection of songs I had never heard of before. I will always smile thinking of my classmates singing their heart out accompanied with some questionable dance moves. 

Don’t know where to start when looking for Spanish music? Here’s a few songs I’ve been listening to on repeat: 

• Pa’ti no estoy, Rosana - I may or may not have whipped this number out at Spanish Adventure Karaoke Night. A legend in the hispanohablante world, this song is a little slice of history.
  

• Atrévete-Te-Te, Calle 13 - the biggest tongue twister there ever was. I will get there one day. This is a great one to improve your pronunciation and really try and get round those vowels and consonants
  

• Medellificación, Alcolirykoz, Jeronimo - Keeping it antioqueño
  

• Shakira, Me Enamoré - no list would be complete without the Colombian legend Shakira. A tune to say the list. It is impossible to not come away chanting ‘mira, qué cosa bonita, qué boca más redondita, me gusta esa barbita’
  

• Vivir Mi Vida, Marc Anthony - A classic. For beginners and advanced Spanish speakers alike, this one gets everyone singing along and dancing. 

Keen to get started learning spanish? Check out the following: 

• How to ask questions in Spanish

• How I learned Spanish in 6 weeks

Curious about San Carlos? Read Peace, Resilience and Art in San Carlos  

Why not sign up for online lessons?