How listening to music influences English language teaching, learning and everyday life
Benefits of Listening to Music for Learners of English and Foreign Languages
How can you use music effectively in your English or foreign language learning classroom? Listening to certain types of music has a number of additional benefits that go far beyond teaching and learning, as we examined in a previous article. The impact of music and songs on ELT is well documented. Now let’s continue our short rundown with five additional benefits of listening to music.
Additional benefits of listening to music
o Reduce errors
With better integration and function of the brain and its two hemispheres comes better concentration and thinking ability. This immediately impacts our normal operation by reducing the number of resolutions and incorrect responses to issues. Regardless of what you are thinking or doing, you will just make it better.
o Aids in digestion
Imagine the most beautiful, elegant and expensive restaurant you can. The food will be exquisite of course. Are they playing music in the restaurant? Most likely yes, but is the music Heavy Metal Rock, Rap, Hip Hop or Acid Jazz? Almost certainly not. The music to be played will be of a type designed to promote a pleasant emotional and digestive state. Music has long been used to enhance the dining experience in one way or another.
o Helps regulate moods
As briefly mentioned a bit earlier, our mood and state of mind can be influenced or altered by the use of music. To help relax people in elevators, music is included. The same is true in doctors’ offices, medical and dental clinic waiting rooms, and even in airports. People who are afraid of heights, falls, flying or the dentist are helped to calm down a bit and relax.
o Moderate Activity Time
Do you work with music? I and many other professionals often do this. When I write, Beethoven’s music station is usually playing in the background. At other times I might put smooth jazz on the CD-ROM drive for the sweet effect it has on me. When I’m on a deadline and need to focus and work quickly, faster-paced salsa music pops into my CD player. Fast food restaurants want you to eat fast, so they play background music with a faster tempo.
o Aids in isolation from noise and distractions
When you can’t control outside sounds and noises, you can try playing some music to help mentally “drown out” the distraction. Our ears can be selective, not in what we can listen to, but in what we choose to listen to. Playing something you love will cancel out any distractions and noise that may be in the background.
Many other benefits of listening to music
These are just a few of the hundreds of individual benefits that researchers have found to be linked to listening to certain types of music. Listening to music has benefits, not only in the EFL or foreign language learning classroom, but also in other aspects of our daily lives.