Has anybody ever heard of the children singing competition: Zecchino d’Oro?
My childhood was populated with audio cassettes first and CDs after, filled with songs with different rythms, different voices, solos and choir parts. The TV event was a moment we waited for the whole year, to vote for our favorite songs, to try and memorize them quickly and to imitate the little artists on screen and feel like superstars ourselves. Then, we waited with anticipation until the album arrived, usually on December 13th, Saint Lucy, who traditionally brings gifts to children, in some Italian regions. If you are familiar with the show, you might remember the songs were not all Italian: half of them represented different countries of the World and part of every song was written and sung in the original language of the author and the young singer. To me, this is a very clear memory.
So, starting from December 13th, in our home, you could only listen to the newest Zecchino d’Oro album. In no time us kids had every single song memorized. And when I say every single song, I mean every single song! Today, 30 years later, I can still sing the Japanese part of “The Samurai”, the Serbian-Croatian part of “The Paper Boat”, the Polish part of “The Bat”. And no, I do not speak Japanese, Serbian-Croatian or Polish. But those little bits of songs, that put together words and rythm, stayed fixed in my memory and have now become part of that long term treasure of knowledge.
With English, the exact same process is true. Listening to songs in a different language, memorizing the sounds and trying to copy them allows to train, without even noticing, language fluency and builds confidence with sounds that are unknown at first. A song is easier to memorize than, for example, a poem or a written text. Music, especially kids songs and pop music, follows logical and mathematical patterns, that make it intuitive and involving. Rythm gives words a beat, and the lyrics just get into your head: you learn and repeat, without even thinking about it.
How many find themselves humming the latest summer hit, even if it’s not your taste?
Singing is one of the main reasons why we chose a Musical Theatre School as our first after school activity for kids, teens and adults. It brings out passion, makes learning easier and, as a consequence, it is very validating for those who start approaching a foreign language: it speeds up the process. It puts people in the position to find harmony with a group, to learn how to use voice and breathing. It is a powerful, valuable tool to express oneself.
So… listen to songs in English every time you can, don’t be afraid to repeat sounds, even if they are not perfect. When you realize you have suddenly memorized entire songs, try to quickly read through the lyrics, correct letters here and there if necessary and then pat yourself on the back. Because every single one of those words, senteces, structues and idioms, from that moment on, is yours forever!
Now, come and sing with us!
