How to Learn English through Song Lyrics

Tips for Learning English through Song Lyrics

Before you grab that microphone (or the pen you’re pretending is a microphone), there are some things you should do to prepare.

• Choose a good song. Some songs have more complex (difficult) and longer lyrics. Others are just a few sentences repeated over and over. Each song has a different level of learning you can get from it.

• Listen to the song a few times. This is especially true if you don’t know the song very well yet. If this is your favorite song and you already know it by heart…well, you’ll enjoy hearing it a few more times!

• Read the lyrics. The lyrics of a song are the words it uses. If you don’t know all the words to a song, you can look them up online. There are many websites that list song lyrics, like Metrolyrics or AZLyrics.

• Identify and define words and phrases you don’t know. You’ll be learning new words and then immediately using them, which is one of the best ways to learn new vocabulary.

• Understand the song. Understanding the words is great, but do you understand the song itself? What are the words saying? Some songs tell a story, while others share feelings and thoughts. If you’re not sure what the song means, try looking it up on Song Meanings, where people discuss what a song might mean, or on Song Lyrics Meaning.

Now you’re ready to sing along! Start with any of the songs below, or find your own on YouTube or Vimeo by searching for you jam.