Music is everywhere, and it takes no effort to listen to. Even if you aren’t someone who is into it as a hobby, you probably use it as background noise, at the very least. This can make it something very easy to add to your language learning routine. There are many advantages, however, it is also important to be careful relying on it too much.
Music allows learners to practice their target languages while doing daily tasks, walking around, or even just sitting and listening specifically to enjoy the music. It is essentially a low effort way to build vocabulary and get listening practice.
Music tends to use a lot of repetitive, simple words, so it can be a good way to get vocabulary solidified into memory. The catchy melodies can also pair with the words to make them easier to remember.
It is important to not get too reliant on music, however. Repetitiveness is an advantage up to a certain point, however, it also means that there’s diminishing returns. It’s important to include more active resources in a language learning routine that include more complex speech.
Singers can also use a lot of artistic license. Words can sometimes be mispronounced to fit the melody, and constructs can be unnatural. This, however, won’t be a problem if different resources are used. If you are learning a language seriously, you will probably hear the same vocabulary words from a variety of sources.
As part of a complete language learning routine, music is a great bonus. Although it is important not to just listen to music, say you studied, and be done for the day, there are definitely more advantages than disadvantages. Even if you do choose to spend some time only listening to music, maybe because of time constraints or some other personal reasons, the advantages will still probably outweigh the disadvantages. Sure, you might here some unnatural constructs and occasional modified pronunciations to fit melodies, but it’s unlikely that you’ll actually copy music in the way you talk unless you never use any other resource at all. So, if you want to get some extra language practice in without spending extra time, music is a great way.
