Personal Soundtracks

I started watching a movie the other night. It mustn’t have been very good because I fell asleep after only ten minutes. But, before I did, I heard a comment that appealed to me:

“Now, it's a great feeling when you find the right (music) track to go with the day.
And today, I have found the absolute perfect song.” – Will Hayes (Definitely, Maybe, 2008)

Of course, personal playlists are not new, but with today’s smartphones we can listen to absolutely any song anytime anywhere. Now, I’m always open to new music and welcome recommendations. So, even though a playlist is a personal thing, an insight into your personality, you can find links to a few songs that have been on my recent “soundtrack” below. Hopefully you’ll enjoy these songs, too.

Remember, listening to English songs can be not only fun but also a good way to learn English. Listening to music in English helps you to catch the sounds of English words and get used to the melody of the language. You will learn new vocabulary and remember these words better. (Note: song lyrics are easily found on the Internet.) And, perhaps most importantly, it can keep your motivation high because it keeps English fun! Listen and the learning will follow.

When choosing songs to help you study, you should choose music you like. Obviously! There is no point listening to music that doesn’t suit your taste. Also, it is best to listen to a song that tells a story so that you can learn a story line. Finally, it’s best to stay away from songs with profanity or inappropriate content.

Here are some songs from my recent playlist. I’d be interested to hear what songs you’ve been listening to and/or a suggestion for a good song to help learn English.

1. Locked out of heaven – Bruno Mars: Good to play at the end of work. It’s upbeat and funky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fA-gBCkj0

2. Lonely Boy – Black keys: Also good for after work, or during the quiet periods during the day. Like most good rock songs, the band uses only three chords to make this gem. Check out the video – I’ve been told this is how I dance. I sure hope so! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV5OGh8D-ok

3. Let her Go – Passenger: This one is for quiet reflection, so usually I’d listen to this late at night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBumgq5yVrA

Adrian

ある晩、映画を観はじめたのですが、きっとそんなに面白くなかったのでしょう…。10分もすると寝てしまいました。ですが、眠る前にこんなフレーズが頭に残りました。
「その日に合う曲を見つけるととてもいい気分だよ。それで、今日はピッタリな一曲を見つけたんだ。」-Will Hayes (Definitely, Maybe, 2008)
もちろん、今では自分だけのプレイリストを作ることは真新しくないですが、今ではスマホでどんな曲もいつでもどこでも聴くことが出来ます。お勧めの曲を聴くこともあります。下に私の最近のサウンドトラックをリンクしてみました。皆さんも、気に入ってくれるといいのですが！
英語の曲を聴くことは楽しいだけではなく、良い勉強になるということも忘れずに。英語で音楽を聴くのは単語を拾う練習になり、言葉の“メロディー“になれる良いきっかけになります。新しい単語も増え、覚えやすくなります。（歌詞は簡単にインターネットで検索できます。）そして、一番重要なのが、英語が楽しいということ。モチベーションを高めてくれます！聴くことは学ぶことに繋がるのです。

勉強するために音楽を選ぶときは、もちろんですが、自分の好きな曲を選ぶことです。自分のテイストに合わない音楽を選んでも意味がありません。また、物語のある音楽を聴いてストーリーラインを学ぶことも大切です。あとは、内容が不適切なものは避けることです。

下のリンクは最近のプレイリストです。みなさんも最近はどんな曲を聴いているか、また、英語学習にお勧めの曲があれば教えて下さいね。

1. Locked out of heaven – Bruno Mars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fA-gBCkj0

2. Lonely Boy – Black keys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV5OGh8D-ok

3. Let her Go – Passenger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBumgq5yVrA

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