Learning Language Through Music

Written by Natalie Tran and Edited by Olivia Cooper

Music is more than a series of sounds that make the feet tap and the heart race. Many psychologists, linguists and scientists suspect a possible relationship between music and psychological development [1]. Already, musical training has been seen to correlate with language acquisition. In one 2012 study, eight-year-old children who were exposed to musical training improved their ability to discern created words from a string of syllables [2]. Children were tested on their ability to extract artificial words from a string of syllables, and those in musical training for one year improved their scores by twenty percent [2]. 

A phoneme is the smallest unit of speech that separates one word from another. For example, in the word “tan” the letter n is a phoneme, distinguishing “tan” from “tar.” Similar to individual building pieces, phonemes themselves are meaningless, but, when strung together in the correct order, they can produce words, just as building pieces can be assembled to create a house. Recognizing phonemes is the foundation of language acquisition; by two months of age, children are able to distinguish between different phonemes, and paired with semantics, they can process words [3].

The ability to differentiate pitches, or frequencies of sounds, in music often transfers to the ability to differentiate phonemes in language. A 2011 study in Germany subjected preschool students to training in music, phonological awareness (manipulating phonemes), or sports for ten minutes a day over a twenty day period. Phonological awareness was measured before and after the training, and those in musical and phonological training improved two and three points, respectively, whereas those enrolled in sports showed no significant improvement [4].  

Furthermore, the connection between music and language is deeply rooted in neuroscience. Broca’s area is a neurological domain responsible for speech production; individuals injured in this area are unable to develop smooth speech and writing [5]. Additionally, for individuals who acquire another language during adolescence, a new section is added to Broca’s area, dedicated to interpreting the grammatical rules for that particular language [6]. Similar to language in Broca’s area, music is confined by syntax; music replaces punctuation marks, adverbs, and nouns with harmony, pitch, and tone, all of which are interpreted by a series of neurons in Broca’s area [7].

Just as muscles can be strengthened by physical exercise, the connection between the brain’s neurons can also be reinforced through usage. Habits often feel instinctual because the neural networks that make them possible have been bolstered by regular performance. Practicing and performing music exercises Broca’s area, thus fundamentally changing the neuron wiring. A 2002 study examined brain scans of male classical musicians with an average training period of 9.6 years. The researchers were measuring the amount of gray matter, which is responsible for processing information, in Broca’s area. Interestingly, the musicians had an average of thirty cubic inches more gray matter in their Broca’s area compared to their non-musician counterparts [8]. Because the grammar of music and language are both partially processed in the same neurological region, music’s strengthening of Broca’s area facilitates the recognition and integration of linguistic syntax.

Although much research is still necessary to understand the profound effects music has on language acquisition, a link between music and language processing has been established by current publications. Perhaps more knowledge on this topic will encourage foreign language programs to implement a more musical approach, possibly by singing in the classroom or playing musical instruments.

References:

1. “Why Making Music Matters Music and Early Childhood Development.” Carnegie Hall.org, www.carnegiehall.org/Blog/2016/01/Why-Making-Music-Matters-Music-and-Early-Chil dhood-Development. Accessed 20 April 2021.
2. François, C., Chobert, J., Besson, M., Schön, D. (2012). Music Training for the Development of Speech Segmentation. Cerebral Cortex. 23:2038-2043.
3. Friederici, A.D. (2005). Neurophysiological markers of early language acquisition: from syllables to sentences. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 9:481-488.
4. Dege, F., Schwarzer, G. (2011). The Effect of a Music Program on Phonological Awareness in Preschoolers. Frontiers in Psychology. 2:124.
5. “Broca’s Area Is the Brain’s Scriptwriter, Shaping Speech, Study Finds – 02/17/2015.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Johnshopkinsmedicine.org, 17 Feb. 2015, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/brocas_area_is_the_brains_scriptwriter_ shaping_speech_study_finds. Accessed 20 April 2021.
6. Blakeslee, Sandra. “When an Adult Adds a Language, It’s One Brain, Two Systems.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 July 1997, www.nytimes.com/1997/07/15/science/when-an-adult-adds-a-language-it-s-one-brain-tw o-systems.html. Accessed 20 April 2021
7. Kunert, R., Willems, R.M., Casasanto, D., Patel, A.D., Hagoort, P. (2015). Music and Language Syntax Interact in Broca’s Area: an fMRI Study. Plos One. 10: e0141069.[8] Slumming, V., Barrick, T., Howard, M., Cezayirli, E., Mayes, A., Roberts, N. (2002). Voxel-based morphometry reveals increased gray matter density in Broca’s area in male symphony orchestra musicians. Neuroimage. 17:1613-1622.