music and language

Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy chat with musician and translator Jeremy Bardo about his experience going viral with a Spanish language music video. We also discuss the myth of the language gene and finding joy in embarrassing moments.

Featured Resources

• Speak from Day 1
• Language Hacking Spanish

Mentioned in this Episode

• Speak from Day 1
• Language Hacking Spanish
• Memrise
• Stop Making Excuses
• Jeremy Bardo’s Youtube
• Las Flores Se Abrirán
• Jeremy’s Website

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• The myth of the “language gene”
• Overcoming perfectionism by finding joy in embarrassing moments
• Finding balance in your language studies
• The power of technology in language learning
• Cognates and how they can help you
• Using a Spanish phrase book as a conversation starter
• How learning languages helps you become a more compassionate language teacher
• Important qualities language teachers should have
• Identifying when an error is important and deserves feedback with your students
• Using your interests to learn languages
• Recording music and going viral in your non-native language
• Finding a foothold in a new language with just a few words

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Join Our Patreon

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.

In this episode of The Language Hacking Podcast, Benny Lewis interviews his co-host, Shannon Kennedy about how she made the transition from music to languages, raising multilingual children, and what it’s like speaking another language when you identify as a shy introvert. 

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• Speak in a Week
• LingQ

Mentioned in this Episode

• Eurolinguiste
• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• Speak in a Week
• Drops
• Pimsleur
• LingQ
• Women in Language
• Shannon’s music
• Shannon on Twitter
• Shannon on Facebook
• Shannon on Instagram
• Shannon on Youtube

Episode Overview

• How Shannon went from music to languages and how she connects them
• What skills in learning music she has been able to transfer over to language learning
• Language journalling
• How foreign languages help you become a better musician
• How to get comfortable speaking languages as a shy introvert
• Scripting
• How to use language islands to steer conversations into topics you’re comfortable with
• How to pick up language learning after a break
• Time management and energy management strategies
• Tips for raising multilingual kids

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Join Our Patreon

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.

In this episode I chat with Allison Cameron, who is completing a PhD at the University of Wollongong. Her research has looked at the effects of a children's music education program upon the language development of 4 and 5 year-olds. The music program is called Tuning In - it's part of the Shoalhaven Youth Orchestra, based in Nowra on the NSW south coast.

Although Allison’s research focuses on preschool-aged children, there's so much relevance in it to music teaching in the early primary years. She would love to be able to communicate about her research and the wider benefits of well-structured and implemented music programs. 

Episode highlights: 

• Allison’s research into the effects of a children’s music education program on language development  4 & 5 year olds.
• The ‘Tuning-In’ program in the shoalhaven area - to increase pool of students playing instruments (to join orchestra)
• Seeing language development problems in pre-school.
• Developing a way to research the effects of a music program on preschool children.
• 4 preschools - two of which became ‘Tuning in’ schools.
• Testing for phonological awareness.
• Improvements in communication.
• Music making is a social practice and provides a framework for building relationships.
• Playing music in a group is the ultimate team sport and builds self-esteem.
• Telling stories with instruments.
• Babies, language and singing.

HINTS & TIPS VIDEO: https://youtu.be/8u5Jc3D5p3c

Show Notes: 

In this episode I chat with Christoph Maubach, international lecturer, presenter and trainer in the Orff Schulwerk approach to music education. 

Christoph is also a freelance musician and composer and an author of several music and dance publications for children and teachers.

Speaking to me from his home in New Zealand, he discussed his passion for ‘words and music’ - the way words can lead to music and composition, even for very young children.

Our podcast home page is at
www.musicroom.net.au

Episode highlights: 

• The main reason Christoph is attracted to the Orff Schulwerk approach to music education.
• How the Orff approach helps other areas of curriculum.
• What if there were a music education opportunity that would involve the combination of words, language/literacy, getting to know how words sound, playing with words, and at the same time learning aspects of music education?
• Creating a performance piece, through language, in 20-30 minutes.
• Using a small piece of poetry and developing it with percussion and voice.
• Giving the children permission to participate.
• Example: a poem about rain.
• Developing the text through student participation, with body percussion.
• Keep the text short.
• The printed word comes later.
• Exploring the feel and musicality of words.
• Some texts/poems already have an underlying beat/pulse and rhythmic qualities.
• Using phrases from a poem as a loop.
• Student writing - the haiku and its musical possibilities.
• Words can easily be made into music.
• Poem: ‘The wind makes lots of noises …’
• How many ways can we say the words?
• How can we graphically notate what we do with symbols?
• The teacher can provide a graphic score.
• The use of words in contemporary arts.

Recipe: 

Tournedos Rossini
A French steak dish, created for 19th century composer Gioachino Rossini.

The dish comprises a beef tournedos (filet mignon), pan-fried in butter, served on a crouton, and topped with a hot slice of fresh whole foie gras briefly pan-fried at the last minute. The dish is garnished with slices of black truffle and finished with a Madeira demi-glace sauce.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tournedos_Rossini

Quote
A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. Leopold Stokowski

Christoph’s Orff resources with Music Room - published by Bushfire Press
Look for the free activities!

https://www.bushfirepress.com.au/primary/music/orff-resources/ (Orff Beats)