Deezer launches Music and Language playlists

The playlists follow a research study based on more than 12 000 people in the UK, US, France, Germany, Brazil and Mexico. Deezer worked with language and music expert Susanna Zaraysky to conduct the study, which explores the connection between music and learning languages.

Each playlist features different tracks to suit learners’ needs, from vocabulary building to pronunciation practice. Listeners can view the song lyrics of each track by pressing the mic icon. Deezer says the first five tracks on each playlist will help users build their vocabulary, while tracks six to 10 will assist them with pronunciation. The next five songs were selected to help listeners pick up local slang, and the final five tracks focus on cultural meanings.

“Music should be an integral part of the language-learning process,” Zaraysky said. “Not only is it fun, but it’s effective. Songs are the entry into the sounds of another language, and can assist in every aspect of language learning, from grammatical patterns to perfect pronunciation.”

Deezer’s chief data and research officer, Aurelien Herault, said: “The consumer research reveals that people are very open to learning new languages through music. But finding the right tracks can be hard”.

The research found that more than 90% of people think listening to music helps when trying to master a new language, with benefits such as improved pronunciation (30%), a bigger vocabulary range (31%) and better recollection (29%).

More than 80% of adults said they would consider playing music to help kids learn a foreign language. The most popular languages to learn, in order of popularity, are English, Spanish, French, Italian and German.

“Starting early matters. From a young age, we learn songs by heart. Songs are emotional. And when emotions are involved, it makes memories stickier,” Zaraysky said.

Zaraysky also said that hip hop, which is sometimes highly lyrical, was a favourite among parents, with 30% of respondents playing the genre to teach their children a new language. “Moving along to the beat also helps kids’ brains process speech,” she added.

The benefits also have an impact on passive listeners, and about 79% of respondents agreed that they had learnt at least some new words from listening to foreign-language songs.