From experience you have probably seen that most students love teachers bringing pop songs into the classroom, but are there any proven benefits of teaching through songs? So far there has been relatively little research in the field, but here we present 20 reasons why you should consider using songs more often in your lessons:

1. Most students are highly motivated by song-based activities, which they perceive to be fun.
2. You can create lessons around songs that can be used to practise any of the main language skills.
3. Grammar can be surreptitiously presented or practised through songs!
4. Music can relax, disinhibit and simultaneously stimulate students. These affective responses to music are optimum for learning.(1)
5. Playing a song immediately affects class atmosphere. You can use it to calm, energise…
6. There is often a lot of repetition in songs, which can aid long-term memory. Just think about all those lyrics that get stuck in your head!
7. The rhythmical aspect of music also aids rote memorisation.(2)
8. Research shows that students may retain more vocabulary when presented through a song.(3)