Musical ears

Ever listened to a tune that you couldn’t get out of your head?  Well the geniuses at Earworms found that music acts as a catalyst for the memorization of words and anchors new vocabulary deep in your long-term memory. Earworms took this theory and applied it to languages, partnering with Berlitz they developed a series of language learning CDs that have useful phrases set to the rhythm of catchy tunes.

When I first heard the concept I instantly thought of nursery rhymes and instantly decided that as an adult I could not partake in such a silly experiment …but once I heard one of these language “songs” I was swept into the rhythmically enticing world that is Earworms.  The tunes are modern and hip, and the way the phrases are spoken with a hint of melody makes them stick in your head just as if it were the newest pop song on the radio.

Within an hour I was counting to ten, ordering tea and asking where the nearest train station isÂ…all in Japanese.

The best part of this method is that Earworms encourages you not to study and concentrateÂ…the best way to soak in the language via the music method is to sit back and relax to the melodies you hear.

For $25 you get a CD and booklet that includes over 200+ essential words and phrasesÂ…they are available at Amazon.comÂ…or can be download at iTunes for $10.