If you want to learn a new language, one of your best choices will be learning Spanish. It's spoken by as many people in the world as there are English speakers. It will make traveling in Latin America a breeze and a more enriching experience. To help you practice, be sure to study some Spanish song lyrics.
Most language teachers have found that songs are an invaluable tool. The lyrics help students learn vocabulary and see grammatical rules in practice. Some songs also expose students to slang. Listening to the songs are a great way of getting used to the sounds of the language and to different regional accents as well.
Music from Mexico is perfect when you're still a beginner. This is because the Mexican accent is generally easy to understand and you'll find plenty of songs that are slow enough so you can follow the words. The ranchera songs of Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Chavela Vargas are good choices, as are traditional songs such as 'La Cucuracha' and 'Cielito Lindo'. You can also try popular contemporary singers like Lila Downs or Marco Antonio Solis.
Another country with easy songs to learn or to listen to is Cuba. 'Guantanamera' is this country's most famous song and is a very easy one to understand. However, the slower styles made famous by the Buena Vista Social Club's musicians are an excellent choice too.
In Latin America, the dialect spoken in Spain is referred to as Catalan. It's a little more difficult to understand if you're not very good at the language yet. However, you may want to try listening to the very popular songs of Manu Chao, whose lyrics tend to be quite simple, with catchy tunes.
If your language skills have started to improve, you may want to try accents that are more challenging. Argentinians and Chileans have distinctive accents that can be difficult even for native speakers from other parts of Latin America. Therefore, it's best to listen to songs from the folk movement known as the Nueva Cancion. Its most famous singer was the brilliant Argentinian singer Mercedes Sosa, whose greatest hit, 'Gracias A La Vida', was written by the Chilean Violeta Parra.
You'll also want to try learning songs that you can really dance to. Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Ricky Martin and Marc Anthony all have recorded in Spanish. There are also artists who are superstars in Latin America even if the English-speaking world doesn't know much about them, such as Juanes from Colombia and Ricardo Arjona from Guatemala. You'll find a wide variety of musical styles as well, from reggae and hip hop to cumbia and merengue, that will have you shaking your hips in no time while singing the chorus.
Most good record stores will have music in Spanish but you'll find a wider variety online. For the words, you can consult the CD sleeve or go to lyrics websites. Some sites will even include a translation in English but it's best to try translating the words yourself first as a way of practicing your skills.
Most language teachers have found that songs are an invaluable tool. The lyrics help students learn vocabulary and see grammatical rules in practice. Some songs also expose students to slang. Listening to the songs are a great way of getting used to the sounds of the language and to different regional accents as well.
Music from Mexico is perfect when you're still a beginner. This is because the Mexican accent is generally easy to understand and you'll find plenty of songs that are slow enough so you can follow the words. The ranchera songs of Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Chavela Vargas are good choices, as are traditional songs such as 'La Cucuracha' and 'Cielito Lindo'. You can also try popular contemporary singers like Lila Downs or Marco Antonio Solis.
Another country with easy songs to learn or to listen to is Cuba. 'Guantanamera' is this country's most famous song and is a very easy one to understand. However, the slower styles made famous by the Buena Vista Social Club's musicians are an excellent choice too.
In Latin America, the dialect spoken in Spain is referred to as Catalan. It's a little more difficult to understand if you're not very good at the language yet. However, you may want to try listening to the very popular songs of Manu Chao, whose lyrics tend to be quite simple, with catchy tunes.
If your language skills have started to improve, you may want to try accents that are more challenging. Argentinians and Chileans have distinctive accents that can be difficult even for native speakers from other parts of Latin America. Therefore, it's best to listen to songs from the folk movement known as the Nueva Cancion. Its most famous singer was the brilliant Argentinian singer Mercedes Sosa, whose greatest hit, 'Gracias A La Vida', was written by the Chilean Violeta Parra.
You'll also want to try learning songs that you can really dance to. Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Ricky Martin and Marc Anthony all have recorded in Spanish. There are also artists who are superstars in Latin America even if the English-speaking world doesn't know much about them, such as Juanes from Colombia and Ricardo Arjona from Guatemala. You'll find a wide variety of musical styles as well, from reggae and hip hop to cumbia and merengue, that will have you shaking your hips in no time while singing the chorus.
Most good record stores will have music in Spanish but you'll find a wider variety online. For the words, you can consult the CD sleeve or go to lyrics websites. Some sites will even include a translation in English but it's best to try translating the words yourself first as a way of practicing your skills.
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