Using Music to Learn Japanese

Music is a great tool when learning a language. It's a fun way to learn vocabulary, and it helps get you in touch with the culture. It's also a great way to passively learn and remain immersed in the culture when you're not able to formally study, or if don't don't actually live in Japan.

Find songs you like!

This was tougher for me than I thought it would be. I'm not a fan of the "processed" sound of music these days, and Japan can really take that to a ten, so I was a little jolted when I first started listening to Japanese music on Japan-A-Radio on the Japan Radio iPhone app. After trying that, I started switching my iTunes over to the Japan store and looking at the top singles. I'd sample them and find artists I like (like Kana Nishino and Yumi Arai). But then one day at work, I searched for Japanese talk radio and, ironically, found a music radio station actually broadcasting out of Fukuchiyama, and it has been a godsend. This station plays so many kinds of music from so many different decades. And thank god for Shazam. It doesn't always work with Japanese music (especially since I like older stuff), but it has helped me to find a lot of songs and artists I like.

So once you've found songs you like, learn the words!

Even if it seems like total nonsense, it does help to get the words in your mouth, first of all, and then what happens is that, after you keep studying, you'll hear some of the words from the songs over and over in conversation and in articles and such. That's how you start to build a sense of what words are important. For instance, I originally learned "itsumo (always)" from a K-On! song.

But let's also keep realistic about studying the lyrics--remember, people don't talk like they sing. Have you ever heard someone describe a woman's behavior like: "With a rebel yell, she cried, 'More, more more'?"

Something else you can try that will make you feel really out of your element is finding a karaoke video of a song you like, and trying to sing along. They usually have furigana (the hiragana over kanji to let you know how it's read), so you should (in theory) be able to read everything. It forces you out of your comfort zone because you can't take time to say, "Oh, is that 'ha' or 'ho'?" With Japanese television and such, the titles move so quickly, that this is actually great training for reading quickly.

Please take these tips and use them to your advantage! How has music helped you on your journey?