How can you remember a song for a long time? Why does your teacher use songs to teach you English? There is a scientific reason for this.

Researchers (研究者) are studying the relationship between music and remembering a foreign language. “Singing could be a new way of learning, especially for a foreign language. The brain likes to remember things in a catchy (悦耳易记的) and relaxing way. For example, children can remember difficult words quickly when they are in a song,” said Dr. Karen Ludke. If children find it difficult to learn foreign languages, this new way may help. On his blog, Dr. Ludke wrote “A listen-and-repeat singing way can be beneficial to learn foreign languages and open the door for future research in this area.”

Many language teachers know the importance of music and they often use it in teaching and learning. Hua Zhuying, a teacher at a Chinese language school in Washington DC, likes using songs in teaching Chinese. She said, “I use music all the time to teach children Chinese. For little kids, we usually use English songs but teach them the Chinese lyrics (歌词). Not only does it work, but it is fun for children. Sometimes I think if I learned English that way when I was young, maybe I could speak English much better.”

Our brain likes music in learning languages, especially for remembering. If you are still having problems in learning a language, why not try singing it out?

China’s national anthem, March of the Volunteers, is a song that we learn at the beginning of primary school and sing at every flag-raising ceremony. 【小题1】 In September, 2016, the government passed the National Anthem Law, which became effective (生效) from Oct 1, 2017. 【小题2】

Primary and middle schools must teach the anthem to their students and make them understand the song’s spirit and history. 【小题3】 We can’t joke about it or change the song’s words or music. If someone breaks the law, he or she can be detained for up to 15 days, or face further punishment in more serious situations. The national anthem is different from other songs—it is the symbol of our country.

【小题4】 For example, American school children should put their right hand over their heart while singing their country’s anthem at school. 【小题5】 And in the Philippines, people are required to sing the national anthem with feelings when it’s played in public.