Songs, movies and TV series are ways with which we interact with the English language in our everyday life. Does this interaction help with language learning, though? According to Fernanda Brener, professor of the Department of Modern Foreign Languages at the State University of Londrina (UEL), this kind of medium might help people learn the language. "Any exposure to the language, even if there is no educational purpose, fosters learning. It is clear that one has to be attentive, but everything that puts you in contact with the language helps you."

According to the professor, informal ways of learning are even more effective when English is used as a means of accessing another theme of interest. "Nowadays, people learn a lot outside of the school motivated by personal interests. I have several students who start [the course] with vast knowledge because of games, for example. In these cases, the language is being used in its own function, which is communication. The language is not being learned, it is being used in communication."

Those who are learning English and want to use movies, TV series or songs to improve their knowledge may make leisure moments become a type of exercise. "The benefits and the range of learning depend on some factors such as the student’s age and his/her intention while watching the material", Fernanda claims. "If the person wants to understand the gist of the content he/she is watching, he/she could watch movies and TV series without subtitles, for instance. However, if the person wants to understand details of what is being watched, he/she could use subtitles in English", adds the professor.
As stated by Fernanda Brener, the way people consume information has changed drastically in the last few years, more emphasis to the sound and visual spheres is given now. "The teacher can take advantage of this new way people are learning and bring it to the classroom." As reported by the professor, using songs and movies during the learning process helps in the articulation of words, vocabulary development and in a better understanding of the language. "When you get used to listening to the sounds of a language, little by little, you get to understand it better. It is the same with accents. In the beginning, people have difficulty to understand each other, but, as time goes by, they get acquainted to it." Another advantage of using movies and songs while learning, according to the professor, is that making associations in a rhythmic way also helps students memorize what is being studied. "Don’t school and preparatory course teachers teach formulae in using songs and chants? That really helps the student remember the content. Besides that, songs make learning meaningful and the subject easier to be acquired", states the professor.

Tradução: Joilse Scallassara, coordenadora acadêmica da escola de idiomas Cultural

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