Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Language Learning Series #11: Poems and Songs

The study of a culture’s poems and songs reaps a two-fold benefit for the language student.  By taking time to appreciate a culture, you not only show respect to its people but also present yourself with an opportunity to further your studies. 

While intonation may not seem important to the English speaker, proper pronunciation of a word requires correct accentuation of its syllables.  Moreover, some languages rely on inflection to a convey particular meaning, and if you are not careful with your pronunciation, you may find yourself in an awkward situation.  For example, while “anno” in Italian means “year”, neglecting to actively stress the “n” causes the word to mean something unpleasant. 


In a similar way, through their unique construction poems and follow a pattern of rhyme, beat, or pattern utilizing stressed and unstressed syllables to fluidly convey meaning.  That being said, if you take the time to study a culture’s lingual arts, not only will you better appreciate the culture, but you will also increase your abilities.

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