musical rhythm and learning a language

What's the relationship between music and language?

Jay Doubleyou: it ain't what you say, it's the way that you say it: intonation and functional language

In a piec on tuning the brain to language in he latest E L Gazette, Gill Ragsdale looks at how "research reveals that musical rhythms matching a language’s natural beat can significantly enhance how the brain processes speech, strengthening the case for rhythm-based teaching":

Musical rhythm may boost the processing of speech in the brain—but only when the rhythm matches the language, according to new research from the Basque Center on Cognition, San Sebastian, Spain, by Laura Fernández-Merino and colleagues.

The positive impact of musical training on language learning and proficiency is well-documented but the neural processes underpinning this effect remain mysterious. Both language and music are human universals found in every culture around the world and this study focussed on something shared by both: rhythm.

Here's the original research: Human Brain Mapping | Neuroimaging Journal | Wiley Online Library

These ideas have been around for a long time, whether in the mainstream media: Feel the beat: how rhythm shapes the way we use and understand language | Languages | The Guardian

Or in the industry: How Musical Rhythm Can Aid with Learning | The Science of Sound for Kid's - Holiday and Term-Time

Here's a view from a psychologist: The Relationship between Music and Language

And to finish, here are a cuople of TED Talks: 

Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland - YouTube

Interplay Of Music, Language, And Emotion In The Brain | Julia Howe | TEDxLickWilmerdingHS - YouTube

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