Does English sound like other Germanic languages?
Kt, Mexican-Americans dislike Argentinian Spanish so much that their remarks are downright cruel, laced with derogatory epithets. This attitude bewilders me completely because, as I said before, Argentinian Spanish is the most pleasant dialect of all to my ears.
Anyway, my tastes in music are very eclectic, very unusual, but not very modern. If you don't mind my asking, may I ask why you want to know?
Ah, I was afraid that it would sound too personal. It's simply my curiosity about sounds, both the repetoire of sounds found in a variety of music and the variety of sounds found in languages.
I think I like hearing new languages, and I enjoy exploring the sounds of various instruments as well. I actually have stronger preferences in music than I do in languages, lol.
:) no offense taken, KT; I was just wondering.
Anyway, my taste in muusic is exceedingly varied. The only common thread is that a strong, often complex vocal component is usually present. I could give you three widely divergent, but truly representative examples. Are you game?
Jasper
If you have samples on youtube, sure.
Some people think that having a native language with a small number of sounds is a disadvantage when it comes to learning other languages. I wonder if this "handicap" is mitigated somewhat if the language learners are musical or if they simply enjoy a wide variety of music.
Why is that? One thing that language and music share are sequences and patterns. I wonder to what degree, if any, sequential musical memory (acquired with extensive listening) assists learners in mastering new languages.
Do you play a musical instrument K.T.?
Hello, Jasper,
Thank-you for sharing your musical clips. Actually, the only tune I recognized was the one from the first clip.
I didn't recognize the piece by Queen at all, but I did recognize one of the voices in the group. It's a very distinct voice. I've heard "We Are the Champions", of course.
I always like to upgrade my listening by hearing new things. Thanks again.
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Guest: You'd have to ask my neighbours if you want the truth about my musical abilities, lol. What about you? Do you play an instrument or two?
Yo toco el piano. And yes, I think too that musical abilities are related to language abilities. La gente que tiene buen oído para la música también son capaces de captar las sutilezas de las lenguas extranjeras.
KT, that is interesting. That Gloria Jean clip is the one I thought would be one of the least recognizable.
I find the treatment of the material most unusual. The combination of a coloratura soprano—which has become rare, by the way—singing swing is fascinating. I cannot help tapping my toes to the music in the latter part of the clip.
As for your theory, you just may be on to something there. My tastes in music are very varied indeed; years ago, I scored at the very top of my platoon in language-learning ability.
I wonder if it works the other way around? Exposing a child, especially, to a very wide range of music might indeed enhance her abilities to learn languages. It's a theory that's certainly worth further investigation.
Yo toco el piano. And yes, I think too that musical abilities are related to language abilities. La gente que tiene buen oído para la música también son capaces de captar las sutilezas de las lenguas extranjeras."-Guest
A physician I know thinks music is related to math. He isn't alone in thinking this, but math is only a part of music-the underlying structure, the rhythm and the overtones.
I agree with you about how having a good ear is a transferable skill. Being able to distinguish the small bits of sound and the overall flow of a phrase is a big part of what is needed in performing in a musical way (not just playing as some do) and speaking languages beautifully.
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"I wonder if it works the other way around? Exposing a child, especially, to a very wide range of music might indeed enhance her abilities to learn languages. It's a theory that's certainly worth further investigation."-Jasper
You nailed it, Jasper. I wondered if Japanese children who get a variety of "sound" experiences do better than their peers who do not. I chose Japanese as an example because of the limited number of sounds in the language.
"My tastes in music are very varied indeed; years ago, I scored at the very top of my platoon in language-learning ability." Jasper
Very interesting. Were you interested in becoming a military linguist after getting the results?
"I find the treatment of the material most unusual. The combination of a coloratura soprano—which has become rare, by the way—singing swing is fascinating. I cannot help tapping my toes to the music in the latter part of the clip"
I enjoyed this clip the most. She did some coloratura singing, but it wasn't exceptionally florid. I really liked it when they decided to change the style. I liked the juxaposition very, very much. There are still a lot of coloraturas singing, but ladies who can do the two arias of the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute are not as common. They have to be able to sing the money notes (high Fs). Ms. Edita Gruberova (not known in the US so much) is a fantastic coloratura. I think she is from Bratislava.
Thanks again for the musical pause.
Can you take one more musical interlude?
Like the previous clip, this one also juxtaposes the opera and swing styles in a different, equally refreshing way.
While of course you could watch the entire clip, attention is drawn to the musical fugue (correct term?) at the end of the clip.
You'll have to fast-forward to 8:30:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbyPCZhzaE8
And now, if we don't get back to topic of the English language, the moderators will axe us. ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue
Thanks, Jasper. I think I like their voices better as solo singers because Ms. Garland's style kind of overpowers Ms. Durbin's light apreggios in the video.
Still, it is an interesting clip in many ways. You're correct, of course, we must get back to English.
Uh, I mean "arpeggios"...
<<"I wonder if it works the other way around? Exposing a child, especially, to a very wide range of music might indeed enhance her abilities to learn languages. It's a theory that's certainly worth further investigation.">>
If you want your child to be good at learning languages, have them learn languages. This reminds me of the old "learning Latin will make it easier for you to learn Spanish".... Just learn Spanish from the start...
I think music lessons are less expensive (sometimes) than private language lessons.