Learning through Music

Ever since I came back to Puerto Rico, I've re-discovered the beauty of the Spanish language. A wonderful way to enjoy spanish is through music. Even if you don't speak a word of español, I think you'll enjoy the video above. This song is constantly on the radio here, it's sung by an Argentinian group called Los Cafres and I find myself singing to it whenever it hits the airwaves. I think music is such a fun way to learn a language.

I confess my Spanish is not perfect but I can hold a conversation very well, and I don't have the typical gringo accent. Yes, I can roll my r's! In my case, as I was born in Puerto Rico, I was fluent when I was a child. However, I practically lost all my ability to speak español when I moved to New York at a very young age. So, I am now making up for lost time. I did take Spanish in high school, and was exempted in college, but I never spoke it on a daily basis. Even amongst my Latino friends, we only spoke English. I know, it's such a shame. However, I acquired two other languages, English and Chinese (Cantonese), while growing up in New York.

Now that I'm back in the Island of Enchantment, I am trying to speak as much Spanish as I can. The best way, obviously, is to practice by speaking with the locals. This, however, is not easy. People look at me and assume I don't speak a word of Spanish and automatically speak to me in English. Yes, it's annoying. Nevertheless, I speak to them in Spanish. I also have someone who always gives me the best Spanish language books to read. Although I'm not a subscriber to the Coffeebreak Spanish podcast, I know it's a great resource for those who wish to learn Spanish. Last, but not least, it's all about the music. Listening to music allows you not only to learn the language, but it also teaches you a lot about the culture.