Long before cable television and the internet, there was one day, one time of the week that kids had total access to television programming that was geared toward them. Yes, we had PBS and Sesame Street on weekday mornings and afternoons, but Saturday mornings were our time. It was then that, between the cartoons and goofy cereal commercials, our ears would perk up when we heard this jingle:

*lyrics below

We knew that it would be a short, fun, and often funny movie that we could sing and dance to. In hindsight, I now see that Schoolhouse Rock! was a very clever way to sneak learning something into our weekend entertainment. To this day, however, if you ask someone of a certain age what a noun is, they will likely answer you in a singsongy way, “It’s a person, place, or thing.”

You may be wondering why I’ve chosen to share Schoolhouse Rock! on a language learning blog. Well, it’s simple, really. Sometimes, when you’re learning something, anything, it helps to switch up how you are exposed to the information that you are trying to take in. I know that for myself, when I was a kid and even when I was studying French at the University level, hearing music with the language that I was so furiously trying to take on made what I was learning from my books and in the classroom sink in and stay; it made the abstract a reality.

I frequently post on this blog tips and trick to language learning. Take this post as inspiration to find songs, music, art, anything that involves your target language and listen to it, watch it, dance to it.

I hope you enjoy this fun little post. Check back soon to see more fun ways to shift your mind’s gears.

Lyrics:

As your body grows bigger

Your mind grows flowered

It’s great to learn

‘Cause knowledge is power

It’s Schoolhouse Rocky

That chip off the block

Of your favorite schoolhouse

Schoolhouse Rock!