4 Music and Language

Introduction

According to Brandt et al. (2012), language is customarily defined as a “symbolic medium for communication” in order to express emotions, ask questions, and have basic conversations. Although these two are often expressed as means for communication, the similarities and relationship between them is not understood. Peer reviewed research articles and studies from an array of international sources, attempt to identify whether or not the relationship between music and language development is effective. The results of these studies elucidate the commonalities between music and language and how music can positively influence the development of language.

The importance of music should not be limited to its ability to create and portray emotions. Instead, due to the relationship between music and language development, music should be seen as something that can significantly influence our language perception. Brandt et al. (2012), suggests that because of this relationship, we would not have the ability to learn language without the ability to “hear musically.” Research has heavily pointed to the idea that music is a critical aspect of language development in children (Gonzalez, 2016). Through the analysis of research concerning music and language development, particularly their similarities in structure, the importance and efficacy of music’s relationship on the development of language in children will be examined.

Origins of Music and Language Development

The utilization of music in order to improve language development dates back to the 1970s (Stokes, n.d.). “Suggestopedia” is the combination between “suggestion” and “pedagogy” and is a method used to teach language (Stokes, n.d.). Georgi Lozanov, a psychotherapist from Bulgaria, developed “Suggestopedia,” by incorporating baroque music in order to “enhance language [development]” (Stokes, n.d.). The idea of this method is that when learning is accompanied by “de-suggestion” of various “psychological barriers” as well as “positive suggestion,” the process of learning can be accelerated (Stokes, n.d.). While the relationship between music and language development is not a new idea, the research and studies regarding this relationship are slim. Analysis of the research regarding music and language development, specifically the similarities in structure, will be used to determine the significance and efficacy of their relationship on language development in young children.

Similarities in Structural Parallels

One of the most common relationships between music and language development is “structural parallels” (Stokes, n.d.). Structural parallels in language are when multiple sentences or phrases have similar grammatical structure (Stokes, n.d.). When discussing music and language, structural parallels are very similar. In this sense, structural parallelism is similarities in the structure of sentences and phrases in music. Syntax is the guidelines that “govern the combination of structural elements into sequences” (Jentschke, 2005). Additionally, the idea of “phonological awareness, phonemic awareness…and fluency” are discussed and related to the relationship between music and language development (Mizener, 2008).           Phonological awareness allows an individual to differentiate between various sounds and relates to the sensitivity the individual has toward that sound (Mizener, 2008). Phonemic awareness allows the individual to understand the phonemes— “the smallest…units of spoken language–present in the sound (Mizener, 2008) and may be influenced and enhanced greatly by music training (Vidal, 2019). Fluency is the ability for a person to articulate and express a sentence or phrase accurately (Vidal, 2019). Because both music and language can be broken down into individual parts, notes and phonemes respectively, “speech functions can benefit from music functions” (Jancke, 2012).

Moreover, both the metrical and rhythmical aspects of music can be related to language and can be used to increase fluency in the development of language (Mizener, 2008) and can promote certain development skills in children with various pathologies that are specific to language development (Vidal, 2019). By participating in vocal activities, skills in “word recognition, comprehension, reading, and literary appreciation” were improved (Mizener, 2008). Results from several studies indicated that musical training in children was associated with the improvement of both musical and language skills, providing evidence to show that children who participate in music show an “increased ability in several types of language skills” (Hutchins, 2018). Among these skills were vocabulary, reading, and singing, and it is specified that these improvements were “beyond what could be attributed to normal development” (Hutchins, 2018).

Phonological Awareness in Music and Language

The phonological sense of language is commonly overlooked; however, it is essential for early learning (Vihman, 2016). The main question in language development relates to the order in which infants learn sounds (Vihman, 2016). Do infants first learn sounds and then combine them to produce words? Or do infants begin producing words and alter the sounds later on (Vihman, 2016).

Because of the importance of the phonological sense of language in its development, the similarities between the phonological aspect of music and language cannot be disregarded. Jancke (2012) argues that the ability to display phonological awareness is critical for both reading and writing skills and is “closely related to pitch awareness and musical expertise.” The knowledge of a particular number of words or phrases is the foundation for learning grammar (Vihman, 2016). Language development is greatly dependent on the knowledge of “speech forms,” particularly the “links between those forms” along with their meanings (Vihman, 2016).

According to a research study done by Hanne Patscheke et al. (2018), children who were placed in the musical pitch training group, as opposed to the control group or the rhythm group, showed a positive significant difference in phonological awareness after the posttest than the children in the other two groups. Language and music present an “overlap in their cortical and subcortical neural substrates” which indicates a “shared neural resource” (Patscheke et al., 2018).  Studies show that musical training, specifically pitch training, results in the improvement of phonological awareness in young children (Patscheke et al., 2018).

As previously stated, phonological awareness allows an individual to remember, differentiate, and manipulate sounds at various levels in language production (Mizener, 2008). Because language development is dependent on the ability of the individual to perceive, categorize, and manipulate various sounds, research has shown a link between phonological awareness and pitch training.

Why Should Music and Language be Interdependent?

Music has the ability to help students develop “all modalities of communication” through listening lessons (Mizener, 2008). These lessons allow students to both “receive and transmit information aurally and receive and transmit information visually” which helps facilitate the creation of neuronal connections thus improving language development (Mizener, 2008). Research has continuously demonstrated that infancy is a critical time when “music can stimulate the development of nerve connections” and allow for the most favorable cognitive development due to the rapid pace in which the brain makes these neuronal connections in response to various stimuli in a child’s environment (Gonzalez, 2016).

The idea of music stimulating further development of neuronal connections relates back to the idea presented by Brandt et al. (2012) that music is not a “derivative of language” but instead the two should be interconnected. Both music and language development are shown to have many commonalities and several neuronal pathways that are involved in similar aspects (Jancke, 2012). This similarity and “interconnections among brain cells” are crucial when discussing language growth and development amongst children (Gonzalez, 2016).

Additionally, these overlapping neural structures allow for the individuals’ cognitive abilities to be enhanced. Vidal (2019) suggests that because of the “similar processing mechanisms,” there is an overlap in the brain structures that are recruited. The cognitive ability required by both music and language is also linked to memory improvement. According to Stokes (n.d.), memory is a vital part of language development and there are several studies that have associated music with and improvement in the ability to memorize.

Conclusion

These similar mechanisms for which both music and language are processed and the ability for music to increase neuronal pathways provides evidence to explicate why music should be integrated into daily life from an early age. Musical knowledge has shown to facilitate both language development and the learning of “musical structures” (Jancke, 2012). These parallels in the structural aspect of both music and language should provide evidence to explain why, and how, music could be “utilized in a language classroom” (Stokes, n.d.). The articles analyzed provided significant evidence to depict the benefits of music on language development. While the research regarding the relationship between music and language development is still not in excess, there is sufficient research to support the benefits of music to the development of language.

References

Brandt, A., Slevc, R., & Gebrian, M. (2012, August 15). Music and Early Language Acquisition. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from           https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00327/full

Gonzalez, A. (2016). Music and Language Development: Traits of Nursery Rhymes and Their Impact on Children’s Language Development. Retrieved 2020, from https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2016&q=music+and+language+development&hl=en&as_sdt=0,10&httpsredir=1&article=1076&context=musp

Hutchins, S. (2018, June 01). Early Childhood Music Training and Associated Improvements in Music and Language Abilities. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from https://online.ucpress.edu/mp/article-abstract/35/5/579/109945

Jäncke, L. (2012, April 07). The Relationship between Music and Language. Retrieved October             11, 2020, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00123/full

Jentschke, S. (2005). Investigating the Relationship of Music and Language in Children. Retrieved 2020, from https://stefan-koelsch.de/papers/Jentschke+_ANYAS1060_06_LanguageMusicChildren.pdf

Mizener, C. (2008). Enhancing Language Skills Through Music – Charlotte P. Mizener, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1048371308316414

Patscheke, H., Dege, F., & Schwarzer, G. (2018, February 18). The effects of training in rhythm and pitch on phonological awareness in four- to six-year-old children – Hanne Patscheke, Franziska Degé, Gudrun Schwarzer, 2019. SAGE Journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0305735618756763.

Stokes, J. (n.d.). The Effects of Music on Language Acquisition. Retrieved October 11, 2020,  from https://core.ac.uk/reader/72791420

Vidal, M. (2019, September 12). The influence of music in the development of phonetics, phonology and phonological awareness in 3-year-olds with typical development and 3- to         6-year-olds with speech or language disorder. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from             https://repositorio.ul.pt/handle/10451/43831

Vihman, M. M. (2016, July 23). Learning words and learning sounds: Advances in language development. https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjop.12207?casa_token=XZIn3iMQ6KwAAAAA%3AR-ERAIsGYPYj7ZWjr0g0NBYVFT2j98QGeJk_SQmE0jkigyS9UYx4NgQcBdXc6CLIhMbB5EybSd9h5jbp.