Introduction
What if the key to learning science in a new language isn’t more vocabulary lists—but music?
In an international school in Copenhagen, a class of Year 6 students—many of whom arrived speaking little or no English or Danish—were struggling to keep up. Then, something unexpected happened. When science vocabulary was taught through song, their confidence soared, recall improved, and classroom participation flourished.
This isn’t just a feel-good anecdote. It’s evidence that music, long valued for its cultural and emotional power, can be a transformative tool in mainstream education—especially when supporting language acquisition and social inclusion.
The Challenge: Language Barriers in Global Classrooms
In many international schools, students arrive from across the globe, bringing diverse languages, identities, and educational experiences. While this creates a rich cultural fabric, it also presents a major instructional hurdle: not all students understand the language of instruction—yet they’re expected to engage fully in academic content from day one.
This language barrier isn’t just about comprehension. It affects confidence, behaviour, and peer relationships. Students who can’t follow the lesson may withdraw, act out, or internalise a belief that they don’t belong.
Years ago, while teaching in Madrid, I noticed that newly arrived students who struggled in most lessons seemed to thrive in the music room. It was a space where language barriers softened. This observation planted a seed: could music be used not only to comfort students but to accelerate their learning in other subjects?
The Hypothesis: Music as a Cognitive and Social Catalyst
Music and language are closely linked in the brain. Studies in cognitive neuroscience have shown that both rely on rhythmic and syntactic structures, processed by overlapping neural pathways (Koelsch, 2005; Patel, 2011). In fact, singing has been found to aid verbatim memory and pronunciation in unfamiliar languages (Ludke et al., 2014).
My working hypothesis was this: structured singing activities, embedded in content learning (in this case, science), could help students acquire technical vocabulary, improve recall, and feel more connected to peers. Especially for English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners, music might serve as a bridge—both cognitively and socially.
The Action Research: From Theory to Practice
In autumn 2021, I conducted a small-scale action research project in my Year 6 classroom at a multilingual international school in Copenhagen. The class had 16 students across three language proficiency levels: beginners, intermediate learners, and near-native speakers.
For four weeks, I integrated music into science lessons, using two instructional formats to teach key terminology:
1. Listen-and-repeat (spoken)
2. Listen-and-sing (melodic)
Each lesson introduced 10 new science terms. Half were taught through conventional repetition, and half through songs composed specifically for the lesson, using pentatonic scales and simple chord progressions—a structure found to be universally accessible and neurologically comforting (McFerrin, 2010; Koskoff, 1984).
Students then completed recall tasks to measure how well they retained the terms under each condition. Focus groups and mood questionnaires were also used to gather qualitative feedback.
In addition, students were invited to compose and perform their own songs using scientific vocabulary—an activity that not only reinforced content, but allowed personal expression and creative engagement.
The Results: Singing Enhances Memory and Belonging
The outcomes were both measurable and meaningful.
What began as a pedagogical experiment quickly became a community-building tool.
Why It Worked: A Neuroscientific and Pedagogical Rationale
There are strong scientific reasons behind these results.
Singing involves rhythm, melody, and repetition—features that naturally support the development of prosody (the patterns of stress and intonation in speech), which is critical for EAL learners (Brandt et al., 2012). Music also engages multiple areas of the brain, helping with encoding and retrieving new vocabulary (Zhao & Kuhl, 2016).
Crucially, singing reduces the cognitive load of language learning by offering predictable structures and emotional cues. When students feel relaxed and connected, their brains are more receptive to new information.
This effect is magnified when music is used not in isolation but as part of a structured interdisciplinary approach, combining content learning with language acquisition strategies such as Krashen’s Comprehensible Input and Sheltered Subject-Matter teaching (Krashen & Terrell, 1983).
Practical Implications: Music as a Cross-Curricular Strategy
So how can teachers use this in practice—even if they’re not musically trained?
- Use simple, familiar tunes: Repurpose melodies students already know (e.g. folk songs or pop choruses) to teach subject-specific vocabulary.
- Integrate singing into routines: Begin or end lessons with content-rich songs tied to the curriculum.
- Invite student co-creation: Let learners write their own science songs or raps—especially powerful for engagement and ownership.
- Focus on rhythm and repetition: These support both memory and pronunciation.
- Collaborate with music teachers: Cross-disciplinary planning can unlock new possibilities.
This doesn’t require an overhaul of your curriculum—just a willingness to make space for musical thinking as part of your pedagogical toolkit.
Conclusion: Beyond the Music Room
Music is not just an “extra.” It’s a profound human connector. When used intentionally, it can dismantle language barriers, build inclusive learning spaces, and support deeper understanding.
For students navigating new languages and cultures, singing isn’t just a way to memorise science terms—it’s a way to feel seen, heard, and part of a community.
Educators in international contexts would do well to ask: how might our classrooms sound if learning were allowed to sing?
About the Author
Adrian Estevez is Vice Principal and Head of Cambridge at Bjørn’s International School in Copenhagen. With over a decade of experience in multilingual, intercultural educational settings, he specialises in systems thinking, inclusive pedagogy, and strategic leadership. Adrian holds advanced degrees in education and creative arts therapy from UCL and UVic, and the Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard University. His work bridges research, practice, and innovation to support meaningful learning and school improvement.