About the Podcast
Have fun and . . . just keep singing!
Experienced ESL teachers, Ece and Heather, know that learning any language can be a challenge but can be more enjoyable when you add music. By using a wide variety of music types from different time periods, our goal is to make learning English easy and fun by singing your way to better English proficiency. In each episode, we will discuss the artist, the type of music, key vocabulary, and a specific language focus like pronunciation or grammar. You do not have to be a singing superstar to enjoy this podcast. We look forward to sharing our love of language learning and music with you!
Our Story
As both language learners and language teachers, we have always had a desire to use music to make learning languages fun and memorable. In 2017, this motivation led to the creation of an activity for our ESL students called, “Language Music Club.” We have used the lyrics and sounds of songs to help students practice pronunciation, learn new vocabulary, and have a better understanding of grammatical structures.
Our experience with Language Music Club eventually led us to the idea that we could share our love of using music to learn English to reach even more people by starting this podcast. After reviewing and revising content created for the Language Music Club, we wrote scripts and learned how to record. Then finally, the podcast, “English as a Singing Language” was born.
We hope you enjoy the podcast as much as we enjoy making it for you. Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions.
As always, have fun and…. just keep singing!
Meet the Hosts
Ece Ulus
My love of music came at an early age learning to play the piano and clarinet. Although my skills are mediocre, I have loved every aspect of playing music and hope to someday add the ukulele and oud to my musical instrument repertoire. My interest in languages came a little later, starting with learning German to teaching English abroad and in the US. I've learned that singing in different languages is both beneficial and fun.
Heather McNaught
I played the cello in my school and youth orchestras for many years, and I loved singing in my school choir. I also love learning languages and along the way, it has always somehow seemed easier to sing in another language than it is to speak in another language. Therefore, in my experience as an English teacher both in Taiwan and in the US, I am always thinking about ways to use music to make learning languages enjoyable.