Abstract
The effects of musical activities on non-musical domains have recently sparked much research. Whereas the benefits of music for native language abilities are well established, the effect on second language (L2) is not yet fully explored. This review discusses articles suggesting the transfer effect of music on L2 phonological and reading skills. Through the analysis of research literature, it examines; (1) the extent of transfer to specific L2 skills, the nature of necessary music training, the effect of native language on musicality and L2, and the role of working memory in the transfer effect. While the discussed papers provide promising insights into the music-L2 relationship, due to the little research done in this area it is difficult to generalize the results to overall L2 learning.
Highlights
MethodsThe article employs a method of research literature analysis to examine the possible benefits of music education and expertise on L2 skills.Systematic search for peer-reviewed articles was carried out in EBSCOhost (PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO), Scopus and Web of Science databases, using the keywords “music”, in combination with “second language”, “L2”, and/or “foreign language”.Inclusion criteria were defined as the regency of the article (i.e. not older than 7 years) and the impact factor (higher than 1.5) of the journals included in ©Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports
Perhaps due to the smaller sample, the length of musical education was not significantly correlated with pitch perception, L2 pronunciation or working memory (WM) within the group of musically trained individuals
Summary of the main findings It is evident from the aforementioned studies that musical training and aptitude, as well as the resulting musical expertise, positively alter aspects of L2 proficiency
Summary
The article employs a method of research literature analysis to examine the possible benefits of music education and expertise on L2 skills.Systematic search for peer-reviewed articles was carried out in EBSCOhost (PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO), Scopus and Web of Science databases, using the keywords “music”, in combination with “second language”, “L2”, and/or “foreign language”.Inclusion criteria were defined as the regency of the article (i.e. not older than 7 years) and the impact factor (higher than 1.5) of the journals included in ©Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports. The article employs a method of research literature analysis to examine the possible benefits of music education and expertise on L2 skills. Initial search in November 2012 combined with a more updated search in January 2014 yielded 56 hits, 13 of which were included in the present article’s analysis. Among these 56 hits, there were a relatively restricted number of articles within the chosen particular topic (i.e., music’s effect on L2), few were excluded in practice. I chose articles that concentrated on the psychological aspects of the music-L2 relationship, following an experimental psychology perspective and methodology as well as using quantitative statistical analysis of data. The chosen papers were selected to represent as many linguistic subdomains and as wide a range of musical activities as possible
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