Songlingo
Learn languages through music
Idea in Education
Introduction
Songlingo is an app and website that helps people learn languages through songs.
The most common approach to bridging language barriers is to teach languages in a class environment. Music is often used in classrooms to enhance learning, and studies show it is very beneficial. My goal with Songlingo is to integrate these traditional language learning techniques with modern technology, so that people all over the world, regardless of socioeconomic status, can access a high-quality language education to help overcome language barriers.
Other platforms utilize music in a game to fill in words from the song, but do not promote understanding of the words. Some of them lack a translation. Songlingo’s goal is for the user to learn and retain words they have never encountered. Because it’s fun and engaging, users are more likely to continue learning through the application.
Problem
Upon moving to South Florida after 9th grade, I was struck by the communication barriers that existed due to language differences. Over 25% of my county’s population speaks Spanish, and almost 40% of that group speaks limited English. Knowing little Spanish at the time, I quickly realized the communication challenges both for me and for non-English speakers.
In a local youth group where I was a kindergarten counselor, a child who had recently emigrated from South America spoke no English. It pained me how hard it was for him to make friends, as he couldn’t communicate with the other children. Not only did Joaquin not speak English, no one in his family did – creating a myriad of issues for them. I set out on a journey to find ways to help rectify this language barrier.
Opportunity
An app and website where the user can enter any song in a target language and review its lyrics, translation, and auto-generated flashcards. The song’s music video also appears, allowing the user to listen to the song in its native language. There is an option to save vocabulary words for future study. The process facilitates a deeper understanding of the song, associated culture, and language.