November 7, 2014

Learn Spanish with Songs

One of the easiest and most engaging ways to improve your Spanish is listen to and sing songs.  When you learn Spanish with songs it can help you in these ways:

  • Repeatedly listening to a song accomplishes the important step of repetition.
  • There is research that points to the positive role song plays in language learning – in the areas of tone, rhythm and memory which are all basic to both music and language.
  • The process of repeatedly listening to and practicing a song is not boring; in fact, most people find that it’s fun and emotionally rewarding.
  • Singing a song out loud (singing along with a recording, alone or with others) is a great way to practice pronunciation and self-expression.
  • Songs help us expand our vocabulary and ways of expressing ourselves beyond our ‘comfort zone.’

Here is a song, Canción de Adiós, that’s good for learning Spanish because it’s clear and easy to hear the words, and the song is melodically simple. The song was written and performed by Andrea Galindo-Escamilla who is a member of Rice University’s Mariachi Luna Llena Band.

 

If you’d like to view the video directly on YouTube (where you will be able to see the video in higher resolution), click here.

Below are the full lyrics of the song along with the English translation. Enjoy singing along with the song – and even memorizing it so that you can sing to yourself while you drive. Canción de Adiós has a rich vocabulary and has 7 instances of subjunctive mood verbs and this can be very helpful; we English speakers learning Spanish often find the frequent use of the subjunctive  in Spanish a little challenging.

Canción de Adiós

Que en la vida te encontraraThat in life I found you
y que enseguida te amaraand that immediately I loved you
fue el destino que seguí.was the destiny I followed.
Poco a poco fue creciendoLittle by little it grew
este amor que floreciendothis love that flourishing
ahora tiene que morir.now has to die.
La distancia tiene culpaThe distance has blame
pero no tiene disculpabut it doesn't have justification
que no lucharas por mí.that you wouldn't fight for me.
Vete ya, no tengas dudaGo away now, don't doubt
que en mi corazón se quedathat in my heart remains
este amor que es para tí.this love that is for you.
Quién no sabe en este mundoWho doesn't know in this world
que al amar se da la vidathat when loving one gives one's life
y se entrega el corazón.and one surrenders one's heart.
Es por eso que hoy lloroThat is why today I cry
por amarte y adorartefor loving you and adoring you
y aun así decirte adiós.and yet tell you good bye.
Ojalá que nuestra historiaHopefully our story
permanezca en tu memoriaremains in your memory
y vuelvas a ser feliz.and you are happy again.
Sigue ahora tu caminoContinue now your way
así lo quiso el destinothat is how destiny wanted it
que no fueras para mí.that you were not for me.
Te doy gracias por tu tiempoI thank you for your time
por crear tantos recuerdosfor creating so many memories
de mi vida junto a ti.of my life with you.
Quiero que sepas que el llantoI want you to know that the tears
también se convierte en canto,also transform into song,
y así nació esta canción.and that is how this song was born.
Quién no sabe en este mundo Who doesn't know in this world
que al amar se da la vida that when loving one gives one's life
y se entrega el corazón.and one surrenders one's heart.
Es por eso que hoy lloroThat is why today I cry
por amarte y adorartefor loving you and adoring you
y aun así decirte adiós.and yet tell you good bye.
learn Spanish with songs. Andrea Galindo-Escamilla
Andrea Galindo-Escamilla, composer of Canción de Adiós

 

The Pars Omni Spanish Voices program that you saw in action in the video above is a language acquisition and language learning tool that can help you become more fluent in Spanish.  It gives you access to dozens of recorded, unrehearsed conversations (and songs) with native Spanish speakers. Download Pars Omni Spanish Voices to find out how it can help you become fluent in Spanish.

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Antonio


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