Welcome back to Fan Chant, a weekly column for K-pop fans, followers, and newbies. This week, a language expert discusses how music can help our brains learn faster. And PS: if you love reading Fan Chant, you can do it. subscribe Head over to my complimentary newsletter to get it delivered straight to your inbox each week!
It's a long-running joke within the BTS fandom, and one that has had waves of resurgence in the age of TikTok: we are all fluent in Korean when “Just One Day” comes on. The song appeared back in 2014 (a decade ago!) on the band's second EP, Skool Luv Affairbut it has remained in heavy rotation for the last ten years.
As ARMY members can attest, there's something about that chorus that flows so smoothly; Even those of us who are not familiar with the language managed to learn it quickly and easily. Personally, I know some basics; I can introduce myself and count to three, but I can't read Hangul and have yet to tackle the complicated grammar and sentence structure. I think I'd be pretty unstoppable as an interviewer if I could speak Korean, so maybe this is the universe that keeps me balanced. But anyway, put on “Just One Day” and I'm locked in.
According to a study commissioned by the people of LTL Language School, this phenomenon makes sense. “The intersection of entertainment and education underscores how music acts as a gateway to language acquisition,” they explain, naming the song as an example of “easing the path to learning Korean.”
In the case of “Just One Day” in particular, which they consider “one of the most accessible songs to follow if you are trying to learn Korean,” the clear pronunciation of the members, the relaxing nature of the song, and the emotional delivery of BTS It combines to make it much easier to understand. Even listeners who could never begin to translate word for word understand the message and themes being communicated, but those who do have a foundation to begin translating in their heads will be in a great place.
According to these researchers, BTS's music is also a great starting point for other reasons. Longtime members of the fandom already know this, but the wealth of resources available to people curious to delve into lyrical translations is vast and rich. The studio goes on to mention some other K-pop favorites, like IU's “Lilac,” which is also so dreamy and wonderful, but I'd love to hear more songs that you've discovered have that magical effect on your brain. In the meantime, I'll give this classic a spin.
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