Music, the Communicator of Language
Introduction
There are many ways to learn a foreign language, it doesn’t have to be in a school environment, just find what works for you. Learning methods that are just about passing exams make people lack initiative, whereas language learning is more about exploring the world and a country’s culture, which is much more motivating.
According to surveys, the most successful way for learners to learn a language is to not even realize that you’re learning it, for example one of the ways to do this is by watching films and music in the language you’re learning.
Numerous studies have shown that the integration of music into language learning, and in particular the integration of musical rhythms into language, has a significant effect on enhancing memorization. This music learning app allows users to learn different foreign languages while listening to music. The process of enjoying popular music and chanting the lyrics of popular songs will invariably lead to the learning of colloquial expressions in phrases.
Value Proposition
APP allows foreign language music lovers to become more familiar with foreign language lyrics, to be able to sing along with the melody in its entirety, to be able to understand the lyrics as well as be able to know exactly what the lyrics mean when they are catchy. It also allows learners who are studying a foreign language to have a relaxing way they like to learn a foreign language through music.
How MIU Works
The main function of the app is that it can translate the lyrics and label each word phonetically to help the user pronounce it accurately. It also allows users to take a daily quiz after listening to each song to check their progress.
The secondary function of the APP is for the fan base, and the player has three modes when listening to a song, in addition to the learning mode and normal listening mode, there is also a concert mode. This mode allows users to use it as a lyrics teleprompter when watching a concert. In noisy environments this function plays the song in a muted way, so that each line of lyrics labeled with a phonetic symbol starts to scroll automatically in time with the rhythm of the song sung by the singer, so that the user can see the lyrics and at the same time know how to pronounce each line of the lyrics.
User research
Information comes from questionnaire I posted on social media.
According to the 26 questionnaires I collected. In the process of language learning, they all prefer to learn in a fun way, and watching foreign language videos and listening to foreign language music to learn a language is more efficient than just rote memorization in books.
The questionnaire showed that 76% of users want to learn a language because they like foreign cultures and foreign idols. Most of the music apps they use provide the music they want to listen to, but lack the features that would allow them to learn it more deeply and make it catchy for their idols’ songs.
User Personas
The main users are mainly the fan base and to a lesser extent the music lovers who are interested in music in foreign languages. The fan base includes users who want to be able to communicate properly with their idol’s language, who are eager to learn a new language, and who want to be able to sing all of their idol’s songs at concerts.
Design Process
LOGO
My intention for the logo was to use the music element as the base and the name of the brand to assist in the design of the logo, and in the end, I chose this logo made up of a circle between the sketches, the circle represents the world, and MIU is the connecting hub. Even if we have different languages and different alphabets, we have music, music connects us, and music has both a national stylistic tradition and a universal beauty. It helps learners to dissolve psychological barriers of religion, geography and race, and to appreciate different cultures with an open and transgressive mind. Music allows us to familiarize ourselves with each other, become friends, and build a world full of art.
Style Tile
Wireframing
Final Prototype
Summary
Music and language are deeply connected, as both are forms of communication that can convey emotions and ideas. Lyrics are an important part of modern music and evoke strong emotions in the listener. Incorporating music into language learning is very beneficial to the mastery of the phonological system. The rhythms in songs reveal the natural variations in voice intonation in spoken foreign languages. As well as music being very beneficial to the learning and appreciation of cultural differences, lyrics it can help convey cultural and historical significance. With the rise of music software platforms, the multilingualization of music is likely to become more prevalent in the future, bringing people from different parts of the world closer together through the power of MIU.
Credits:
Designer: Jing Ning
Instructor: Courtney Spencer, Tyler School of Art, Temple University
