I notice several students listening to music while busy at work. I have no good reason to ask that they remove their headphones and turn off their devices. As I walk around the room, I admire the elegant, concise prose each produces.
I ask one student why music helps her concentrate. "It soothes me and makes me less stressed," she says. "Plus, Ed Sheeran is just awesome."
As a college student, I spent countless hours studying in a dark corner of the Brandeis University Library. Often, I would lose track of time and wonder about seeing the sun again. Once, my mother called to ask why I hadn't yet returned home for Thanksgiving. I had forgotten about the holiday, focused on getting a jump-start on a major history paper while listening to Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road" on repeat.
Placing aside the issue of my self-induced exile, for me as well, music offered not only comfort but also increased focus -- or so I thought, at least until coming across the work of Dr. Nick Perham, a lecturer in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.
Perham's 2010 study, "Can preference for background music mediate the irrelevant sound effect?", shows how music can interfere with short-term memory performance.
I recently spoke with Perham, who told me about the "irrelevant sound effect." This involves a subject conducting a certain task, in this case recalling a series of numbers, while listening to different kinds of background music. If sound exhibits acoustical variations, or what Perham calls an "acute changing-state," performance is impaired. Steady-state sounds with little acoustical variation don't impair performance nearly as much.
I'm also interested by another of Perham's conclusions. "We found that listening to liked or disliked music was exactly the same, and both were worse than the quiet control condition," he says. "Both impaired performance on serial-recall tasks."
Still, I'm curious how prevalent serial-recall is in everyday life, and if one could get by without developing this skill. Unlikely, Perham says, as one would have tremendous difficulty recalling phone numbers, doing mental arithmetic, and even learning languages.
"Requiring the learning of ordered information has also been found to underpin language learning. If you consider language, learning syntax of language, learning the rules that govern how we put a sentence together, all of these require order information . . . " Perham says.
Perham asked his subjects how they think they performed when exposed to different tastes in music. Each reported performing much worse when listening to disliked music, although the study's results showed no difference.
I presented Perham's findings to my students, many of whom still refused to accept that listening to music while studying impairs performance. I even gave one of these otherwise bright and thoughtful individuals early access to my podcast interview with Perham.
"I enjoy listening to music while doing math," she says. "It really helps me think, and I won't stop listening even with the results of this study."
My student is mistaken, but Perham explains that she should listen to music before getting to work, to engage what's known as the "arousal and mood effect." In fact, as long as she does something enjoyable before hitting the books -- whether it's listening to music or doing anything else -- past studies have shown that this can produce the same positive effect on performance.
I ask Perham then about the so-called "Mozart effect," which, in one early experiment, gave individuals who had recently listened to the famous classical composer enhanced spatial-rotation skills. When they stopped listening and were asked to cut and fold paper, they performed better than when listening to something else.
"Subsequent studies suggested that this wasn't correct," Perham says.
Instead, improved performance had more to do with the preference of sound one listened to before engaging in such work.
"They found it if you like listening to Stephen King's stories," Perham says. "It wasn't anything to do with classical music or Mozart, it was to do on whether you liked [listening to] something or not."
In one of his more recent studies, Perham says, he found that reading while listening to music, especially music with lyrics, impairs comprehension. In this case, it's spoken lyrics, not acoustical variation that impairs productivity.
"You've got semantic information that you're trying to use when you're reading a book, and you've got semantic information from the lyrics," Perham says. "If you can understand the lyrics, it doesn't matter whether you like it or not, it will impair your performance of reading comprehension."
In conducting my own little experiment, I decided to write this article in complete silence. These days, I write while listening to Dave Matthews, John Mayer and other "chill" music. I'm not sure if or how this fits exactly into Perham's findings, but I finished writing in about half the time it normally takes me for something of this length.
At the very least, here's to hoping that my experiment will entice my students to also give it a try.
Editor's note: A PDF transcript of David Cutler's interview with Dr. Nick Perham is available on Spin Education, where this post originally appeared.
Music là một topic thường gặp trong IELTS Speaking. Và bạn có khá nhiều điều để nói với topic này đó. Hãy cùng Ms.Jenny "kể" theo topic này nhé. Những câu hỏi và bài mẫu band 8+ dưới đây hy vọng giúp các bạn tham khảo cho bài thi của mình ấn tượng hơn nhé.
I. IELTS SPEAKING PART 1 SAMPLE ANSWER TOPIC MUSIC
1. Do you like listening to music?
Yes, of course, I’ve always been a big fan of music since I was a little girl. I’m really into going to a lot of music festival such as Thơm which was held in Saigon at Hoa Lư stadium. Sometimes I alsolisten to music before sleeping at night for one hour and when I am riding my motorbike, which will both help me relax and feel more energetic when I hear the tune.
2. What kinds of music do you like to listen to?
For me, I am interested in the traditional instrumental music, like pianos and guitars. It is an impressive combination that can give you a both nostalgic and modern feelings. Normally on rainy days, opening acoustics songs and sing along to my favorite Vũ hits, have a cuppa and let my hair down, music will do the rest.
3. Do you play any kinds of musical instruments?
Due to my total lack of rhythm and the fact that I am tone deaf, I would not even consider embarrassing myself with any attempt to play a musical instrument. On a related subject, on the rare occasion that I attempt to sing a hymn in church, along with everyone else.
- Lack of rhythm /læk/ /əv/ /ˈrɪð.əm/ : không cảm thụ được giai điệu
- Tone-deaf /ˌtəʊnˈdef/: điếc giai điệu không thể nhận ra các nốt nhạc khác nhau hoặc hát các giai điệu một cách chính xác.
- Embarrassing /ɪmˈbær.ə.sɪŋ/ : Cảm thấy xấu hổ
- Attempt /əˈtempt/ : Cố gắng làm điều gì đó.
- Occasion /əˈkeɪ.ʒən/: dịp đặc biệt.
4. How do you feel when you listen to this music?
Listening to music makes me feel at peace when I need to relax. Certain types of music, like Lofi, also help me concentrate when I'm working. I need to listen to upbeat music while exercising as well. It pumps me up and motivates me to push through a hard workout.
5. What kinds of music do you like to listen to?
My music taste varies widely from West to East and from the 90s to modern EDM. But if Korean pop is considered as a kind of music, then yeah, that’s my favorite of all time. More than half of my playlists are Korean songs and I always keep myself updated with the news related to Korean showbiz.
6. How much time do you spend listening to music every day?
As I’ve mentioned I prefer working in silence. To put it simply, no music is allowed during my working hours. After a long day at school, I probably want to pump myself up for like half an hour with music to help me stay energetic so I can get back to work later.
7. Do you like any foreign celebrities?
Absolutely. The person that I have had a soft spot for is Miley Cyrus. I guess most people at the same age as me grew up with Disney Channel and among its successful series, Hannah Montanah starring Miley Cyrus would always be on top of my list. Although now she’s grown up, I’m still a big fan of her amazing voice and highly inspiring songs.
8. Would you like to become a widely-known celebrity? Why?
Well though I’ve never thought about it, I’m pretty sure that rising to stardom would never be one of my life goals. I appreciate all the efforts that celebrities, no matter which field they’re working on, are making every single day. However, I find myself not belong to that world, I mean, you never know what’s going on when the curtains close, right? So yeah, I don’t think I want to become a global superstar, to be honest.
Xem thêm bài mẫu Part 1 theo chủ đề hay khác: Tuyển tập bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 1
Các cụm từ cần ghi nhớ
- keep oneself updated with: bắt kịp với xu hướng gì
- pump sb up: làm cho ai vui lên
- have a soft spot for: thích cái gì
- stardom[n]: sự nổi tiếng
II. IELTS SPEAKING PART 2 TOPIC MUSIC
Describe a song that you like.
You should say about:
- What its name is;
- What kind of music it is;
- Where/ When you first heard it;
- And explain why you like it.
Answer: Honestly, I am a huge fan of music and definitely I spend most of my free time listening to pop music in particular. Today I would like to tell you about my all-time favorite song, whose name is “Yesterday once more” by the international acclaimed band: The Carpenters.
Reason: I first heard this song on the radio in a bookshop when I was just 15 years old. First, what I like most about this song is that it has a simple but meaningful flow.
Example: The song’s genre is pop, and the rhythm is slow and the singer’s voice and the melody make a perfect combination. In addition, it has nostalgic lyrics, which brings back good memory from the past, for example when I was at high school having fun with my friends or when I spent good time with my family during trips.
Reason: Second, the very sweet melody of this song helps me recharge my battery after stressful lessons at work. Actually I am hooked every time I heard this because it is also a childhood memory.
Example: I grew up singing and listening to The Carpenters’ songs and to me, “Yesterday once more” is the best song on Earth. Listening to the song while having a bath or cooking after work is a very relaxing experience. I feel that I can let my hair down and get rid of all the stress or burden.
The song will forever be among my most favorite ones and I am sure to put it on repeat many more times!
Useful expressions
1. Vocabulary
• All-time favorite song [n] bài hát ưa thích mọi thời đại
• International acclaimed band [n] nhóm nhạc nổi tiếng trên toàn thế giới world-famous band [n]
• Genre [n] /ˈʒɑːn.rə/: thể loại
• Nostalgic [adj] /nɑˈstæl•dʒɪk/: hoài cổ
• Hooked [adj] /hʊkt/: phấn khích
• Childhood memory [n] /ˈtʃaɪld.hʊd ˈmem.ər.i /: ký ức tuổi thơ
2. Structures
• A huge fan of : Là một fan hâm mộ cuồng nhiệt của
I am a huge fan of movies so I often spend most of my free time watching famous films such as “The Great Gatsby”.
• Get rid of : bỏ, rũ bỏ
I think I should get rid of some bad habits such as staying up late or eating junk food on a regular basis.
• Put it on repeat: tua đi tua lại
My elder sister likes the song “Hello” by Adele so much that she usually puts it on repeat.
• Bring back good memory: nhắc lại ký ức đẹp đẽ
Whenever I go to Thu Le park, it often brings back good memory when I was just 4 or 5, I was often taken to the park by my parents.
• Grow up + Ving: lớn lên cùng những cái gì
The actor Leonardo DiCaprio has a great influence on me as I grew up watching his movies.
• Recharge my battery: hồi sức/ thêm năng lượng để làm gì
Taking photographs of little things in my house helps me recharge my battery after stressful hours at work.
3. Idiom
• To let one’s hair down: giải trí, thư giãn
Going to eat street food on the weekend is one of the best ways to let my hair down after a long week.
III. MỘT SỐ TỪ VỰNG VÀ BÀI MẪU HAY KHÁC
1. Từ vựng liên quan
- Catchy tune: Giai điệu lôi cuốn
E.g: I heard a catchy song the other day and now it's stuck in my head. [ Tôi đã nghe một điệu nhạc vào một ngày khác và bây giờ thì nó cứ mắc kẹt trong đầu tôi]
- Elevator music: Nhạc được chơi ở siêu thị, thang máy...thường lặp đi lặp lại, gây phiền nhiễu
E.g: Yesterday I heard a very annoying elevator music in the local supermarket. [ Ngày hôm qua, Tôi đã nghe một điệu nhạc rất khó chịu ở siêu thị địa phương]
- Live music: Nhạc trực tiếp, không phải thu âm
E.g: I prefer listening to a live music than to a recording. It's much more emotional and energetic. [ Tôi thích nghe nhạc sống hơn là thu âm. Nó có nhiều cảm xúc và năng lượng]
- Music to one's ears: Âm nhạc rót vào tai, ý bảo nghe dễ chịu
E.g: When my teacher told me that I got the highest mark in the class for the assignment, it was like music to my ears. [Khi thầy giáo nói với tôi rằng tôi đã đạt điểm cao, nó giống như âm nhạc rót vào tai, dễ chịu]
- Opera: Nhạc opera. Đây là kiểu biểu diễn mà người ca sĩ, diễn viên hát kiểu âm thanh cao trên sân khấu riêng với dàn nhạc xung quanh.
E.g: I often listen to classical music and go to opera. [Tôi thường nghe nhạc cổ điển và đến sân khấu opera]
- Ringtone: Nhạc chuông, Âm thanh vang lên khi ai đó gọi tới
E.g: I set my favourite song as a ringtone on my cell phone. [ Tôi đặt bài hát yêu thích làm nhạc chuông của tôi]
- Rock band: Ban nhạc rock
E.g: Last week I was on my favourite rock band's concert. [ Tuần trước, tôi đã đến buổi hòa nhạc của ban nhạc rock yêu thích của tôi]
- Tone deaf: Không phân biệt được giai điệu
E.g: Alhough I'm tone deaf, I'd like to learn to sing properly in the future. [ Mặc dù tôi không phân biệt được giai điệu, tôi muốn học hát đúng cách trong tương lai]
- Tuneful: Êm tai
E.g: I heard a tuneful choir of birds yesterday morning. [ Tôi đã nghe thấy một hợp xướng êm tai từ những chú chim sáng hôm qua]
Một số từ khác:
- Relaxing: Thư giãn
- Leisure: Thời gian rảnh rỗi
- Mood savor: Tâm trạng
- Revitalize: Mang lại cuộc sống mới, năng lượng thành công...cho điều gì
- All types: Tất cả các thể loại nhạc
- Music genre: Thể loại nhạc
- Classical, country music, pop music, love music: Nhạc cổ điển, nhạc đồng quê, nhạc pop, nhạc trữ tình
- Touches my heart: Chạm đến trái tim
- Excitement: Trạng thái xúc động hoặc cảm xúc mạnh
- Rhythm: Nhịp điệu
- Harmony: Sự hòa âm, sự hài hòa
- Seductive melody: Giai điệu quyến rũ
- Soothing: Dịu dàng
- Passion: Sự say mê
- Nostalgic: Hoài niệm
- Diverse taste: Cảm nhận đa dạng
2. BÀI MẪU SPEAKING PART 1 TOPIC MUSIC
Do you like listening to the music on a regular basis?
Yes, without a doubt. I like different music genres and I listen to various tunes almost every day. I do not like elevator music, thoug. It makes me bored and annoyed
Have you ever been interested in singing?
No, not really. I took singing classes when I was younger, but, unfortunately, I am tone deaf, so I can't sing very well
Can you say that music is a very important part of your life?
No, I can't. Although I enjoy music and listen to classical music every now and then, I'm not obsessed with it.
Do you like music?
Yes, of course I like music. I couldn’t live without it. It’s what allows us to escape from reality. Furthermore, it connects people. I think no matter what country, religion, or culture we come from, we all enjoy music.
What kind of music do you like?
Well, this is a bit of a tough question because I have a diverse taste in music, but I’ll say my favorites are modern pop, 90’s alternative, and hip-hop of all ages. I can always sing along to pop songs and I enjoy keeping up with the modern hits. 90’s alternative takes me back to my childhood and makes me feel so nostalgic. Lastly, who can resist moving and shaking when you hear hip-hop beats?
Do you think music will change in the future?
As with all things, I believe music will continue to change in the future. Firstly, I believe it will rely on technology even more than now. I wonder if there will even be like humans playing music then. I could imagine robots playing songs that are programmed into their brains. It’s tough to say!
Nguồn bài mẫu: ielts-up.com
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