Adele’s songs provide an intimate look into personal stories, making her lyrics a powerful tool for learning English. In “Someone Like You,” she uses simple yet profound language, as seen in the lyric, “I heard that you’re settled down / That you found a girl and you’re married now.” This sentence is a great example of past simple tense and provides vocabulary related to personal life events. The clarity of her articulation also makes it a useful line for pronunciation practice.
Her song “Hello” uses conversational language that helps in understanding daily English dialogue. The opening lines, “Hello, it’s me / I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet,” are perfect for learners to practice common greetings and the structure of polite requests. This song also demonstrates the use of conditional sentences and introduces the concept of reflecting on past actions with current implications.
In “Set Fire to the Rain,” Adele explores metaphors and complex emotional vocabulary. The chorus, “I set fire to the rain / And I threw us into the flames,” offers learners a chance to explore metaphorical language used to express deep emotions and conflict. The verbs “set” and “threw” are also excellent for discussing action and consequence, crucial aspects of storytelling in English.
“Rolling in the Deep” provides an exploration of idiomatic expressions and more informal English through its chorus, “You could have had it all / Rolling in the deep.” The phrase “rolling in the deep” is an idiom that implies having a profound, often tumultuous experience, showcasing how English uses idiomatic expressions to convey complex emotions and situations.
Through her live performances and interviews, Adele often uses a range of colloquialisms and spontaneous speech. Observing her informal language usage gives learners exposure to real-life English, where they can hear idioms, phrasal verbs, and the natural flow of conversation. Her clear speech during these interactions is an excellent model for learners looking to understand and use English fluently and authentically.
Mateo Rivas
Music & Culture Editor
Mateo Rivas is a Music & Culture Editor who explores how songs, artists, festivals, and pop culture can make English easier to remember.
