In my life, I’ve had the opportunity to attend several events and all type of concertes in Europe and also in South America. And I would like to use this space to particularly recall one specific event, the legendary Glastonbury Festival, which is like the British Woodstock, a super iconic event that takes place once a year. We saw firsthand how it combines an excellent lineup of music acts with international and cultural acts all in one place.What fascinated us the most about this epic festival, Glastonbury, is that beyond its fame and renown, every year it breaks new ground with its offerings.
It’s also a melting pot of musical genres: rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic, a bit of everything! But this isn’t just a festival to enjoy live music with your group of friends and have a drink to cool off. We also noticed that it helped us improve our English. The festival headliners are the cream of the crop of the music world. Their lyrics not only entertain you and put you in the best mood to enjoy the day, but they also provide a great window into the culture and the English language, helping us continue to practice pronunciation and grammar skills.
Seeing international artists like The Strokes, The Weeknd, or Tiesto allowed us to explore genres we didn’t particularly like before, but we could understand their lyrics thanks to the clarity of their voices. The method we used with my friends last year for learning at Glastonbury is super innovative. On one hand, we enjoyed artists we already knew, discovered new gems that I still listen to today, and improved our vocabulary to the point where we were expressing ourselves almost 80% in English.
This is truly what we wanted to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves to improve our level no matter what.It’s not just being in class and reading books; it immerses us in a really cool and vibrant environment where we can actually practice and improve the English naturally. Almost without trying, I was memorizing new words and their uses.
This not only helps us understand better when others speak to us and what others want, but also gives you the confidence to express better, which is a big deal. In other words, learning English with the music of Glastonbury is like that beat that resonates in your ears while you keep partying. Not only do you improve the English level you have in an nice and fun way, but you also connect with music and culture on a level that few methods can offer. So if you have the opportunity, dive into Glasto and enjoy this unique experience!
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.
