Improving maths with music: BBC News Review

Can music improve maths results?

Scientists think so.

This is News Review from BBC Learning English, I'm Neil. And I'm Beth.

Make sure you watch to the end to learn vocabulary to talk about this story.

Don't forget to subscribe to our channel, like this video

and try the quiz on our website. Now, the story.

Music makes you better at maths.

That's according to a new study which found

that maths test scores increased after musical activity.

This includes singing, playing musical instruments, composing

and just listening. Researchers say

music makes maths more enjoyable and reduces fear and anxiety.

You've been looking at the headlines, Beth,

what's the vocabulary? We have taking up,

the equation and do better.

This is News Review from BBC Learning English.

Let's have a look at our first headline.

This is from Free Malaysia today.

Want to be better at mathematics?

Try taking up music.

So, this headline is suggesting that if you want to improve your mathematics,

you should take up music. Take up is the phrasal verb that we're looking at.

Can you tell us about it?

Yes. So, like all phrasal verbs, 'take up' has a lot of different meanings.

Here it means to start something new like a hobby or an activity.

So, the headline is saying take up music, meaning start doing

a music-related activity, which will help you with your maths.

Yes, but we can use

'take up' to talk about any activity that you start doing.

Now, I was feeling a

bit unfit recently, Beth.

I wanted to improve my health.

I decided to take up running.

I started running as a hobby.

Have you taken anything up recently?

Yeah. Well, I started playing the piano.

So, I could say that I have taken up the piano.

Yeah. And it might help you with your maths as well.

True. Let's look at that again.

Let's look at our next headline.

This is from Study Finds. Adding music to the equation leads

to better math scores for kids.

Yes. So, the headline explains the story.

Music is good for improving children's ability at mathematics.

We are looking at the words

'the equation' and we hear this connected to maths, Beth.

I'm going to read one out.

It's quite complicated. 3X + 1 = 19 if X = 6.

  That's an equation.

Yeah. You're hurting my brain!

That is a literal equation and it's very difficult.

Now, it is a problem that needs solving and that is really key

to understanding the metaphor 'the equation'.

Yes. And so in this headline, the equation doesn't mean that kind

of complex mathematical thing.

It just means a complex situation. And the equation in this situation

is maths, which is complicated for a lot of people and

by adding music to the equation,

it means that we're adding an extra element to an already complex situation.

OK. So this is also definitely a bit of a clever headline.

We can think of some other examples that aren't related to maths.

So, dealing with climate change is a complex equation for governments

because they want businesses to be happy,

but they also have to follow green policies.

And if you're starting a business, in general, you want to make as much money

as you can. You also want to really please your customers

so you need the right amount of staff.

That is a difficult equation to work out.

Let's look at that again.

Let's have our next headline.

This is from The Good News Network. Children do much better

in math when music is added to the lesson: new study.

So, we are looking at the short phrase 'do better'.

This is something, Beth,

I used to hear all the time when I was at school.

'Neil, you can do better if you stop talking and pay attention.'

OK, well, 'do better' means improve your performance.

So your teachers thought you'd improve if you stopped chatting.

This headline is saying that children will do better – improve at maths –

if they do some kind of music-related activity.

Can you give us another example?

Yes. So, I support a football team, which is really bad –

in the lowest division of English football.

They could 'do better'.

They could improve.

We also can use this to talk about someone's health.

So my auntie wasn't very well,

but now she's doing better – she's improving.

OK. And that's a good thing. We should mention that in the headline

it's 'do much better'.

You can also say 'do a lot better' or 'do significantly better'.

Yeah. Now, Beth, you're presenting today

has been OK. Thank you.

I think you could do better, though.

What?! Try to improve.

Let's look at that again.

We've had: taking up – starting a new activity,

the equation – a complex situation

and do better – improve performance.

Now in six-minute English we talked

about having a fear of numbers.

You can listen to that episode by clicking here.

Don't forget to click here to subscribe to our channel,

so you never miss another video.

Thanks for joining us. Bye!