Survey says ESL teachers use The Beatles to help students learn English

A new study has found that 40 percent of surveyed ESL teachers play songs by The Beatles to help their students learn English.Research by Kaplan International Colleges, a leading provider of English courses, revealed that 86 percent of ESL teachers play music during class to enhance lessons and help students improve their understanding of the English language.Kaplan discovered that The Beatles were the most popular band used by ESL teachers, with 40 percent stating that they used the songs of The Fab Four such as "Hey Jude," "Love Me Do" and "A Hard Day's Night" during lessons. James McCartney, son of Paul McCartney, said, in a press release, "What a great way to learn any language — by learning through music. Music is a universal language that can bridge the traditional language barrier, and the music of The Beatles has always been a bridge of love and communication. I think this is great." Runners up included Michael Jackson, Bob Marley and Elvis. One Direction, the latest band to be compared to The Beatles, came fifth with 3 percent. Kaplan surveyed more than 500 ESL teachers from 40 different countries to discover what tools they use to enhance their lessons.