Whistle while you work

We have been quite quiet recently, working on all our projects; but fear not, we are back! From now on, you will be able to read our latest blog post each week! Helpful, fun and wonderfully inquisitive is what we are aiming for, just like all of us here at Intrawelt!

One thing that is not so quiet and that we find very curious, is listening to music at work, or whilst working. Translation and revision are very complicated processes and, here at Intrawelt, things to which we give our full attention every day. However, everybody is different and opts for their own working style. Many people say music helps them concentrate and increases their productivity, yet an equal amount say it hinders them.

Of course, this all depends on what type of music you are listening to; not necessarily just the genre, but also how much you like it and how well you know it. Studies show that background music increases productivity by improving your mood. Experts recommend songs with no lyrics, songs you are very familiar with, or sounds-of-nature soundtracks, as these are the categories that are most likely to help you focus.

Music can be especially helpful when it comes to comparing documents with lots of numbers as part of a revision, or if the document is particularly repetitive; it keeps you motivated and moving. In the article, Background music can aid second language learning, H. J. Kang and V. J. Williamson provide an incredibly interesting analysis of the effects music has on cognitive tasks. They state that: “Music that is low in complexity has been associated with improved performance on language learning tasks”. So, not only does music boost your mood and efficiency in the office, it can also help with your language acquisition skills! A pretty handy tool for all the aspiring linguists out there!