Why Learning Guitar in English Works (And the Research Behind It)
- ryanboisselle
- May 18
- 3 min read
A lot of people who want to improve their English try the most obvious thing:
conversation lessons.
And sure, they can help.
But if you’ve ever done eikaiwa-style conversation practice, you probably know the problem:
Sometimes it doesn’t feel like real communication. It feels like… performing conversation.
I should know. I worked at a one of the big boy Eikaiwas for a while when I first moved here!
So here’s a question that’s way more interesting (and honestly, more practical):
What if you learned something real through English instead?
Like guitar.
Not “English class, then guitar later.” But guitar lessons where English is naturally used the whole time.
That approach is actually supported by research in language education, and it also matches what I see constantly in real lessons.
The research idea (in plain English)
There’s a whole approach in language education called CLIL:Content and Language Integrated
Learning.
It basically means: learn a real subject through the target language.
And when researchers compare CLIL to non-CLIL instruction, the results tend to be positive. For example, a 2025 multi-level meta-analysis found CLIL was “significantly more effective than non-CLIL for FL learning” and saw particularly strong effects for speaking.
So no, this doesn’t mean “guitar lessons magically replace English study.”But it does support the idea that using a language while doing something meaningful is powerful — especially for speaking.
Why guitar lessons create “natural English” (without forcing it)
This is the part that matters for real people.
A guitar lesson is a shared task. You’re not just sitting there trying to invent topics. You’re doing something together, and that creates constant, real communication.
In a typical lesson, English happens in tiny, natural moments like:
“Let’s try that again, slowly.”
“Very good!”
“Use your third finger.”
“What did you to on the weekend?”
“Slow it down.”
“How do you feel?”
“What is your favorite chord?”
That’s real language use tied to real action.
And that connects nicely to the task-based/communicative side of language teaching, where the idea is that language used for meaningful tasks promotes learning and that real communication is essential.
Guitar lessons naturally create that environment.
Why this can feel easier than “conversation lessons”
Here’s the sneaky benefit:
In a guitar lesson, you’re not thinking:
“Am I interesting? Am I making mistakes? Am I being judged?”
You’re thinking:
“Can I play this well?”
So English becomes a tool, not a performance.
That lowers pressure, which makes speaking easier. And when speaking is easier, people speak more. When people speak more, they improve.
It’s not magic. It’s just a better setup.
What kind of English improves the most?
This isn’t IELTS essay English.
It’s the type of English people actually use in real life:
listening comprehension (instructions, quick feedback)
quick responses
asking questions naturally
describing problems (“my fingers hurt,” “I can’t stretch,” “I keep hitting the wrong string”)
confidence speaking in short bursts
And over time, those short bursts stack up into longer, more natural speech.
How to do it “right” (so it actually helps your English)
If you’re learning guitar through English, a few things make it work way better:
English first, Japanese allowed when needed. (No shame. The goal is communication.)
Keep phrases short and repeatable.
Use the same core “classroom English” every week.
Make the student talk in small ways:
“That's hard!”
“It's fun!”
“This is a G chord.”
“See you next week!”
The point isn’t to force long conversation.
The point is to create lots of small, real speaking moments that happen naturally.
The bigger takeaway
If your goal is real speaking ability, then “more speaking” isn’t the whole answer.
More meaningful speaking is.
That’s why learning something real through English can work so well.
And that’s basically what a guitar lesson in English is:a small, fun version of content-based
learning… with a ton of natural task communication built in.
Want to try a guitar lesson in English (or Japanese too)?
If you want to learn guitar while also building natural English speaking confidence, I teach
private guitar lessons in Takadanobaba and online.
Lessons are available in English and Japanese, and we’ll focus on real music, and the real communication that naturally comes with it.
If you’re interested, check out the trial lesson page here:
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