ESL THROUGH QUEEN

Just as many have learnt English in order to read Shakespeare or sing along to The Beatles, Queen music can be a supplementary tool for those wanting to study English as a first, second or foreign language. For instance:

- Accent: The four of them speak a little differently actually, with Roger and Freddie getting somewhat closer to RP, Brian being an educated (but not posh) Londoner and John having a mixture of Leicester and BBC English.

- Briticisms: While their lyrics are generally 'universal' in the sense that they're not too full of slang, you can find the odd expression here and there (e.g. 'porky pies').

- Grammar: While Lennon & McCartney had some mistakes (from a prescriptive point of view) like 'she don't care' or 'you and me', Queen were more frequently spot on, for instance in 'just you and I'.