Topic 17

(Reasons for using songs in the English classroom). Criteria for selecting songs within the English classroom. Songs as a poetic vehicle and literary creation within the English classroom. Typology of songs. Techniques for using songs in order to learn phonetic, lexical and cultural aspects.

Reasons for using songs in the English classroom

Songs as a poetic vehicle and literary creation within the English classroom

Typology of songs.

Linguistic reasons: new vocabulary, syntax structure reinforcement, improve pronunciation and suprasegmental phonemes, spelling, acquire the CC…

Pedagogical reasons: natural and enjoyable way of introducing and learning the L2, unconscious and meaningful learning, relaxed atmosphere…

Cognitive reasons: whole personality development, favours concentration, memory and coordination, increases critical-analytical thinking and reasoning…

Social-affective reasons: enhances collaboration and group work, socialization and communication, developing social skills…

Cultural reasons: students develop curiosity and positive attitudes towards the target language and its culture, awareness of other cultures…

Songs have been proven to facilitate memorization because of their tune and repetitions. The affective filter of the students is reduced

Brewster (19952): they add variety, change of pace, formal teaching is hidden, encourages participation, communication is increased, improve the listening skills, pronunciation, attention span and concentration, skills integration and cross-curricular work.

Tomalin and Stempleski (1993), including socio-cultural factors are beneficial: understand some behaviours are conditioned by culture, social facotrs (age, gender...) condition the way people speak, cultural connotations, curiosiry FL culture.

C.C.

Literature is concerned with the written word and with the oral tradition. Songs are the first way that poetry is introduced to children, they can be used to develop creativity (by involving movements and roleplay).

should help them become aware of the sound effects, such as stress, rhythm and rhyme patterns by clapping to rhyme. We can favour creativity by having students change words that rhyme, changing the song.

Songs present literary figures and stylistic effects like metaphors or alliteration, students can discover how language can be used with aesthetic purposes,

Ways in which literature and songs can be related: songs based on literary works and reading short poems in class where students have to find a song that is somehow connected.

Authentic songs:

For young children such as counting songs, action songs, traditional songs, nursery songs, lullabies, tongue twisters and jazz chants.

For older learners such as English pop songs like “Believer” (Imagine Dragons).

And festive or celebration songs like “Happy Birthday” or “Merry Christmas”.

Non-Authentic or Adapted songs:

Songs that have been adapted or created for learns of the language, normally appear in text books. They focus on lexical, grammatical or phonetic aspects of the language.

Techniques for using songs in order to learn phonetic, lexical and cultural aspects.

How to use songs: it must be flexible, used at any stage. Give them background info, context.

How to select proper songs: students age, interests, and needs; lexical and grammatical difficulty of the song; potential follow up activities and background information needed.

How to maximise use: encourage to sing, purposeful, be aware of what is expected of them and use of visual cues.

Songs can be used to introduce, review and recycle vocabulary, as well as practicing suprasegmental phonemes like pronunciation, rhythm and intonation patterns.

Techniques in the use of phonetic learning: to practice pronunciation, like “the odd one out” (give them several options of words that have a similar sound and they have to circle the correct answer), use TPR (when they hear a particular word, they have to perform an action).

Techniques in the use of lexical and cultural learning: to introduce, reinforce or recycle vocab: arranging words, gap filling, correction of wrong versions, opposite words...

Harmer in 1983: Teachers must: set definite goals that fit the curriculum, construct the activities step by step moving progressively from intensive to extensive work, demand the active role of the students.

Work on two main abilities when dealing with listening: intensive capacities to get specific information (scanning), and extensive ones to grasp the main ideas of the extract (skimming). Albuquerque (1990)

Kagan: SHOWDOWN (listen and answer questions, then talk about answers)