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Pop songs in the classroom: Time-filler or teaching tool?
Abstract
Teachers frequently recommend pop songs on websites and in experiencebased articles to foster L2 acquisition. Such a positive stance contrasts with a scarcity of musical activities in published materials for adult learners and the small number of empirical studies investigating the use and usefulness of songs in L2 teaching. Consequently, pedagogical choices and their implementation depend mainly on the course instructor. This article reports on the findings of an international survey exploring teachers' beliefs about and teaching practices involving songs in the classroom. The findings reveal that informants often use songs as part of a purposeful and diverse teaching unit and based on reasoning that frequently reflects findings in cognitive-psychological research. However, song use can be impeded by a lack of official materials and support from other stakeholders. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
... The current study focused on incidental vocabulary acquisition through listening to two pop songs and attempted to see if three areas of vocabulary knowledge (word recognition, meaning connection, and grammar) were retained 4 weeks after exposure, which was a drawback of prior listening studies. Additionally, because people like to listen to the same music repeatedly (Lems, 2001;Tegge, 2018), the impact of listening to the same song (one, three, or five times) on learning gains was investigated. Besides, for learners with a range of lexical sizes , the association between diverse prior vocabulary knowledge and incidental vocabulary growth was also examined. ...
... Spoken-form recognition, grammar recognition, and meaning recall are the three dimensions of vocabulary knowledge that will be measured. Furthermore, people like to listen to the same songs repeatedly (Tegge, 2018), and the number of encounters with unfamiliar words may affect incidental learning gains (Webb and Chang, 2015a), so the effect of repeated listening to songs (one, three, or five times) on learning gains was also investigated. ...
... To begin with, spoken-form recognition is easier to acquire than form-meaning connections and grammar (Van Zeeland and Schmitt, 2013). Besides, listening to music is a joyful activity that can motivate students (Richards, 1969;Tegge, 2018). So, students feel it is enjoyable and less stressful to attain this element of vocabulary knowledge after listening to music, and their positive learning gains can be retained several weeks later. ...
Most studies have shown that reading is an important source of incidental vocabulary learning, and repeated reading may have a positive effect on learning gains. However, the study of incidental vocabulary learning through listening is still limited, and the immediate and long-term effects on different vocabulary knowledge dimensions are unclear. Furthermore, no empirical studies have been conducted to investigate the association between learning gains and preexisting vocabulary knowledge in listening. This article examines the effects of listening to English songs on unintentional vocabulary learning and vocabulary retention through three different vocabulary knowledge dimensions: word recognition, meaning association, and grammar identification. A total of 114 Chinese college students participated in the study, and they were given vocabulary evaluations at different times based on three separate components of vocabulary knowledge. The effects of repeated listening (one, three, and five times) and learners’ prior vocabulary knowledge were also investigated. According to the findings, listening to songs can improve vocabulary knowledge, particularly in the area of word recognition, which can be retained 4 weeks later. Furthermore, the effect of listening three times (with exposure frequencies ranging from three to nine) was superior than listening one or five times, which provides teachers and learners with guidance for teaching or learning vocabulary more effectively. Finally, for low, intermediate, and high-level learners, there was an immediate and positive effect on the dimensions of word recognition and meaning connection after listening, and this knowledge is likely to be preserved 4 weeks later.
... To date, there have been only few empirical studies investigating the actual use of music and songs by language teachers as well as the beliefs underpinning their instructional practices (Alisaari & Heikkola, 2017;Engh, 2013a;Şevik, 2011;Tegge, 2018;Tse, 2015). The few available studies allow us to better understand the ways second and foreign language teachers use music and some of the problems they encounter. ...
... In a similar yet more comprehensive study, Tegge (2018) investigated "teachers' attitudes towards and use of songs in adult L2 classrooms around the world" (pp. 1-2). ...
... Another common complaint was that the preparation and implementation of lessons based on songs made demands in terms of time and effort. Tegge's (2018) and Engh's (2013a) studies are useful in that they provide a valuable insight into the use of music and songs in second and foreign language instruction in various countries as well as the constraints experienced by teachers. However, because the participants in both studies come from many different contexts and the research reports do not include country-specific information, the findings of these studies are only to a limited extent applicable to teachers in any one setting. ...
Regardless of numerous studies supporting the effectiveness of utilizing music and songs in second language teaching, there is a remarkably limited amount of research investigating how music and songs are actually used by language teachers and the beliefs underpinning their practices, particularly in the Malaysian educational context. This qualitative study explored Malaysian ESL teachers’ beliefs and practices with regard to the use of music and songs in language instruction at different levels of education as well as factors influencing their instructional practices. The research participants consisted of five primary-level, five secondary-level and five tertiary-level ESL teachers working at public and private educational institutions, who were selected using purposeful sampling strategy. Data were gathered through individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s (1994) framework for qualitative data analysis. Findings of the study indicated the ESL teachers from all three levels of education held overall positive beliefs about the benefits and appropriateness of music and songs as a teaching tool and utilized them in various ways to promote students’ language learning. A number of factors were found to influence the teachers’ use of music and songs in their classrooms. The findings of the study have implications for various educational stakeholders.
... Studies with a focus on the psychology of learning and motivation have found that using songs in FLE may lead to lowered levels of foreign language (FL) anxiety as well as to a positive affective emotional attachment of the learners, eventually resulting in higher intrinsic motivation, a crucial variable in any FL classroom (see, e.g., Syed, 2001;Sposet, 2008;Loewen, 2015;Dolean, 2016;Tomlinson, 2017). Finally, using pop music lyrics also seems to be embraced by FLE practitioners (Alisaari & Heikkola, 2017;Tegge, 2018), especially due to aspects such as their wide availability and easy accessibility (e.g. on lyrics webpages or on video platforms; Marone, 2018) and as they represent authentic textual material (as often demanded by syllabi) that also connects to the lifeworld of their learners (potentially serving as another motivational factor; cf. Dörnyei, 2001). 2 Researchers have further acknowledged that working with pop music lyrics is suitable for all learner levels (see, e.g., Bértoli, 2018;Mobbs & Cuyul, 2018). ...
... In spite of these arguments, pop lyrics still seem to be underexploited in FLE classrooms (Engh, 2013;Scott Langeland, 2013), with grammar being the area addressed least often (Gosselin, 2017;Werner, forthcoming). This is also particularly reflected in current FLE materials and textbooks (Keskinen, 2014;Summer, 2018;Tegge, 2018), where song-based activities are present but often used as supplementary material only and are restricted to listening comprehension and general writing tasks (Summer, 2011). Topics such as the presentation of grammar are usually excluded (Lems, 2005;Ziegler, 2016). ...
... Recent analyses have suggested that pop lyricsif they are present in materials at allare used as supplementary material without any concrete language-related added value and are poorly used especially in the area of grammar teaching and in materials for higher proficiency levels (Huber, 2010;Summer, 2011;Tegge, 2015Tegge, , 2018. Even if using songs and lyrics in FLE is advocated, grammar-related tasks are reduced to simple "error correction" exercises with nonstandard items being merely seen as "mistakes" (see Budden, 2008 for a pertinent example). ...
Commercially successful pop lyrics are an important part of students’ lives, represent authentic language material, are easily accessible, and may thus constitute a helpful starting point for various aspects of foreign language education. Despite this, they seem to be underexploited,especially when topics such as grammar instruction are tackled. This may be due to their (traditionally ascribed) “low culture” status and the undesired presence of allegedly ungrammatical content, notably in terms of non-standard features. Based on a corpus of c. 550,000 words, this paper will present an analysis of the salience of such features in Englishpop lyrics. The results suggest that the material studied actually features a rich array of nonstandard grammatical phenomena, such as multiple negation, ain’t as auxiliary, me instead of I, copula deletion, etc. (as commonly proscribed in English language education). From a pedagogical perspective, it is therefore argued that using lyrics in the classroom may offer students a welcome opportunity to engage with various types of grammaticality, introducing them to authentic language in a naturalistic way. More specific issues to be addressed with the eventual aim of raising students’ language awareness through working with pop lyrics are that assessments of grammaticality are (i) very much context-dependent, for instance in terms of acceptability of certain structures and variants in different registers (e.g. lyrics vs. conversation vs. formal writing) and (ii) may also differ across varieties of English represented in the lyrics (e.g. various British dialects and sociolects, African American English as represented in rap, Jamaican Creoleas represented in reggae, etc.).
... The use of songs in L2/FL teaching has a long history, but there have been few empirical studies on the effectiveness of their use in classrooms (Davis, 2017;Tegge, 2018). Songs can be employed in classrooms for many reasons such as to motivate learners, teach vocabulary, or as prompts for speaking and writing activities (Davis, 2017;Tegge, 2018). ...
... The use of songs in L2/FL teaching has a long history, but there have been few empirical studies on the effectiveness of their use in classrooms (Davis, 2017;Tegge, 2018). Songs can be employed in classrooms for many reasons such as to motivate learners, teach vocabulary, or as prompts for speaking and writing activities (Davis, 2017;Tegge, 2018). In an international survey of teachers' views about songs in the ELT classroom, Tegge (2018) found that over 80% of the teachers used songs in their lessons and approximately 90% perceived them to be useful ELT material. ...
... Songs can be employed in classrooms for many reasons such as to motivate learners, teach vocabulary, or as prompts for speaking and writing activities (Davis, 2017;Tegge, 2018). In an international survey of teachers' views about songs in the ELT classroom, Tegge (2018) found that over 80% of the teachers used songs in their lessons and approximately 90% perceived them to be useful ELT material. ...
Phonology in second/foreign (L2/FL) listening has not received much attention from scholars and teachers. This article reports on a mixed‐methods study which set out to fill this gap by exploring the effectiveness of explicit instruction in phonology and the use of songs to enhance English‐as‐a‐L2 (ESL) learners' listening abilities in Hong Kong. ESL learners (n = 92) aged 17–20 participated in a three‐month experiment. Data from pre‐, post‐listening tests and semi‐structured interviews were collated. The findings demonstrated the efficacy of L2 phonology instruction in improving learners' L2 listening. More remarkably, the positive effect was augmented when the instruction was coupled with phonological analyses of song lyrics. However, using songs alone for gap‐filling exercises (as is commonplace in L2 classrooms) was not found to be effective.
... It is acknowledged that songs have been regarded as an integral part of mainstream second/foreign language (L2/ FL) classrooms, particularly young learner classrooms (Davis, 2017). In general, a favourable stance towards the use of songs is adopted by language teachers (Tegge, 2018). Despite the language teachers' glowing recommendations accompanied by the anecdotal evidence, indicating how songs should be incorporated to enhance learner motivation and promote the development of various language skills such as vocabulary, grammar, listening and pronunciation (Davis, 2017;Tegge, 2018), there is a paucity of empirical studies investigating the L2/FL learners' perceptions regarding the use of songs in language classrooms (Tegge, 2018). ...
... In general, a favourable stance towards the use of songs is adopted by language teachers (Tegge, 2018). Despite the language teachers' glowing recommendations accompanied by the anecdotal evidence, indicating how songs should be incorporated to enhance learner motivation and promote the development of various language skills such as vocabulary, grammar, listening and pronunciation (Davis, 2017;Tegge, 2018), there is a paucity of empirical studies investigating the L2/FL learners' perceptions regarding the use of songs in language classrooms (Tegge, 2018). Despite some research on teaching young learners English through songs (Davis 2017;Köksal, 2012;Kömür, Saraç and Şeker, 2005), research focusing on song use in real classroom settings from the adolescent or young adult learners' perspective is rather limited (Bjorklund, 2002;Edwards, 1997;Tegge, 2015Tegge, , 2018. ...
... In general, a favourable stance towards the use of songs is adopted by language teachers (Tegge, 2018). Despite the language teachers' glowing recommendations accompanied by the anecdotal evidence, indicating how songs should be incorporated to enhance learner motivation and promote the development of various language skills such as vocabulary, grammar, listening and pronunciation (Davis, 2017;Tegge, 2018), there is a paucity of empirical studies investigating the L2/FL learners' perceptions regarding the use of songs in language classrooms (Tegge, 2018). Despite some research on teaching young learners English through songs (Davis 2017;Köksal, 2012;Kömür, Saraç and Şeker, 2005), research focusing on song use in real classroom settings from the adolescent or young adult learners' perspective is rather limited (Bjorklund, 2002;Edwards, 1997;Tegge, 2015Tegge, , 2018. ...
Bu çalışmada ortaokul üçüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin görsel matematik okuryazarlık algılarını belirleyen bir ölçme aracı geliştirmek, cinsiyet ve önceki dönem sonu matematik başarı düzeyi değişkenleri açısından ilgili okuryazarlık algılarını incelemektir. Tarama türünde olan araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde bulunan bir ildeki ortaokullar arasından basit seçkisiz örnekleme yöntemi ile seçilmiş üç ortaokulun üçüncü sınıflarında öğrenim gören 260 (144 kız, 116 erkek) öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Ölçek geliştirme aşamasında uygulanan açımlayıcı faktör analizi neticesinde Cronbach Alfa iç tutarlık katsayısı .92 olan dört faktörlü, 14 maddeden oluşan üç dereceli Likert tipinde geçerli ve güvenilir “Görsel Matematik Okuryazarlığı Ölçeği” geliştirilmiştir. Gerçekleştirilen t-testi sonucunda ise öğrencilerin görsel matematik okuryazarlık algılarının cinsiyet ve önceki dönem sonu matematik başarı düzeyi açısından anlamlı farklılık gösterdiği bulunmuştur. Bu bulgular neticesinde çalışma yapacak araştırmacılara farklı örneklem gruplarıyla veya farklı değişkenlerle ilgili ölçeği kullanarak araştırma yapmaları önerilmiştir.
... Studies focused on student self-reports and teacher experiences revealed several benefits of using songs as a source of second language (L2) input (Kerekes, 2015;Lems, 2001;Richards, 1969). For example, listening to songs is a pleasurable activity that can be motivating for learners (Richards, 1969;Tegge, 2018). An international survey of language teachers' use of songs in classrooms revealed that teachers often use songs to practice listening comprehension and introduce new vocabulary while creating an enjoyable environment for learning (Tegge, 2018). ...
... For example, listening to songs is a pleasurable activity that can be motivating for learners (Richards, 1969;Tegge, 2018). An international survey of language teachers' use of songs in classrooms revealed that teachers often use songs to practice listening comprehension and introduce new vocabulary while creating an enjoyable environment for learning (Tegge, 2018). Use of songs has been shown to reduce foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and facilitate language learning (Dolean, 2016). ...
... Three aspects of vocabulary knowledge (spoken-form recognition, formmeaning connection, and collocation recognition) were measured to provide a rigorous assessment of the potential learning that may occur through listening to songs. In addition, because people tend to listen to the same song multiple times (Abbott, 2002;Kerekes, 2015;Lems, 2001;Tegge, 2018), the effects of repeated listening to a single song on learning gains was also examined. Earlier research exploring repeated reading and repeated reading while listening (Horst & Meara, 1999;Webb & Chang, 2012a) found that repeated exposure to the same source of input can increase vocabulary learning. ...
Research investigating incidental vocabulary learning through listening to songs has primarily relied on participant’s self-report surveys on listening behaviors and its relationship with their vocabulary knowledge (Kuppens, 2010). Only one experimental study has investigated vocabulary learning gains from listening to songs (Medina, 1993). From the results, the researcher concluded that learning does occur from listening to songs. However, the learning gains were not provided. The present study investigated incidental learning of three vocabulary knowledge dimensions (spoken-form recognition, form-meaning connection, and collocation recognition) through listening to two songs. The effects of repeated listening to a single song (one, three, or five times) and the relationship between frequency of exposure to the targeted vocabulary items and learning gains were also explored. The results indicated that (a) listening to songs contributed to vocabulary learning, (b) repeated listening had a positive effect on vocabulary gains, and (c) frequency of exposure positively affected learning gains.
... Based on a global scale research approach, Tegge's (2018) questionnaire study examined the beliefs of over 300 teachers regarding their teaching practices involving song materials. The findings showed that participants occasionally employ songs as instructional instruments in order to diversify their teaching practices and also given what cognitive-psychological research has demonstrated about the value of musical input. ...
... They pointed out the difficulty of finding appropriate songs that do not contain profane language considering the religious background and cultural beliefs of some of their students which as teachers they need to take into account when planning songs-based lessons. This interview outcome is in parallel with Tegge (2018) who revealed that one of the reasons that some EFL teachers "refrained from using songs […] despite a positive attitude towards music in the classroom [is that] they considered [them] to be inappropriate" (p. 282). ...
Despite the established value of music for language learning, in that, the bulk of empirical studies that corroborate its usefulness, teachers still eschew its incorporation in the classroom as song materials remain underutilized. The ideological basis of this discrepancy is poorly understood as little is known about English language teachers' beliefs and practices regarding song-assisted instruction. To illuminate this uncharted area, the present exploratory interview study sought to elicit responses from five Hungarian EFL instructors at a well-recognized university in Budapest. Considering the importance of constantly revisiting and enhancing the quality of English instruction, this study will rebound to the benefit of EFL education namely the integration of arts and contributes to a better understanding of teachers' attitudes towards the use of songs as instructional materials. While acknowledging songs' relevance including their motivational and mnemonic properties for facilitating vocabulary retention, the findings reveal that teachers encounter various challenges related to their classroom applications, namely copyright infringement, student-related factors such as age as well as level of proficiency, and lyrical appropriateness. Implications of this inquiry involve the recognition of Hungarian teachers' pedagogical concerns and the need for future research to seek practical strategies for implementing musical materials in the language classroom.
... 9% (N = 5) of the studies (Borodkin et al. 2022;Jensen 2017;Lancaster 2018;Law, Barny, and Poulin 2020;Meriem and Bouyakoub 2020;Tegge 2018) integrated music as a component of their instructional designs and reported positive results as a whole. Among these five studies, Borodkin et al. (2022) conducted cross-disciplinary research combining brief musical training with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to investigate the effects on speech perception and production in English learning for Hebrew-speaking learners. ...
... The results showed that participants who received active stimulation showed increased accuracy in L2 phoneme discrimination and greater changes in the acoustic properties of L2 speech sound production. Two of the articles (Jensen 2017;Lancaster 2018) comprised music as one of the extramural activities within the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) framework implemented by European governments, while the others used music as a media of carrying pedagogical activities, such as using music as a social communicative media to stimulate L2 learners' collaboration through collective music annotation (Law, Barny, and Poulin 2020); using songs to stimulate learners' reflection on findings (Tegge 2018); and using music as a facet of a multimodal evaluation tool to evaluate L2 learners' learning outcomes (Meriem and Bouyakoub 2020). ...
Interested peers can view the full paper and download it from the following link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/QG9NH95UJ8BEEGDWJGUF/full?target=10.1080/17501229.2024.2350490
Background: Applying music to learners' language learning/ acquisition has a long research history. However, given that second language (L2) learning/acquisition is a complex process, the studies regarding applying music to L2 learning/acquisition are comparatively fragmented. Objectives: This review work analysed 87 articles that applied music to L2 learning/acquisition, or studied the relationships between music and L2 learning/acquisition. The focus of the research was to determine the correlation between music and L2 learning/acquisition and explore effective ways of applying music to facilitating the process of L2 learning/acquisition.
Methods: Literature review.
Results and conclusion: For RQ1, most of the studies reported that music is positively correlated with learners' L2 learning/acquisition /development/gains although some of them delivered the conclusion without solid statistical evidence. For RQ2, it can be concluded that the use of music in L2 learning yields benefits in at least 6 facets: (1) Promoting L2 learning via providing extra cognitive value; (2) Enhancing learners' L2 knowledge; (3) Improving learners' language skills; (4) Delivering and strengthening L2 culture; (5) Facilitating L2 teaching via using music as a component of a compound L2 pedagogical method; (6) Altering the plasticity of brain functions and networks responsible for L2 processing. Finally, controversies and implications were also discussed to provide guidance for the effective application of music in L2 learning.
... The positive correlations are recognised in language education theory and practice, and studies from several parts of the world show that language teachers generally have confidence in the benefits of music activities (Alisaari & Heikkola 2017, Bokiev & Ismail 2021, Engh 2013, Tegge 2018, Tse 2015. At the same time, the same studies show a discrepancy between teachers' beliefs about the positive effects and their actual classroom practices, in which music elements are often absent. ...
... Other studies express the need for greater knowledge of and access to appropriate songs, preferably with methodological guidance. (Bokiev & Ismail 2021, Tegge 2018. This justifies us in sharing the appendix of the music list.(Appendix) ...
Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching Volume 15 Issue 1):
https://www.journaloflinguisticsandlanguageteaching.com/published-issues/volume-15-2024-issue-1
The development of speaking skills, whether in a native or a foreign language, remains a complex field of study that combines neurobiology, psychology, language methodology and linguistics. This article focuses on a less studied component of language or speaking skills called muscle memory. It sheds light on its roots – the main muscles and brain areas involved – as well as its role in verbal communication, articulation, and language acquisition in general. It further outlines a holistic methodological approach to (foreign) language and speaking training that offers practical implementation options to improve muscle memory and, with it, accurate pronunciation and fluency. With these two focal points – theoretic background alongside practical considerations –, the article attempts not only to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the influence of muscle memory on the development of speaking skills, but also aims to bridge the gap between neuromotor processes and methodological practices.
... Despite these positive aspects, pop songs are still considered as one-off treat teachers give students, rather than a regular activity, as demonstrated both by their sporadic presence in textbooks (Tegge, 2018) and by the lack of empirical research. This empirical study explores vocabulary learning through a strategy that provides deliberate preteaching of target multi-word units, followed by vocal training with pop songs. ...
This research addresses lexical deficits among EFL learners by
investigating the pedagogical potential of vocal training with
authentic pop songs for multi-word unit acquisition. Drawing on
cognitive neuroscience, the study builds on evidence that music
enhances brain plasticity and that musical and linguistic syntax
share neural processing regions (Patel, 2011). The intervention
involved vocal training and was evaluated using paired t-tests and
ANCOVA. Results showed significant vocabulary gains, with a large
effect size in the t-test and a medium main effect in the ANCOVA.
Additionally, statistically significant gender differences were
observed at both the pre-test (T0) and post-test (T1), highlighting
the differentiated impact of the music-based approach on boys and
girls.
... Finally, perhaps one of the most immediately obvious ways in which music can contribute to language revitalization is in supporting language learning. Of course, this benefit is not restricted to revitalizing languages, and much of the research in this area is based on commonly taught languages (Davis, 2017;Engh, 2013;Good et al., 2015;Tegge, 2018); but the central place of language teaching and learning in revitalization makes this affordance of music especially relevant here. ...
Music plays many important roles in language revitalization, from attracting learners and fostering speech communities to supporting language learning. These effects, however, are largely independent from the skills which linguists bring to language revitalization. This study introduces one concrete way in which applied linguistics can directly support musical language revitalization with UTAUloids – speech-and-music software synthesizers – illustrated through the creation of a Cherokee UTAUloid as part of ancestral language reclamation by a learner-linguist Cherokee Nation citizen. Through their focus on “massive collaboration,” low-resource music production, and youth involvement, UTAUloids are uniquely situated to serve as instruments for language revitalization. Even the act of creating an UTAUloid itself allows speakers and learners who may not consider themselves “musical” to contribute to musical language revitalization, and this study provides a step-by-step methodology to make creating an UTAUloid as accessible as possible for anyone interested in incorporating music into their own language revitalization practice.
... Firstly, the findings related to teacher experience levels reveal a developmental trajectory in the use of songs in EFL teaching, aligning with some aspects of existing research while also offering new insights. Previous studies have often noted the general enthusiasm among teachers for using songs as an engaging tool (Tegge, 2018;Governor et al., 2013), similar to the enthusiasm observed among novice teachers in this study. However, the current study extends this understanding by illustrating how teachers" approaches to using songs evolve with experience. ...
This study investigates the effectiveness of using songs in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching from the perspectives of Vietnamese EFL lecturers, focusing on identifying the most beneficial age group among young learners, teenagers, and adult learners. Employing a qualitative research design, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with nine EFL teachers from two educational institutions in Vietnam, representing a range of experience levels from novice to near-end career. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, guided by Constructivist and Socio-cultural theories of learning. The findings revealed that the application and perceived effectiveness of songs varied significantly across different age groups and teacher experience levels. Songs were universally recognized as beneficial in EFL teaching, but their implementation and impact differed, with novice teachers focusing on engagement, mid-career teachers on cultural and linguistic nuances, and near-end career teachers on a holistic language experience. The study found that songs are highly effective with young learners, need careful selection for teenagers, and should be thematically rich for adult learners. These insights have implications for EFL practitioners, curriculum designers, and policymakers, suggesting the need for tailored song-based activities and professional development for teachers.
... No sería desacertado indicar que la aplicación de secuencias didácticas con canciones es todo un éxito, ya que suele gustar a los discentes, sobre todo en secundaria. Además de reducir la ansiedad y motivar al alumnado, el uso didáctico de la canción en el aula potencia el aprendizaje de lenguas adicionales, tal y como lo desvelan varios estudios que no solo han indagado en el uso de la música en las asignaturas de lenguas, sino también en las creencias que sustentan las prácticas pedagógicas del conjunto de docentes (Bokiev e Ismail, 2021;Davis, 2017;De Castro Martínez, 2014;Failoni, 1993;Green, 1993;Legg, 2009;Pérez Aldeguer y Leganés Lavall, 2012;Salas Alvarado y López Benavides, 2017;Sundberg y Cardoso, 2018;Tegge, 2018;Zingaro, 2017). ...
Este estudio explora las aptitudes y actitudes lingüísticas antes y después de una experiencia intercomprensiva a través de canciones en dos lenguas germánicas, alemán y holandés, con estudiantes de secundaria que desconocían estos idiomas.
Se empleó una metodología mixta en la que se combinaron varios instrumentos de carácter cuantitativo y cualitativo. Los datos se recogieron a partir de dos cuestionarios, un preoperatorio (n=44) y un postoperatorio (n=46), y a partir de observaciones de aula y de los datos declarativos de las y los informantes a lo largo de una actividad en intercomprensión germánica (ICG) de una hora de duración (n=55). Los resultados revelan que las y los participantes, después de realizar esta breve experiencia didáctica intercomprensiva, disponen de una mayor habilidad para identificar los fragmentos escritos en las lenguas germánicas meta. Además, se constata un cambio de actitudes en cuanto a su propia imagen como aprendices de lenguas y a su percepción del inglés como una lengua de suma importancia y a la vez facilitadora para el aprendizaje de otras lenguas. También las y los discentes mencionan unos usos de estrategias durante la experiencia didáctica que difieren de sus declaraciones en el cuestionario preoperatorio en torno a la realización de cualquier lectura en inglés. Somos conscientes del reducido espacio de tiempo que tuvimos para llevar a cabo la actividad en ICG. Sin embargo, los hallazgos de este trabajo nos impulsan a plantearnos futuras líneas de investigación en el campo de la IC no solamente entre lenguas germánicas, sino también entre esta familia lingüística y otras.
... As noted above, Tegg (2018) had grouped together different functions for songs in language lessons. The questionnaire also included these, with others, to see whether the students perceived these functions clearly or not. ...
The ubiquitous nature and diffusion of songs sung in English has meant that a great number of EFL and ESP students are listening to English and acquiring some notions about the language almost subconsciously. Such songs have also been incorporated into English as an L2 practice for, probably, almost as long as English has been taught as a foreign language. However, sometimes they are used as filler exercises or only as an exercise to keep the students happy. Slowly, songs have been gaining more acceptance as a valid didactic tool to be used in various moments of the general English L2 lesson and for various functions (Tegg 2018). This article reports on a project to use songs in English for Specific purposes lessons at an Italian university with students of two Master degree courses (Social Work and Social Policy; Sociology and Social Research). During the English modules, songs from various artists were specifically chosen and language-learning exercises devised around them to be used in almost every lesson for different learning objectives: these included introducing a new subject, presenting and revising grammar, learning individual words or short phrases including idiomatic expressions, as lead-ins to discussions. At the end of the course, the students completed a questionnaire aimed at eliciting their opinions about the use of songs in ESP lessons. The results indicate that the use of popular songs is an effective tool in an ESP lesson and that their inclusion can help motivate students as well as help them learn.
... More importantly, the great benefit of video games is that they equip learners with opportunities to find or even create their own online (learning) community (Peterson, 2012;Reinhardt & Zander, 2011). Finally, listening to English language music may also ultimately improve EFL learners' command of English because if learners like a certain song, they listen to it a multitude of times, leading to more exposure to the same input, which can result in acquiring linguistic elements (Pavia et al., 2019;Tegge, 2017Tegge, , 2018. ...
Leisure time (or extramural) English activities have been an important resource in foreign language teaching and learning for decades. They may provide a plethora of EFL input, thus contributing to learners’ second language development even from an early age. The incorporation of extramural English activities into EFL lessons still remains rare, focusing only on mainly songs and short videos from YouTube. Despite this, an array of different extramural English activities is available, which could and should be exploited in EFL lessons in order to support second language acquisition. In the Hungarian context, little research investigates the potential impact of extramural English activities on the foreign language learning process, let alone the different individual learner differences. The aim of the present paper is to introduce a pilot study reporting on the development and validation process of a research instrument. The main aim of the study is to obtain insights into Hungarian secondary school students’ extramural English interests and individual learner differences, namely motivation, anxiety, willingness to communicate and additional variables affecting these learner differences. The preliminary results of the study show that Hungarian EFL learners engage in several extramural English activities on a regular basis and participants seem to show a relatively positive attitude to the use of English language subtitles. Furthermore, certain extramural English activities seem to have a positive impact on extramural motivated language use. It is hoped that the findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of Hungarian secondary school EFL students’ engagement habits in extramural English activities, which may prove useful for EFL teachers planning to incorporate their students’ extramural interests into their EFL lessons.
... The use of popular music lyrics in teaching has been neglected, as highlighted in various studies (Engh 2013; Langeland Dunsire 2013). In particular, grammar is rarely addressed in song-based activities in foreign language classrooms and textbooks, where they are often reduced to supplementary materials and limited to listening comprehension and general writing tasks (Keskinen 2014;Summer 2018;Tegge 2018). These trends and the practice may prevent non-native English language learners from gaining meta-language awareness, which means having a clear and direct understanding of language, as well as being aware and able to consciously perceive and understand language in the process of learning, teaching and using it, with all the variations and complexity, which is important for foreign language learning. ...
Popular music is an integral part of the cultural landscape of the modern world, and its influence on language and communication cannot be overstated. This paper examines the advantages of integrating popular music lyrics into foreign language classrooms, with a particular focus on sentence structures. Using a corpus of 802 songs with more than 200 million views on YouTube, the research aims to explore the accuracy of popular music lyrics with respect to different sentence structures and subject-verb agreement. The initial hypothesis suggested that popular music lyrics would predominantly contain grammatical errors, which our analysis revealed showing that 396 songs were grammatically correct (49.37%), while 406 songs contained errors (50.62%), resulting in a total of 1506 syntactic errors, 794 of them being related to sentence structure errors and 417 to the incorrect subject-verb agreement. The remaining errors (295) were related to double negatives, which we did not analyze in this paper. The most frequent sentence structure errors included the omission of auxiliary verbs (470 instances), auxiliary verbs that were used as main verbs (110), incorrect verb order (76), bare infinitives that were used as auxiliary verbs (77), and incorrect use of objective pronouns (61). The study utilized a combination of manual and descriptive analysis to investigate the potential benefits of incor- porating popular music lyrics into foreign language classrooms. The findings indicate that such integration can help students develop meta-language awareness and expose them to various language registers. Overall, the research demonstrates the pedagogical potential of popular music lyrics as a resource for foreign language instruction, particularly for teaching grammar and syntax. By using popular music lyrics in foreign language classrooms, educators can cre- ate an engaging and diverse learning environment that helps students comprehend and utilize language in various contexts, ultimately leading to more effective language learning outcomes.
... The use of popular music lyrics in language teaching has remained largely unaddressed, as highlighted in various studies, including Engh (2013) andLangeland Dunsire (2013). Furthermore, the incorporation of grammar instruction in song-based activities in foreign language classrooms and textbooks is limited (Keskinen 2014;Summer 2018;Tegge 2018), focusing primarily on listening comprehension and general writing tasks. ...
... Songs would seem to provide a good source of learning new words since the activity of listening to songs is pleasurable and the words are heard repeatedly, particularly in popular and frequently played songs. Tegge (2017Tegge ( , 2018 pointed out the potential that songs have for learning and the overall positive attitudes of teachers toward including songs in the classroom. Schwartz (2012) found that Austrian intermediate school students acquired words from songs, but results were affected by learner factors like L1 (German), school type, and visits to English-speaking countries. ...
Extramural exposure, through activities such as watching TV, gaming, networking, and online reading, has become an important source of vocabulary acquisition in English as a foreign language, particularly when learners’ first language (L1) has many cognates with English. Our study examined extramural vocabulary acquisition of 10th-grade L1 speakers of noncognate languages over one school year and explored the effects of digital activities and initial lexical knowledge of the participants on their vocabulary gains. Learners reported the amount of digital activity, took a vocabulary pretest, and kept vocabulary diaries where they recorded, on a weekly basis, the new words they encountered. At the end of the study, each student took a personalized test that included all the words recorded in their personal diary. The results indicate that (a) all learners gained some out-of-school word knowledge, (b) students with better initial vocabulary knowledge gained more words, and (c) the initial knowledge contributed to out-of-school learning more than the amount of digital activity.
... While many studies have claimed that learning using songs help students enjoy vocabulary therefore learn it better (Almutairi & Shukri, 2016;Gushendra, 2017;Millington, 2011;Romero, 2017;Roohani & Akbarpour, 2016;Tegge, 2018), many students in this study are left clueless about what they actually learn. This study revealed that some students do not perceive themselves as learning while listening through songs with gap-filling activities. ...
Mastering a lot of vocabulary will make it easier for someone to read, write, listen and speak. Learners need to adjust their learning style, strategy as well as the use of media that could help students develop their vocabulary mastery early. This study aims to get information on the effect of using song lyric gap fill to improve student vocabulary mastery and student perception of mastering vocabulary using song lyric gap-fill method. This study design is descriptive quantitative whose data collecting method used test and questionnaire as instrument. The test would be conducted by having students answer pre-test and post-test. The questionnaire was being done when the student had received treatment using song lyric gap fill. The result obtained shows that song lyric gap-fill method that was used in this research would increase the average student’s score by 40.8%. The statistical test results show that there is an effect of using the Song Lyric Gap Fill method in increasing vocabularies in 8-grade junior high school students. And the results of student perception of using song lyric gap fill on the vocabulary learning showed that the highest achievement (80%) that students increased new vocabulary with help of song lyric gapfill. While 67% students agreed if they had difficulties in learning parts of speech.
... Using music in the FL classrooms has been seen traditionally as a pastime. It has been mainly used to create a positive atmosphere and to foster motivation to the FL (Tegge, 2018). However, an increasing amount of research is proving that the use of music in the FL class is much more than that. ...
This research has as a main aim to check the benefits of using music in the FL classrooms, specifically with students who present lower proficiency levels in the target language. In order to carry out this project, the design of a pedagogical intervention has been necessary. In particular, two groups of the first year of secondary education took part. One group belonged to a bilingual program, the other one was a group formed by students with some difficulties in their learning process, due to diverse circumstances. The intervention focused on teaching the spelling of the sounds /aI/, /eI/, /i:/ and of regular and irregular verbs in the past simple tense having music an essential role during the sessions. The intervention lasted three sessions, data was collected through two dictation passages made at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Classroom observation also offered qualitative data. Data gathered show interesting results which are highly positive. However, some students would need more time to acquire the knowledge expected. Finally, some pedagogical implications for future teaching interventions are provided.
... Additionally, in the task of attending to the needs of students in general, teachers often identify some students as disinterested in the subject, for fear of making mistakes (Mobbs & Cuyul, 2018). As a result, pedagogical decisions and implementation are primarily the responsibility of the course teacher (Tegge, 2018). ...
This study aims to explore that approach and demonstrate how the use of songs in English influences students' motivation while learning English as a second or foreign language. A sample of thirty students from the Tayuza Educational Unit located in the province of Morona Santiago, Ecuador, was used. The results of the application of a ten-question questionnaire show that students prefer the use of songs in English to participate and get actively involved in classroom activities. The importance of using tools other than traditional ones to motivate and encourage students to learn English as a second or foreign language is confirmed.
... Despite the huge proven bene ts of music for the educational process and the generally positive attitudes of teachers towards using it (Avdiu, 2021;Bokiev and Ismail, 2021;Kuśnierek, 2016;Tegge, 2018;Xi, 2021), it is not applied in many places around the world yet. According to previous studies, there are two key reasons for this disparity: a lack of knowledge of adapted content and a theoretical foundation to support the use of music in the foreign language classroom (Degrave, 2019). ...
The use of music in second language teaching is important due to the large number of benefits it can bring to the students and the whole educational process. The present study investigates students’ and teachers’ perspectives on using music in five Muslim countries, namely, Iraq, Turkey, Oman, Yemen, and Indonesia. It also attempts to show whether there is any correlation between using music in English as a second language classes and students’ motivation, intelligence, and social skills. The other important thing that this study focuses on is the cultural and religious matters that may prevent using music in schools in the researched countries. The study comprises participants, teachers and students, from all the mentioned countries. The researchers used two online interviews with the respondents. The interviews with the students were conducted Arabic, Turkish, and Indonesian to facilitate reliable data collection from the students. The findings of the study show the very positive attitudes of teachers and students in relation to the use of music in all the countries mentioned. It clearly shows that basically all participants, i.e., both the students and the teachers are very much motivated to implement or use more music in their classes. It also shows the enthusiasm of teachers to use music in their daily lessons and how they are ready to have any required training on musical aids. Teachers were convinced that using music can enhance students’ motivation, intelligence, and social skills. So, no cultural or religious ideas, regarding not using music in classes, were mentioned. On the other hand, the present study constructs a global vision towards the main challenges of teachers when using music, namely, the lack of training, no extra time available, and no resources for supporting music rooms or musical aids.
... With 69.4% of them enjoying music in the classroom. Tegge (2018) states in her survey that most teachers believe that songs are useful language teaching tools in classes and that they use them in their lessons: 69% reported using songs to teach vocabulary, 56% when teaching pronunciation/prosody and more than half reported teaching grammar through songs. Since students 124 | PASAA Vol. ...
Pronunciation in a foreign language does not have to be native-like. However, intelligible and comprehensible pronunciation is required for understandable communication. How to teach pronunciation in a foreign language classroom matters because the effectiveness of the activities determines the learners' success. The use of songs in teaching has lots of benefits from motivation to recalling learned items more effectively. In this study, the efficiency of using songs in order to teach young learners pronunciation was investigated in an experimental research design. The experimental group (n=37) was taught using six different songs and the control group (n=35) received texts for pronunciation teaching. All participants' pronunciations were graded before and after teaching sessions by two native speaker raters. The results of the ANCOVA analysis showed that the experimental group's post-test scores improved significantly more than those of the control group. The results suggest that the use of songs in pronunciation teaching has a positive effect on young learners' pronunciation.
... More importantly, the great benefit of video games is that they equip learners with opportunities to find or even create their own online (learning) community (Peterson, 2012;Reinhardt & Zander, 2011). Finally, listening to English language music may also ultimately improve EFL learners' command of English because if learners like a certain song, they listen to it a multitude of times, leading to more exposure to the same input, which can result in acquiring linguistic elements (Pavia et al., 2019;Tegge, 2017;Tegge, 2018). ...
Leisure time (or extramural) English activities have been an important resource in foreign language teaching and learning for decades. They may provide a plethora of EFL input, thus contributing to learners' second language development even from an early age. The incorporation of extramural English activities into EFL lessons still remains rare, focusing only on mainly songs and short videos from YouTube. Despite this, an array of different extramural English activities is available, which could and should be exploited in EFL lessons in order to support second language acquisition. In the Hungarian context, little research investigates the potential impact of extramural English activities on the foreign language learning process, let alone the different individual learner differences. The aim of the present paper is to introduce a pilot study reporting on the development and validation process of a research instrument. The main aim of the study is to obtain insights into Hungarian secondary school students' extramural English interests and individual learner differences, namely motivation, anxiety, willingness to communicate and additional variables affecting these learner differences. The preliminary results of the study show that Hungarian EFL learners engage in several extramural English activities on a regular basis and participants seem to show a relatively positive attitude to the use of English language subtitles. Furthermore, certain extramural English activities seem to have a positive impact on extramural motivated language use. It is hoped that the findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of Hungarian secondary school EFL students' engagement habits in extramural English activities, which may prove useful for EFL teachers planning to incorporate their students' extramural interests into their EFL lessons.
... Musik dapat memotivasi dan mempengaruhi suasana hati seseorang dalam membentuk ingatan dalam belajar. Mnemonics memberikan visualisasi dinamis yang menarik dan membuat pembelajaran lebih menyenangkan sehingga meningkatkan motivasi dalam belajar dan meningkatkan kemampuan mengingat jangka panjang dan penerapan informasinya yang akan memberikan pengaruh terhadap peningkatan hasil belajar peserta didik (Jannah &Rosnawati, 2018;Nisak dkk, 2017;Tegge, 2018). ...
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui: (1) Peningkatan motivasi belajar peserta didik UPT SMP Negeri 1 Mattiro Bulu Pinrang yang diajar menggunakan strategi mnemonics rhythm and rhyme. (2) Peningkatan hasil belajar peserta didik UPT SMPN 1 Mattiro Bulu Pinrang yang diajar menggunakan strategi mnemonics rhythm and rhyme. (3) Pengaruh strategi mnemonics rhythm and rhyme terhadap motivasi dan hasil belajar peserta didik di UPT SMPN 1 Mattiro Bulu Pinrang. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode Quasi Experimental, pengambilan sampel purposive sampling dengan beberapa pertimbangan dan didapatkan kelas eksperimen dengan jumlah siswa 25 orang dan kelas kontrol dengan jumlah siswa 24 orang. Hasil analisis deskriptif peningkatan motivasi belajar peserta didik kelas eksperimen diperoleh rata-rata skor N-Gain 0,56 berada pada kategori sedang, dan untuk kelas kontrol rata-rata skor N-Gain 0,24 berada pada kategori rendah, sedangkan untuk hasil belajar peserta didik pada kelas eksperimen diperoleh rata-rata skor N-Gain 0,64 kategori sedang dan rata-rata skor N-Gain pada kelas kontrol adalah 0,33 kategori sedang. Hasil analisis statistik inferensial menunjukkan bahwa ada pengaruh strategi mnemonics rhythm and rhyme terhadap peningkatan motivasi dan hasil belajar peserta didik UPT SMPN 1 Mattiro Bulu Kabupaten Pinrang pada materi klasifikasi materi dan perubahannya.
... Although many FL teachers, overall, have a positive view of the song-method and use it in their language classes for teaching vocabulary to adults, many of them point to external factors that render songs employed less frequently in the FL teaching. As evidenced by Tegge (2018), difficulty in finding suitable songs and in fitting songs in with the curriculum, time and effort required to prepare and implement song-based lessons, and the discrepancy between classroom time spent song-teaching and learning outcomes do not exhaust the list of reported disincentives to use songs. Below, we briefly present some recommendations on using songs for teaching EFL multi-word units. ...
The need to integrate songs into English Language Teaching (ELT) has been recognized on numerous occasions. Song lyrics host multi-word units which learners can reuse as building blocks in their English, thereby reducing language processing time and effort, and improving their fluency as well as idiomaticity, thus bringing them closer to the native speaker norm. We report on two studies into the effectiveness of using songs for teaching multi-word units to high-school Polish learners of English. The same items were taught to two groups of EFL learners, but only one of the groups heard them in a song. Learners’ vocabulary recall was measured at three points in time relative to the teaching: before, immediately after, and a week after. The group taught with songs showed a significant recall advantage over the other group, especially when tested a week from teaching. The results suggest that songs can be an effective vehicle for teaching English multi-word units.
... Be an incentive for students (Richards, 1969;TIG, 2018). An international survey of language teachers who use video in the classroom has shown that teachers often use movies to practice listening comprehension, introducing new vocabulary and creating a pleasant learning environment (Tegge, 2018). The use of films has been shown to reduce the concern for the foreign language (FLCA) and facilitate language learning (Dolean, 2016). ...
Purpose: This study investigates the vocabulary learning throughout movies. In addition, it focuses how movie impact on listening and speaking fluently. Furthermore, it also enhances the writing and reading by subtitle moves shows. Scope: In this study we focus the college and university in Libya. Theory: In this study we used dual code theory. Methods: we used primary and secondary data. We also analysis data throughquestionaries' among 50 respondents. Libyan students are participated in the study from university level. Tools: SPSS tools for data analysis. Findings: Through this research we can improve the vocabulary for new learners. We also can improve the learning method. This research will make new role model for Middle East. Originality: This is one of the most recent study in Libya.
... Be an incentive for students (Richards, 1969;TIG, 2018). An international survey of language teachers who use video in the classroom has shown that teachers often use movies to practice listening comprehension, introducing new vocabulary and creating a pleasant learning environment (Tegge, 2018). The use of films has been shown to reduce the concern for the foreign language (FLCA) and facilitate language learning (Dolean, 2016). ...
Purpose: This study investigates the vocabulary learning throughout movies. In addition, it focuses on how movie impact on listening and speaking fluently. Furthermore, it also enhances the writing and reading by subtitle moves shows. Scope: In this study, we focus the college and university in Libya. Theory: In this study, we used the dual-code theory. Methods: We used primary and secondary data. We also analysis data through questionaries' among 50 respondents. Libyan students participate in the study from the university level. Tools: SPSS tools for data analysis. Findings: Through this research, we can improve the vocabulary for new learners. We also can improve the learning method. This research will make a new role model for the Middle East. Originality: This is one of the most recent studies in Libya.
This paper reports a two-year action research project about the potential literary and linguistic value of pop songs in English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching. Considering pop songs as creative texts of cultural, social, and literary significance, the project aimed to develop and examine a methodological framework that can help synthesize potential literary and linguistic benefits. To this end, two song teaching units were designed, taught, and investigated with seven groups of learners ( N = 113) in Austria. The study yielded ambiguous results. While in general the song units received high acceptance rates from the participants, with particularly high scores for phases of creative work, learners’ assessments of language-focused learning phases were less conclusive. The study also revealed that song units designed on the basis of the suggested methodological framework can be time-consuming and tend to require more time than originally planned. Addressing these issues, implications and action strategies for using this approach in the practice of EFL teaching are discussed.
Research emphasises that vocabulary development is essential for the successful acquisition of a
language (e.g. Biemiller, 2003; Alexiou et al, 2019). The volume of words learners are familiar with is
thought to be a key influence on how well the lexicon functions in all linguistic domains (Webb &
Nation, 2017). It is argued, too, that a speaker’s L1 vocabulary may influence success in educational
attainment as in the learning of an L2. This paper examines the L1 and L2 vocabulary knowledge of
learners in Greek primary schools. The subjects were 411 Greek primary school students, ranging from
the first to the sixth grade of primary school. Their vocabulary was assessed using two vocabulary
measuring tools: Meara & Milton’s X-Lex (2003) and Alexiou’s Pic-lex (2019) for receptive vocabulary
knowledge. Results suggest Greek L1 learners grow a lexicon of a size and at a rate consistent with
learners of L1 English and Arabic. There is surprisingly little variation between learners of the same
age. These learners grow English L2 vocabulary at an impressively fast rate and, by international
comparisons, achieve high levels of communicability by the end of primary education. Again, there is
surprisingly little variation. Comparing, L1 and L2 knowledge and progress, it is not clear that L1
vocabulary knowledge can or does influence the learning of the L2.
English language teachers have long recognised pop songs' potential for engaging students and establishing positive classroom environments conducive to language learning. Educational publishers increasingly incorporate music into their coursebooks, including specially commissioned 'ELT songs', whose lyrics feature aspects of target language. This Element explores the phenomenon of ELT songs from the authors' insider perspective as songwriters. It considers the relationship between music and lyrics in songs, what this means for using songs in the language classroom, the historical developments through which ELT songs emerged, and the contexts in which they are written, listened to, and made. Through literature review and reflection, the authors derive a framework of twelve criteria and ten dilemmas to guide ELT songwriting, before applying it in an analysis of their songs and songwriting process. The final section proposes a model for multidisciplinary collaboration between songwriters and non-musician collaborators including authors, teachers, and publishers.
Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/more-than-words/76260B8E36E3F8D322443D7C12139AF0
Keywords: English Language Teaching; ELT; EFL; L2; Songwriting; Children's Music; TESOL; Songs; Music Education
Az internet és a média folyamatos térnyeréséne k köszönhetően a nyelvtanulók egyre több idegen nyelvű tartalomhoz férnek hozzá. Ezen tartalmak a tanulni kívánt célnyelven készültek, és kapcsolódhatnak a szabadidős tevékenységeikhez is. Ilyen tevékenységek közé tartozik az olvasás, a filmnézés, a videójátékozás, a közösségi oldalak használata vagy éppen a zenehallgatás. Az említett tevékenységek együttese a tanórán elsajátítottakkal együtt pozitív hatással lehet az idegennyelv-tanulási folyamatra. Jelen tanulmány célja, hogy bemutassa a német popzene nyelvtanulásban betöltött potenciális pozitív szerepét. A tanulmány egy német popzenei albumon keresztül (Mark Foster Tape című albuma) mutatja be, hogy az milyen nyelvi szinteken lehet alkalmas német mint idegen nyelv tanítására, valamint tanulására. Az albumon megtalálható zeneszámokban előforduló szavak szókincséhez hozzárendelhetők különböző nyelvi szintek, amelyeket kategorizáltam, és a szövegekben található többször előforduló nyelvtani szerkezetek váltak elsődleges elemzési szemponttá. Az adatelemzés alapján megállapítható, hogy az albumon lévő dalok megértéséhez, valamint a nyelvtudás fejlődéshez B1 nyelvi szintnek megfelelő tudás szükséges. Az albumon lévő zenék további készségeket is fejleszthetnek, így többek között a szókincsbővítésben, valamint a kiejtés fejlesztésében is fontos szerepet tölthetnek be.
This article reports on the findings of a comparative study on songs in four English coursebook series for primary school learners, with two published in China and another two in the UK. Detailed analysis focuses on the number, the coverage, the teaching purposes, and the instructional arrangements of songs. The findings show that although the total number of songs in coursebooks from China outnumbers that from the UK, no correlation exists between learners’ grade levels and the number of songs in each fascicle. The study further demonstrates that the purposes of songs in all four series are mainly to arouse learners’ interest, to improve pronunciation, and to enhance vocabulary and sentence structure understanding, revealing a lack of due attention to fostering learners’ intercultural awareness. Regarding the pedagogical approach and other instructional arrangements, British coursebooks feature a more diversified approach, highlighting the integration of learners’ physical, psychological and cognitive development, whereas Chinese coursebooks concentrate on providing simplistic and unified instructions which may pose a challenge for novice teachers but an opportunity for experienced teachers. Based on the findings, recommendations are offered to future coursebook writers.
During the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, serious disruptions, including campus closures and a massive transfer to online ‘emergency remote teaching’ (ERT), have brought unparalleled repercussions to all tertiary academic fields, including foreign language (FL) teaching and learning. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted among Greek HE students. In total, 367 responses
were collected from students who had attended university FL modules during the 2020 spring
lockdown. Results revealed high attendance rates, which seem to relate to the novelty of the online
learning experience and the participants’ positive feelings towards transitioning to the online mode, while increased screen exposure and lack of interactive engagement appeared as the primary impediments. Issues of equity of access due to technological deficiencies were also raised. Ambivalent evaluations were recorded with regards to online FL learning courses, with students reporting the
least progress in their speaking skills development. However, the teaching material used was overall positively evaluated, along with recorded gains in students’ digital literacy. It is hoped that this study could shed light on the consequences of what has been the most challenging academic transition in recent decades and prepare for future contingency plans and emerging opportunities in FL teaching in HE.
Pop songs have been claimed to provide a noteworthy source of second language (L2) input. While listening to songs in English is one of the most commonly reported out-of-class activities among EFL learners, little research exists as to how different teaching approaches to the use of songs in the EFL class can enhance students’ vocabulary learning. The present study aims to investigate two different instructional approaches to the use of songs in the L2 class in order to learn how to maximise vocabulary learning through this input source. Two groups of grade 8 Italian EFL learners followed a short treatment that used English pop songs in different conditions, which differed in instructional focus (explicit vs. implicit). The results of the study suggest that although vocabulary significantly improved in both conditions, the explicit approach led to more durable gains.
摘要
听华语歌曲是汉语学习者在课外接触词汇的主要途径之一。已有对华语歌曲的研究大多是选择个别歌曲进行课堂教学设计，缺少对听歌习得词汇的系统考察。本文首次创建大规模“华语流行歌曲语料库”，包括“华语歌曲语料库”(957874个汉字、679278个中文词例)和“华语热门歌曲语料库”(37911个汉字、26943个中文词例)。在此基础上，统计三大词表对语料库中歌曲的词汇覆盖率、语料库中大纲词汇等级分布、大纲词的频次、超纲词的数量、达到不同理解阈值所需的词汇量等，分析掌握常用词对学习者认识歌词的影响、听歌常接触的大纲词等级、大纲词的复现是否有助于词汇习得、歌曲中的超纲词是否有学习价值、学生感兴趣的话题中的大纲词和超纲词等，并提出歌曲教材编写和多模态歌曲教学的建议。本文在特色语料库建构、大纲词表处理、词汇计量分析、教材编写等方面实现突破，能够为词汇学的理论研究和词汇的教学实践提供重要参考。
There is currently little information about the kinds of foreign language pop music, songs and activities used by language learners in informal learning contexts. This systematic analysis provides an overview of research from 2010–2020 in an attempt to describe how foreign language learners find, listen to, and engage with pop songs from another country or culture and how this can lead to increased informal language learning, using qualitative observations and interview responses found in published articles to conduct thematic analysis using grounded theory. Thematic analysis resulted in six themes within the peer-reviewed qualitative journal articles, and we argue that more research is needed into learner perspectives and about how learners engage autonomously with L2 pop music in informal language learning.
As the first collective volume to focus exclusively on corpus-based approaches to register variation, this book provides an exhaustive account of the range and depth of possibilities that the domain of register variation in English has to offer. It illustrates register variation analysis in different theoretical frameworks, such as Probabilistic Grammar, Systemic Functional Linguistics, and Information Theory, and proposes a new framework within the Text Linguistic Approach: the continuous-situational analytical framework. Several of the contributions apply Multi-Dimensional Analysis to corpus data in order to unveil register (dis)similarities, while others rely on logistic regression models and periodization techniques based on Kullback-Leibler divergence. The volume includes both inter-register and intra-register variation analysis of a wide spectrum of varieties, speakers and periods: British and American English, learner varieties, L2 varieties, and also contains diachronic studies covering early and late Modern English. This broad scope should be a source of inspiration for anyone interested in historical and ongoing register variation in a vast range of varieties of English worldwide.
This paper examines ecomusicology from the perspective of foreign language education. As a relatively new field of research, ecomusicology can generally be described as an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on topics related to the environment, music, and culture. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, it offers new research directions for foreign language education, mostly within the fields of eco-pedagogy and global education. To identify points of application, the variety of thematic foci examined by scholars investigating ecomusicology are identified and subsequently applied to foreign language education. The focus thereby is on four major ecomusicological publications. The outcome of the analysis of these publications is a conceptual model of ecomusicology applied to foreign language education on four domains: 1) musicians, 2) music artefacts, 3) music in action, and 4) the environment. Given the current lack of research into the potential of ecomusicology for foreign language education, this paper therefore aims to fill a research gap. Reasons for integrating theoretical considerations in ecomusicology are discussed from the perspective of foreign language teaching and learning and thus conceptualised for a practical application. An example that focuses on the analysis of eco-songs through a categorised list of questions based on the four ecomusicological domains illustrates how the conceptual model can be applied in practice and serve as a pool of ideas for teaching activities.
Literature has long been used as a tool for language teaching and learning. In the New Academic Structure in Hong Kong, it has become an important element in the senior secondary English language curriculum to promote communicative language teaching (CLT) with a process-oriented approach. However, as in many other English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) contexts where high-stakes testing prevails, Hong Kong students are highly exam-oriented and expect teachers to teach to the test. Because there is no direct assessment on literature in the English language curriculum, many teachers find it challenging to balance CLT through literature and exam preparation. To address this issue, this article describes an innovation of teaching ESL through songs by ‘packaging’ it as exam practice to engage exam-oriented students in CLT. A series of activities derived from the song Seasons in the Sun was implemented in the ESL classrooms in a secondary school in Hong Kong. Based on the author’s observations and reflections informed by teachers’ and students’ comments, the students were first motivated, at least instrumentally, by the relevance of the activities to the listening paper in the public exam when they saw the similarities between the classroom tasks and past exam questions. Once the students felt motivated, they were more easily engaged in a variety of CLT activities, which encouraged the use of English for authentic and meaningful communication. This article offers pedagogical implications for ESL/EFL teachers to implement CLT through literature in exam-oriented contexts.
The use of music and song in the English language-learning classroom is not new. While many teachers intuitively feel that music is beneficial in teaching English language, there is sometimes a lack of the theoretical underpinnings that support such a choice. There are examples in the literature to argue the strong relationship between music and language that are substantiated by research in the fields of cognitive science, anthropology, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, First Language Acquisition (FLA) and Second Language Acquisition (SLA).
The present thesis addresses the following question: Can popular songs as they are currently used in second and foreign language classrooms benefit lexical learning? Lexical learning is defined as the acquisition of new vocabulary as well as the consolidation and further elaboration of familiar words and phrases. To answer this research question, three methodologically distinct studies are reported.
In the first study an international questionnaire explored teacher cognitions as well as actual teaching practices involving songs. The responses of 568 informants in 41 countries indicate that a majority of respondents believe in the usefulness of songs for language learning and that many respondents utilize songs in class for clearly defined pedagogical purposes, including vocabulary learning. The questionnaire also elicited information from the respondents about the way they incorporate songs in lessons, including details about how often a song is played and what types of form- and meaning-focused activities are used to engage learners with the lyrics of a song.
The second study investigated the lexical characteristics of teacher-selected songs and the vocabulary learning opportunities they afford. For this purpose, a corpus of 635 songs used for ESL/EFL purposes, comprising 177,384 tokens, was compiled and analysed. Results indicate that teacher-selected songs are short, repetitive and relatively undemanding as far as lexis is concerned compared to other authentic text genres. Knowledge of the 4000 most frequent word families of English provides 98% coverage of the running words in this song corpus. Little difference was found in terms of the overall vocabulary demands between songs intended for use with beginners, intermediate and advanced learners.
The third study investigates whether participating in a song-based lesson results in higher verbatim text retention compared to a lesson based on a poem or a prose text. For the sake of ecological validity, the procedures and the materials used in the classroom intervention study were informed by the findings of the teacher questionnaire (study one) and the song corpus analysis (study two). Results indicate that a song-based language lesson but also a poem-based lesson result in significantly higher recognition and cued recall of verbatim text than a lesson based on a prose text.
In response to the overall question, this thesis provides evidence that songs as they currently tend to be used by language teachers around the world indeed benefit certain aspects of lexical learning, perhaps in particular the entrenchment in memory of already (half-)familiar words in association with their phraseological patterning. It is argued that, while certain structural characteristics of songs (and poems) have the potential of rendering text (and the lexis therein) memorable, it is the way that songs tend to be exploited in the classroom that capitalizes on this mnemonic potential.
THE D ISCOVERY OF I NDIVIDUAL "MIRROR N EURONS " in the macaque brain that fire both when an action is executed and when that same action is observed or heard, and of a homologous system in humans, is lead- ing to an extraordinary conceptual shift in our under- standing of perception-action mechanisms, human communication, and empathy. In a recent model of emotional responses to music (Molnar-Szakacs & Overy, 2006), we proposed that music is perceived not only as an auditory signal, but also as intentional, hier- archically organized sequences of expressive motor acts behind the signal; and that the human mirror neu- ron system allows for corepresentation and sharing of a musical experience between agent and listener. Here, we expand upon this model of Shared Affective Motion Experience (SAME) and discuss its implica- tions for music therapy and special education. We hypoth- esize that imitation, synchronization, and shared experience may be key elements of successful work in these areas.
The melody of a song, in some situations, can facilitate learning and recall. The experiments in this article demonstrate that text is better recalled when it is heard as a song rather than as speech, provided the music repeats so that it is easily learned. When Ss heard 3 verses of a text sung with the same melody, they had better recall than when the same text was spoken. However, the opposite occurred when Ss heard a single verse of a text sung or when Ss heard different melodies for each verse of a song; in these instances, Ss had better recall when the text was spoken. Furthermore, the experiments indicate that the melody contributes more than just rhythmic information. Music is a rich structure that chunks words and phrases, identifies line lengths, identifies stress patterns, and adds emphasis as well as focuses listeners on surface characteristics. The musical structure can assist in learning, in retrieving, and if necessary, in reconstructing a text. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
According to common practice and oral tradition, learning verbal materials through song should facilitate word recall. In the present study, we provide evidence against this belief. In Experiment 1, 36 university students, half of them musicians, learned an unfamiliar song in three conditions. In the sung-sung condition, the song to be learned was sung, and the response was sung too. In the sung-spoken condition, the response was spoken. In the divided-spoken condition, the presented lyrics (accompanied by music) and the response were both spoken. Superior word recall in the sung-sung condition was predicted. However, fewer words were recalled when singing than when speaking. Furthermore, the mode of presentation, whether sung or spoken, had no influence on lyric recall, in either short- or long-term recall. In Experiment 2, singing was assessed with and without words. Altogether, the results indicate that the text and the melody of a song have separate representations in memory, making singing a dual task to perform, at least in the first steps of learning. Interestingly, musical training had little impact on performance, suggesting that vocal learning is a basic and widespread skill.
Specific pieces of music can elicit strong emotions in listeners and, possibly in connection with these emotions, can be remembered even years later. However, episodic memory for emotional music compared with less emotional music has not yet been examined. We investigated whether emotional music is remembered better than less emotional music. Also, we examined the influence of musical structure on memory performance.
Recognition of 40 musical excerpts was investigated as a function of arousal, valence, and emotional intensity ratings of the music. In the first session the participants judged valence and arousal of the musical pieces. One week later, participants listened to the 40 old and 40 new musical excerpts randomly interspersed and were asked to make an old/new decision as well as to indicate arousal and valence of the pieces. Musical pieces that were rated as very positive were recognized significantly better.
Musical excerpts rated as very positive are remembered better. Valence seems to be an important modulator of episodic long-term memory for music. Evidently, strong emotions related to the musical experience facilitate memory formation and retrieval.
Songs have been a common feature of young learner classrooms for decades, and numerous publications describe how songs should be employed in order to improve motivation and facilitate the acquisition of various aspects of language, including vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and listening skills. However, empirical research examining the effects of songs as used in young learner classrooms remains scarce. This article reviews nine such studies in order to draw general conclusions and pedagogical implications. Findings indicate that songs may be effective at promoting vocabulary acquisition and improving classroom motivation in young learners; other aspects of language such as pronunciation, general oral proficiency, and receptive skills have received little focus in the empirical literature but the research that does exist also shows promising results. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
The melody of a song, in some situations, can facilitate learning and recall. The experiments in this article demonstrate that text is better recalled when it is heard as a song rather than as speech, provided the music repeats so that it is easily learned. When Ss heard 3 verses of a text sung with the same melody, they had better recall than when the same text was spoken. However, the opposite occurred when Ss heard a single verse of a text sung or when Ss heard different melodies for each verse of a song; in these instances, Ss had better recall when the text was spoken. Furthermore, the experiments indicate that the melody contributes more than just rhythmical information. Music is a rich structure that chunks words and phrases, identifies line lengths, identifieds stress patterns, and adds emphasis as well as focuses listeners on surface characteristics. The musical structure can assist in learning, in retrieving, and if necessary, in reconstructing a text.
Describes the potential ways of using music in teaching English as a second language. Typescript (photocopy). "Fall 1997." Thesis (M.A.)--California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1997. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-68).
Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wyoming, 2002. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-93).
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