NAME / CONTACT NO GROUP IC / MATRIKS NO NURHAFIZAH BINTI AJLAN 0197166070 UPSI 01 801204-14-5448 D20102040807 BIP 3023 – MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT 1 AND 2 JOURNAL/ ARTICLE REVIE LESSON PLANS OF A MATERIAL ( USING SONGS IN TEACHING LANGUAGE ) LECTURER DR INTAN SAFINAS BINTI MOHD ARIFF ALBAKRI
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NAME / CONTACT NO GROUP IC / MATRIKS NO
NURHAFIZAH BINTI AJLAN0197166070
UPSI 01 801204-14-5448D20102040807
BIP 3023 – MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT
ASSIGNMENT 1 AND 2
JOURNAL/ ARTICLE REVIE
LESSON PLANS OF A MATERIAL ( USING SONGS IN TEACHING LANGUAGE )
LECTURER
DR INTAN SAFINAS BINTI MOHD ARIFF ALBAKRI
ARTICLE 1
LESSON OUTLINES
Year 11; Issue 2; April 2009, ISSN 1755-9715
Using Songs in the English Classroom
Hans Mol, Australia
Hans Mol is a writer, trainer and teacher working from Australia. He is published worldwide for young learners, teens and adults. His next book (Grammar for Young Learners) is published by OUP in 2009. He is co-director of www.supasongs.com and fracasenglish.com. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
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Songs in the classroom: a useful toolTypes of songsWhich learners like songs?Why are songs so suitable?What can you do with songs in the classroom?Practical tips and tasks for using songsReferences
Songs in the classroom: a useful tool
Songs are part of daily life for most people. Who doesn’t enjoy music at home, while travelling or studying, or even at work? Language teachers can use songs to open or close their lessons, to illustrate themes and topics, to add variety or a change of pace, present new vocabulary or recycle known language. But how do songs actually benefit your students? In the first part of this article we look at the theoretical background to these questions; in the second half we look at what we can do with songs in the classroom.
There is strong practical evidence supporting the use of music in the English language classroom; there is also a growing body of research confirming that songs are a useful tool in language acquisition. In fact musical and language processing occur in the same area of the brain. (Medina, 1993)
Types of songs
There are many types of songs which can be used in the classroom,
ranging from nursery rhymes to contemporary pop music. There is also a lot of music written specifically for English language teaching. A criticism of the latter is that they often lack originality and musical appeal but there are good examples to be found of stimulating, modern, ‘cool’ music, appealing to the real tastes of language learners. ‘Real’ music that the children hear and play every day can be extremely motivating in the classroom, too. However, the lyrics may not always be suitable: they may, for instance, contain slang or offensive words, there may be grammatical mistakes and they may only marginally teach the language points you want to focus on.
Which learners like songs?
Howard Gardner once said: “It’s not how intelligent you are, but how you are intelligent.” No two students learn in exactly the same way. In any classroom there will be a mix of learning styles, and one student may ‘use’ more than one style, depending on what the task or topic is. To appeal to these differences is a huge teaching challenge. Gardner distinguished eight styles of learning, and students in his ‘aural/musical’ category will have a lot of benefit from learning through songs. They are strong in singing, picking up sounds, remembering melodies and rhythms; they like to sing, hum, play instruments and listen to music.
This is not to say that learners with other learning styles cannot benefit from songs. Of course they can, because in the activities we develop with songs we can dance and act (physical learning style), read, draw and do puzzles (spatial intelligence) tell stories, and write (verbal learning styles).
Why are songs so suitable?
We can’t generalise, but research has found that pop songs have characteristics that help learning a second language: they often contain common, short words; they are written at about 5th grade level (US); the language is conversational, time and place are usually imprecise; the lyrics are often sung at a slower rate than spoken words and there is repetition of words and grammar. (Murhpy, 1992). Furthermore, songs are also known to lower the “affective filter” or, in other words, to motivate learners to learn. So, what positive contributions to language learning can songs make?
Socio-emotional growth
You’ll often find learners of any age singing together socially – when they are visiting friends, at a party or in karaoke bars. Teenagers and young adults seem to know an endless number of songs by heart and share them continuously through the Internet and portable music players. Even though it’s not always easy to copy this spontaneous love of music in the classroom, singing songs in and with a class is a social act which allows learners to participate in a group and express their feelings, no matter what their English is like.
Physical development
Songs provide a great opportunity for young learners to move around. Clapping, dancing and playing instruments stimulate memory, which makes it possible for learners to hear chunks of language as they sing and use them in different situations later. Older learners can also benefit from clapping, dancing, rocking, tapping, and snapping their fingers to music and
songs.
Cognitive training
We all know the phenomenon of the song-that-is-stuck-in-my-head. With the right kind of song it is easy to simulate that in the classroom. Interacting with songs again and again is as important to language learners as repeatedly practicing a tennis technique is for a tennis player. The skill which develops from this is called ‘automaticity’. Learners get to know what to say and to produce language rapidly without pausing.
Cultural literacy
Now that most music is accessible to almost anyone anywhere, either through radio, CDs, DVDs and downloads from the Internet, learners can enjoy songs from all corners of the globe. Songs used in English classes can, in that way, shed light on interesting musical traditions in countries, but can also teach teens, young adults and adults to appreciate other cultures. For adult learners they can be “a rich mine of information about human relations, ethics, customs, history, humor, and regional and cultural differences’ (Lems, 2001).
Language learning
In a world where non-native speakers of English are likely to produce the majority of songs in English, learners have the opportunity to listen to pronunciation in a wide range of varieties of the language. Songs will help learners become familiar with word stress and intonation, and the rhythm with which words are spoken or sung also helps memorization. Again, this will enable learners to remember chunks of language which they can then use in conversations or in writing. As language teachers, we can use songs to practice listening, speaking, reading and writing.
What can you do with songs in the classroom?
The sky is the limit! There are a few things to keep in mind: simple, repetitive songs often contain a recurrent grammatical pattern which is useful to teach (especially with younger children). More difficult songs often contain interesting vocabulary and idioms. Also there is often a message, a theme, or a story underlying a song which students can discuss, explain, debate, and write about at almost any level.
Practical tips and tasks for using songs
Focus it
Start with a focusing activity: anything that will get students thinking about the subject of the song. Have them think about the title of the song, in groups of pairs. Find a picture that relates to the subject of the song and
have students make guesses about it.
Highlight it
Put a selection of important words from the song on your board. Have students ask each other what the words mean. Then, have students in groups write or tell a quick story that uses the words. You can also get students to circle, underline or highlight specific words or word categories.
Stop it
Again, write a selection of words on the board. Students must shout STOP any time they hear one of the new words. You could also stop the song before a word you want them to guess.
Lip sync it
Have students lip sync the song before a team of judges in a Class Idol show. This allows them to become familiar with the words, rhythm, stress and intonation before actually singing the words out loud.
Strip it
Cut the song into strips. Give each student one strip to memorize. Students put the strips in their pockets. They get up and tell each other their part of the song, without looking at their part or showing their part to anyone else. Students then organize themselves in the right order, speak the song and then listen and check. You can also have students put the strips on a table in order.
Question it
Have students ask each other questions about the song (about the words, about the topics or about characters in the song). For more advanced students you could choose two songs of a similar theme, and split the class into two teams. Have each group listen to their song and draw up a list of (open or True/False) questions. Pair each student with a member of the opposite team and have them take turns asking their questions.
Gap it
You can prepare a gapped version of the lyrics and let students complete them before listening and then check afterwards.
Write it
Have students write a letter to the main character or the singer, send an answer to a person referred to in the song, rewrite the song as a story, write a story which began before the story in the song and led to it, or write a story which will continue after the song.
Change it
Change words (adjectives, adverbs, nouns -names, places or feelings), and invent new lyrics for the melody. If you have karaoke versions of the songs
you can then let students sing their own versions.
Draw it
Get students to draw or collage the song and compare the visualisations in class.
The possibilities are endless. Music and songs are fun, and most people enjoy them. Make songs a regular feature in your lessons!
References
Lems, Kirsten, Using Music in the Adult ESL Classroom, ERIC Digest, 2001.
Medina, Suzanne L, The Effect of Music on Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition, ‘National Network for Early Language Learning’, Vol 6-3, 1993.
Murphy, T (1992), The discourse op pop songs, TESOL Quarterly 26”(4), 770-774.
Please check the Methodology and Language for Primary Teachers course at Pilgrims website.Please check the Methodology and Language for Secondary Teachers course at Pilgrims website.Please check the Teaching through Music and Visual Art course at Pilgrims website.
has the bond between songs and grammar been more tightly bridged than Cranmer and Laroy
(1993) who devoted one chapter to exploration of using music to teach grammar in their Musical
Openings: Using Music in the Language Classroom. Eight types of using songs to teach grammar
are enumerated with preparation, procedure, and suggestions very usefully and clearly made.
DVD Technology
The movie songs in the DVD format have the following four fundamental functions:
The Subtitles Function
This allows the user to select any of the subtitles already available on a given disc. Press the
“Subtitles” button and use the guide arrow to choose the desired subtitle option. Not every music
dick, however, is installed with the subtitle function.
The Language Function
This allows for a selection of the output language type. Unfortunately, it can only produce the
language as labeled on the cover page of the disc. There are always limitations according to each
product sold. In English Karaoke, there are two choices, one with only English subtitles and rhyme,
the other with English subtitles and sound.
The Advance Function
The Use of this function enables the user to skip to individual scenes or chapters on the disc. Most
DVDs include a scene index, providing easy location of the required scene/chapter. The button
labeled “Go To” or “Forward” typically provides the advance function. This function may also prove
useful for various student-centered activities, such as asking learners to forward the chapter to a
favorite song that they would like to learn.
Chapter Repeating Function
If the teacher intends to show a song many times with or without visual support, this function does
help. When the song is being played for the first time, press this button, and it will be repeated as
many times as needed.
This very powerful function enables the teacher to continuously repeat a single scene. Different Sources of Songs Songs are available from two main sources:
1. the audio channel, such as cassette tapes, CDs and DVDs 2. both audio and video channels, such as the musical DVDs and DVD films
Theme Songs in the Special/Extra Features Most DVDs provide the function of extra/special features, such as theme songs, costumes galleries, behind the screens, posters, actors’ background information, and commentaries. In the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” for instance, inserted in DVD format is the theme song titled “A Love Before Time” sung by Co Co Lee in MTV style. Live Concert in DVD Format Most songs are presented by the original singers, for instance, “Charlotte Church: Voice of an Angel, Pavarotti” and “The Corrs.” The students enjoy learning songs from the live concerts as they can witness the singers on the screen. As the live concert DVD musicals usually do not provide English subtitles or written scripts, the teacher can assign students to do the lyrics of their favorite songs. It is recommended that the song be played three times, first with sound and image, next with sound only, and the third time with both or either. English Karaoke Songs in this type of DVD musical, sung by the original singers only in audio channel, are presented with background images either with sounds and subtitles or only with English subtitles, word by word, for the viewer to sing. Much cheaper than the live concert DVDs, the Karaoke DVD discs provide a wider variety and combination of songs, such as pop songs, movie them songs, and old love songs. Besides, they provide English subtitles which students can take advantage of for singing and learning English. Theme Songs in the Film Most feature films present songs with the plot going on, so that the viewer can understand the background information of the song. However, this type of song usually is not shown in its entirety, so audiotapes or CDs are needed to play the complete song. It is recommended that this type of songs be played first with sound and image and the second or third times only with the sound through audio channel. The four movie songs selected for this workshop are: “A Love Before Time” (“Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon”); “Green, Green Grass of Home”; “How Do I Live” (“Con Air”); and
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (“Greasy”).
This very powerful function enables the teacher to continuously repeat a single scene. Different Sources of Songs Songs are available from two main sources:
1. the audio channel, such as cassette tapes, CDs and DVDs 2. both audio and video channels, such as the musical DVDs and DVD films
Theme Songs in the Special/Extra Features Most DVDs provide the function of extra/special features, such as theme songs, costumes galleries, behind the screens, posters, actors’ background information, and commentaries. In the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” for instance, inserted in DVD format is the theme song titled “A Love Before Time” sung by Co Co Lee in MTV style. Live Concert in DVD Format Most songs are presented by the original singers, for instance, “Charlotte Church: Voice of an Angel, Pavarotti” and “The Corrs.” The students enjoy learning songs from the live concerts as they can witness the singers on the screen. As the live concert DVD musicals usually do not provide English subtitles or written scripts, the teacher can assign students to
do the lyrics of their favorite songs. It is recommended that the song be played three times, first with sound and image, next with sound only, and the third time with both or either. English Karaoke Songs in this type of DVD musical, sung by the original singers only in audio channel, are presented with background images either with sounds and subtitles or only with English subtitles, word by word, for the viewer to sing. Much cheaper than the live concert DVDs, the Karaoke DVD discs provide a wider variety and combination of songs, such as pop songs, movie them songs, and old love songs. Besides, they provide English subtitles which students can take advantage of for singing and learning English. Theme Songs in the Film Most feature films present songs with the plot going on, so that the viewer can understand the background information of the song. However, this type of song usually is not shown in its entirety, so audiotapes or CDs are needed to play the complete song. It is recommended that this type of songs be played first with sound and image and the second or third times only with the sound through audio channel. The four movie songs selected for this workshop are: “A Love Before Time” (“Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon”); “Green, Green Grass of Home”; “How Do I Live” (“Con Air”); and
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (“Greasy”).
Four Steps of Using Music to Teach Grammar 1. Pre-use or getting into media stage: Teacher selects grammatical points
and song lyrics and design appropriate tasks or exercises. 2. Input or working from media stage: Teacher presents/elicits designated
grammatical points. 3. Focus or working with media stage: Teacher plays the song and students
are asked to do the exercise while listening to the tapes. 4. Transfer or working out of media stage: Teacher checks the answers and
makes necessary explanation. Class discussion follows. Students are encouraged to ask questions and asked to do follow-up assignment by using what the media has just presented. (Adapted from Donna M. Brinton, 459)
Activity Design Five types of activities based on the lyrics are introduced here: blank-filling, multiple-choice, matching, dialogues, and sentence making. The former three types are mechanic drills aimed at the conceptual instill and habituation of the targeted grammar, while the other two are communicative types of drills aimed at enhancing students’ active and natural use of the language learned from the lyrics. Blank-filling Most widely used by the EFL teachers, the blank-filling exercise is especially suitable for recognizing the eight parts of speech. Each may be focused on practice of one or more grammatical points. Usually each blank has only one word to be filled, and the word may be guessed through both context and grammatical relationship. The blank may be followed by a cue in the parentheses. For example:
Fill in the blank with the appropriate verb form: If the sky _________(open) up for me, and the mountains __________ (disappear), If the seas _________(run) dry, __________(turn) to dust and the sun __________(refuse) to rise, I would still find my way, by the light I see in your eyes. The world I know _______(fade) away, but you stay. (“A Love Before Time”)
Multiple-choice The multiple choice activity, which seems easier than blank-filling to design and
to do, may be devised with two or more choices, and may be done before,
during or after listening to the music. For example:
How do I get through one night without you If I (have, had) to live without you What kind of life (will, would) that be Oh and I, I need you in my arms Need you to hold You’re my world, my heart, my soul
If you ever (leave, left) Baby you would take away everything good in my life. (“How Do I Live”)
Matching Another mechanical but frequently used exercise; the matching exercise usually consists of a list of words that have to go with the blanks in the selected lyric. The following example is a drill on recognizing the three types of clauses.
Match each underlined clause with one of the three types of clauses listed in the front: A. Noun Clause B. Adjective Clause C. Adverbial Clause They asked me how I know ( ) My true love was true. Oh, I of course replied Something here inside Cannot be denied. They said someday you’ll find All who love ( ) are blind. Oh, when your heart’s on fire ( ) You must realize Smoke gets in your eyes ( ). (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”)
Dialogues Students are asked to produce dialogues based on the grammatical elements of
the song heard. They have to gain a considerable understanding of the
grammatical components of the song before making meaningful dialogues. For
example, the dialogue assignment of the song “A Love Before Time” may be:
Write eight to ten sentences of dialogues between two lovers who would most
likely be talking to each other as revealed in the song. There is much room for
students to exercise their imagination and for the teacher to expect various
Sentence-making Aimed at putting students’ sense of sentence into practice, this exercise may be designed by imitating some of the grammatical elements or structures of the sentences in the song. The song serves as a point of departure for making similar or better sentences. The sentence structures of the lyrics must be well grasped before they can be used for sentence making by the students. Take “Green, Green Grass of Home.” There is one sentence “Down the road I look, and there runs Mary/Hair of gold and lips like cherries,” which includes several grammatical elements that worth being drilled, such as the reverse sentence structure (“down the road I look” and “there runs Mary”), the compound sentence, the adjective phrase (“of gold”) and simile (“like cherries”). Students
may be asked to make similar sentences by imitating one or more or all of the grammatical components of the above sentence. Conclusion In conclusion, both presenters would like to claim, first, that an EFL teacher does
not have to be a good singer or musician to use songs in the classroom. Next,
we recommend that we make every song pedagogically meaningful and
purposeful. Third, it is very important to grasp the fundamental qualities and
special traits of songs before we can make the best of them to meet our
demands. Finally, in selection and use of songs, we must take into account such
factors as student backgrounds and relevancy to the course syllabus, and
linguistic skills to be trained. It is only when these aspects are aptly weighed can
we enhance student learning motivation, and bring English learning by songs
from a relaxing and lively process to a fruitful effect.
References Celce-Murcia, M. & Hilles, S. (1988). Techniques and Resources in Teaching
Grammar. New York, N. Y.: Oxford University Press. Cranmer, D. & Laroy, C. (1992). Musical Openings: Using Music in the Language
Classroom. Essex, England: Longman. Brinton, D. M. (1991). The use of media in language teaching. In Celce-Murcia,
M. Ed., Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. pp 454-472. Fox, T. R. (1995). On common ground: Why and how to use music as a teaching
aid. The Hwa Kang Journal of TEFL. No. 1, May 1995, 77-116. Graham, C. (1992). Singing, Chanting, Telling Tales: Arts in the Language
Classroom. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Katchen, J. E. (1996). Using Authentic Video in English Language Teaching: Tips
for Taiwan’s Teachers. Taipei: The Crane Publishing Co., Ltd., 92-102. Shih, Y. (1997). Learning English by Singing. Taipei: Crane Publishing Ltd.