From singing to From singing to speaking: the use of speaking: the use of music in the Foreign music in the Foreign language classroomlanguage classroom

Laura Margarita Merino Hernández, NAULaura Margarita Merino Hernández, NAU

Music/Música/MusikMusic/Música/Musik

• Music is fun!!!

• Keeps students awake.

• It motivates students

• Helps them realize that there is much more variety other than Mariachi.

• Make it a cultural event!!! (i.e., salsa week)

• They can compare and contrast it with their own music.

• It relates to the national and state standards

ResearchResearch

MUSIC…MUSIC…

--motivates students and --motivates students and improves their proficiency. improves their proficiency. (Ajibade y Yetunde 2008)(Ajibade y Yetunde 2008)

--encourages participation --encourages participation (Marcie, 2006)(Marcie, 2006)

--students learn about the TL --students learn about the TL culture (Hong, 2006)culture (Hong, 2006)

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

• Do students think that the use of music in the classroom helps them improve their proficiency in the foreign language (writing, grammar, vocabulary, culture, listening and speaking)?

• According to students, do they learn better through an implicit or explicit lesson?

ParticipantsParticipants

• 109 Spanish 201(intermediate low) students. 3 different instructors (5 sections of SPA 201).

• 71 women, 38 men.

• Native language: English.

• Age: the majority of the students were 18-28, 1 student was 42, 2 students were 30.

• 37 freshmen, 39 sophomores, 18 juniors, 15 seniors

procedureprocedure

•Likkert questionnaire: 28 questions about their attitude and 4 demographic questions.

•The questionnaire was administered in 5 different Spanish 201 classes.

FindingsFindings

• 47.5% said that songs helped them improve their writing.

• 87.1% of students said that music helped them learn about other cultures.

• 44% said that songs helped them learn grammatical points.

• 74.3% said that songs helped them learn new vocabulary.

• 63.3% said that songs helped them improve their oral skills.

• 91.4% said that songs helped them improve their listening skills.

ConclusionsConclusions

• Like the study made by Hong (2006), this small scale study proved that songs motivate students.

• Like the study made by Ajibade y Yetunde (2008) this study found that besides motivating students, music improves students’ proficiency in almost all the areas of a language.

Limitations and Limitations and recommendationsrecommendations

•The results are based on students’ opinions.

•Do a study with a control group.

•Don’t just play a song, follow the pre-during-post activities.

How to use music in the How to use music in the classroom?classroom?

Before class…Before class…

• Pick a topic/theme – culture, vocabulary, grammar, etc. (accidental “se” in Spanish)

• Find a song – Google it!!! (Se me olvidó otra vez)

• Research the singer/band – country, genre, awards, etc. Google it!!! (Maná)

• Text enhancement: Get the lyrics and underline the target words/phrases.

Some songs I have Some songs I have usedused

•Music •-- Accidental “se” – Elvis Crespo – La foto se me borró

• Maná – Se me olvidó otra vez

• Kalimba – Se té olvidó

•-- Reciprocal pronouns – Armando Manzanero – Somos novios

•-- Past tense – Juanes – La historia de Juan

•-- Subjunctive – Juan Luis Guerra – Ojalá que llueva café

•-- Los gustos – Manu Chao – Me gustas tú

Song with lesson plans Song with lesson plans includedincluded

• Spanish -- Songs with lesson plans included: http://formespa.rediris.es/canciones/

http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/

http://www.nacnet.org/assunta/cancion.htm

• English-- ESL songs: http://www.musicalenglishlessons.org/music-index.htm

•  French – Songs with activities included

http://sauce.pntic.mec.es/~ede00000/chansonfle.html

http://www.lepointdufle.net/chansons.htm

continued…continued…

• German – Songs

http://www.learngerman4free.com/

• Japanese – Songs

http://www.genkienglish.net/genkijapan/learnjapanesenumbers.htm

http://www.japaneseteaching.org/projects/JLTNQ/songs/

Pre-listeningPre-listening

• Write the name of the singer/band and the title of the song on the board.

• Ask students if they know anything about the singer/band; if so, write the accurate facts on the board.

• Ask about what they know about the country and write the facts on the board.

• Have them look at the title and hypothesize about the meaning of the song. Write it on the board.

Maná- Se me olvidó Maná- Se me olvidó otra vezotra vez

• They are a band

• They are from México

• They play pop/rock music

• They won 3 Grammy awards and 5 Latin Grammy awards

• Food and Agriculture Organization (FOA) Ambassadors

• The song is about love

• The song is about politics

• The song is about someone forgetting something

• The song is about someone hating someone

During listeningDuring listening

• Play the song once without the lyrics.

• Ask them about the gist or words that they could recognize, and eliminate or add hypothesis

• Ask them about the rhythm.

• Give them the lyrics and play the song again.

• Guided comprehension check: Talk about the meaning, the tone, or anything related to the song except the target words/phrases and see what hypothesis (if any) were true.

Post-listeningPost-listening

• Co-construction: Ask students about the target words (bolded/underlined): What do they think they mean? Do they see a pattern? Write it on the board.

• Summarize the properties of the structure (explanation).

• Play the song one last time for fun.

• Have them practice with specific activities, handouts, etc.

Post-listening Post-listening activities activities

• Sing-along

• Skits

• Dance-off

• Create a music video

• Grammar-oriented activities (interview, human bingo, etc.)

Thank Thank you/Gracias/dankeyou/Gracias/danke