República Bolivariana de VenezuelaForeign Languages Department

NURR-ULATrujillo – Estado Trujillo

Students: Yeuski CangaProf. José Rafael Pernía

Using Music In the ESL Classroom

Using Music in the ESL Classroom

Students who are taught in a fun and creative way, love coming to class. Using music in the classroom is a great way for teachers to achieve success with L2 learners. Oliver Wendall Holmes suggests taking a musical bath once a week, saying that music is "to the soul what water is to the body."

Benefits of Using MusicStudies have shown that music:

Improves concentration ݦ Improves memory ݦ Brings a sense of community to a group ݦ Motivates learning ݦ Relaxes people who are overwhelmed or ݦstressed Makes learning fun ݦHelps people absorb material ݦ

"Music stabilizes mental, physical and emotional rhythms to attain a state of deep

concentration and focus in which large amounts of content information can be

processed and learned." (Chris Brewer, Music and Learning)

Techniques for Using Music with L2 Learners

Music can be used to:

Introduce a new theme or topic ݦ Break the ice in a class where students don't know ݦeach other or are having difficulty communicating Change the mood ݦ Teach and build vocabulary and idioms ݦReview material ݦ Teach pronunciation and intonation ݦ Teach songs and rhymes about difficult grammar ݦand spelling rules that need to be memorized Teach reading comprehension ݦ Inspire a class discussion ݦTeach listening for details and gist ݦ

"Music is the universal language of mankind.“

(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Suggested Activities

Here are 10 activities for you to try as a teacher in a classroom:

1. Use background music such as classical, Celtic music or natural sounds to inspire creativity

2. Teach your national anthem 3. Teach a song that uses slang expressions4. Teach a song that uses a new tense you have introduced 5. Add variety to your reading comprehension lesson. 6. Teach Christmas vocabulary through traditional carols 7. Write or choose a classroom theme song 8. Create (or use already prepared lessons) cloze exercises

using popular song lyrics 9. Create variations to familiar songs by making them

personal for your class members or your lesson 10.Have "lyp sync" contests. Allow students to choose their

own songs. A little competition goes a long way in the classroom.

"When the music changes so, so does the dance."

(African proverb)

Teaching Kids with MusicHere are some suggested activities to use with

kids:1. Transition songs: that indicate transitions from one activity to another, such as "hello/goodbye" songs.

2. Energy boosters: Teach simple action songs that require kids to stand up and move around.

3. Animal songs: Children love learning about animals! Teach animals and animal

4. Multi-culturalism: Teach about multi-cultural instruments and learn how to create them in class.

5. Remembering Names: Help students remember names of their classmates

6. Alphabet songs: Use lots of different alphabet songs to help kids remember them in English.

7. Colours: Teach the colors with various color songs and rhythms

8. Rewards: Let them make requests for background music that they can listen to while they work on their written exercises.

9. Student teachers: Encourage the kids to teach each other songs from their own language. Turn this into an English lesson by having students translate the meaning.

“Musical nourishment which is rich in vitamins is essential for

children." (Zolton Kodaly)

Teaching Kids with Musicݦ When teaching students a song, it is a good idea to

introduce an instrumental version first, If students become familiar with the sound of the music first, they will be more likely to understand the words.

Make a vocabulary list ahead of time. Go over the words ݦonce before you introduce the song.

.Expose students to a certain song many days in a row ݦWithin a few days, students will not be able to get the song out of their head!

Choose interactive songs whenever possible. Adding ݦactions enhances language acquisition and memory.

Have soft or upbeat music playing before class to ݦencourage a positive atmosphere. Turning the music off is a great way to signal to a large class that it is time to begin.

Thank You…!!!