Songs in the Classroom: A Useful Tool

Kathiuska Murcia Cortes

FUNLAM

2012

Songs are part of daily life…

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?

A useful tool

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)

Studies have shown that music...

• Improves concentration• Improves memory• Brings a sense of community to a group• Motivates learning• Relaxes people who are

overwhelmed or stressed• Makes learning fun• Helps people absorb material

What positive contributions to language learning can songs make?

Socio – emotional growth

Physical development

Cognitive training Cultural literacy Language

Learning

Types of songs…

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

‘Real’ music that students hear and play every day can be extremely motivating in the classroom, too.

WATCH OUT ! the lyrics may not always be suitable

WHICH LEARNER LIKES SONGS?

Aural / Musical

Intelligent Learners

Physical Style

Learners

Spacial Intelligent

Learner

Verbal Style Learner

Why are songs so suitable?Pop songs help learning a second

language:

• Contain common, short words

• Language is conversational

• Time and place are usually imprecise

Murphy (1992)

• Lyrics are often sung at a slower rate than spoken words.

• There is repetition of words and grammar

• Motivate learners to learn

REFERENCES AND CIBERGRAPHY

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.

• http:// www.englishclub.com/teaching-tips/music-classroom.htm

• http://www.eslbase.com/articles/songs

• http://www.eslbase.com/articles/pop-songs