Teaching Oral
English through songs
·
Use
of songs in the classroom:
·
Positive
statements regarding the efficacy of music as a vehicle for first and second
language acquisition.
Songs in the classroom
Advantages:
·
Songs
are a pleasurable, enjoyable experience which aids relaxation and group
dynamics and increases attentiveness and receptiveness in the language
classroom.
·
They
bring variety to the lesson.
·
They
are highly memorable and help internalize quite long chunks of language.
·
They
are part of everyday life and constitute a natural opportunity for meaningful
repetition.
·
They
are personal and thus allow identification with the lyrics.
·
They
provide authentic examples of everyday language.
·
They
allow the target vocabulary, grammar, and patterns to be modelled in context.
·
They
foster the development of grammatical, lexical, and sociocultural competence,
as well as of the linguistic skills of speaking and listening.
·
They
contribute to the improvement of pronunciation, of speed, and of fluency.
Pedagogical recommendations
for the exploitation of songs.
·
Performing
actions in line with the lyrics of the songs.
·
According
to the trace theory (TPR). “Memory is increased if stimulated by motor
activity”.
·
Dramatizing
the song’s lyrics can also contribute to make their meaning clear to the
learner.
·
This
technique is especially effective with such songs as “Head, shoulders, knees,
and toes”. “This is the way we wash our hands”, “If you’re happy and you know
it, clap your hands” “old McDonald had a farm”.
Exploitation
·
The
students are provided with a gapped version of the song, which they must
complete (either with words/chunks or pictures). The items may be omitted
randomly or, on the contrary, may be specific parts of speech, or grammatical
or lexical elements which we seek to emphasize. Alternatively, the students can
delete the words themselves to create a gap-fill task for others.
·
The
students are provided with scrambled words or lines of the song, which they
must then reorder. Photographs, pictures, or cartoons illustrating the
different parts of the song can also be jumbled for the children to reorganize.
·
The
learners answer questions (be they multiple choice or comprehension ones) about
the text of the song or create their own for other classmates to answer.
·
Other
comprehension-checking activities involve the creation or completion of charts
and diagrams about the text, or the invention of titles for each verse and for
the overall song.
·
The
students are asked to identify deliberately introduced (and plausible) mistakes
in terms of vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation.
·
The
children can also be encouraged to manipulate the text of a song, modifying
grammatical elements within it (e.g. tenses or parts of speech), changing the
final words of some lines with others that rhyme, or partially inventing the
song and subsequently comparing it to the original version.
·
At
slightly higher levels, the stylistic features and sociocultural aspects
reflected by the song’s background can also be made explicit in order to foster
further appreciation of the song and of the country’s history and culture.
·
A
lip syncing talent show can be held, either individually or in teams, with
several students being appointed as judges.
·
And
of course, the students should be urged to sing the song. Recording it and
playing it to improve pronunciation can also prove a good idea.
Songs in the
classroom
The students are provided with a gapped version
of the song, which they must complete (either with words/chunks or pictures).
The items may be omitted randomly or, on the contrary, may be specific parts of
speech, or grammatical or lexical elements which we seek to emphasize.
Alternatively, the students can delete the words themselves to create a
gap-fill task for others.
The students are provided with scrambled words
or lines of the song, which they must then reorder. Photographs, pictures, or
cartoons illustrating the different parts of the song can also be jumbled for
the children to reorganize.
The learners answer questions (be they multiple
choice or comprehension ones) about the text of the song or create their own
for other classmates to answer.
Other comprehension-checking activities involve
the creation or completion of charts and diagrams about the text, or the
invention of titles for each verse and for the overall song.
The students are asked to identify deliberately
introduced (and plausible) mistakes in terms of vocabulary, grammar, or
pronunciation.
The children can also be encouraged to
manipulate the text of a song, modifying grammatical elements within it (e.g.
tenses or parts of speech), changing the final words of some lines with others
that rhyme, or partially inventing the song and subsequently comparing it to
the original version.
