Integrating Music in Integrating Music in Teaching EnglishTeaching English

Fíona Héarún 2nd Conference on Foreign LanguagesPamplona, 13-15 December 2010

STEPBACKBABY

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Why use music in teaching language?Why use music in teaching language?

1. ENERGIZE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT2. IMPROVE LISTENING SKILLS3. INCREASE AWARENESS OF LANGUAGE

PATTERNS4. ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION TO SUIT

DIFFERENT LEARNERS

Intelligence type Description

Linguistic words and language

Logical-Mathematical logic and numbers (problem solving)

Musical music, sound, rhythm

Kinesthetic body movement control

Spatial - visual images and space

Interpersonal other people’s feelings (social)

Intrapersonal self-awareness

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (1993)

Optimum Learning Tool

MUSIC with wordsACTIONS & MOVEMENT

VISUAL images

Main ObjectivesMain Objectives

What different ways can music be used in the classroom?

TIPS FOR SINGING AND USING

PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS

Materials and Resources

TEACHING A SONG:TEACHING A SONG:

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL TEACHING AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING

choosing a suitable pitch range: C-A or doh-la´counting´(singing) children in to startuse of actions-movement and visual aidsmaintain a steady pulse throughoutdeveloping the habit of ´my turn-your turn´ for

copying and repeating phrasesbreaking the song down into manageable chunks

HERE SITS A RHINO, STRONGEST CREATURE I KNOW

HE COULD SQUASH YOUR HOPE HE DOESN´T DO SCHOOL FLAT THAT!

MANAGING INSTRUMENTS:MANAGING INSTRUMENTS:

TIPS: From the outset, make your expectations

for behaviour very clear (as well as the consequences).

Use explicit non-verbal signals for stop-’pause’-play

Remember – playing instruments is a PRACTISED behaviour)

USE OF RHYTHM AND CHANTS

‘→ maintaining a beat/pulse and add SOUNDS

CATC - - - A - - - T - - -C – A – T – CAT –

Making Mathematical sequences:

TASKCreate a 4-beat word pattern by combining different ´bugs´:

Layering patterns (TEXTURE)Layering patterns (TEXTURE)

Hip Hoppy KidHip Hoppy KidI’m a hip hoppy kid and you’ll never catch me

nappin’No matter where I go you’ll always hear me

rappin’I rap to the east and I rap to the westI rap in me socks and I rap in me vestI rap in me sleep and drive my neighbours pottyI rap in the bathroom when I’m dryin’ off me

bottyI rap to the birds and I rap to the beesAnd when I go completely daft, I rap to the treesI can even rap on wheels, I really am the masterI wish I’d seen that manhole, then I wouldn’t be

in plaster

TASKSWorking in groups of 6, create a 4-layered texture using body percussion with 2 participants performing the rap for Hip Hoppy Kid

City Traffic SongCity Traffic Song

Composing Task 1Composing Task 1

Step 1

Build a WORDBANK for the song What can you hear? What transport are on the streets? What are people doing?Encourage children to extend their

vocabulary through targeted questioning.

Step 2

STRUCTURE OF SONG

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Fill in the 4-beat gap with a short phrase. Notate the rhythm and words:

Step 3

PERFORMANCE

Each phrase fits in the gap. Everybody in the group joins in with the ‘BEEP’ part.

REMEMBER - the rest after the 3 beeps

Examples of how to integrate music Examples of how to integrate music into storytelling:into storytelling: Little Red Riding Hood Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what can you see?

by Bill Martin & Eric Carle Songs and chants to accompany or enhance classic tales: Out of the Ark material,

www.teachingenglish.org.uk