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REINFORCING THE LEARNING AND TEACHING THROUGH SONGS:
A FRENCH LANGUAGE CASE STUDY
Patchani PATABADI
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
September 28, 2013.
INTRODUCTION
1. Songs as tools for teaching foreign language – status
2. Approach to the presentation:- Focus on the hobby of learners to increase
speed and easiness in language acquisition by integrating ‘listening to songs’ into the activities developed for teaching/learning and assessing rules in a lesson.
- Present aspects of language that can be taught with songs, and
- Give some suggestions on how to integrate songs in language teaching curriculum
BENEFITS OF SONGS ON FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Benefits of Songs:
1. Improve the Oral Skills- The ListeningSample song: J’aime les fruits (I like fruits), Alain le Lait (1:53)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ03KjwiIVM- Find clearly articulated songs- Find a catchy melody for a more fun class- More fun = more energy- Stimulate brain for memorization
- The Speaking (pronunciation/language and culture)
Sample song: Les Champs Elysees. Joe Dassin (2:45)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7-UcdcK4AA- Native singers help with pronunciation- Learn cultural and linguistic aspects of language
Funda Keskin (2011, 379), “…songs … reflect culture and transmit cultural values between people, societies and generations”
BENEFITS OF SONGS ON FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
2. Boost up learning- Catch attention- Increase desire and motivate the learner- Quick assimilation
3. Reduce Learning time
Cf Schon and her colleagues’ comparative study of word segmentation using ‘listening to songs’ to Saffran and her colleagues’ for same exercise using ‘listening to texts’ (achieved results - 7min // 21min).
STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES OF INTEGRATING TEACHING THROUGH SONGS IN
LANGUAGE CLASSES
- Focus on learners’ hobby/passion to
improve their proficiency in the
language
- “Successful language learning is linked to the learner’s passion. And instructors should find ways to connect to this passion.” (N. Oroujlou
and Dr. M. Vahedi, 2011)
- Get learners to listening to music and finding the language
learning as more fun than boring and
burdensome
-Motivate learners to use their hobby of listening to music to
learn foreign language – (student’s practice
outside of classroom)
- Language instructors need
to be more trained in how to use songs in their language class activities
- Choose songs that
match the levels of learners –(short, slow and repetitive
songs for beginners, and
long, fast and story songs for advanced
learners)
- Use songs that are lyrically
clear- Use songs that
are linguistically instructive
(grammar, vocabulary)
STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES OF INTEGRATING TEACHING THROUGH SONGS IN
LANGUAGE CLASSES
Develop in-class and homework activities that match each point in a lesson• Listening activities• Note-taking activities• Pronunciation activities• Repetition activities (parts or
whole song (if short))• Discussion of the theme(s)
of the song (enhance speaking)
- For each lesson, offer a variety of
activities/exercises among which, listening
to songs
• Learning vocabulary
• Learning grammar,
• etc.
TEACHING GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY THROUGH SONGS
Teaching vocabulary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_hFw_cWg9U, Alouette (3:17). Alain le Lait – teaching the body parts of a bird
(As an example of activity), the instructor can have students:
In addition to relative activities stated above,- Make gestures to show the different parts being listed in
the song- Identify the singular/plural, masculine and feminine nouns
and articles and how they accord, etc.- Say the different body parts in the order they are said in
the song
TEACHING GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY THROUGH SONGS
Teaching grammar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo2Hb6h4qe4, Promenons-nous dans les bois (2:23). Teaching tenses, articles, singular and plural forms, etc.
The instructor can have students:- Identify the tenses (present/conditional/future) in the song- Practice the conjugation of verbs and how pronouns agree
with verbs- Identify nouns with masculine or feminine articles and how
they agree, etc.- Say the action and state verbs and the phrases in which
they are mentioned, etc.
DISCUSSION: QUESTIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
CONCLUSION
Consider the positive effects of teaching through songs in a language class (the oral skills)
The fun and relax/energetic atmosphere songs can create in the class
The fun and easy activities that can motivate learners
The quick assimilation and long lasting acquisition of rules in a language
The improvement of students’ levels in the languageThe high proficiency learners can get in the language
Bibliography - Alain le Lait, “J’aime les fruits.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ03KjwiIVM - ---. “Alouette.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_hFw_cWg9U- “Il etait un petit navire.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHNiPMO5q_s - Keskin, Funda. “Using Songs as Audio Materials in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign
Language.” TOJET 10:4 (2011): 378-383. Print.- “Marina – French Girl who doesn’t speak English sings Adele.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0CULiJY_h8- Oroujlou, Nasser, & Majid Vahedi. “Motivation, Attitude, and Language Learning.”
Procedia –Social and Behavioral Sciences 29 (2011): 994-1000. Print.- “Phonics Songs.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0CULiJY_h8- Saffran, Jenny R., Newport E. L., & Aslin R. N. “Word Segmentation: The Role of
Distributional Cues.” Journal of Memory and Language 35 (1996): 606-621. Print.- Schon, Danielle et al. “Songs as an Aid for Language Acquisition.” Cognition 106 (2008):
975-983. Print.- Sardou, Michel. En chantant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ5o8z2lkLc- “Use Songs Lyrics to Teach Figurative Language!.”
http://www.traceeorman.com/2011/08/use-popular-music-to-teach-poetic.html
- “Un canard a dit à sa cane.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vZ4STUdfjU
