The Positive Role of Songs in Primary English Teaching

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Abstract：Using English songs to assist preliminary English teaching is very effective in teaching practice. English songs can not only provide lots of authentic language material, but also can arouse the students’ learning interest and cultivate their learning autonomy.

Key words：positive role; English songs; primary english teaching

中图分类号：H319 文献标识码： A 文章编号：1672-1578（2013)03-0014-02

1 Introduction

Music is a kind of sound symbols. It expresses what people think and brings people the enjoyment of beauty. It is not spread by preaching, but more through the way of nurturing and infection, influencing people's character and nourishing the soul unconsciously. Through the special form of expression―music allows people to freely exchange ideas and life experience. And among the forms, songs are very outstanding. Listening to English songs is a very popular, fast and effective learning method, which breaks the traditional boring method of English learning. Through listening and singing their own favorite songs, students can remember the target lyrics, acquire new words and phrases, and even correct their pronunciation. All these will stimulate their interest in learning. On the principle of serving the teaching, the flexible utilization ability of teachers on English songs can improve the class teaching effect.

2 The Theoretical Basis of Applying English Songs to Primary English Teaching

2.1 It meets students’ knowledge foundation

In the initial stage of English learning, there are only a few knowledge of English need to be grasped. The teachers can put the new words and the new sentence structure into a tune that all students are familiar with. And then teach them to sing the familiar songs with the familiar tune. This way fit the students' knowledge structure, so they are willing to participate in, having a positive response, and learn happily.

2.2 It meets the cognitive rules

From perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge is a universal law for people to acquire knowledge. And to put the English songs into English teaching is in line with the law of cognition from perception to understanding, which integrates the language knowledge and the interesting lyrics, knowledge and fun, abstract and the image closely, providing students more perceptual knowledge and image materials. It sets up a bridge of understanding from perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge with the songs’ melody, which offers the students a high morale and strong interest in the process of English learning; enhances and consolidates the understanding of the text in the process of listening and singing English songs.

2.3 It meets students’ age psychology

From the introductory stage to junior and senior learning stage, students’ psychology statues will change with their ages. Based on the changes, the songs that selected by teachers to assist teaching will be modified accordingly. Thus this way could flexibly meet students’ age psychology.

3 The application of English songs to primary English teaching

Overall, whatever on the introductory stage or on the junior or senior stage, English songs have a certain role in promoting English learning. Generally speaking, English songs on the introductory stage for assisting English teaching are embodied in the following aspects: phonetic, vocabulary, sentence, and daily language which requires the teacher to teach the students singing; in junior or senior stage, English songs for assisting listening are mainly used in speaking, writing skills and cultural knowledge expansion, in many occasions, the students just need to appreciate the songs.

3.1 Songs assist the linguistic knowledge teaching

The traditional linguistic knowledge includes pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, while the function and the topic are also incorporated into the linguistic knowledge in modern language teaching way. In the introductory stage and initial stage of language teaching, the pronunciation teaching is always incorporated into the letter, vocabulary and sentence patterns teaching; and grammar, functional projects and topics are always displayed in the form of daily expressions, sentence patterns and grammatical sentences. Therefore, to explore the assistant function of English songs to the linguistic knowledge teaching, the letters, words and sentences' teaching should be the start point.

3.2 Songs assist the vocabulary teaching

To memory the words is a hard work to do in the introductory stage, especially when students are not familiar with the spellings. As everyone knows that English songs for children's lyrics are usually short poems or ballads. The catchy lyrics and beautiful melody make the boring mechanization memory become lively and interesting, and this helps the understanding and memory. For example, the spelling song, B-I-N-G-O used to assist phonics teaching; the number song used to assist number teaching; the days of the week used to assist the memory of the vocabulary and so on. Once students learn to sing the song "The days of the week" , the pronunciation of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday will not be a problem anymore; and the spelling of the words will be firmly kept in mind as the eyes, ears and mouth and other sensory organs involved in the letters learning.

But it should be noted that the supporting role of songs in linguistic teaching is not isolated. Usually a song can both be applied in sentence teaching, pronunciation imitation and vocabulary spelling. For instance, the song “Come and see my family” can be presented in imperative sentence teaching, while the last sentence “Sit down and have a cup of tea with me” can be presented in tonal and loss of blasting in pronunciation teaching. Teaching can be productive if the teacher chooses the proper song.

3.3 Songs assist the teaching of writing

Using songs to assist the teaching of writing is a comprehensive skill which usually consists of four steps―introduction, listening, discussion and writing. Its teaching procedures include: topic introduction; listen (to music) or read (lyrics to) fill the blanks, comprehend the main ideas and meanings of the song (Q&A between teachers and students or teaching interpretation); topic discussion (in groups or whole class); list writing requirements and give writing skill guidance, finally the students write and revise their materials. The classic teaching example is Clement Laroy who used the song of “What have they done to the rain?” of Malvina Reynold to support his writing teaching. His specific procedures were: first, drew four pictures that presented the main contents of the song on the blackboard, and gave relative vocabulary and sentence patterns and then asked students to try to express their ideas based on the pictures. Second, made blank filling in practice in line with pictures. Third, listened to music (and encouraged them to learn the song) and discussed questions, for example, “What makes rain becoming disaster?” and then expanded the topics, such as the roots of nuclear leakage, acid rain, environmental pollution to enhance their impression and form own concepts. Fourth, the teacher listed writing requirements and asked students began to write, namely to write a short article on the threats of our planet and lives that caused by nuclear leakage, acid rain, environmental pollution and others.

3.4 Songs assist oral language teaching

Songs assisting oral language teaching mainly shows in filling blanks after hearing song and reading comprehension after understand the main ideas of the song. Through Q&A after listening, discussion, performance and other activities, sometimes it may be demonstrated by introducing topics with listening; sometimes it may also be displayed as the prelude of listening and writing. In general, the activities of listening, reading and writing supported by songs will need the engagement of speaking. From the perspective of pure oral class, teachers also would design the activity that speaking English by the ways of listening to songs.

4 The principles of selecting English songs

As a teaching resource, the good result of assistance role and improvement role derived from English song is well recognized by people. But it doesn’t mean that every song can play the role effectively. In order to improve the teaching efficiency, teachers should follow some principles when selecting English songs.

The selection of auxiliary songs for English teaching should first think of the teaching purpose and operability. For example, if the song is used to interest and inducts the new class, there is no need to consider the lyrics complexity, and completely play the music. In order to save teaching time, teachers usually play the staring part or important segment, as long as the part can excite their interest and desire for knowledge and achieve the target of introduction. If the song is used to practice listening, it should be based on the students' language level and the ability of understanding. The selected songs should be understood through their efforts. That is to say that the teachers should implement the language input principle, "i+", and pay attention to the acceptability of the song as the teaching materials. In addition, the main ideas of the selected songs should be considered. In order to give a positive influence on students’ learning, the health and upward songs can be chose as auxiliary teaching materials.

Reference:

[1]Laroy C. “Using Songs and Musician Educative Approach to Language Learning”[C]. Modern English Teacher. 1993Volume 2.

[2]Drivas G. “Learning with Songs” in The Teacher Trainer[C]. 1990Volume 7.

作者简介：马晶（1982.06-）女，河南省驻马店人，攀枝花学院外国语学院教师，研究方向为英语教育。