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The Power of Music.�

Teaching English to� Very Young Children

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“You don’t need to be a musical expert to share singing and dancing with children”

“ENTHUSIASM is the key –hang loose and enjoy the experience- children will respond whole-heartedly!”

Linda Adamson

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The power of music 1/2

Music truly is one of chilhoods’s most rewarding experiences. Here’s why:

Music is FUN!
Music/singing builds language skills: vocabulary, structures,...
Music builds self esteem
Music helps to develop motor skills
Music builds listening, playing, creating, moving, singing and later on reading skills

WHY USE SONGS IN TEYL (according to Annie Hughes)

To introduce consolidate, recycle and revise the target language

Ask “one whole thing” in the new language

As a memory aid

To introduce rhythm, stress and intonation of English

Our learners enjoy and know about songs so they are motivating

To aid class dynamic

To encourage physical involvement

To quickly revise language from previous lesson

To change the pace of a lesson

As inspiration for a topic or lesson

To create a fun and enjoyable environment in which to learn

Because teachers like songs, rhymes and chants!

Why use songs with this age group? (According to www.onestopenglish.com web site. McMillan)

Children like songs

Songs can be integrated into language learning - listening, singing and doing activities around the songs

In many cultures songs are used to introduce or practice mother tongue with young children, so this is a medium that children are very comfortable with

Songs are memorable

Songs often include a lot of repetition that helps to make language memorable

Songs contain chunks of language that children can remember and use

Because songs must be sung at a reasonably fast speed they encourage natural phonological features like linking and weak forms

Children will be actively involved in their learning, even at a very young age, rather than passive

Children have energy and want to make noise. Songs will channel these natural inclinations positively

Parents will enjoy hearing their children singing in English

Singing is a happy and stress-free activity that will add to a positive classroom learning environment

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The power of music 2/2

Music skills require discipline and concentration
Music can help develop warm and loving relationships (songs can be soothing, humorous, interactive)
Music helps build social skills
Musical concepts such as volume; tempo; beat and rhythm; pitch and melody; harmony and mood; and tone can be learnt.
Music is emotionally fulfilling
MUSIC HELPS TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE

Elicit from teachers more “whys”. Do not stop on the importance of music/singing when teaching English or another language. Consider music and singing a very important resource for the whole child developement and every “capacity” from the Infantil curricula:

Aprendre a ser i actuar d'una manera cada vegada més autònoma. “Music builds self esteem”, “Music skills require discipline and concentration”

2. Aprendre a pensar i a comunicar. “Music/singing builds language skills”, “Music is emotionally fulfilling”

3. Aprendre a descobrir i tenir iniciativa. “Music builds listening, playing, creating, moving, singing and later on reading skills”

4. Aprendre a conviure i habitar el món. “Music helps build social skills” , “Music helps to develop motor skills”, “Music can help develop warm and loving relationships”

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What songs should we choose for the classroom?

The question to ask

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Start from the beginning…

Knee-Jogging rhymes:

Trot, trot or This is the way the ladies ride

Bouncing and Dancing Rhymes :

Dance, little Baby

Patting and Clapping Rhymes :

Shoe a little horse

Lullabies and Rocking Rhymes :

Bye baby bunting

Finger play Rhymes :

Round and round the garden,

Slowly, Slowly

“Most of us learnt our first words in our native language sat down on our parents knees and singing a song with the help of some movements or actions.

Those words were learnt in a natural and funny way without anyone being conscious of it and, what's more, our parents weren't making a point of teaching the language”.

This is just to have a little idea about those rhymes parents play with little babies; the ones we probably won’t sing in the class, but you never know!

Each one of the rhymes links to a You tube video to show how it works. See lyrics in the handout.

Wouldn’t be funny to bring one doll or a teddy per teacher to demonstrate how these rhymes work?

Idea: split the class into 5 groups and give one rhyme per group. Prepare and peform in front of the class.

Can we apply some of them in the classroom? In what way?

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Some steps beyond...

Nursery Rhymes:

The Muffin Man
Little Jack Horner
Once I caught a fish alive
Incy wincy spider
Five little ducks
...

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