OPOSICIONES AL CUERPO DE MAESTRO ESPECIALIDAD INGLÉS

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UNIT 17

17. La canción como vehículo poético y como creación literaria en

la clase de inglés. Tipología de canciones. Técnicas de uso de la
canción para el aprendizaje fonético, lexical y cultural.

INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE SONG AS A POETIC VEHICLE AND LITERARY CREATION
a. Reasons and criteria
3. TYPOLOGY OF SONGS
a. Nursery songs, children’s songs, jazz chants, songs for special occasions, folk and pop
songs
4. SONGS’ TECHNIQUES FOR THE PHONETIC, LEXICAL AND CULTURAL LEARNING
5. CONCLUSION
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. INTRODUCTION

Songs are familiar material for teachers and students, and they are strongly related to
everyday life. Children and young students like music and songs, they spend a lot of
time listening to music in English. If songs are carefully chosen, they can help with
learning and consolidating linguistic elements, developing communicative skills and
learning the socio-cultural elements as well as stylistic elements. Songs can be used in
the classroom to help our students to practise intonation and pronunciation and review
grammar structures and vocabulary.

The process of second language teaching learning has as main reference Krashen’s
Natural Order Hypothesis (first we listen, then we speak and reading and writing are
learnt later), and as main goal the Communicative Competence. In order to get it, we, as
teachers, have to offer a wide range of activities paying special attention to the use of
Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The Spanish Education Law (LOMCE), as well as, the Royal Decree 126/2014 and the
Decree 89/2014, establishes the Linguistic Competence as a Curricular Competence.
The Organic Law 3/2020, December the 29th(LOMLOE) which modifies the Organic
Law 2/2006 May the 3rd(LOE), is also taken into account.
This unit is closely related to units 14, 18 and 19.

Regarding the Key Competences connection, we must highlight the importance of the
first one (Competence in Linguistic Communication), although all of them will be
developed. This topic is also closely related to the four blocks of contents (RD
126/2014), considered necessary for the mastery of communication.

In the first part of the unit we are going to analyse the reasons for using songs in the
English class and the criteria for selecting songs. In the second part we will study the
typology of songs. In the last point of the unit we will focus our attention on the
different techniques for using songs to learn phonetic, lexical and cultural aspects of
English. We will finish the unit with a brief conclusion and point out the bibliography.

2. THE SONG AS A POETIC VEHICLE AND LITERARY CREATION

Songs have been part of human history and experience since we can remember. Using
them in coordination with the language has a great value. Fortunately, with the internet
expansion, we can easily have access to music and lyrics. We can find three important
reasons to use songs in our class to teach English:

- Psychological reasons.
● Children are predisposed to learning songs. Singing is an innate skill that
they have already practised in their mother tongue.
● Songs encourage social integration in class.

- Linguistic reasons.
● Songs encourage unconscious learning. The tune, rhythm and frequent
repetition all allow language acquisition.
● They help with memorising language items. Students will take songs outside
the classroom and remember them for a long time.
● The use of songs develops receptive skills, that is listening and reading
comprehension.
● Songs are especially useful to learn and consolidate pronunciation. ● They
can be used to present and consolidate language elements in context. ● Songs
can be used as drills, that is, intensive practice.

- Pedagogical reasons.
● Songs motivate both good and weak students.
● They create a pleasant atmosphere in the classroom and encourage learning.
● Students develop positive attitudes towards the foreign language. ●
Songs improve the relationship between the students and the teacher.

- Socio-cultural reasons.
● Songs develop the students’ socio-cultural competence.
● They help to develop attitudes of respect towards another culture.

As far as the criteria for selecting songs is necessary to focus the attention on several
aspects. Songs must be carefully chosen for our teaching purposes. Here are some
guidelines.
- Student’s age: the teacher must consider the students’ age and tastes. Our first and
second cycle students will be more interested in traditional and children’s
 English songs, whereas our third cycle students may be more interested in folk
and pop music. The choice of songs will be based on a balance between the
teacher’s didactic aims and the students’ likes.

- Level of vocabulary, structures and functions of the words: the songs shouldn’t
be too easy or too difficult for the students’ level of English.

- Potential for follow-up activities: we must choose a song because it’s suitable for
teaching pronunciation, intonation, grammar, vocabulary, etc.

- Authentic vs. Adapted songs: in authentic songs the language has not been
selected or graded they are genuine songs in English. In adapted songs the
language has been selected and graded they are written for the teaching of
English.

3. TYPOLOGY OF SONGS

Once we have analysed the reasons for using songs in class and the criteria for
selecting the most appropriate one, it’s time to deal with the second part of the
unit, that is, the typology of songs. We can distinguish between: nursery songs,
children’s songs and rhymes, jazz chants, songs for special occasions and folk
and pop songs. We will explain them.
- Nursery songs. The origin of nursery rhymes is very ancient. They all have humorous
and nonsensical content. They have a long tradition in England. Within this type of
songs, we can distinguish:
● Counting rhyme: The songs can be performed in groups as a game. A counting
song is One Potato.
● Traditional rhymes: They are useful to practise vocabulary such as the days of the
week with the Solomon Grundy rhyme.
● Riddles: Children have to guess what is being described.
● Tongue twisters: This type provides enjoyable phonetic practice. Such as: Dob,
Mob, Cob, Bob.

- Children’s songs and rhymes. These types of songs are short, have simple
grammatical structures and reduced vocabulary, and most of them can be accompanied
by actions or miming. This type of songs can be classified as: ● Counting songs: They
are suitable for our youngest pupils, they enjoy counting
and repetitive lyrics. Example, there were ten in the bed, and Ten green bottles.
Actions songs.
● Actions songs: a method called Total Physical Responses developed by James
Asher is based on the principle that language is learned through physical
activities. For instance, If you are happy, Head and shoulders and This is the
way.

● Traditional songs: these are popular songs. The teacher must choose those that fit in
with certain grammatical patterns, vocabulary items or stories that are being
taught. Examples of traditional songs are: Old Mcdonald, I am a Music Man and
Three Crows.
 ● Rounds songs: a round is a circular song. One group starts to sing the first line of
the song, the second group follows to sing the next line of the song, and so on. For
instance, London’s burning.

- Jazz Chants. Here’s a type of rhyme with rhythm as an essential element. They are
meant to improve speaking and listening comprehension skills, but they’re also a
useful tool to reinforce specific grammar and pronunciation patterns used in context.

- Songs for special occasions. They are useful to gain insight into English culture.
Some examples are: The Birthday song, Christmas song (Jingle Bells, Silent Night,
White Christmas etc.).

- Folk and Pop songs. These songs are more appealing to our older students (third
cycle). They are from British and American folklore. This type of songs can be
divided into:
● Sea shanties: songs with a strong rhythm sung by sailors when doing their work.
For instance, My Bonnie.
● Traditional American songs: where there are two types: western songs (Oh!
Susannah) and Spirituals songs (Kumbaya).
● Pop music: English pop songs have become known world-wide and many
students might have listened to them. The problem with this type of songs is that
the words can be more difficult than children’s or folk songs. Teachers should
then take care in choosing those that are more appropriate for Primary
Education. Examples: Madonna, The Beatles, etc.

4. SONGS’TECHNIQUES FOR THE PHONETIC, LEXICAL AND

CULTURAL LEARNING

Once we have analysed different typology of English songs, we are going to study the
techniques for using songs to learn phonetic, lexical and cultural aspects of
English, that is the third part of the unit.

We have seen that songs are a valuable teaching tool to use in English class. But we
need careful preparation to gain full benefit from the potential of a song. This
preparation includes three different stages: Pre-listening, While-listening and
post-listening stage).

- Pre-listening stage. This is a motivational stage in which the teacher presents the
song the students will listen to. The teacher can give a brief account of the song
and pre-teach vocabulary. The students can deduce the content from the title.

- While-listening stage. Now the students are ready to listen to the song. Our aim
should be: Lexical level, Phonetic level and Cultural level.
 ● Lexical Level. The students have to concentrate on the meaning of words. In the
first listening, the students get the general idea of the song (extensive listening).
In the following listening, they have to listen to specific words (intensive
listening). Example of these activities: Line order, Missing words, Miming,
Pictures in order, Guess the meaning, Multiple choice, Find out known words,
Spot the mistakes and Listen and sort out.
● Phonetic level. Students practice recognition and pronunciation of words. Songs
and rhymes are especially useful to focus the student’s attention on vowels,
consonants and diphthongs, stress, rhythm and intonation. We can practice the
following activities with our students: Ear-training activities, Fill in vowels or
consonants, Look for similar sounds, Listen and repeat, Performing and singing.
● Cultural level. Students can learn the socio-cultural background of the song, that
is, history, culture, traditions, ways of life and beliefs, positive attitudes and
values reflected in the songs. Some activities to acquire socio-cultural
background can be: Pictures, realia, Video, make and English songbook and
discussions on the subject.

- Post-listening Stage. The teacher should design activities that encourage skill
integration, that is, activities that relate oral and written skills. After the students
have listened to and sung the song, the focus is on other skills in order to our
students to acquire higher communicative competence.

Teachers can apply the new technologies to songs so our students’ motivation towards
English will increase, because young learners enjoy trying new things out. So students
and teachers can you in the classroom: CD player, DVD set and Computers.

COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE.

5. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, if songs are carefully chosen and used, they will provide the
learning of linguistics elements, the development of communicative skills and
the acquisition of socio-cultural knowledge. So, the use of songs helps to
develop the students’ communicative competence.
MUSIC OPENS DOORS THAT HELP CHILDREN TO PASS FROM THE
SCHOOL TO A WORLD OF CULTURE AND HUMAN
INVOLVEMENT-Gerald Ford.

We must not forget the importance of the age and level of the students and their
motivation and interests in order to develop a proper English Language Class.

Teaching a foreign language is a huge effort made by everyone involved:

teachers and pupils; but it is an effort worth making. It is going to feed future
generations with many benefits, since it determines the cognitive, social and
personal ideas, opens their minds and it gets to know the cultural world diversity.
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY.

● Fabrice Jaumont: ``The Bilingual Revolution: The Future of Education is in Two

Languages.´´ 2017
● Jack C. Richards: ``Creativity in Language Teaching: Perspectives from
Research and Practice (ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series)´´. 2015 ●
Harmer, J.: “The Practice of English Language Teaching”, Longman 1997 ●
Nunan, D.:” Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom.” Cambridge. ●
Organic Quality Education Improvement Law 8/2013, 9th of December. ● Royal
Decree 126/2014, 28th of February, which establishes the minimum curricular
teaching for Primary Education.
● Decree 89/2014, 24th of July, which establishes the Curriculum of Primary
Education for Madrid Community.
● http://www.educasites.net