Presented by Annamaria Paolino
AFMLTA Conference, Darwin NT
8th July 2011
annamarp@our.ecu.edu.au
ORFF-SCHULWERK AND ITALIAN
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A QUOTE FROM CARL ORFF
“Since the beginning of time, children have not
liked to study. They would much rather play, and if
you have their interest at heart you will let them
learn while they play, and then, eventually, they will
find they have mastered child’s play. This I true of
any skill, but particularly, it is true of music.”
(Carl Orff )
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MY BACKGROUND
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Italo-Australian
Grew up in a musical household
Primary Music specialist
Primary Italian specialist
Use Music to teach Italian and vice versa
Orff-Schulwerk practitioner
BOTH MUSIC AND LANGUAGES
ARE…
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Organised languages
Learnt codes which are built up in blocks
Used for expression and communication
Innate human universals
Used to transmit knowledge
Rhythm, pitch and sound dependent
Elements of all cultures
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BRAIN RESEARCH
Traditionally considered that music is RB and
language LB. Research has found that while the
LB retains a language bias, both sides actually
process music. This promotes “network thinking”
as both sides of the brain is being used at the
same time. It is believed that if network thinking
in not encouraged than the side of the brain not
used will remain dormant and impoverished. This
is essential to teaching.
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THE BRAIN, MUSIC AND
LANGUAGES
• Music and song triggers many brain
chemicals which in turn triggers many
receptors within the brain encouraging the
brain to work as a network.
• Norepinephrine: responds to novelty and
assists the brain in remembering what was
presented.
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WHY SONG/MUSIC IN L2
CLASSROOM
• Affective reasons: Makes the learner less
anxious and more receptive to learning =
Active involvement
• Cognitive reasons: Repetition – Practice –
Automation = Deep memory retention
• Linguistic reasons: Provide meaningful
chunks of language = Encouraging
communication
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AIMS OF MY RESEARCH
To find out if;
• Other primary teachers of Italian used music to teach
Italian.
• Other primary teachers of Italian shared a similar
background to me.
• How and why music was being used in the Italian
classroom.
• Primary Italian teachers in WA would consider the OrffSchulwerk approach appropriate for use in their
classroom.
CURRENT PRACTICE
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Common practice in junior classes
Used in isolation or a supplementary activity
Cultural artefact
Teachers lack confidence
Curricular frill
Music = songs and singing
Teachers want a song for every topic they
teach
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AREAS OF NEED IDENTIFIED
• Lack of use of music with upper
primary classes
• Lack of teacher confidence
• Lack of PL opportunities for teachers
• Lack of appropriate resources available
WHAT IS ORFF-SCHULWERK
• Developed in the 1930’s by German composer
Carl Orff.
• It is not a method. It is a multisensory approach.
• The Orff-Schulwerk Approach; singing, chanting,
clapping, creating, dancing and keeping beat.
• These are instincts, directed by hearing, prepares
students for reading and writing.
• This learning process is the same one that is
employed when language is being learned.
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LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!!!
DISCOVERING ORFF-SCHULWERK
• Orff Schulwerk is unique
• Offers students opportunities to play, clap, sing,
move and create in a supportive, nurturing and
inclusive environment
• Mastery of Orff-Schulwerk is a life’s work but
everyone can use these simple principles
• Process involves moving from the simple to complex
in small steps, ensuring student success
• Think about how you learnt a song or rhyme as a
child.
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CURRICULUM WITH AN ORFF
INFLUENCE
• Orff did not want teachers to imitate his
classroom practices.
• Orff lessons consist of a focus, a level of
understanding to be achieved and a
performance
to
demonstrate
understanding.
• The aims of
an Orff-Schulwerk
curriculum is to; develop a self-sufficient
student, to motivate,
enhance skill
acquisition and encourage participation.
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ORFF-SCULWERK AND THE
INTERCULTURAL
The Orff-Schulwerk tradition uses many
procedures that are common in many musical
cultures around the world such as oral learning,
movement and improvising.
Orff-Schulwerk is a holistic approach based on
the understanding that humans are made up of
more than anatomical parts and that as teachers
we need to consider the physical, emotional,
social, cultural and cognitive parts also.
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ORFF-SCHULWERK IN THE L2
CLASSROOM
“In order for foreign language teachers
to use Orff principles in the classroom,
they do not need to be musical they
need to be able to make their language
come alive rhythmically; that is they need
to have rhythm.” (Pritikin, n.d., p.4)
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WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
Beat
Rhythm
Syllabification
Ostinato
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WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
• Provide countless opportunities where
students can play with sounds of language
= SING and VOCALISE
• Articulation of phonics
• Allow students to ‘feel’ the language
• Use Orff-Schulwerk techniques
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ALLOW THE STUDENTS TO BE
• Creative
• Inventive with their own actions and
body percussion sounds
• Free to explore the language
• Free to explore the instruments
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TEACHERS RESPONSE TO
ORFF-SCHULWERK
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Allowed them to self reflect on their teaching
Flexible and easy to integrate
Relevant and contemporary
Increased their awareness of the cognitive process
Improved students language ability
Provided students with reinforcement and scaffolding
Increased students linguistic understanding
IT ENGAGED THE STUDENTS!!!
STUDENT RESPONSE TO
ORFF-SCHULWERK
• Engaging as they were actively involved in their
learning
• Providing reinforcement and scaffolding to
their learning
• Increased their linguistic understanding as the
activities assisted memory retention
• INCREASED THEIR CONFIDENCE!!!
CONCLUSION
Students will take songs outside the classroom
and will go on performing or listening to them
long after the lesson has finished. Unlike drills,
which usually slip from the students minds when
they leave the classroom, songs can last a lifetime
and become part of ones culture.
(G.Ianterno and M.P. Salerno, cited in Kramer,
2001)
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