The Transcendental Learner
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll
understand.”
-Chinese Proverb
Overview
➲
This project acts as an exploration of several
topics, seeking to argue the importance of
introducing an increasingly effective teaching
methodology with the incorporation of a musical
experience for the purposes of language learning
Language Learning: Basic Theory
➲
Beyond the IPA (International Phonetic
Alphabet) teachers can use other techniques to
expand on a learners reproductive skills
➲
Students of all levels have an inherent need to
actively engage with the material presented; for
both young and old learners this can be an
extremely involved experience, capitalizing on
each of the 7 types of learning, especially
auditory learning
The Importance of Listening
➲
According to Snow (1996) in More than a Native Speaker; many
language programs devote more attention to speaking rather than to
listening
➲
Additionally classroom exercises with listening components often
consists of “slow, clear classroom practice”
➲
“A student who is a good listener can generally keep a conversation
going by being a good listener and occasionally responding with
simple questions, short answers, or even grunts and nods”
➲
Listening exercises encourage students to develop a range of cultural
background knowledge that helps them predict what they might hear in
order to comprehend a message
Three Examples of Folk Songs: and
their cultural context
➲
Ru Con, Lý Đât Giồng, Qua Cầu Gió Bay
➲
Lyrics and Meaning
➲
Popularity: Phô Biến: The popularity of each
song connotes a different context
Ru Con
1. Gió mùa thu mẹ ru mà con ngủ

Năm (ơ) canh chày, năm (ơ) canh
chày, thức đủ vừa năm
Hỡi chàng chàng ơi, hỡi người
người ơi Em nhớ tới chàng, em
nhớ tới chàng Hãy nín nín đi con,
hãy ngủ ngủ đi con Con hời là
con hỡi, con hỡi con hời Con hỡi
con hời, hỡi con!
Southern Folk Song: a nice
but sad melody, most famous
as a motherly expression of
loneliness, or nostalgia at the
husband being away as she
sings an infant to sleep at
night, causes her to think
about many things
2. Đến mùa xuân trong cơn mà gió
ấm Cha (ơ) con về, cha (ơ) con
về, con nắm tay cha
Hỡi nàng nàng ơi, hỡi người người
ơi Tôi nhớ tới người, tôi nhớ tới
người Hãy nín nín đi con, hãy
ngủ ngủ đi con Con hời là con
hỡi, con hỡi con hời
Not many young people
know Ru Con, although it
was apparently popular in
many Việt school districts

Lý Đât Giồng
Trên đất giồng mình chờ đợi ai nghe
tiếng hò mà lòng trộm thương
Hỡi cô gánh nước bên đàng
Còn bao là bao gánh nữa
Để qua là qua gánh dùm tang tình
tang tính tình tang tang tính tình
là tình tính tang
Trên cách đồng chỉ một mình anh
Thương với chờ là chờ đợi ai
Khổ thân con khỉ nó ở lùm
Đất không mà lo cuốc
Lo dòm lo dòm người ta tang tình
tang tính tình tang tang tình tang
tính tình tang
➲
On the other actually a
situation where, despite the
maternal sentiments of the
song, most mothers don't
know how to sing it
➲
Contrasts with Qua Câu
Gió Bay in that the mother
figure does not (mẹ của
em) approve of the
situation
Qua Cầu Gió Bay
Yêu nhau cởi áo ối à trao nhau
Về nhà dối rằng cha dối mẹ a à a
á a Rằng a ối a à qua cầu,
tình tình tình gió bay
Rằng a ối a à qua cầu, tình tình
tình gió bay
Yêu nhau cởi nón ối à cho nhau
Về nhà dối rằng cha dối mẹ a à a
á a Rằng a ối a à qua cầu,
tình tình tình sứt quai
Rằng a ối a à qua cầu, tình tình
tình sứt quai
Yêu nhau cởi nhẫn ối à trao
nhau Về nhà dối rằng cha dối
mẹ a à a á a Rằng a ối a à
qua cầu, tình tình tình đánh
rơi Rằng a ối a à qua cầu, tình
tình tình đánh rơi

Refers to the independence of
two lovers, from the notorious
Ho Bác Nính- in North Vietnamexpresses relations between the
two young lovers and their
ability to express themselves
openly

Qua Câu Gió Bay was
composed as a work song, and is
still sung in an ask and answer
format by field workers today
SEASSI Vietnamese Methodology for
Musical Study
➲
1) Elicits a word by word translation from the
students
➲ 2)
Elicits a more fluid translation from the
students
➲ 3)
One teacher then sings through the song
one time
➲ 4)
Next the teacher sings through the song
with students repeating line by line
➲ 5)
Finally the students and the teacher sing
through the song in its entirety
➲ 6)
Emphasis is on introducing the culture
more holistically, rather than a specific
curriculum
Music as a means of Development:
A Study Routine
➲
This material about to be presented is based:
➲
on The Lexical Approach described by Michael Lewis in
Implementing the Lexical Approach (1993)
➲
Other pillars of learning acquired through The Communicative
Approach
➲
and methods adapted from Don Snow in More than a Native
Speaker
➲
Though this project no longer focuses on English Language
Instruction, the methodology presented here will be compared to the
SEASSI methodology
Lyrically Based Lexical Acquisition
➲
Materials: An authentic audio passage relevant to the
students target context: a classic song and lyrics
➲
Assumption: There will be no more than 5-7 new
vocabulary words in the passage.
➲
Primary Staging: 3 Listening Stages and 2 Vocabulary Stages
Lyrically Based Lexical Acquisition
➲
Secondary staging:

Pronunciation

Vocabulary and Pronunciation Reinforcement

Controlled Practice

Language Exploration

Record

Review
Benefits Assessment: Lyrically Based
Lexical Approach
➲
The Lyrically Based Lexical Approach
ensures that learners are learning new
vocabulary from the song and will no
doubt memorize it and be able to use it
appropriately by the time that they have
left the classroom
➲
Expands on all four language skills
LÝ CHIỀU CHIỀU
1. Nghe bài hát và điền vào chỗ trống.
LÝ CHIỀU CHIỀU
(Dân ca Nam Bộ)
Chiều chiều ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
____ ____ ____
____ ____ tang tình gánh ____
Tưới ____, tưới ____ Ngô Đồng
Xui ____ xui ____ lòng
____ lòng ____ ____
____ ____ tưới ____ Ngô Đồng.
3 Trả lời các câu hỏi sau đây (Answer the following
questions)
a. Người con trai (young man) đang ở đâu ?
b. Khi đứng ở đó người con trai thấy ai ?
c. Người đó gánh nước để làm gì?
2. Tìm từ trong bài có nghĩa tương đương với các từ tiếng
Anh sau đây
To love
:
To Stand
:
In my heart
:
West
:
To water
:
Who/ whom
:
A Tree
:
A girl
:
To see
:
Afternoon
LÝ CHIỀU CHIỀU
4) Hãy giải thích nghĩa của các
cụm từ trong bài và cho ví
dụ (Explain the meaning of
the phrases in the song and
give examples)
Chiều chiềuTrong lòngTây lầu tây-
5) Nội dung của bài này
là gì?
(What is the main idea of
this folk song)
Benefits Assessment:
SEASSI Methodology
➲
First the SEASSI learning method is simply faster, while the Lexical
Approach is excellent for a six-month curriculum, it does not suit the
needs of teachers and students in four week intensives sessions
➲
Placing multiple levels of learners in a single classroom has its
benefits
➲
By ensuring that the students are learning simple tunes, this creates an
association between auditory and visual memory in the mind of the
students
➲
This can be particularly helpful when studying a tonal language
➲
Furthermore, in the SEASSI methodology we see that the cultural
context of the language experience really comes alive
Thank you!
Any questions?
William Brokaw Noseworthy