10 TESOL JOURNAL VOL. 11, NO. 1
Using Music to Promote
L2 Learning Among
Adult Learners
Marilyn Abbott
have been known to use music to help them remember
things. For example, the jongleurs (singing minstrels) of the
Middle Ages used to set the important news of the day to
music (Grout, 1980) in order to help them remember
important events that they then imparted to locals as they
traveled from village to village. More recently, the late
Glenn Gould, Canadian pianist, writer, broadcast and
recording artist, used to set his essays and program notes to
music to help him remember them. Other evidence that
music increases retention is provided by the fact that most
people can still remember the lines to their favorite high
school songs even after 20 or 30 years. Newham (1995–
1996) suggests that the patterns produced through rhyme
are known to aid memory and enhance language learning.
He states that “the primarily right hemisphere-oriented
process of music making can enhance the process of
language acquisition and memory which place demands
upon the left hemisphere” (p. 72). Thus, songs presumably
enhance and stimulate memory because dual coding leads
to deeper processing and better retention.
There are several additional cognitive and affective
benefits for using music in the ESOL classroom. Because
song lyrics are often highly repetitive, their use may help
automate L2 skills by exposing learners to forms, syntax,
lexical items, segmentals, and suprasegmentals. Thus, the
repetitive nature of the lyrics can promote the learning of
formulaic chunks of language that can be used as readymade
expressions in future conversations (Gatbonton &
Segalowitz, 1988). For example, the lyrics in the Barenaked
Ladies’ (Page & Robertson, 1992) song, “If I Had a
$1,000,000,” or in Amanda Marshall’s (1999) song,
“Believe in You,” can be easily transferred to everyday
speech. In addition, popular songs such as Supertramp’s
(1979) “The Logical Song” contain stimulating lyrics with
real language that describes the human condition using
natural speech patterns. Therefore, songs can provide
meaningful contexts for teaching vocabulary because they
deal with relevant topics and include forms and functions
that can reinforce common themes and structures that are
being covered in the language program. (See Table 1, p. 11,
for song suggestions and their uses.)
Anther important rationale for using music in the
classroom is that music activities can assist in developing
language abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Music washes away from the soul the dust
of everyday life.
Berthold Auerback,
German novelist, 1812–1882
(in Shapiro, 1978)
E
SOL educators frequently use music to enrich the
classroom experience because music activities not
only have the capacity to engage and motivate
learners but also the power to make a language lesson a
memorable, enjoyable event. The purpose of this article is
to offer teachers some practical suggestions for incorporating
music activities into the adult ESOL classroom. It is
divided into five main sections:
1. reasons for using music
2. guidelines for selecting songs
3. categories of music activities
4. guidelines for structuring classroom music
activities
5. ways to use music in three different types of adult
ESOL classes
Although this article focuses on the adult learner, the same
rationale and many of the suggestions described in the
following sections can also apply to children through the
use of age-appropriate music.
Reasons for Using Music in
the Classroom
Many ESOL teachers choose to use music in their classrooms
because music plays an important role in culture
and communication. No matter how far back we look in
history, we find that people have felt driven to make music,
as music adds meaning to people’s lives. Cultures have
musical traditions because of the enjoyment people receive
from creating rhythms and expressing their feelings, ideas,
thoughts, and cultural values through lyrics. Song lyrics
generally use rhyme, and rhyming is fun. Therefore,
singing, performing, and listening to music are often
associated with play, happiness, and relaxation. Evidently,
then, music activities have the power to excite, move, and
soothe learners in the language classroom.
Another reason for using music is that many people
VOL. 11, NO. 1 TESOL JOURNAL 11
while also providing a break from regular classroom routines
(Lo & Li, 1998). Although some teachers only consider
using music activities as time fillers, in fact, music activities
can be used in a variety of ways to appeal to a wide range of
learner styles and preferences. When song lyrics are presented
in both visual and auditory formats, carefully designed music
activities have the ability to tap into the four modalities:
visual, auditory, emotive, and kinesthetic.
In light of the benefits of music in language learning,
the subsequent sections of this article provide some
important guidelines that teachers can follow when
selecting songs and preparing classroom music activities.
The following guidelines and activities summarize ideas
from several sources, including teachers I interviewed
about using music to teach ESL, personal experience using
music in different levels and types of adult ESL classes,
and published sources on ways to use music and songs to
teach English. (See p. 12 for further information on
commercially prepared ESL music resources.)
Guidelines for Selecting
Songs and Recordings
How do teachers decide which songs and types of recordings
to use? There are several factors to consider when
selecting songs and recordings for use in the classroom.
The Level of Difficulty of the
Song and the Lyrics
Some factors to consider when selecting a song are tempo,
clarity of vocalization and enunciation, stress, amount of
repetition, language level, word order, vocabulary, and the
extent of metaphorical usage. All these factors determine
whether the song will provide meaningful, understandable
input for learners.
Often teachers do not use certain songs (e.g., rap and
heavy metal songs) because the words are obscured by the
thick instrumentation or the lyrics are offensive. Songs with
offensive lyrics generally should be avoided. However, if the
lyrics are meaningful but difficult to understand, teachers
can add extra support to aid comprehension. According to
Dougill (1994), different strategies can be employed,
depending on the comprehensibility and audibility of the
song. He maintains that it is the task that needs to be
graded rather than the text. Thus, songs with lyrics that are
difficult to understand can still be used if they have valuable
content. Dougill’s framework (Table 2) provides an
overview of the types of tasks that can be used with various
levels of audibility of recordings.
The Age and Proficiency Level
of Learners
The age and proficiency level of learners will also determine
whether a song will be appropriate and meaningful to
learners. For example, some adults may be offended if
traditional children’s songs, such as “If You’re Happy and
You Know It” (n.d.), are selected, whereas the content of
songs such as Enya’s (1988) “Evening Falls…” may be
beyond the comprehension level of lower level classes.
The Kind of ESL Lesson the Lyrics Suggest
The activity or content of the songs should be related to
the theme, topic, or functions that are covered in class.
Simple, repetitive songs often contain recurrent
grammatical patterns and can be used as grammar practice
activities (e.g., “Longer,” by Dan Fogelberg [1980], could
be used to practice the comparative). “Moonshadow” by
Cat Stevens (2000) could be used in beginner classes as a
review of body parts. More difficult songs containing
interesting metaphors and idioms can be used for vocabulary
practice (e.g., U2’s [1987] “I Still Haven’t Found What
I’m Looking For”). Many songs include typical conversational
speech and pronunciation, making them useful for
practicing linking and reduction (e.g., “Wannabe” by the
Spice Girls [1996]). Other songs with stimulating lyrics
can be used in conversation activities and as topics for
written projects (e.g., “Wheat Kings” by the Tragically Hip
[1992]).
Table 1: Suggested Songs and Language Practice
Song Title
(Recording Artist/Group) Form or Function
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
(Elvis Presley) yes/no questions
Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles) prepositions
Under the Boardwalk
(The Drifters) prepositions
Gangsta’s Paradise (Coolio) street slang
Get Up, Stand Up
(Bob Marley) phrasal verbs/imperatives
If Not For You (Bob Dylan) conditionals
Love Me Tender (Elvis Presley) imperatives
Longer (Dan Fogelberg) comparatives
Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles) past tense
Sailing (Rod Stewart) present progressive
Table 2: Language Tasks That Can Be Used With Various Levels of Audibility of Recordings
(Dougill, 1994, p. 189)
Recording Audibility Language Task
Difficult text, difficult to hear Reading comprehension with music used as an extra dimension
Difficult text, easy to hear Limited listening practice (e.g., gap filling [cloze exercises]), followed by
reading comprehension
Easy text, difficult to hear Predictive gap filling with listening to confirm
Easy text, easy to hear Listening comprehension questions; partial or whole dictation
12 TESOL JOURNAL VOL. 11, NO. 1
Annotated Bibliography of
Commercial Music Resources
This bibliography highlights several excellent texts that contain a wide variety of activities for using music in the ESL
classroom. By no means is this bibliography considered to be a comprehensive overview of all available music
resources. It is merely a brief synopsis of nine texts that have been identified by several sources as being effective or
useful in the ESL classroom.
Adamowski, E. (1997). The ESL songbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This songbook is a collection of original songs that deal with practical themes, such as daily routines, health, and
social interactions, and is suitable for low-intermediate adult and secondary students. Each song focuses on developing
pronunciation and listening comprehension in a communicative context. Suggestions for cultural discussions, grammar
tips, and extension activities are also included with each song. Transcriptions of the music are located at the back of the
text.
Graham, C. (1978). Jazz chants. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This is Graham’s original collection of chants. Although most of the chants focus on specific structures, they are also
useful tools for practicing pronunciation, word stress, linking, reduction, intonation, and for developing listening
comprehension skills. Detailed notes on how to present the chants are also included in the text. An audiocassette with
recordings of the chants is also available.
Graham, C. (1982). Turn of the century songbook. New York: Regents.
This ESL songbook was designed for low-level students. Graham has set simple words to 20 traditional melodies. The
text includes activities organized around the 20 songs and comes with an audiocassette tape.
Graham, C. (1986). Small talk: More jazz chants. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This text was designed to explore the basic functions of U.S. English. It is accompanied by two audiocassettes: one
with recordings of the chants accompanied by jazz musicians, and one with includes related pronunciation and listening
exercises. Small Talk can be used as a class text or for individual study; the answers are provided at the back of the
book,
and all the chants are recorded on the accompanying cassette.
Graham, C. (1993). Grammar chants: More jazz chants. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
According to Graham, “a grammar chant is a rhythmic exercise which presents some aspect of American English
grammar and offers students an enjoyable way to reinforce basic principles of the spoken language” (p. xi). Grammar
Chants is an appropriate text for low-intermediate adult learners. It is accompanied by an audiocassette with recordings
of the chants and related pronunciation and listening exercises. This text can be used as a class text or for individual
study;
the answers are provided at the back of the book, and all the chants are recorded on the accompanying cassette.
Griffee, D. (1992). Songs in action. London: Prentice Hall.
Songs in Action is an excellent collection of music activities that could be used with all levels of learners. The activities
are grouped into five sections: Vocabulary Extension, Listening Development, Singing Development, Writing
Development,
and Discussion. For each activity, Griffee identifies the song type, level, purpose, preparation, what to do in class, hints,
and extension activities. Songs in Action includes sample lesson plans along with an activity index, a skill index, a
level
index, and a song index. These indexes can greatly simplify the process of selecting songs and activities to suit the
learners’ interests and abilities. The text also includes an extensive reference section with numerous suggestions for
further
readings and references.
Kind, U. (1980). Tune in to English. New York: Prentice-Hall Regents.
Kind sets new words to traditional melodies. The songs are organized around specific language functions and
designed to teach or review idiomatic expressions, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and word stress. The text is
aimed at all levels and includes exercises and games for each song, along with the musical scores and chords. Two
audiocassette tapes with recordings of the 20 songs are also available.
Murphy, T. (1992). Music and song. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Music and Song is a cookbook of music activities for the language classroom. Murphy draws on a wide variety of
musical styles and shows how any piece of music can be used in the ESL classroom. He divides the activities into
things we
do with words (e.g., listen, analyze, correct, subtract, add, change) and things we do with music (e.g., describe, evaluate,
discuss, associate).
Osman, A., & McConochie, J. (1979). If you feel like singing. New York: Longman.
This is a collection of 28 American folksongs. It includes follow-up teaching activities, chords and music for each song,
and an index of major grammatical points and selected pronunciation features. An audiocassette recording by amateur
musicians is also available.
VOL. 11, NO. 1 TESOL JOURNAL 13
The Pace and Sequence of the Lesson
It is important to consider the type of music, as it will
affect the pace and sequencing of the lesson. For instance,
songs such as Ricky Martin’s (Rosa & Child, 1999) “Livin’
la Vida Loca” have the ability to stimulate and energize
learners, whereas songs such as Shania Twain’s (Twain &
Lange, 1999) “From This Moment On” can have a calming
effect on the class. Therefore, songs can be used to change
the pace on “blue Mondays” or “restless Friday afternoons”
(Little, 1983, pp. 41–42).
The Musical Interests and Talents
of the Students and the Teacher
The musical interests and talents of the students and the
teacher may determine whether the students will want to
sing or perform in class. If they do not feel comfortable
singing, do not force them to sing. If they want to sing, it
is important to choose songs that have reasonable ranges;
only trained singers will feel comfortable with songs that
have high notes. If one or more vocalists are willing to sing
in the class, the students will often enjoy creating new
verses to songs and having the vocalist(s) sing their lyrics.
Guglielmino (1986) also suggests that if the teacher or any
of the students play an instrument, these talents should be
used to accompany singing in the classroom.
The Availability of Resources
Obviously, to use songs that are on music videos, CDs, or
the Web in their classes, teachers will need the appropriate
equipment to play the songs. Therefore, the availability of
resources needs to be considered when designing classroom
music activities. Furthermore, when using cassette recorders,
CD players, or VHS recorders, it is important to know
how to use them and to ensure that they are in working
order before the class begins.
Categories of Classroom
Music Activities
There are three main categories of music activities that are
often used in the ESOL classroom:
1. listening
2. rhythmic speaking
3. sing-alongs
Information-gap activities, such as dictation or cloze
exercises, are the most commonly used listening activities.
These are relatively simple to prepare, especially if a teacher
has access to the Internet. There are several Web sites that
contain the lyrics for most English-language songs (see
sidebar, p. 14, for descriptions of useful Web sites). After
finding a suitable recording, teachers need only search for
the lyrics on the Internet, download the lyrics, and use
them to prepare dictation or cloze exercises, or other
appropriate prelistening, listening, and postlistening music
activities.
Speaking activities in which the language is set to
rhythm—for instance, jazz chants—are the most common
types of speaking exercises associated with music. Although
chanting is not the same as singing, chants are similar to
songs in that they apply the musical concepts of rhythm,
tempo, stress, and intonation while expressing feelings and
emotions through words. The main difference between songs
and chants is that chants lack precise melodic lines. Therefore,
jazz chants are excellent for practicing vocabulary and
pronunciation. Song lyrics can also be used like jazz chants,
where the words are spoken rather than sung. Speaking the
lyrics is an excellent alternative activity suitable for use with
students who feel uncomfortable singing in public. Graham’s
(1978, 1986, & 1993) collections of chants are excellent
materials designed for this purpose.
The final category of classroom music activities consists
of singing activities. There are three general forms of
classroom singing activities:
1. using actual jazz, soul, blues, folk, rock, pop, rap,
or country songs
2. using familiar melodies with simpler lyrics
3. creating new songs with original melodies and
lyrics
Although I later provide suggestions for structuring
music activities that use actual or original songs (e.g., in
the section Using Music With College-Age Beginners in
Intensive English Programs), the following paragraphs
outline ideas for using familiar melodies with simpler lyrics.
Although chanting is not the same as singing,
chants are similar to songs in that they apply
the musical concepts of rhythm, tempo,
stress, and intonation while expressing
feelings and emotions through words.
It is surprisingly simple to invent new words and set
them to familiar tunes or chord progressions, such as the
“Twelve Bar Blues” (Szustak, 1993). The “Twelve Bar Blues”
is a musical structure that forms the basis of many different
blues songs. In its most basic form, the blues progression is
a 12-measure combination of only three chords. It uses a
three-line format (AAB), where one line is repeated, usually
as a question or statement. A classic example is “Good
Mornin’ Blues,” by Huddie Ledbetter (1995):
Good mornin’ blues, blues, how do you do?
Good mornin’ blues, blues, how do you do?
I’m doin’ allright, good mornin’ how ‘bout you?
A more recent example of the blues is “Give Me One
Reason,” by Tracy Chapman (1986). The traditional blues
form has 4 beats to a measure, 4 measures to each phrase,
14 TESOL JOURNAL VOL. 11, NO. 1
and 12 measures to each verse. As Szustak (1993) suggests,
teachers could provide a brief history of the blues style,
play some blues recordings, and distribute examples of
blues lyrics (see above for the Mudcat Café Web site, which
contains a wide variety of blues songs). Once students
understand the form, they could try writing their own
verses using some traditional blues topics, such as friends,
family, neighborhoods, and social problems. Then the
students could perform their verses or have other students
read or sing their verses for them.
Several excellent texts that set simple English words to
memorable traditional melodies and contain activities
designed to teach or review idiomatic expressions, vocabulary,
grammar, pronunciation, and word stress include
Kind’s (1980) Tune in to English, Graham’s (1982) Turn of
the Century Songbook, and Osman and McConochie’s
(1979) If You Feel Like Singing.
Guidelines for Structuring
Classroom Music Activities
Several educators recommend dividing language lessons
that incorporate music activities into three sections:
prelistening, listening, and postlistening activities.
Useful Music Web Sites
The following is an annotated list of useful music Web sites for ESL/EFL teachers. These sites are excellent sources of
information that can be used in several ways. The lyrics to current or old songs are readily available on several lyric
servers (see the list below). Once accessed, the lyrics may be downloaded and used to make a variety of classroom
exercises. There is no need for teachers to spend the time transcribing the lyrics to songs. It is much faster to access a
server such as the International Lyrics Server, find the lyrics, and save them to a word-processing file. Then the lyrics
can
be printed or modified first and then printed.
Web sites are continually being updated, changed, moved, and deleted. Therefore, if you have trouble accessing
any of these Web sites, try another address or search for other lyric sites using a search engine, such as Hot Bot or
Google. Many of the sites listed below have hyperlinks to similar sites.
The Mudcat Café (http://www.mudcat.org)
The Mudcat Café is an exceptional site because it contains information on most musical styles, composers, artists,
groups, albums, songs, and lyrics. It also has hyperlinks to other excellent music sites. This Web site is definitely
worthy of a
bookmark because it contains a great deal of up-to-date information and is relatively simple to use.
A Traditional Music Library (http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/)
This site is also user friendly; however, it mainly has the lyrics for traditional folksongs and bluegrass. Current pop or
rock lyrics will not be found here. To search for lyrics, click on the main menu, type in the name of a song or the artist
in
the search box, and click on search. The lyrics or a list of hyperlinked titles of songs by the artist will then appear.
Disney Song Lyrics (http://www.fpx.de/fp/Disney/Lyrics)
This site features Disney song lyrics from various Disney feature films. It is very user friendly. Once the site is
accessed,
all the user has to do is click on a song from the list and the lyrics will appear.
Ernie’s EFL Song Activities (http://barteldes.freeyellow.com/)
This is the address for Ernie’s EFL Page. On the main page, he includes links to (a) activities, (b) tips on how to use
song-related activities in the EFL classroom, and (c) other related educational Web sites. To access the song activities,
click on “Ernie’s EFL Song Activities” on the main page. Then choose from the basic-, intermediate-, or higher level
activities. Ernie has also included a lyrics search on the main page, but it only has a limited number of songs. Thus, this
site is not recommended for finding lyrics, but it is a good site for gathering ideas on ways to use music in the
classroom.
International Lyrics Server (http://www.music-e.net/the_international_lyrics_server.htm)
This site contains the lyrics for over 130,000 titles. The songs can be accessed by title or by artist. This server is also
worthy of a bookmark because it is easy to use and includes a wide variety of songs.
Music Links (http://ucs.orst.edu/~healeyd/music_links.html)
Music Links includes hyperlinks to other sites, including the Top 10 Music Web Sites that contain information on a
variety of pop, rock, and jazz artists.
CTN (http://www.collegetelevision.com/)
CTN contains reviews of the latest hits.
The Ultimate Band List (http://www.ubl.com)
This Web site has search mechanisms that provide information on artists, songs, lyrics, CDs, and real audio
capabilities where recordings of new releases can even be heard.
VOL. 11, NO. 1 TESOL JOURNAL 15
Prelistening Activities
The purpose of prelistening exercises is to motivate and
provide the students with appropriate vocabulary and
background knowledge. Providing preliminary material to
the listening exercise also gives the students a clear, concrete
reason for listening. Spencer (1994) suggests that
vocabulary or comprehension exercises using the lyrics of a
song that will be studied in class could be assigned as
homework the week before. On the day the song is presented
in class, the teacher could play the introduction and
(a) ask the students if they recognize the piece or the artist;
(b) have them predict the title, the first words, the first
verse, or the theme; or (c) have them fill in a cloze exercise
and then compare their guesses to the actual lyrics after
listening to the song.
Many educators recommend developing cloze exercises
that will reinforce the grammar points that have been
studied in class. For example, the Beatles’ (Lennon &
McCartney, 1966) hit “Eleanor Rigby” could be used to
practice prepositions by blanking out all of the prepositions
and then asking the students to guess them before listening
to the song. This approach often motivates the students to
pay closer attention to the lyrics because they want to
know whether they have guessed correctly. One variation
on the prelistening cloze activity is to divide the class in
half and give the two groups lyrics with different words
deleted. After listening, the groups could practice speaking
by being paired to correct one another’s work orally,
without looking at each other’s sheets.
For another, more advanced prelistening activity, the
teacher could write the name of a song on the board and
have the students guess the artist, the theme of the song,
or brainstorm key words that they think may be used in
the song. The students could then be asked to work in
groups to construct phrases or sentences using the key
words.
Listening Activities
Although this part of the lesson can be handled in a variety
of ways, the song should be played at least three times. To
make the listening task an active exercise, the teacher could
(a) ask the students how the music affects them or what
they think of the words, the melody, the instrumentation,
the texture, the style, and the rhythm; (b) give students a
lyric sheet with mistakes and ask them to correct the errors;
(c) give students the words in a scrambled order and ask
students to unscramble them; (d) ask students to take
dictation or complete sentences; or (e) ask students to focus
on the meaning of the song in order to answer true/false
questions or paraphrase each verse.
Postlistening Activities
Postlistening tasks generally involve communicative activities
such as games, problem solving, role plays, jigsaws,
discussions, and simulations to help ESL students develop
automatization and fluency in the target language. These
tasks may be done in small groups or with the class as a
whole. The teacher could ask the students to write questions
they would like to ask the artists about their lives or
beliefs. Then the students could work in pairs, with one of
the students pretending to be the artist and the other the
interviewer. A discussion of the cultural or historical aspects
of the song or the historical setting could follow the role
play. Finally, for homework, the students could do a
creative writing task that deals with the content of the song.
Ways to Use Music in
Three Different Adult ESOL Contexts
Using Music With Adult
Immigrant Learners in Literacy
Development Classes
If ESL literacy learners first learn to speak or sing a song
by rote memorization, it logically follows that it will be
easier for them to learn to read the words when presented
with the song lyrics in written form. This implies that
literacy can grow out of the oral language that learners
develop from listening to memorable songs. Listening to
familiar music jingles and songs while the teacher (or
student) points to the words can assist in developing the
literacy learner’s understanding that a given sound will be
represented by a particular letter or combination of
sounds. Catchy music jingles found in radio and television
commercials are excellent sources for literacy work, as the
learners will usually be familiar with the words contained
in the frequently heard advertisements. The use of traditional
songs that are sung in several languages can also be
useful tools for developing literacy skills. For example,
French or Spanish speakers who know the song “Frère
Jacques?” (“Are You Sleeping?”) in their L1, will be able to
transfer their understanding of the lyrics to the English
version. Other suggestions for using memorable traditional
English language melodies in the language classroom
can be found in the text English: Sing It!, by
Grenough (1976).
Once the learners are able to recognize the soundsymbol
correspondence, two types of music activities that
are well suited to literacy classes are word bingo and
reordering activities.
Word Bingo
In word bingo, the teacher chooses an appropriate song,
makes up a list of vocabulary terms from the lyrics, and has
the learners place the words in a bingo grid. The learners are
asked to mark off the words as they hear them in the song.
The first person to check off all the words is the winner.
Reordering Activities
In one example of a reordering activity, the teacher chooses
some of the words from a song and lists them in an
16 TESOL JOURNAL VOL. 11, NO. 1
incorrect order. As the students listen to the song, they are
asked to number the words in the correct order.
For another reordering activity, the teacher selects a short
song, chorus, or jingle and makes two copies of the lyrics.
Then she cuts the lyrics into strips of paper, divides the class
into two groups, distributes the strip lyrics, and has a contest
to see which group successfully reorders the lyrics first.
Using Music With College-Age Beginners
in Intensive English Programs
Numerous educators have suggested that pop and rock
music are highly effective teaching tools that can be
extremely useful in the language classroom, especially at the
college level. Pop music activities tend to be inherently
motivating, as most college students get excited and
energized when listening to and/or singing popular songs.
Spencer’s (1994) procedure for classroom implementation
of sing-alongs and spoken chants is an excellent approach
that can be used with college-age beginners. The following
guidelines summarize and expand on Spencer’s method:
1. Begin with previously described prelistening
activities to preteach vocabulary and provide
appropriate background knowledge.
2. Sing or play the song while the students actively
listen and complete one of the previously described
listening activities.
3. Have the students mark in the sentence the stress,
the number of beats in each line, and the number
of syllables in each line.
4. Have the students recite portions of the lyrics
without trying to sing. Have them focus on
proper sentence stress, linking, and reduction.
5. Add a steady beat and have the students recite
the lyrics practiced in Step 4. A metronome
could be used, or the teacher or one of the
students could clap the beat. The tempo should
start off slowly and then gradually increase to the
tempo of the song.
6. Write key phrases or words from each sentence
on the board. Without looking at the lyrics, have
the students use the key words as an aid to
reciting all the lyrics.
7. Gradually reduce the number of phrases or key
words.
8. Have the students sing or speak the lyrics using
the key words. If they do not feel comfortable
singing, do not force them to sing; encourage
them to speak the words in rhythm.
9. Break the class into groups and have a contest to
see which group can sing or speak the song the
fastest.
10. As a review, have the entire class sing or speak the
song together with expression and feeling.
11. For homework, have the students write about
how the music makes them feel, or have them
briefly describe the theme of the song.
Many of the music activities described in this article
are appropriate for use with college-age beginners. In
addition, two excellent texts that present numerous suggestions
for music activities for this level are Griffee’s (1992)
Songs in Action and Murphy’s (1992) Music and Song.
Using Music With Intermediate-Level
Business English Students in EFL Settings
Given the motivational characteristics of music and the
availability of English language songs, EFL educators
teaching in intermediate-level business settings may find
Numerous educators have suggested that
pop and rock music are highly effective
teaching tools that can be extremely useful
in the language classroom, especially at the
college level.
that music activities are useful aids for language learning.
To increase learner autonomy and legitimize the time spent
on music activities in the business language classroom,
teachers could design assignments in which the students
select songs and develop corresponding music activities that
fit the language themes, idioms, forms, and functions
covered in the business English curriculum. For example,
the teacher could pair the students; have them find English
songs that highlight particular aspects of language that are
being studied in class; have the students develop cloze,
correction, dictation, pronunciation, or other suitable
activities that focus on the assigned aspect(s) of language;
then have the students present their activities to the class.
This type of assignment not only has the capacity to
develop students’ language skills but also to improve their
presentation skills. Furthermore, if the students have access
to computers, such an assignment can expand their computer
skills by allowing them to search for suitable songs
and lyrics on the Internet.
Another valuable music assignment for business
English classes involves the use of Graham’s (1993) Grammar
Chants. Teachers can assign individual students or
pairs different chants; have the learners identify the
grammar points that are focused on in the chants; and
then have them present and practice the chants with the
class. In addition to a focus on form, this activity can
provide students with practice in pronunciation, word
stress, linking, reduction, intonation, and listening
comprehension.
Conclusion
Music activities can supplement more traditional grammarbased
teaching methods by providing opportunities for
language learning in a pleasurable environment. Because
music activities are motivating, enjoyable, and relaxing, and
VOL. 11, NO. 1 TESOL JOURNAL 17
provide a meaningful context for practicing and automatizing
language skills, ESOL teachers may find that music
facilitates language learning by increasing learning retention
and effectiveness in a wide variety of teaching contexts.
Because there is a close relationship between rhythm, stress,
and spoken English, songs can be excellent teaching tools
for emphasizing and reinforcing the rhythms, structures,
and sounds in English. In addition to the cognitive and
affective benefits of using music in the ESOL classroom,
many educators who use music activities find them rewarding
because they bring new, exciting dimensions to their
language lessons.
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Author
Marilyn Abbott received her BEd in secondary music education in
1986. After teaching high school for 10 years, she earned an MEd in
TESL from the University of Alberta in Canada. Presently, she is
specializing in learning, development, and assessment and completing
a PhD in educational psychology.