Nghiên cứu về việc sử dụng bài hát nhằm hỗ trợ học sinh tiểu học ghi nhớ từ vựng

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************

ĐINH THỊ THÙY DUNG

A STUDY OF USING SONGS TO SUPPORT ENGLISH
VOCABULARY ACQUISITION FOR PRIMARY STUDENTS
(Nghiên cứu về việc sử dụng bài hát nhằm hỗ trợ
học sinh tiểu học ghi nhớ từ vựng)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 8140231.01

HANOI - 2021


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************
ĐINH THỊ THÙY DUNG

A STUDY OF USING SONGS TO SUPPORT ENGLISH VOCABULARY
ACQUISITION FOR PRIMARY STUDENTS
(Nghiên cứu về việc sử dụng bài hát nhằm hỗ trợ học sinh tiểu học ghi nhớ
từ vựng)

Field

: English Teaching Methodology

Code

: 8140231.01

Supervisor : Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân

HANOI – 2021


DECLARATION

I declare that this thesis has been generated by me as the result of my own original
research. I have provided fully documented references to others‟ work. The material
in this thesis has not been submitted to any other university or institution wholly or
partially.

Hanoi, May 2021

Đinh Thị Thùy Dung

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my profound gratitude towards my supervisor Prof. Dr. Hoàng

Văn Vân who gave me a lot of valuable guidance, encouragements, criticisms and
correction throughout my thesis writing. He consistently allowed this paper to be
my own work, but steered me in the right direction whenever he thought I needed it.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all lecturers in
Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International
Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their interesting lectures which
have inspired me to conduct this thesis.
I would also like to thank fifty-four 2nd grade students at Trần Đăng Ninh Primary
School. Without their passionate participation and input, the validation survey could
not have been successfully conducted.
My sincere thanks go to my family, my colleagues and my friends for their
encouragement and support that help me to complete my work.

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ABSTRACT

This study is conducted with the purpose of investigating the effectiveness of using
songs as a mean to improve young learners‟ English vocabulary acquisition. A
group of 2nd graders participated in the study. The instruments employed for data
collection and analysis of the study included pre-test, post-test, a questionnaire and
teacher‟s observation. The results showed that songs have a positive influence on
vocabulary retention of young learners. Songs contributed to the increasing of
students‟ achievement, interest and motivation.

The results also revealed that

students have positive attitudes towards the use of songs in their classes. Based on
the findings, the study indicated that songs were effective tools that help children

learn vocabulary better in an enjoyable and relaxed environment.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION............................................................................................................ .. i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................... .. ii
ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................ iv
LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................ viii
LIST OF FIGURES....................................................................................................... vii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION................................................................................. viii

1.1. Rationale of the study...........................................................................................1
1.2. Aim of the study ...................................................................................................3
1.3. Scope of the study ................................................................................................4
1.4. Significance of the study ......................................................................................4
1.5. Methodology of the study ....................................................................................4
1.6. Structure of the thesis ...........................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................... ... 6

2.1. Vocabulary in language teaching and learning ....................................................6
2.1.1. Definition of vocabulary ...................................................................................6
2.1.2. The role of vocabulary in language teaching and learning ...............................7
2.2. Characteristics of young learners .........................................................................8
2.3. Teaching vocabulary to young learners ...............................................................9
2.4. Young learners‟ development through the use of songs in English lessons ......11
2.4.1. Cognitive development ...................................................................................11
2.4.2. Physical development......................................................................................11

2.4.3. Emotional development ..................................................................................12
2.4.4. Social development .........................................................................................12
2.5. Teaching vocabulary to primary children through songs ..................................12
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2.6. Some difficulties of teaching a foreign language using songs ...........................15
2.7. Procedure to using a song to present vocabulary ...............................................15
2.8. The activities in teaching vocabulary using songs .............................................16
2.8.1. Gap-filling .......................................................................................................16
2.8.2. Jumbled lines ...................................................................................................17
2.8.3. Rewrite the lyrics ............................................................................................17
2.8.4. Draw the song .................................................................................................18
2.8.5. Spot the mistakes.............................................................................................18
2.9. Review of previous studies on the effectiveness of using songs for enhancement
of learners‟ vocabulary retention ..............................................................................18
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY................................................................................ . 21

3.1. The current situation of teaching and learning English at the school ................21
3.2. The participants ..................................................................................................22
3.3. Design of the study.............................................................................................23
3.3.1. Action research................................................................................................23
3.3.2. Procedures of the study ...................................................................................24
3.4. Data collection instruments ................................................................................27
3.4.1. Pre- and post-test .............................................................................................28
3.4.2. Classroom observation ....................................................................................30
3.4.3. Questionnaire ..................................................................................................33
3.5. Data analysis method .........................................................................................33
3.6. Summary ............................................................................................................34
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION........................................................... 35

4.1. Analysis of the tests ...........................................................................................35
4.2. Analysis of class observation .............................................................................38
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4.3. Analysis of the survey questionnaire .................................................................39
4.4. Discussion ..........................................................................................................42
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION...................................................................................... 44

5.1. Summary of the findings and discussion ...........................................................44
5.2. Pedagogical implications ...................................................................................44
5.3. Recommendations of the study ..........................................................................45
5.3.1. The teachers ....................................................................................................45
5.3.2. Textbook writers .............................................................................................45
5.4. Limitations of the study .....................................................................................46
REFERENCES............................................................................................................. . 47
APPENDIXES.............................................................................................................. .... I

Appendix 1 – Pre-test .................................................................................................. I
Appendix 2 – Post-test ..............................................................................................III
Appendix 3 – Questionnaire....................................................................................... V
Appendix 4 – Observation sheet .............................................................................. VI
Appendix 5 – Sample Lesson plan .......................................................................... VII

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1: Action Research Model ..........................................................................22
Figure 3.2: The Revised Bloom's Taxonomy............................................................26
Figure 4.1: The mean score of average mark of class 2A6 .......................................36
Figure 4.2: The mean score of average mark of class 2A7 .......................................38
Figure 4.3: Students‟ attitude towards learning English through songs ...................41
Figure 4.4: the student‟s preference activities during lessons using songs...............42

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1: The results of pre-test and post-test of class 2A6 ....................................35
Table 4.2: The results of pre-test and post-test class 2A7 ........................................37
Table 4.3: Students‟ responses to the questionnaire .................................................40

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, the background to the problems and the reasons for choosing the
topic are mentioned. As a result, the importance of the application of songs in
vocabulary acquisition is revealed. The aims and the significances of the study are
also stated. The final section presents the scope and methods of the study which
shows the number of participants and the time of the intervention.
1.1. Rationale of the study
Progress and innovation over the past twenty years have transformed the world in
many sectors. In response to the developmental process, the increasing competition
between knowledge-based economies has a requirement of several essential skills to
human resources and language proficiency is considered as one of the advantages in

the integration process. The dominant position of English as an international
language has been immediately acknowledged by the Vietnamese government. As a
result, English as a foreign language has been accepted widely as a compulsory
subject in many educational institutions in Vietnam, from primary schools to high
schools. The efficacy of English teaching and learning attracts a lot of interest from
Vietnamese people and society.
In learning a foreign language, vocabulary plays a significant role in supporting the
mastery of language skills such as listening, reading, speaking, and writing (Nation,
2001). In other words, vocabulary acquisition is a crucial step in acquiring a second
language. The matter is, nowadays, many learners have trouble of using English as
a means of communication. The researcher sees this problem as the result of having
insufficient amount of vocabulary which results in students‟ failure to speak in full
sentences in English. Since vocabulary cannot be separated from other elements of
English teaching and English learning, it influences the students‟ ability especially
in their speaking abilities (Wilkin, 1972). Without a proportional amount of
vocabulary, a student will experience trouble speaking English and following the
lessons in the class. For this reason, improving vocabulary has been a major concern

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of teachers in the area of second language acquisition. Despite the efforts toward
improving the expected language learning outcomes in Vietnam, globalization and
the diversity of English has remarkably challenged English language learning and
teaching methodology, teaching materials, curriculum and the competence of
Vietnamese teachers. Many students still apply traditional methods to learn English
vocabulary, such as rote memorization, learning new words through teachers‟
explicit instruction, reciting from word lists, and so forth. Moreover, most English
teachers in schools, colleges, and institutes still use traditional strategies to teach
vocabulary, such as giving list of English words with their equivalents in

Vietnamese, asking students to recite new words, writing sentences with target
vocabularies, explaining the meaning of vocabulary in Vietnamese, repeating
vocabulary, and making students do plenty of vocabulary exercises. These methods
of learning and teaching English vocabulary can be considered as intentional
learning, or, explicit learning. The teacher mistakenly assumes that it is an effective
approach, but in fact most of the students hardly remember the words.
As a primary English teacher, I have witnessed how English has become one of the
compulsory subjects in the curriculum and how Vietnamese education system
appreciates the importance of English learning nowadays, especially at primary
schools level. The 2017-2025 project, “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages
in the National Education System”, demands better English teaching and learning
quality by expecting teachers to improve their language competence to train primary
students. However, the fact that many primary English teachers, including the
author, are not trained comprehensively to teach English to such special learners
with special characteristics, primary students. The teaching of English in many
schools is purely examination-based leading to the demotivation of many students.
(Hoang Van Van, 2017). The main goal of English language learning is the
development of communication skills, as well as maintaining interest and
motivation for learning English. In order to accomplish these goals, it is necessary
for the content to be closely related to learners‟ real life and materials need to be
2


adjusted to different learning styles. In order to solve the problem above, the
researcher has decided to conduct a classroom action research focused on the
vocabulary teaching process by using song lyrics as the teaching media because it is
considered to be an effective and suitable media to introduce the vocabulary to the
primary children. Using music and songs in language classroom as an effective
teaching method has been recommended especially for young learners. Songs play
an important role in the development of young children learning a second language.

Children are not aware of the fact that they are learning through songs, and
therefore they see them as a pleasant and fun part of English lessons. Apart from
this, songs serve as a good source of pronunciation, intonation, and accent practice,
but also as a practice of listening skills and vocabulary development.
From the above explanation, the writer decided to conduct the research titled “A
study of using songs to support English vocabulary acquisition for primary
students” with the hope of improving students‟ vocabulary learning.
1.2. Aim of the study
Based on the rationale mentioned above, the main objective of this study is to
investigate the effects of using songs to improve the vocabulary competence among
primary school students as a part of the learning process in the classroom.
Specifically, the study is conducted to answer the following questions whose result
will be used for later discussion:
- To what extent do songs contribute to young learners’ improvement of English
vocabulary?
- What are the students’ attitudes to the use of songs in learning vocabulary?
Of these two questions, the first one is the focus of the study.

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1.3. Scope of the study
The study includes the teacher‟s opinion and performance because the teacher plays
an important role in giving instructions and guiding students to join in activities in
the class. Moreover, the teacher‟s interaction with young learners is also an
essential key for students to improve learning and retention of vocabulary.
The study limits itself to the investigation of the impact of songs on the students‟
vocabulary acquisition.
1.4. Significance of the study
This study attempts to demonstrate the effectiveness of using songs and their effects

on teaching vocabulary and pronunciation for the 2nd grade students. The
explanation of using songs in teaching English vocabulary to primary students is
included. Therefore, this report can be an additional reference to the teachers to
develop their teaching activities especially in teaching vocabulary by using songs,
in order to make the students more motivated in learning English.
Moreover, the finding of the thesis may stimulate specialists' and supervisors'
interest in conducting training courses for their teachers to use children‟s songs in
their classes.
1.5. Methodology of the study
In the process of researching, the author employs both qualitative and quantitative
methods to analyze the data. Data collection instruments including pre-test, posttest, questionnaire and teacher‟ observation are used in order to have a deep
investigation into what is being studied.
1.6. Structure of the thesis
The study consists of five chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction – presents the rationale, the aim and the research questions,
the significance, the scope, the method and the structure of the study.

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Chapter 2: Literature review – offers the theoretical background to the study, the
definition and the importance of vocabulary, teaching English vocabulary to young
learners using songs, and the previous research related to the study.
Chapter 3: Methodology – includes the setting, the background of participants as
well as data collection instruments and procedures for carrying on the research
including pre-post-test and questionnaire.
Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion – demonstrates the findings and further
discussion.
Chapter 5: Conclusion – summarizes the main research points, points out the
limitation of the study and makes suggestions for further studies.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter attempts to provide the theoretical background of the study, including
the definition and the relevant knowledge around key concepts, followed by a
review of related studies in the same field.
2.1. Vocabulary in language teaching and learning
2.1.1. Definition of vocabulary
Vocabulary is central of language teaching and learning. It means that by mastering
vocabulary, the learners can communicate with other people fluently and express
their opinion or ideas conveniently. Generally, the term “vocabulary” is defined as
the knowledge of meanings of words. Penny (1996) defined vocabulary as all the
words that exist in a particular language. In addition, Nathan (2013) interpreted
vocabulary as a list or number of words that people know and use it regularly in
daily life. Hatch and Brown (1995) described vocabulary as a list of target language
words for particular language or a list of words that the individual speaker might be.
Vocabulary can also be categorized into receptive vocabulary and productive
vocabulary or often called passive and active vocabulary (Laufer, 1998). Nation
(2001) indicated that receptive vocabulary concerns the ability to recognize the
form of words while listening or reading also retrieving its meaning. Meanwhile,
productive vocabulary refers to the use of words to express a meaning through
speaking or writing also retrieving and producing the appropriate spoken or written
form (Nation, 2001).
In conclusion, vocabulary is all the words that be used to express speakers‟ ideas
and meaning. Learning vocabulary is not quite simple to learn a word. It means
students are supposed to acquire many things concerning with that word such as its
forms, its meanings, and its usages.

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2.1.2. The role of vocabulary in language teaching and learning
Learning vocabulary is one of the first steps of learning a second language.
Vocabulary is a language component that plays an essential role in determining
learner's proficiency level in language learning. Vocabulary knowledge is often
considered as a critical tool for second language learners because the lack of
vocabulary obstructs successful communication. Nunan (1991), furthermore,
acknowledged that the acquisition of an adequate vocabulary is important for
successful second language use because without a particular amount of vocabulary,
we will be incapable to apply the structures and functions we may have studied for
comprehensible communication. It is necessary to the typical language learners
because many of them have experienced lexical gaps, that are words or concepts
they read but they simply do not understand or cannot express as adequately as they
could in their first language. Concerning the significance of vocabulary, McCharty
(1990) stated that the importance of vocabulary in language learning is as follows:
“no matter how successfully sounds of the second language are mastered, without
words to express a wider range of meanings, communication just cannot happen in
any meaningful way” (p.viii). Failure in learning vocabulary may not only lead to
difficulties in language reception and production (Wei, 2007) but also insecurity
and communication breakdown (Hurtado, 2002).
A major aim of most teaching programs is to help students gain a large vocabulary
of useful words. It is assumed that the student‟s ability to read, to write, to listen,
and to speak is conditioned by their vocabulary. In reading skills, vocabulary
facilitates learners in comprehending the text. In writing skills, it helps students to
develop their ideas that they want based on the topic sentence. In listening skills,
vocabulary make it easier for learners to comprehend and understand what other
person speaks. In speaking skills, vocabulary aids the learners to explain their ideas
orally. In other words, vocabulary has a vital role in the process of language

learning. Therefore teachers should use appropriate techniques and enough practice

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for certain words to make the students understand the meaning of word and apply it
in appropriate context.
2.2. Characteristics of young learners
Age is a key element in language learning. To have successful lessons, teachers
should understand young learners‟ characteristics, instincts, and interests. It will
influence many aspects of the teaching process including deciding the most
effective teaching methods, creating a perfect classroom interior and atmosphere,
choosing suitable teaching aids and finding the best way of interaction with young
learners. Regarding learning a foreign language, some experts described
characteristics of young learners as follows:
Scott (1990) and Mustafa (2003) noted that primary children learn through physical
activities (learning by doing). They get their understanding not only from
explanation but also from what they interact with. In other words, learning will
derive from real experience from the children‟s life. Cameron (2001) shared the
same point of view that children try to „construct meaning‟ and „foreign language
learning depends on what they experience‟ (p.6). Lightbown and Spada (2001)
clarified these learners as „willing to use the language even with quite limited
proficiency‟ (p.31). McKay (2006) pointed out that they may use the tenses
correctly if well-practiced, but will hardly understand the concept.
Halliwel (1992) provided some basic characteristics of the young language learners
as follows: (1) Children are very good at interpreting meaning without necessarily
understanding the individual word. (2) Children have great skill in using limited
language creativity. (3) Children frequently learn indirectly rather than directly.
(4) Children enjoy finding and creating fun in what they do. (5) Children‟s worlds
are full of imagination. (6) They are keen to talk about themselves and respond well

to learning that uses themselves and their own lives as main topics in the classroom.
In relation to this, Harmer (2001) gave a list of young learner‟s characteristics: (1)
Children respond to the language well through concrete things (visual things) rather
8


than abstract things. (2) Children prefer physical movements and real activities to
stimulate their thinking. (3) Children will be active if they are taught using fun
activities or being involved in activities. (4) Children learn best when they are
enjoying themselves. (5) Children like to work together. (6) Children have a short
attention span and need a variety of activities.
In brief, the above characteristics of young learners provide useful insights for
teachers. Understanding the young learners' characteristics, instincts, and interests
helps the teacher to decide how to build a lesson to make sure that the young
learners are fully involved in the learning process.
2.3. Teaching vocabulary to young learners
People of different ages have different needs, competencies, and cognitive skills.
The age of students is a major factor in teachers‟ decisions about how and what to
teach. In the process of language learning, young learners still have a limited
conceptual awareness. The way they are instructed a language is different from that
of adult learners. Adult learners can think abstractly. They can compare pattern and
linguistics form that are similar or different in their mother tongue and in other
language. In contrast, children cannot think abstractly. Children will only pick up
and learn English if the teaching learning process is fun and is taught in meaningful
context (Pinter, 2006). Children explore the world with their bodies, particularly
their senses before they process it with their minds. They acquire knowledge
effectively when their bodies are fully engaged. Therefore, vocabulary should be
made apparent as the things young learners can see, touch and taste instead of
resorting to translation or complicated explanations. To support the idea, Suyanto
(2007) noted that teaching vocabulary to young learners will be better if the words

are given related to children‟s world.
Although children seem to learn new words very quickly, they will also forget
quickly, so it is essential to give them lots of practice of vocabulary to help them
remember. According to McCarthy (1996), students acquire new vocabulary faster

9


if teachers focus on five to ten words a lesson instead of overwhelming students
with lengthy lists. Since mere practicing can be extremely boring and tiring to
young learners, appealing and charming activities should be included to sustain
children‟s enthusiasm and concentration. Since the attention span of children is
rather restricted, tasks should be short and varied to keep their interest and to make
most of their concentration, as they cannot concentrate for long periods.
According to Harmer (2001), young learners study differently from adult learners.
They easily get bored, losing interest after a short period of time. In order to keep
them engaged, it is necessary to supplement the activities with lots of brightly
colored visuals and objects. Using these activities, a language teacher can make the
language input enjoyable and comprehensible as well. Using gestures and body
language are very effective for young learners to gain understanding of language.
As Brewster, Ellis & Girard (2004) described, children have a lot of physical
energy. Therefore, it is important to engage the tasks that make use of their bodies,
providing movement to allow them to burn their energy positively in the learning. It
is a good way to keep children active and motivated. The more interesting the
activities are, the better the students will retain the language materials
presented.
To help the learners in learning English, Cameron (2001) suggested some useful
techniques of teaching such as (1) Build teaching around activities and physical
movement (2) Choose content children are familiar with. (3) Use enjoyable
activities that children can accomplish without frustration (4) Use activities that

involve collaboration.
In general, teaching a foreign language to children is challenging. In the process of
teaching, teachers should use appropriate media and techniques based on the
students‟ ability and characteristics to keep them motivated to learn.

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2.4. Young learners’ development through the use of songs in English lessons
Yoon (2000) gave various arguments for the impacts of songs on teaching English
to young learners, highlighting its benefits in terms of the child‟s physical, cognitive,
emotional and social development.
2.4.1. Cognitive development
Cognitive development refers to how a person perceives, thinks, and obtains
understanding of his or her world. For children, Holden (1999) indicated that songs
provides a rich and supplementary source of input as young brains develop.
Exposure to music enables young brains to soak in the range of notes, tones, and
words which influence and enhance cognitive ability. Moreover, music helps
children memorize information and it makes repetition less boring. The cognitive
processing of music and language may also increase language acquisition.
Research has also presented cognitive-enhancing effects of exposure to anxiolytic
(anxiety-reducing) music. For example, Morton, Kershner, and Siegel (1990)
indicated that exposure to popular music prior to learning facilitated memory
capacity and reduced distractibility for learning tasks. To support the idea, Hallam
et al. (2002) assumed that primary school children performed significantly better on
recall memory tasks in the presence of background calming songs.
It can be said that a deeper understanding of the cognitive processing of music and
language can influence the ways teachers utilize songs in the classrooms.
2.4.2. Physical development
Music is considered as a natural method to promote physical development in young

children. The activities relating to songs facilitate young learners‟ body
movements. During the lesson using songs, students can move, jump, hop, clap
hands, and wave hands. Through integration of music and movement, numerous
developmental skills will be acquired. Contrary to some traditional lessons in which
young learners have to silently stick in their seats, the lessons using songs help the

11


students actively learn language through a lot physical activities. As a result,
students will be more motivated and involve in class.
2.4.3. Emotional development
When participating in music and movement activities, children gain confidence in
their interpersonal relationships which improves their self-assurance. Different
emotions are experienced and imitated through music. Children learn different
feeling expression by listening to different types of music. Therefore, it can be said
that song helps children develop their emotional intelligence.
2.4.4. Social development
In a social context, singing in group has been suggested to increase communication,
coordination, cooperation between members (Koelsch, 2010). Song activities will
teach children that they can create great things if they manage to work together
properly. When participate in song activities, students are supposed to learn the
social rules, such as taking turns, sharing, responding, leading and following. They
begin to learn about appropriate behaviors within certain contexts. Moreover, young
learners will find it better to bond with their friends when they share the same
interests of music. Therefore, it could easily be conceived how songs could have a
positive impact on the social development of children.
2.5. Teaching vocabulary to primary children through songs
Based on children‟s characteristics, the learning and teaching process should be
suited to the nature of the children themselves. The amount of material that young

learners can acquire relies on teaching techniques and the way the material is drilled.
It is important to note that children learn better through interesting
activities. Utilizing English songs as a technique in language teaching can help the
students to ease their process of learning. Music helps children learn new
things. Most children will learn how to count, how to say the alphabet, and how to
pronounce certain words with the help of music. The value of utilizing music and
songs in language teaching can be further explained by the close relationship

12


between music and language. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, developed by
Gardner (1983) proclaimed that human beings possess a set of relatively
independent intellectual capacities, rather than a single intelligence measured by
traditional IQ tests. These multiple intelligences include linguistic intelligence
(analyzing and creating oral and written language); logical -mathematical
intelligence (making calculations and solving abstract problems) and musical
intelligence. According to Gardner, musical intelligence develops in parallel to
linguistic intelligence and share some special features that allow music to improve
and shape language processing. As Ayotte (2004) observed, both music and
language share the same auditory, perceptive, and cognitive mechanisms that
impose a structure on auditory information received by the senses (p. 10).
Music can transform classrooms into pleasant and positive learning environments in
which children thrive emotionally, socially, and academically. Orlova (1997)
identified that songs can create an enjoyable learning environment and promote
participation among students. Using songs for English language teaching is
considered a powerful technique for children to practice English in groups. The
rhythmic nature of songs also helps to stimulate and engage the attention and
interest of young students, who are often distracted or may get bored easily. They
will be eager to be a part of the rhythm and to participate in reciting the rhyme. A

class in which every student feels welcomed as a participating member is an
essential factor in effective teaching. Additionally, songs and music are highly
memorable. The repetitive patterning of the songs reinforces learning without loss
of motivation (Murphey, 1990). Through songs, learners can remember a variety of
useful vocabulary. They may support learners in recognizing words and meaning
especially if they were presented with pictures and actions.
In short, music is a powerful technique in providing young learners a positive mood
and language learning environment. The repetitive lyrics in a song enhance learners‟
language retention without making them feel the pressure of learning a foreign

13


language. For those reasons, songs can be of great value if they are coordinated with
language lessons. However, the teacher should consider the theme and the rhythm
when they select the song. The song should be appropriate with the topic of the
English lesson and attract the students‟ attention.

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2.6. Some difficulties of teaching a foreign language using songs
Although songs have many good aspects, there are some difficulties that teachers
should regard in the language classroom. Murphey (1990) pointed out several
disadvantages of using English songs during language courses: (1) the difficulty to
find songs with a good topic, (2) students‟ dissimilar musical tastes, (3) the
challenges of classroom management when some students might get too excited or
too bored and refuse to sing.
Concerning these difficulties above, the teachers should possess a sense of constant
observation of mood in the class. When the children give signs of dissatisfaction

and distraction, the teachers should switch to other tasks. Appropriate songs can be
found if the teacher spends enough time. The teachers can ask the students what
kind of songs they prefer to ensure that they will enjoy language lessons. Moreover,
the teachers should not force the students to sing. The students might participate
more actively if the purpose of the song activities is explained to them properly and
inspiringly.
It is recommended that the teachers should be aware of these problems that may
occur during the lesson and prepare for them in advance.
2.7. Procedure to using a song to present vocabulary
Songs can be presented in different ways and procedures depending on the level of
the class, the simplicity of the song, and the time available. The teacher should
prepare carefully before using a song to teach vocabulary. Curtain and Dahlberg
(2004) suggested the following steps for presenting a song in class:
 Step one: setting the scene to lead in the song. This step makes students
excited about what they are going to learn. There are many ways to lead in,
for example, guessing the title of the song, uncovering the picture about the
song.
 Step two: pre – teaching vocabulary. It is very important for the students to
understand the key words necessary for singing the song meaningfully. By
15