Improving Students Skills in EFL with Music

 

In the end of 2010, English has become the most widely speakers all around the world. It is because the non-native English speakers could surpass the number of native English speakers. This happen because English already becomes the common protocol for global human communication (Beasley & Chuang, 2008, p.1). With this happening right now, it will need a syllabus that help students in learning English as a Foreign Language. One of the methods that can help student in learning EFL is by Music, because it has positive influence on memory and better retention (Arjomad & Yazdanimoghadam, 2015, p.111). There are some suggestions in using popular music for EFL class, it divided into the following category listening, and speaking, writing and reading, grammars, collocations, and vocabulary to help student mastering EFL (Lieb, 2005, p. 91).

                In Listening and Speaking activates include true/false statement, open comprehension question, dictation, sequencing, lyrics strips, gap fills, and musical bingo (Lieb, 2005, p. 93). popular music can be stepping stone for discussion session. “Arguments that literary texts in particular require reader activity points to their importance in education” (Hall, 2005, pp. 84–85). This discussion will help students to speak up and express their thoughts about the issue in the song. For reading and writing activity students can make simple song’s lyrics and do reading comprehension activities by reading narrative songs (Lieb, 2005, p. 94). “All these abilities – analysing, synthetizing, and valuing – are at work when you are attempting to think creatively (Adair, 2007, pp. 84). There are many activities with music that teacher can do to help student improve their grammar. A specific song themes also can be used to expand student’s vocabulary (Lieb, 2005, p. 94). “The song and the lyrics need to be selected carefully to complement the target vocabulary” (Nadera, 2015, p. 370). This would be challenge for teacher to choose the song for teaching materials.

                In conclusion, Music can be an instrument to help teacher in teaching EFL to their student. A lot of activities that teacher and student can do in learning EFL such as, music discussion, games, lyric creation, and reading comprehension to help students improve their skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary. However, teacher need to consider the song that would use as teaching material to suit with the students needs. Music is chosen to be the teaching instrument because it enjoyable and motivating the student in teaching and learning process. “Motivation is a key factor in learning, and language teaching materials are among the factors that can affect motivation in a positive or negative way” (Picken, 2007, pp. 14).

Beasley, R. E., & Chuang, Y. (2008). Web-Based Music Study: The Effects of Listening Repetition, Song Likeability, and Song Understandability on EFL Learning Perceptions and Outcomes. TESL-EJ, 12(2), n2.

Arjomad, M., & Yazdanimoghadam, M. (2015). The effect of listening to music on the pronunciation of lower intermediate iranian EFL learners. International Journal of Education and Research, 3(3), 101-112.

Lieb, M. M. (2005). Popular music and its role in the EFL classroom. KOTESOL Proceedinjs 2005, 91.

Nadera, B. (2015). Promoting student motivation in EFL classroom: Through extended music education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 368-371.

Adair, J. (2007). The Art of Creative Thinking: How to Be Innovative and Develop Great Ideas (1st ed.). Kogan Page.

Hall, G. (2005). Literature in Language Education. Palgrave Macmillan.

Picken, J. (2007). Literature, Metaphor and the Foreign Language Learner. Palgrave Macmillan.


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