The role of music in teaching English as a second language

The role of music in teaching English as a second language

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The role of music in teaching English as a second language

Bibliographic description

title:	The role of music in teaching English as a second language
alternative title:	Rola muzyki w procesie nauczania angielskiego jako języka obcego
author:	Micek Gabriela
reviewer:	Krzyszpień Jerzy , Kowalewska Dagmara
advisor:	Krzyszpień Jerzy
date of submittion :	2015-07-01
language:	English
abstract in Polish:	Tematem tej pracy licencjackiej jest rola muzyki w procesie nauczania angielskiego, jako języka obcego. Dzieli się ona na dwie główne części: teoretyczną i praktyczną. W pierwszym rozdziale opisane zostały liczne metody nauczania i poglądy dotyczące tej problematyki. Drugi rozdział wprowadza zgromadzoną i opisaną wiedzę w praktykę. Muzyka wpływa nie tylko pozytywnie na atmosferę podczas zajęć, ale również na stosunek uczniów do przedmiotu. Poza tym niweluje poziom stresu i aktywuje grupę do bardziej efektywnej pracy. Dzięki sztuce poszerzana zostaje wiedza kulturowa, szczególnie poprzez utwory muzyczne, które są źródłem informacji na temat historii i tradycji. Podczas słuchania, bądź też śpiewania, możliwe jest rozwijanie języka pod względem leksykalnym, gramatycznym oraz pod kątem właściwej wymowy i akcentu. Na podstawie licznych zalet ćwiczeń opartych na motywie muzycznym w połączeniu z obserwacją odbytą podczas pierwszego stadium praktyki pedagogicznej, powstało pięć konspektów lekcyjnych. Zostały one dopasowane do grupy dziewięciolatków z trzeciej klasy szkoły podstawowej, w której przeprowadzone były autorskie zajęcia. Zawarte w drugim rozdziale plany lekcji z załączonymi ewaluacjami świadczą o motywującym charakterze muzyki i jej pozytywnym wpływie na proces nauczania.
abstract in English:	On the basis of the gathered knowledge, my licentiate project leads to the following conclusion: music does play a significant role in the process of second language acquisition. It is noticeable that this kind of art upgrades the level of teaching and transforms it into a more sophisticated form. Moreover, such an approach leads to a considerably higher efficiency of learning and at the same time reduces some obstacles, an average student faces during English lessons. This work has been divided into two main parts: the theoretical and the practical one. As the classification follows, the first chapter concerns the gained information about this field, relied on numerous theories and viewpoints. Thanks to the collected material, it was possible to analyse the topic from various perspectives. Some publications introduced an utterly different concept of the vision of incorporating music in class. The first subdivision, namely different aspects of music, indicates the advantages of dealing with music in any possible manner. For example, it describes the positive impact on the listener’s perception both consciously and unconsciously. Furthermore, the importance of music in creating culture and traditions has been emphasised as another beneficial aspect of this kind of art. The further subdivision concerns the methods of incorporating music into a lesson. It enumerates various musical activities which are aimed at introducing a proper atmosphere, mastering the learners’ linguistic skills, improving the ability to play some music-based games as well as learning about traditions. Drawing conclusions from the gained knowledge, the theory influences the content of the second part of my project. It contributes the methodological approaches in comparison with the implemented observation of a particular group. Not only was the teaching practice profitable in view of the knowledge transfer, but also in case of interaction between the teacher and the group. From the observer’s perspective, it was easier to notice the proficiency level of the third grade, as well as their preferences to create an appropriate content to be taught in the further stage of practice. The students were at the age of nine, so it was not challenging to encourage them to participate in the exercises actively. Nevertheless, the material required substantial preparation, because of the complexity of the carried out tasks and the difficulty to maintain discipline despite the entertaining factor. Fortunately, the CD attached to the coursebook enclosed songs, which were strictly connected to the topics of each unit, so that it was possible to incorporate various teaching methods connected with the musical aspect into each lesson unit. Music releases stress and stimulates pupils to become active in different tasks. Some of the exercises designed for the lessons required group work or participation of all the students, so they were based on cooperation. Others were constructed to develop students’ creativity and imagination through acting or playing games. Finally, each of the activities required high concentration and involvement to make them memorable. What is more, the emphasis put on pronunciation and numerous repetitions gave successful results. There was a visible progress in the students’ language skills as well as in their positive attitude to the subject as such. The gathered experience enabled to create five lessons, which were carried out among the same group with the musical aspect in the foreground. The following evaluations indicate the achievements as well as a possible need for improvement. They can be used as an inspiration for the further music-based language acquisition for other teachers. If I were to become one, I would certainly develop this method among different age groups, bearing in mind different needs according to the learners’ proficiency and interests.
keywords in Polish:	muzyka a nauka języka obcego
keywords in English:	music and the second language acquisition
affiliation:	Wydział Filologiczny
type:	licenciate work