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Using Music and Chants to Teach Language: Cataloging Your Music. Dr. Latricia Trites Academic Advisor Fulbright Yilan Project 2008-2009. Think Back. What chants do you remember learning as a child? (jumping rope, cheers, etc.) Peas Porridge Hot… Cinderella dressed in “yella”…
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Using Music and Chants to Teach Language: Cataloging Your Music Dr. Latricia Trites Academic Advisor Fulbright Yilan Project 2008-2009
Think Back • What chants do you remember learning as a child? (jumping rope, cheers, etc.) • Peas Porridge Hot… • Cinderella dressed in “yella”… • What songs did you learn? • Clean up… • It’s time to wake up… • London Bridge • Ring Around the Rosy
Why Music and Chants? • Motivation Issues • Song/Chants are fun • Songs are a part of any culture • Students sing in groups, no fear of being singled out • Language Issues • Stress Patterns • Intonation • Rhythm • Language Chunks • Colloquial Expressions • Common Dialogues • Learning Issues • Songs stick in our memory • Songs are repetitious
Write Your Own Chants • Think of a common expression, activity, or concept that you want the students to learn. • Keep your chant simple with only 3 to 4 beats per line. • Keep the chant simple with only one concept or idea. • Take a few moments and write a NEW chant that you could use for your classroom.
DOs • Do lead in activities to introduce topic of song or chant, to introduce important vocabulary. • Sing or chant it through once or twice first for students. Give them a simple task while they are listening - watching you do the actions may be a task in itself - you could be their best visual support! • Encourage students to think of the most appropriate actions to accompany the words this will give them some ‘ownership’ of the song and make it more memorable. • Build up to the whole class singing or chanting on their own. Here are some ideas: • practice slowly at first to work on pronunciation • have students repeat (singing or saying) each line after you - though depending on the song, it may be better to practice verse by verse so as not to break spontaneity • do some extra practice with bits that go fast or have tricky rhythm • you sing the song and students do the motions only • you chant or sing one line/verse and students do the next • students clap or click their fingers to the beat while you chant or sing. • let them see the words and work on meaning through visuals, mime examples etc. • finally sing the whole song through a couple of times with you and/or on their own. And do some follow-up activities: Writing the words, filling in the gaps, writing an extra verse, changing words, drawing pictures, Oral activities using language in the chant or song. • do a final round of the song at the end of class! (www.britishcouncil.org/hongkong-eltnetwork-tips-for-using-songs-ho.doc)
DON’Ts Don't over-teach as you may ruin the fun of the song or chant. Don't introduce too many new vocabulary items - 6 may be enough Don't choose a song unsuitable for the students' age group/level. Don't select a song you hate. It will show! Don't expect students to join in immediately. • Don't teach a song for which you can't remember the words! (www.britishcouncil.org/hongkong-eltnetwork-tips-for-using-songs-ho.doc)
Cataloging your Songs • Think about what your songs can teach • Vocabulary • Culture • Grammar • Discourse (dialogues) • Sentence Structure • Morphemes (word formation) • Phonemes (sounds – Phonics) • Stress, Rhythm, Intonation • Create a catalog for your songs so that you can easily access them for teaching
Cataloging Activity • Look at the song “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid • Complete the catalog worksheet finding the different things that can be taught through this song.
Teaching with Songs Suggestions • Make sure songs are age appropriate • Disney Sing-a-longs • High School Musical • Check to make sure the lyrics are correct • Teach the song using a cloze activity to teach a particular grammar point or vocabulary list. • Slow the song down http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ • Teach only the chorus • www.youtube.com is your friend, also www.teachertube.com
Lesson Planning • Take a topic (not Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas). • Find songs that would help you teach that topic (Do not use “Hello/Goodbye” by the Beatles). • Explain how you would use the song to teach the topic or concept.
LINKS • http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ • http://www.jalt-publications.org/tlt/files/98/apr/sh_means.html • www.britishcouncil.org/hongkong-eltnetwork-tips-for-using-songs-ho.doc