The use of songs in teaching english to young learners by teachers at primary schools in hanoi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER THE USE OF SONGS IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS BY TEACHERS AT PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN HANOI Supervisor: Phạm Thị Thanh Thủy, M.Ed Student: Vương Diệu Linh Course: QH2013.F1.E2 HÀ NỘI – 2017 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP VIỆC SỬ DỤNG BÀI HÁT TRONG DẠY HỌC TIẾNG ANH CHO TRẺ EM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TẠI CÁC TRƯỜNG TIỂU HỌC Ở HÀ NỘI Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Th.S Phạm Thị Thanh Thủy Sinhviên: Vương Diệu Linh Khóa: QH2013.F1.E2 HÀ NỘI – 2017 Signature of Approval: _ Supervisor‟s Comments & Suggestions _ _ _ _ _ ACCEPTANCE I hereby state that I: Vương Diệu Linh - class QH2013E2, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) accept the requirements of the College relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper Hanoi, May 2017 Vương Diệu Linh Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere and deepest gratitude towards my supervisor, Ms Pham Thi Thanh Thuy for her dedicatedly invaluable help and useful corrections It was she who continually reminded me about managing time despite her busy schedule at school and at home Her kindly constructive guidance and comments have made it possible for me to finish this study I am very grateful to more than fifty participating teachers who enthusiastically answered my survey questionnaire Especially Ms Lam, Ms Chi, Ms Thuy and Ms Thao are the four teachers who took part in the interview and allowed me to observe their lessons Without their kind cooperation, the methodology section of the study could not be accomplishedly completed Last but not least, special thanks go to my family and friends for their support and encouragement from the beginning till the end of my doing this thesis i Abstract This study investigates the use of songs in teaching English to young learners by primary school teachers of English in Hanoi More specifically, the researcher strives to 1) explore the belief of teachers of English at primary schools in Hanoi toward the use of songs in their classes 2) examine their practice of employing songs in reality to get the whole picture of how songs are currently applied to teaching English for children The researcher conducted a survey with the participation of fifty four teachers from twenty five primary schools in fourteen districts of Hanoi Questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and observation schemes were used as useful instruments for data collection The questionnaire-based survey aims to scrutinize teachers‟ beliefs about the importance, advantages and disadvantages of using songs as well as how they use songs Oral interviews and observations serve to elaborate on the information gathered from questionnaires and assure the validity of the result collected The results of the study indicate that teachers hold strong beliefs toward the importance and advantages of using songs but not seem to recognize the disadvantages of songs Regarding the current situation of how songs are being used, songs are mostly used in teaching vocabulary, listening and phonics and used at warm-up and wrap-up of a lesson The top three criteria to choose songs in teaching are songs must be easy to sing, contain targeted language and have exciting, catchy melody The teachers mainly use songs available in the textbooks and from online sources Almost all the surveyed teachers are satisfied with the outcome of using songs to teach in their lessons Nevertheless, the teachers still face some difficulties in using songs, the most common ones are class time is limited and the teachers cannot find appropriate songs for every topic of their lessons Lastly, some suggestions were made by the teachers with the hope to utilize this pedagogical tool more effectively in EFL classrooms for young learners ii List of tables, figures and abbreviations List Table Number of participants in each district………………… Page 17 Table Teaching experience of participating teachers………… 17 Table Teachers‟ beliefs about the importance of songs……… 22 Table Teachers‟ beliefs about the advantages of using songs 24 Table Teachers‟ beliefs about the disadvantages of using songs …………………………………………………………… Figure The number of songs teachers use in teaching per unit 26 28 Figure The use of song in teaching language elements and skills…………………………………………………………… 29 Figure The use of song in stages of a lesson………………… 30 Figure Criteria to choose songs……………………………… 32 10 Figure Sources of songs used in teaching …………………… 32 11 Table Teachers‟ satisfaction towards the outcome of lessons using songs……………………………………………………… 33 12 Figure Teachers‟ difficulties in using songs to teach………… 35 Abbreviations YLs: young learners EFL: English as Foreign Language T1: First teacher in the interview T2: Second teacher in the interview T3: Third teacher in the interview T4: Fourth teacher in the interview iii TABLE OF CONTENT Acknowledgements i Abstract ii List of tables, figures and abbreviations iii Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale and Statement of the research 1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 1.3 Significance of the study 1.4 Scope of the research 1.5 Organization Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Overview of songs 2.1.1 Definition 2.1.2 Reasons for using songs in teaching and learning English 2.2 Characteristics of primary school students 2.3 The use of songs in teaching English for primary school students 2.3.1 Pedagogical role of songs in teaching English for primary school students 2.3.2 Advantages and disadvantages of using songs to teach English for primary school students 10 2.3.3 Criteria to choose songs in teaching English for primary students 11 2.3.4 How to use songs in EFL classroom for primary school students 13 2.4 Review of related studies 16 Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY 17 3.1 Participants 17 3.2 Data collection methods 18 iv 3.2.1 Questionnaire 18 3.2.2 Semi - structured interview 18 3.2.3 Observation 19 3.3 Data analysis methods 19 3.4 Data collection procedures 19 3.4.1 Phase 20 3.4.2 Phase 20 3.4.3 Phase 20 3.4.4 Phase 21 3.5 Data analysis methods and procedure 21 Chapter 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 22 4.1 Findings 22 4.1.1 The beliefs of teachers in primary schools in Hanoi toward using songs to teach English 22 4.1.2 The use of songs in teaching English for YLs by teachers at primary schools in Hanoi 28 4.2 Discussion 37 Chapter 5: CONCLUSION 39 5.1 Summary of the findings 39 5.2 Limitations of the study 40 5.3 Recommendations for further study 41 REFERENCES 43 APPENDICES 47 v Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION This opening chapter provides an overview of the whole research with the rationale, aims, research questions, scope, significance and organization of this research 1.1 Rationale and statement of the research English, the predominant international language, has become a necessity since the era of the globalization Due to social expectations and economic needs, English teaching and learning at primary school level has become a “large-scale wave” all over the world (Brewster, Ellis & Girard, 2004, p 3) Vietnam inevitably has followed the trend with more emphasis on education for younger ages English has become a compulsory subject at primary school education since 2010, starting from grade as a part of the National Foreign Language 2020 Project In reality, the need for learning English at young ages is getting higher with the burgeoning development of international schools and English centers, especially in big cities like Hanoi Thus, enhancing primary school learners‟ language proficiency has become a substantial task in English language education Regarding effective methods in teaching English for young learners, songs cannot be excluded The melodic, rhythmic, and repetitive nature of songs can serve as useful language inputs and mood setters that contribute to the learning of language and linguistic skills, and affective, cognitive, and cultural aspects From the perspective of children‟s learning characteristics, one of the distinctive natures of young learners is that they “love to play” (Scott & Ytreberg, 2004, p 3) By singing and having fun with songs in the lesson, students can absorb their English learning in natural and enjoyable ways Song is one of the ways to help the students to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful English songs can be used for a wide variety of learning and teaching activities In short, songs have long been proved to be effective tools encouraging young learners to learn a foreign language in interesting ways DISAVANTAGES OF USING SONGS l) Songs may distract students’ attention during the lesson m) Teachers face difficulties in managing class when using songs n) The vocabulary of the songs is limited o) Expressions are different to grammar rule, which causes students to make mistakes later III Experience in using songs to teach English for primary school students Question 2: How many songs you often use or teach per unit?  song 1-2 songs 3-5 song ≥ songs Question 3: Which language skill or element you use songs in teaching? You can choose more than answer        Vocabulary Grammar Phonics Reading Listening Speaking Writing Question 4: In which stage of a lesson you often use songs? You can choose more than answer      Warm-up Presentation Practice Production Wrap-up Question 5: Name activities that you most often with songs in your classes? (eg: sing along, fill in the blanks, create new lyrics….) ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… 49 Question 6: What are your top criteria to choose a song for your lesson?       Exciting and catchy melody Containing targeted language for the lesson Easy to sing Highly repetitive Familiar to students Others: …………………………………………………… Question 7: How you get an appropriate song for your lessons? You can choose more than answer      Use songs presented in the text books Find songs from online sources Adapt or change familiar songs Create your own songs Others: ……………………………………………………………… Question 8: Are you satisfied with the outcome of activities using songs? Please circle the number that best reflects your viewpoint on a five-point scale Your further explanation and elaboration are highly appreciated Highly unsatisfied Unsatisfied Neutral Satisfied Highly satisfied Explanation: ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… Question 9: Do you face any difficulty in employing songs in your lesson? You can choose more than answer        Students are distracted by the music Teacher cannot sing Teacher cannot adapt or create songs Class time is limited It is difficult to find appropriate songs for every topic The school facilities are inadequate Others: ………………………………………………………………… 50 Question 10: Do you have any suggestion to make use of songs effectively in teaching English for primary students? ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you so much for completing this survey! 51 Appendix Interview questions for teachers Do you use songs in teaching English? If yes, how you use songs in your lessons? What you think are the advantages and disadvantages of songs in teaching English for primary school students? How songs are important in teaching English for primary school students? From which source you find songs for your lessons? In your lesson, when you use songs? What are some activities you often use with songs? Are you satisfied with the outcome of lessons using songs? Do you face any difficulties when using songs to teach English? Do you have any suggestion to make use of songs effectively in teaching English for primary students? 52 Appendix Transcription of interviews I Teacher 1 Do you use songs in teaching English? If yes, how you use songs in your lessons? I usually use songs in my lessons Any part that I want to increase students‟ interest and help them acquire knowledge better, I use songs to create a welcoming and relaxing classroom atmosphere These songs are all related to the topics of the lessons What you think are the advantages and disadvantages of songs in teaching English for primary school students? The advantages of using songs are various, which is hard to say in several minutes According to my ten-year experience in teaching English for primary school students, songs have some following benefits First, songs make students excited and comfortable with familiar melody Next, the songs chosen are often related to the topic or contain targeted language of the lesson, which makes the learning process more effective Regarding the disadvantages, sometimes students are overexcited with funny songs then they may forget to the main task From which source you find songs for your lessons? Normally, I will utilize the songs in books first as they are designed to cover the main focus of the unit but the minus point is that they don‟t have images and sometimes the melody is not catchy at all If the song in the book is good, I often use them Otherwise, I will go online to search For example, Youtube offers many songs with appropriate language and melody to teach various topics for children In your lesson, when you use songs? What are some activities you often use with songs? It depends but normally I often use songs in Warm-up After teaching vocabulary, I also use songs to check and review Songs can also be applied in teaching other skills like reading Songs can be used at any stages of a lesson, depend on different aims of teachers But if a song is used in presenting, there must be images or pictures for students For me, I often use songs for students 53 to play games as well Are you satisfied with the outcome of lessons using songs? I‟m quite satisfied with the outcome of the lesson as when preparing for each lesson, I always think of how the songs would work in my lesson, even what is the worst situation would happen Sometimes, some children refuse to sing as they are quite timid and shy or they don‟t like singing as their nature but they still say they like the songs I think it‟s ok, students may sing outside the classroom if the melody is fun and catchy Do you face any difficulties when using songs to teach English? In general, I hardly face difficulties in using songs Maybe I used to have problems with using songs but after a long time of teaching, I use songs quite smoothly and effectively in my lessons II Teacher Do you use songs in teaching English? If yes, how you use songs in your lessons? For primary school students, it is very beneficial to use songs in Warm-up Sonsg help students learn more about the topic, remember vocabulary and listen fluently so I usually use songs in my lessons What you think are the advantages and disadvantages of songs in teaching English for primary school students? First, songs help create a exciting atmosphere Next, students sing to practice and speak out the language However, not all students can sing About 40% of students sing at first time they learn a song, others just mumble along with the class But I think it is still good as they can listen and remember the rhythm of the songs 54 How songs are important in teaching English for primary school students? It is very important as in a period of fourty minutes in each lesson, students cannot concentrate so songs can help change them relaxed and break down boredom From which source you find songs for your lessons? In the syllabus provided by the Engklish centre cooperate with the school, there are suggested songs or sources for teachers to use in each lesson Besides, I also find songs from online sources for my own preparation In your lesson, when you use songs? What are some activities you often use with songs? I use song the most in Warm-up Besides, when there is time left or students get bored, I use a song to lighten the atmosphere Songs in wrap-up are often fun and not necessarily related to the lessons Songs that aims at teaching certain content or specific skills are often included in the syllabus designed by the English centre In terms of activities, I often have my students sing and act out actions in the songs I also call some students up to perform in front of the class Are you satisfied with the outcome of lessons using songs? Generally speaking, I‟m quite satisfied with the outcome Students like songs and I also feel confortable and cheerful I feel happ when seeing children sing these songs even outside classrooms Do you face any difficulties when using songs to teach English? Some songs are not familiar for me I cannot sing so I have to depend on CDs or audio 55 III Teacher Do you use songs in teaching English? If yes, how you use songs in your lessons? I often use songs in teaching English For primary school students, using songs is an effective techinique Songs can be used widely, depends on the aims of activities in each lesson For example, The topic of the lesson today is about Family so I use the song Fingers Family to warm-up and lead in the topic With the same song, after students have learned vocabulary, I have them sing to practice What you think are the advantages and disadvantages of songs in teaching English for primary school students? In my opinion, songs have various advantages First, songs arouse students‟ interest, make the lessons more exciting Next, the short lyrics with catchy melody make song easy to sing and remember Language in songs is also familiar to daily conversation of children Children can remember vocabulary and structures thanks to repetition in songs However, songs must be sung many times to bring about effectiveness For some classes with a large number of students, singing along is noisy and affects surrounding classes In addition, songs can only be applied for short and easy structures How songs are important in teaching English for primary school students? As children like singing, dancing and fun activities so using songs is very important Using songs in teaching is an effective method if the teacher can take advantages and manage the class well From which source you find songs for your lessons? Youtube, dreamenglish, English4kids…… 56 In your lesson, when you use songs? What are some activities you often use with songs? As mentioned above, depend on different purposes, I can use song flexibly in my lessons Are you satisfied with the outcome of lessons using songs? I am very satisfied as my students are excited and they like learning English Sudents can remember vocabulary and structures very fast as well as know how to use them Do you face any difficulties when using songs to teach English? There are some songs with long lyrics and unattractive melody It‟s dificult to sing along and remember Do you have any suggestion to make use of songs effectively in teaching English for primary students? Songs should be accompanied with actions when students sing Moreover, with a same familiar melody, teachers can create new lyrics for students to practice different structures IV Teacher Do you use songs in teaching English? If yes, how you use songs in your lessons? Song are very important in teaching students at this age so songs are used in almost all lessons I am not a music teacher so I often teach through CDs or videos then students watch and follow There are also songs in the textbooks Students have to listen and sing along 57 What you think are the advantages and disadvantages of songs in teaching English for primary school students? Primary school students like songs and they remember the knowledge faster compared to other methods, especially with actions However, not every lesson I can find suitable songs with targeted knowledge for my lessons Sometimes, teachers have to adapt or create songs but it is very difficult and time consuming For me, only when I cannot find relevant songs from online sources or participate in teaching competitions, I adapt or creat my own songs Regardings disadvantages mentioned in the questionnaie, I don‟t think so Students may be noisy but I can control that The teacher‟s selection of songs is very important I don‟t require my students to remember all the words, even ignore difficult ones if the vocabulary is long and difficult The songs chosen must be familiar and understandable for students How songs are important in teaching English for primary school students? Students remember knowledge in an easy and comfortable way They tend to think that songs and games are for playing, not studying so they can absorb knowledge naturally with enjoyment From which source you find songs for your lessons? Besides songs in the textbooks, I often find songs on some Youtube channels like Dreamkids English, Super simple songs to find some fun songs with actions to use in warm-up These songs often contain simple structures that students encounter in life I also use songs in Genki CDs to replace difficult songs in the textbooks with the same topics 58 In your lesson, when you use songs? What are some activities you often use with songs? Songs are often used in the warm-up and warp-up Sometimes songs used in the warm-up are not necessarily related to the topic but rather fun and exciting with some actions to create a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere for the lessons Songs in the warp up are to say goodbye In lesson three of each unit, there is a song at the end of the lesson., so I often use this song in the warm-up of the next lesson for students to practice again Are you satisfied with the outcome of lessons using songs? I am very satisfied Students like songs and I myself feel relaxed and confortable when use songs in my lessons However, there is one drawback is that I not have enough time to prepare well and make the best of songs in every lessons Do you face any difficulties when using songs to teach English? Not every students are interested in music, their musical ability is limited Despite teacher‟s encouragement, some students still don‟t participate in these activities Next, the facilities is not up to my expectation Thirdly, the sources for teachers to get songs are not so available, mainly find on their own Moreover, the class time is limited while the number of students is big so the teacher cannot keep track of all students Do you have any suggestion to make use of songs effectively in teaching English for primary students? There should be an English specialized classroom for teachers This room is equipped with modern sound systems and other teaching aids It also provides a large space for teachers to organize many activities involving all students 59 Appendix Classroom Observation checklist samples A Classroom observation checklist – lesson to teach a song I Class profile:  Location of class: Class 2A14 – Vinschool Primary school  Class size: 35 students  Class time: 35 minutes  Lesson: Song – Unit 3:Boots and Bathing Suits  Textbook: Explore Our World II Procedure Teacher’s activities Stages & Time Warm – up - Greetings (5 minutes) - Game: Clothing Shadow Matching Students’ activities - Play the game Divide class into groups: Snowy and Sunny  Have students revise vocabulary about clothes by guessing picture Prelistening (5 minutes) - Introduce the context, divide parts on board and show short video clips on PPT Have students stick picture cards in the blank T check and give points to the right groups Today it’s snowy It’s cold Today it’s sunny It’s hot Put on… and… - Watch videos - Stick words in the blanks Put on… and… words: sneakers shorts boots coat  Learn the structures of the songs 60 Whilelistening  1st listening: Have Ss repeat after teacher Today it’s snowy/sunny Put on your boots and coat// Put on your sneakers and shorts It’s cold/hot outside today// Today - (8 minutes) it’s sunny It’s hot - Listen for the first time and repeat after the teacher outside today.watch Have Ss watch video clip for the 1st time - Have Ss actions after the teacher Emphasize: Snowy- put on boots and - lyrics coat-cold (5 minutes) Do actions along with the Sunny- put on sneakers and shorts – hot  2nd listening: Have Ss watch the video, repeat and practice actions  Ss get to know the lyrics as well as the melody of the song Postlistening  Controlled practice - Divide the class into groups, Snowy (5 minutes) - Sing in teams and Sunny group take turn to stand, sing and practice the actions  Less-controlled practice (5 minutes) - Divide class into groups - T have group perform before class - Write a new verse by filling in the blank with selected picture cards of clothes - Practice singing the new song among their group  Ss practice and produce their language by singing their new songs Wrap-up & Home link - Review Ss what they learnt about in the today‟s lesson Sts, review knowledge at home (2 minutes) 61 III Overall comments:  Strong points: - T can motivate students during the lesson - The song is closely related to what students have learnt - The tasks are suitable with students‟ level, students have freedom to create  Weak points: - Not all students work effectively, some students not sing and participate in the tasks B Classroom observation checklist – using songs in a part of a lesson I Class profile:  Location of class: Class 2A14 – Vinschool Primary school  Class size: 35 students  Class time: 35 minutes  Lesson: Vocabulary – Unit 3:Boots and Bathing Suits  Textbook: Explore Our World II Procedure Teacher’s activities Stages & Time Warm – up - (3 mins) - Students’ activities Lead in the topic by song “Put on your shoes” “Flashgame” to review vocabulary Sing the song Play the game about clothes Presenting new - T presents vocabulary by flashcards: words an umbrella (7 mins) a coat - Answer T‟s questions and repeat the words after T jeans shorts sneakers 62 Practice: Using In the song: “Walking in the jungle” the words in Walking in the jungle contexts What‟s the weather like? (10 mins) I want an umbrella A coat, jeans and sneakers (Walking in the jungle.) x3 What‟s the weather like? - Set the scene: T ask ss some questions to make the understand the context of the song - + In the jungle + Where is the boy? + He‟s walking + What is he doing? + T says: “He wants some clothes when Answer questions - Ss look at the song and the pictures Check the clothes in walking in the jungle What are they? Can the song (an umbrella, a coat, you guess?.” jeans, sneakers) - Have ss listen and repeat after T check the pronunciation and linking sounds - Whole class sing the song together  Ss review and practice new vocabulary by singing the song III Overall comments:  Strong points: - T can draw students‟ attention - The class atmosphere is exciting and relaxing - Chosen songs are related to the topic and the content of the lesson and interesting to students  Weak points: - Class is sometimes noisy - Some actions should be added when students sing the second song so that they can remember vocabulary better 63 ... a lot of efforts 4.1.2.6 Level of teachers? ?? satisfaction toward the use of songs in teaching English In attempt to investigate the participating teachers? ?? level of satisfaction towards the outcome... examined the situation how songs are used in teaching To be more specific, this study will focus on the use of songs by 54 teachers in 25 primary schools in 14 districts of Hanoi in teaching English. .. and teaching experience of the selected teachers The next is about their belief in the use of songs in teaching English including the importance as well as the pros and cons of using songs in