NEGATIVE POINTS
Do you know what you mean when you sing English songs?
Who never sang an English song in spite of you didn’t know the lyrics very well or didn’t know the meaning?
Many Brazilian people think when they sing in English they evidence something about their personality, like for example their intelligence.
Everyday we listen to millions of foreign songs, but it isn’t necessary only to listen, it’s more important to search and understand the meaning and, sure, to know the lyrics.
It’s a very funny situation, because some Brazilian people who barely know Portuguese, want to speak English. An example of this is what happened with the ex big brother Solange, who sang wrongly the song “We are the world”. Did she want to show herself or she really didn’t know the song lyrics? It’s something which we'll never know.
Actually what we need to remember is that the most important isn’t to repeat the other cultures, but we must know our culture and then we can learn others.
POSITIVE POINTS
Implementing the use of familiar or easy-to-learn songs is a great way to introduce principles of speaking, hearing and understanding the English language.
The function of using songs while teaching English classes is to engage students in speaking and understanding the English language, while reinforcing the fundamentals of language and communication. Songs contain lyrics that are easy for students to follow and memorize and, therefore, easy to learn and understand. Teachers can use any variety of musical styles to encourage language comprehension.
The main benefit of using songs in the classroom is the repetitive nature of singing and learning them. Repetition has been often proved invaluable in a classroom setting, especially for developing vocabulary and language skills. As students repeat lyrics, they begin to understand the meaning of the words until it becomes a natural act. With this, students can understand the way English is used without even realizing they are learning.
Through listening to and performing songs, students are introduced to grammar, diction, idioms and dialects that increase comprehension and widen their understanding of how English is used.
Using music when teaching English, especially as a second language to non-native speakers, is a great way to create a friendly, comfortable atmosphere for students to learn. When students feel at ease and in a safe environment, they have the potential to better retain information. The nature of the music changes the act of learning English to the act of experiencing English, which may allow students to focus on the core principles of the language in a manner unlike traditional grammar lessons or drills.
What about you? Do you think you're influenced by English music?
CE5 Tue/Thu 9:30 Teacher: Rachel Delphim
