Using Classical Music to Teach English

25 Jan 2024

Utilising songs in the classroom is quite beneficial. It instills motivation in learners and provides them with a foreign language vocabulary. Songs serve as a valuable tool for teaching children grammar, proper pronunciation, and vocabulary and may also provide them with engaging and intriguing content.

Benefits of Songs for Learning Language

There are several justifications for including music in foreign language teaching. Repetitive songs serve as initial language acquisition tools, since their rhyming and rhythmic structure aids youngsters in memorising and retaining words:

• Music engenders a favourable ambiance.
• Music can serve as a means to enhance proficiency in fundamental linguistic abilities.
• Songs are often readily accessible.
• Music serves as a potent educational instrument.

Music allows kids to unwind and absorb unfamiliar vocabulary simultaneously. Songs contain several grammatical elements, including conjunctions, prepositions, and verb tenses. Learning with music is highly beneficial, particularly for young learners who may struggle to comprehend grammatical principles. These youngsters ought to acquire knowledge of grammar using engaging activities such as games, rhymes, songs, and other stimulating pursuits.

It is highly recommended to utilise the records as the primary source for accurate pronunciation. When a learner listens to discussions of native speakers, the native speaker will not be speaking at a deliberately slow pace. They talk rapidly due to English being their native tongue. Native speakers may also exhibit word elision or employ incorrect grammar. Authentic language is essential for children to practise, as instructors cannot reproduce it accurately. To ensure comprehension, teachers should speak slowly. Listening to the Cambridge recordings does not authenticate the language, as the dialogues in these recordings are significantly slowed down.

Children possess a remarkable capacity for imitating sounds and are adept at accurately interpreting unfamiliar phonetic systems. The interpretation is achieved through the process of repetition. Songs offer a pleasurable and effortless method to reinforce grammar and vocabulary. 

Utilising Jazz to learn language

While not traditionally categorised as 'classical' music, Jazz remains relatively unfamiliar to many young people today who prefer rock or pop music. Jazz is mostly an innovation originating from English-speaking countries. Classic Jazz is a viable alternative music genre for English language acquisition. Jazz Chants teaching is a training resource that uses videos. It relies on the iteration of rhythmic syllables and concise sentences set to music. The creator of this approach is Carolyn Graham, who devised the program in the 1980s. Students acquire the ability to articulate and comprehend English, with particular emphasis on the phonetic structure of the language. The cadences of spoken American English are intricately connected to the rhythmic patterns of classic American Jazz. Each jazz chant emphasises distinct vocabulary and grammar, making them suitable for reviewing crucial words and structures.