Mind the Gapfill!

Why use music in the classroom?

I always let students choose the songs we listen to in class. They don’t seem as interested when I choose the music…it saves me preparation too!

The music my students listen to is totally inappropriate for the classroom – it’s either about sex, drugs, or full of slang and bad language – I shudder when they ask me to put Rihanna on Youtube…

The music my students listen to is totally inappropriate for the classroom – it’s either about sex, drugs, or full of slang and bad language – I shudder when they ask me to put Rihanna on Youtube…

My students hate singing so I don’t even try using songs in class. They are very serious and all they want is grammar – they see songs as a waste of time.

Songs are good for listening practice and they sometimes have useful vocabulary or grammar, but I don´t really know what else I can use them for…

Research findings regarding attitudes towards music.

15% of teachers seemed to use music in the classroom regularly. 85% used it to some degree.

92% of teachers stated that they tended to choose the songs used in class. 36% of teachers asked students for ideas.

14% of teachers had never asked students to sing in class, whereas 64% said that students enjoyed singing.

Pop, rock and indie were most commonly used genres, whereas jazz, rap and blues were least used. Does this reflect our students tastes?

“A language course is effective in proportion to the breadth of its contact with the student´s interests, and the depth of its penetration into his emotional life”

Stevick, E.W. (1971)

“Our musical interests are emotionally loaded and we ask students to use their feelings, experiences and thoughts stimulated by the music, as the primary materials for our teaching”

Murphey, T. (1992)

Music is like a new smartphone

What can one do with a smartphone?

Music: like a smartphone

Using songs exclusively to perform gapfill exercises is a bit likeusing your smartphone solely for the purpose of calling your mother at weekends. There are so many things you could do with music…

Image taken from www.popdust.com

Using Instrumental Music in the Classroom

• Do you ever use instrumental music, or music without lyrics with your students?

• What percentage of teachers in my survey do you think responded yes to this question?

Mood Music

•Suggestopaedia – Dr Lozanov recognised that background music can relax students and lowers learners’ affective filter.

•Changes atmosphere in the classroom and can create energy, calmness and can stimulate images and associations.

Word cloud source: www.sandymillin.wordpress.com

Useful websites and Song Resources

ONLINE

http://busyteacher.org/1817-songs-to-study-english.html

http://es.lyricstraining.com/

http://tefltunes.com/

http://www.tuneintoenglish.com/

Keeping up to date with pop trends

http://www.los40.com

http://popdust.com

BOOKS

Music & Song (Murphey, T. 1992, Oxford University Press, Oxford)