MUSIC & SONG IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING
Joe McVeigh, Middlebury College

RATIONALE FOR USING SONGS
FUN
THEME-BASED
INTRODUCE NEW LANGUAGE: VOCABULARY, GRAMMAR, ETC.
LISTENING COMPREHENSION
PRONUNCIATION
DISCUSSION
CULTURE
AFFECT

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING SONGS
ACCESS TO LYRICS -- AVAILABLE
PEDAGOGICAL VALUE -- WHY USE THIS SONG?
ENJOYABLE FOR STUDENTS
LYRICS ARE ACCESSIBLE -- UNDERSTANDABLE
LYRICS HAVE REPETITION
TUNE IS SIMPLE AND EASY TO LEARN

METHODS OF PRESENTATION
INTRODUCTION/PRE-LISTENING
PASS OUT COPIES OF LYRICS (OR USE A CLOZE TECHNIQUE)
SING OR PLAY SONG ALL THE WAY THROUGH
READ LYRICS ALOUD -- ASK QUESTIONS, VOCABULARY
SING/PLAY SONG VERSE BY VERSE
DISCUSS

VARIATIONS
CLOZE ADAPTATIONS -- CHOOSING WHICH WORDS TO DELETE, TIMING,
SIMPLIFICATIONS
TEAM LISTENING -- VERSE BY VERSE
TOTAL SONG DICTATION (COMPETITION OR COOPERATIVE)
LYRICS RACE
GRAMMAR / VOCABULARY
JUMBLED LINES
INTERPRETATION OF FIGURATIVE/IDIOMATIC LANGUAGE