Development of lexical competence with the help of songs

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Boyko Tetyana, student

Scientific kerіvnik, Zadorozhna I.P.

doctor ped. Sc., рrofessor

Annotation

Key words: lexical competence, song materials, foreign language teaching, students.

Introduction

Songs have been part of the human experience for as long as we can remember. Music is present in daily human practice from working to relaxing. Not only do songs provide pleasure, but they also enhance language practice, memorization and have a positive effect on lexical competence. Songs have become an integral part of our language experience, and if used in coordination with a language lesson they can be a great value.

Development of lexical competence with the use of songs is highly motivating for students, and songs are easily accessible for all learners. Therefore, this article was conducted as a way to observe the advantages of incorporating songs materials in English teaching, specifically in terms of lexical development.

A considerable number of researchers (S.D. Krashen, D.K. Eken, D.T. Griffee and others) agree that the inclusion of music in the classroom benefits the English teaching, learning process and lexical development.

The aim of the article is to consider the development of lexical competence using song materials.

Research results

Very often music is the main source of English outside the classroom. Thus, using it in the lesson seems to be a good idea. There can be distinguished affective and cognitive rationale for playing a song during a lesson.

As a matter of fact, affective reasons are connected with Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis. In short, it gives an explanation why some learners learn and others do not. The crucial thing is that students need to develop a positive attitude towards learning [9, p. 46]. Krashen (1982) has it that: “for effective learning the affective filter is must be weak [13, p. 45]. A weak affective filter means that a positive attitude to learning is present.” Hence teachers' task is to provide a positive atmosphere favorable for learning. In this aspect music and songs may be one of the methods for obtaining weak affective filter [9, p. 46].

Eken (1996) enumerates eight reasons for the use of song in a language classroom. Firstly, a song may be used to present a topic, new vocabulary or a language point. Then, it may also be used as a practice of lexis. Beyond question, songs can be used as a material for extensive and intensive listening. Some teachers may use them to focus on frequent learner errors in a more indirect way. Not to mention that songs are a perfect source for stimulating discussions about feelings and attitudes. Learners may talk over with another in pairs or in small groups what happened in the song and then share their opinions with the rest of students. Additionally, songs may arrange a relaxed classroom atmosphere and contribute to fun and variety in language teaching. Finally, songs may be said to encourage the use of imagination and creativity during foreign language lessons [9, p. 46].

Moreover, music may be used to relax students since for many learning a new language is a new experience. Our mother tongue - our basis of communication, is in some classes forbidden to use and learners may feel lost or helpless [10, p. 4]. Especially instrumental playing silently in the background makes students feel more secure when doing the task at the same time. Songs played in the background when learners read some conversations, are typical of Suggestopedia. This teaching method was invented by Georgi Lozanow in Bulgaria and its valuable element is music in the background. Essentially, the Suggestopedia method involves the students' barriers and negative attitudes such as low self-esteem, anxiety or lack of motivation to learning. Meanwhile, students' learning occurs subconsciously and may be amusing for them as well. These are some important features of that teaching technique: a relaxed atmosphere, a classroom positive environment, a new identity of learners, or music activities themselves [14, p. 73].

Listening to songs is also an excellent way of learning about the culture of a specific country, as well as the language that is used inside the cultural community, as language is one of the branches of culture.

Griffee remarks that music is not universal and, therefore, music is a reflection of the time and place that produced it. There are many songs which are a culture capsule including within themselves a meaningful piece of social information. The songs of the 1940s reflect not only the accessible sound technology of their time, but also the hopes and fears of their period. The same phenomenon is for the songs of every decade. For that reason, playing a song into the classroom means bringing the culture of the song in with it [10, p. 5].

One of the aspects of a foreign language that may benefit from teaching and learning via songs is lexical competence. Lexical competence is a set of lexical knowledge, skills and abilities to recognize the contextual meaning of a word, as well as to compare its meaning in two languages, to use the word in the appropriate context. In other words, the ability of students to operate lexical units for the purpose of mastering vocabulary, which includes mastering the meaning of the lexical unit, its graphic design and pronunciation, knowledge of grammatical forms of words and rules of combination with other lexical units [1, p. 276].

Different researchers have conceptualised lexical competence differently, depending on their view of what constitutes vocabulary knowledge. What is common to all the viewpoints is an understanding that lexical competence is multi-dimensional and learning a word is a complex and gradual process. In all the models of lexical competence, two dimensions which have always featured are vocabulary size and the depth of vocabulary knowledge.

There is a wide range of song activities, that help to develop lexical competence. Here are a few ideas.

1. Students predict the content of the song by reading its title.

2. Students invent a title for each verse and an overall title for the song.

3. Pre-teach the necessary vocabulary to help students understand the song.

4. Cut up and mix the lines (sentences) of the song. Students order the jumbled sentences.

5. Students read a gapped text and fill in the blanks.

6. Students read the song and delete words to create a gap-fill tasks for others.

7. Jumble the words or letters of the title of the song for the students to reconstruct.

8. Students write their own lyrics to the tune of the song.

9. Students listen to the song and identify stress, rhythm and intonation patterns.

10. Students read or listen to the song and put photographs or cartoon pictures in the correct order.

11. Students brainstorm ideas about the topic.

12. Students answer multiple choice/comprehension questions, etc.

13. Students create their own multiple choice/comprehension questions for others.

14. Students describe or discuss photographs/pictures related to the topic.

15. Students write a reply to the singer.

16. Students predict possible vocabulary items which may appear in the song.

17. Students brainstorm the vocabulary which might be associated with the topic.

18. Students listen to the song and take dictation.

19. Students identify deliberate mistakes of vocabulary.

20. Students design posters relating to the topic or promoting the song which are then displayed.

21. Students perform the song.

22. Omit words and replace them with a relevant drawing. Students identify the missing words before reading or listening to the song.

23. Students select or write songs to produce a class song book.

24. After the song is finished, students predict what happens next.

25. Students sing the song and record it. Play it again and improve on pronunciation.

Conclusion

Music has always played a big part in society. Songs have also found niche in English classrooms. Nowadays, foreign language teachers find using songs and music useful, because songs are perceived as motivating sources, thus beneficial in language learning.

Lexical competence is one of the aspects of a foreign language, which can benefit from teaching and learning through songs. It is the ability to produce and understand the words of a language.

There is a wide range of song activities that help to develop lexical competence. Every teacher may choose the most favorable and apply them in his own practice. Songs allow for interesting changes in the classroom, thus energizes learning activities. Additionally, many words in songs are repetitive and this makes them stay in mind. Tunes and lyrics infiltrates people's thoughts and they may stay in our memory for a long time. Hence, learning through songs may be a good method of developing lexical competence.

References

1. Пассов Е.И. Основы коммуникативной методики обучения иноязычному общению. Москва: Русский язык, 1989. 276 с.

2. Eken D.K. Ideas for Using Songs in the English Language Classroom. English Teaching FORUM 34, 1996. P. 46

3. Griffee D.T. Songs in action. Trowbridge: Prentice Hall International, 1992. 4-5 p.

4. Krashen S.D. Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1982. P. 45

5. Larsen-Freeman D. Techniques and principles in language teaching. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. 73 p.

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