1. education
2. english as a second language

Mason 1 Sydney Mason
David Hagedorn
World Music
1 December 2014
Second Language Learner Acquisition on World Music in the Classroom
Step foot into any ESL classroom today and you will find a diverse range of teaching
techniques used to increase second language acquisition. Among the range of teaching
techniques commonly practiced, is the use of world music to increase student comfort,
engagement level, and learning inside the classroom. Recent studies have shown the major
impact that music has on second language learner acquisition. Second language learners bring
unique characteristics of their home culture to their life in the United States. Teachers are able to
use children’s cultural background to help them grow and find connections from their home
culture to the mainstream culture in the United States. Through researching I will discover the
unique effect that world music has on second language acquisition and discuss a variety of ways
teachers can use specific world music in the classroom to improve learning.
Around the country, world music is repeatedly being used to increase student
achievement, particularly in ESL classrooms with second language learners. One of the first
instances of supportive findings is found within Yukiko S. Jolly’s research on using music to
teach foreign language. Jolly concluded,
“The close relationship between language and music is an easily recognizable one. Both
entities have significant common elements and similarities. Songs might be looked upon
as occupying the middle ground between the disciplines of linguistics and musicology,
Mason 2 possessing both the communicative aspect of language and the entertainment aspect of
music.”1
Jolly’s research proves the success of those teachers who use musical components in language
lessons. However, the music should be in relation to the lesson objective. The lesson objective is
what the teacher wants the students to know by the end of class. In addition, the music played
during these lessons will help the second language learners make connections with the music and
the lesson content. These connections can be deepened if the teacher knows the different cultures
represented in the classroom. Each student holds a story, a background, a culture. By knowing
which cultures are present in the room, a teacher can best choose which music is appropriate for
the possibility of connections being made. An illustration of this connection is seen through
Crystal DeVore’s capstone research,
“In walked one of my students, singing a tribal prayer song. My students who come to me
from Africa come from cultures that are oral. They learn the histories of their families,
their lineage, and their prayers through stories and songs.”2
As a teacher, I would note that my African students are oral learners. Story telling and African
tribal music would be ways I could incorporate their culture into the lesson. Similarly, the Latino
heritage strongly relate with dance with upbeat musical phrases. Latino music has more
advanced cord progressions, in comparison to African music; the rhythm is strongly influenced
by the triple meter. A popular dance, The Flamingo has a strong influence on the Latin American
dance. They practice ‘into the ground dancing’ which shows their connection with the earth. The
music is strongly connected with the dances being performed. Consequently, Latino students
1
Jolly, Y. S. (1975). The use of songs in teaching foreign languages. The Modern Language Journal, 59(1), 11-14.
DeVore, Crystal M. Using Music In A Senior High Level 1 ESL Classroom To Teach The Two Modal Auxiliaries
‘Can’ And ‘Will’. Diss. Hamline U, 2010. St. Paul: Hamline U, 2010. Print.
2
Mason 3 may find relationships with more movement-based lessons. Second language lessons that
accommodate to the student, like movement and story-based lessons have shown to support
Latino and African students, are proven to increase second language acquisition.
Besides aiding student achievement, world music in classrooms has been proven to
increase brain function. According to research summarized by Kenneth Beare, listening to world
music helps with brain functioning. Six years ago, researchers reported that people scored better
on standard IQ tests after listening to Mozart.3 Music stimulates the brain for improved
functioning. Increased brain functioning has an effect on memory. One reason world music helps
student learning is because listening to world music helps in developing a strong memory.
Snyder’s yearlong study on music and memory showed,
“Music that was used in repeated patterns resulted in longer retention by the subjects in
their short-term memory. […] If one maintains a memory in his or her short-term
memory, the capability of it to develop into long-term memory is high because the
information has already been established in the person’s mind.”4
If a teacher allows students to listen to world music during work time, students would connect
their learning to the music and internalize it. Those who made associations between music and
class lessons are considered to have musical intelligence. Musical intelligence is a term coined
by Howard Gardner. Gardner is an educational theorist and well known for his theory of multiple
intelligences (one such intelligence: “musical”).5 Many second language learners come from
cultures where music plays a significant role in both recreational and ceremonial life. A majority
3
Beare, Kenneth. "Music in the ESL Classroom." Abouteducation. N.p., 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
4 Snyder,
B. (2000). Music and memory, an introduction. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
5 Kagan,
S. & Kagan, M. (1998). Multiple intelligences: The complete MI book. San Clemente, California: Kagan.
Mason 4 of these students depend on music and will be more successful when lessons have musical
undertones.
Given the support for using world music in second language classrooms, teachers now
need modern ideas of how to incorporate them together. Pre-service teachers, who are taught the
art of teaching, are taught to introduce the day’s lesson in a fun and engaging manner. Attentiongrabbing introductions are key in making sure students are focused. To use world music as an
‘introduction engagement’ strategy, the teacher should consider what the lesson is about. An
ESL teacher might teach on the novel Esperanza Rising. Then, he or she could introduce the
lesson with a traditional Spanish song with the musical style jota, for instance. The Spanish
musical style of jota is fast paced— it has a fast tempo, Spaniards usually dance to this music
because it is lively and has a strong backbone beat from the castanets. Castanets are hand
instruments used to make clicking noises throughout the musical piece. The fast paced music
will wake up the students’ brains and get them into the mindset of the Spanish culture before
actually introducing the lesson itself. More associations come to students’ minds if the lesson is
introduced with music, than by saying, “Today we are going to read Esperanza Rising”.6 Music
in accompaniment to learning should be an aid, not a distraction. Using music that has a lot of
repetition would be useful to use while students are studying, background music. Repetitious
music will help the students concentrate because it engages in regular periods. One song that
could be played while students study is the Zuni Lullaby,7 a soft Indian song known for
continued repetition with slight variations throughout the piece.8
6
Beare, Kenneth. "Music in the ESL Classroom." Abouteducation. N.p., 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
7 Lanaiditsa.
Traditional Zuni Song. David McAllester, 1950. CD.
Mason 5 “If abrasive, disharmonic music is played, the students’ brains will make sense of the
disharmony and become distracted. By choosing something melodic, which employs
musical patterns will not distract. Not only will this type of music not distract, the regular
patters of the music also help to underline the repetitive nature of quiet work time.”9
For second language learners, fundamental lessons incorporate aspects of grammar, writing, and
discussions. Music across the globe can help benefit the acquisition of second language learners
in each of these areas. For grammar, Native American music is a popular link. One song in
particular, Grass Dance,10 demonstrates sporadic beats- no regular meter, fast patterns and a
melody that makes a downward dip. This music gives students the opportunity to make
connections from a rhythmic phrase to a grammar rule. In one case, a student would listen to
each phrase of a chant and connect a grammar rule with that sound. For musically intelligible
students, their brains are wired to recall information when they hear a certain sound. Within a
writing unit, ESL students focus on the use of figurative language, descriptive, and analytical
writing techniques. Playing African music to introduce or aide during work time increases
second language acquisition. African music, specifically the Agbekor Song,11 is rhythmically
free. This song is representative of African stories inside songs. Agbekor Song compares the
group’s strength with the power of the ocean and derides the force of the enemy’s weapons. This
8 Titon, Jeff Todd. Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World's Peoples. 5th ed. New York:
Schirmer, 1984. Print
9 Beare,
Kenneth. "Music in the ESL Classroom." Abouteducation. N.p., 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. 10 Traditional
Sioux War Dance. Grass Dance. Canyon Records, n.d. CD.
11 Traditional
Music of the Ewe People. Agbekor. David Locke, 1976. CD.
Mason 6 free story telling style music will stimulate many different parts of the students’ brain, allowing
students to use their whole brain while writing. African music would also be useful for
discussions. In addition, the Balinese musical style, which originated in Indonesia, would
promote greater brain functioning for discussion-based lessons. The quick changes from loud to
soft and fast to slow and the exploding dynamic will help the students become energized.
Specifically, Kosalia Arini,12 a Balinese song preformed by a popular ensemble, demonstrates
features typical of Balinese music: episodic structure, contrasting instrumentation, rhythm and
texture. This energetic piece, like other Balinese music, will give students newfound energy and
will help propel discussions to make them meaningful and worthwhile. These teaching strategies
are modern technical examples describing how to incorporate world music in ESL classrooms to
improve student achievement.
Research shows that world music has a unique and positive effect on second language
acquisition. The extensive studies indicate the students’ effects on comfort levels in the
classroom, connections with the lessons, and increased learning. Furthermore, The current and
rising generations of teachers are finding new teaching techniques to integrate world music into
ESL classrooms. Around the world, cultures use music for a variety of means: recreation,
ceremonial, funeral, wartime, etc. When a teacher learns which cultures are present in his or her
classroom, he or she can begin planning world music based lessons. Overall, it is recommended
by multiple studies and educational theorists to teach with world music to help second language
learners succeed inside the classroom.
12 STSI
(Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia). Kosalia Arini. Michael Tenzer and Ketut Gde Asnawa, 1998. CD.
Mason 7 My Analysis and Impressions of the Music within this Paper
As a student and pre-service teacher researching this topic, I found exploring second
language learners’ acquisition in relation to world music very useful and intriguing. While
researching which musical styles would work best with the classroom scenarios I introduced, I
tried to put myself into the shoes of an ESL learner. By putting myself into the shoes of these
second language learners, I was able to have a deeper analysis of the music I listened to. I
focused on how it would help me (an ESL student) in the classroom. For example, two tracks I
listened to, but couldn’t find room in my paper to discuss, were the Amazing Grace performance
from the Black church and the Amazing Grace performance from the Baptist church. Using a
teacher’s lens, I recognized that my ESL students could listen to each of these tracks and take
notes about the unique differences. This could easily be used for a unit on persuasive essay
writing. My second language learners would choose which style they liked best, and use their
notes to write a persuasive essay convincing me why they believe they like one better than the
other. Overall, I enjoyed being able to combine my own ‘personal research’ (listening to the
music and analyzing it within the confines of my paper topic) with research I found elsewhere.
Mason 8 Bibliography
Beare, Kenneth. "Music in the ESL Classroom." Abouteducation. N.p., 2014. Web. 18 Nov.
2014.
DeVore, Crystal M. Using Music In A Senior High Level 1 ESL Classroom To Teach The Two
Modal Auxiliaries ‘Can’ And ‘Will’. Diss. Hamline U, 2010. St. Paul: Hamline U, 2010.
Print.
Jolly, Y. S. (1975). The use of songs in teaching foreign languages. The Modern Language
Journal, 59(1), 11-14.
Kagan, S. & Kagan, M. (1998). Multiple intelligences: The complete MI book. San Clemente,
California: Kagan.
Lanaiditsa. Traditional Zuni Song. David McAllester, 1950. CD.
STSI (Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia). Kosalia Arini. Michael Tenzer and Ketut Gde Asnawa,
1998. CD.
Snyder, B. (2000). Music and memory, an introduction. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute
of Technology.
Titon, Jeff Todd. Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World's Peoples. 5th ed.
New York: Schirmer, 1984. Print.
Traditional Music of the Ewe People. Agbekor. David Locke, 1976. CD.
Traditional Performd by Decon and Congregation of the New Bethel Baptist Church. Amazing
Grace. Rec. 1977, n.d. CD.
Traditional Performd by Decon and Congregation of the New Bethel Baptist Church. Amazing
Grace. Rec. 1977. Rev. John Sherfey, n.d. CD.
Traditional Sioux War Dance. Grass Dance. Canyon Records, n.d. CD.