USING SONG AS STRATEGY IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS

Hasnawati, Hilyatul Aulia, Nida Munirah,

Tarbiyah & Teachers Training Faculty, Antasari State Islamic University

Abstract
This paper was aimed to explain about using song as strategy in teaching English to
young learners. This paper also deals with a theoretical background by Vygotsky. This paper
explained that songs can be the effective way to teach vocabulary to children and can develop
their affective and cognitive domains. Using songs as teaching strategy has its advantages and
disadvantages. Songs can increase the motivation and interest of the students and also can make
classroom more enjoy and fun. However, it can disturb other classes and students can be chaos
during listen to the songs. It is suggested to English teachers to be able to apply songs as
teaching strategy not just for teaching vocabulary but also teaching other skills.
Keyword: Song, teaching strategy, young learners

A. INTRODUCTION
Teaching English to young learners is different to adult. Children learn English with
enjoy and fun way so that they do not get bored and feel difficult in learning English. English
teachers do not only have to know how to teach well, but also must know how to design creative
lesson to young learners in order to make them enjoy and understand the lesson.
The young learners which are the students in aging 6-13 years old, have some
characteristics. They love to ask question, have low concentration, so wide kinds of activities are
needed, and build confidence in expressing themselves. Their language focuses are all the basic
of English; listening, speaking, writing, reading, vocabulary, and grammar. They learn English
using an enjoy and fun way.
There are many strategies that teachers can use to teach English to young learners. Two
popular strategies are by using songs and games, because those two strategies are attractive to be
 used in teaching English for children. It deals with the characters of children that have mentioned
above. Those can make students more interested and motivated in learning English.
Even though there are many strategies for teaching young learners, this paper is aimed to
focus on discussing about the use of songs in teaching vocabulary to young learners. Because
vocabulary is one of the basic knowledge that children have to know before they continue to the
next steps of learning. Many students have difficulties in memorizing vocabulary which it is not
their first language. One of the strategies that teachers can use is by using songs. It is hoped by
using this strategy, children are more motivated and easier to memorize and apply it in their life.

B. LITERATURE REVIEW
As stated above, teaching young learners is different to adult. So, teachers have to use
different strategies and media for different skills. There are many approaches, strategies, and
media that can be used to teach young learners. In some studies, it is stated that teachers can use
songs as media to teach young learners. Fransischa and Fauzia explained in their journal that
songs can be used in teaching English. Using songs in teaching English can make the class more
interesting, fun, and alive. In addition, students are easier to memorize new vocabulary and can
pronounce it clearly. Heri Mudra also stated that English songs are authentic materials which
represent real native cultures. It can be taught by employing several steps of teaching; pre-
listening, while-listening, and post-listening. In other study by Hau Tse (2015), it surveyed the
perspective of ESL teachers in Malaysian State Primary Schools on using songs to teach English
to young learners and the result depicted that teachers had difficulties in selecting songs and the
recommendation is to provide them with interesting and enjoyable song materials for teaching
English to children.
Young learners are still lack of vocabulary. So, the teachers need to know the strategies
and media that can be used to improve their knowledge of vocabulary. Beside of using songs,
teachers also can use game as strategy. As the study of Sahar Ameer (2016) which aimed to
prove that the games are effective tools when devised to explain vocabularies and they make it
easier to remember the meanings. It also discussed the importance of using games in teaching
vocabulary and in what way using them is helpful. Another way to teach English vocabulary to
young learners is by using guessing game as the study of Ana (2018) which the study is aimed to
describe the benefits and the problems of implementing Electronic Guessing Game in teaching
vocabulary and the students‟ mastery of vocabulary and their achievement motivation after the
Electronic Guessing Game implementation. The result showed that the benefits of implementing
Electronic Guessing Game were; it makes teaching and learning activity becomes fun; it
activates the students to get involved; it integrates spelling, pronunciation, and meaning; it helps
the students to memorize the vocabulary; and the learners like it. While the problem of this
implementation were; it needs sufficient facilities and some technical problems occur during the
implementation. In addition, students‟ vocabulary mastery improved after the implementation of
Electronic Guessing Game and most of the students are very motivated in learning vocabulary
through Electronic Guessing Game. In other study by Syarifudin, teachers also can use animated
video as strategy to teach children. The goal of the study is to find whether the use of animated
video improves the learners‟ vocabulary or not. This study applied pre-experimental method with
one group pre-test and post-test design. The result indicates that mean score of post-test was
greater than the mean score of the pre-test. It means that using animated video can improve
learners‟ vocabulary.
Beside of memorizing vocabulary, teachers also have to know about teaching
pronunciation to children. According to Dwi Astuti (2015) in her study about improving
students' English pronunciation ability through Go Fish Game and Maze Game, students are
motivated in learning English pronunciation. The result indicates significant improvement of pre-
test and post-test of cycle 1 and 2. Other way to teach pronunciation to children is by using Text-
to-speech which is a web-based tool that has the potential to improve children‟s spoken
production that has been explored by the study of Ian James. This study also explored the tool‟s
role in changing students‟ perception of error correction. The finding reveals that the use of web-
based text-to-speech tool can improve children‟s pronunciation because it enables them to use
authentic and conversational language. The use of this tool also can improve children‟s
perception of error correction by means of a non-threatening and self-regulated learning
environment. This research also reveals that the use of a web-based text-to-speech tool can be
developed if it is combined with various strategies such as gamification, positive reinforcements,
and cooperative learning. In other study by Erik and Yani from Ibn Khaldun University, they
explained about the strategies in teaching speaking to young learners such as role play, watching
videos, jazz chant, digital storytelling, games, and repetition. Teachers can also use several
 techniques of teaching speaking to young learners, such as implementing media and designing
the lesson using topical-based syllabus.

C. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Vygotsky’s Theory of Inner Speech
In Vygotsky‟s (1934/1987) theory of cognitive development, inner speech is the outcome
of a developmental process. Vygotsky assumed that understanding how such a phenomenon
emerges over the life span is necessary for full comprehension of its subjective qualities and
functional characteristics. Via a mechanism of internalization, linguistically mediated social
exchanges (such as those between the child and a caregiver) are transformed, in Vygotsky‟s
model, into an internalized “conversation” with the self. The development of verbal mediation is
envisaged as the process through which children become able to use language and other sign
systems to regulate their own behavior. Pre-linguistic intelligence is thus reshaped by language
to create what Vygotsky and his student Luria termed a “functional system,” a key concept in
their anti-modularist view of functional localization in the brain (Fernyhough, 2010; Luria, 1965;
Vygotsky, 1934/1987).
Vygotsky formulated his view of inner speech in contrast to the theory of John B.
Watson. Best known as a founder of behaviorism, Watson saw inner speech (which he identified
with “thinking”) as resulting from a process of the gradual reduction of self-directed speech: in
other words, a purely mechanical process in which speech becomes quieter and quieter until it is
first merely a whisper, and then silent thought (Watson, 1913). This view of inner speech as
subvocalized language was, Vygotsky believed, mistaken (Berk, 1992). Rather, he contended,
inner speech is profoundly transformed in the process of internalization, and its development
involves processes more complex than the mere attenuation of the behavioral components of
speaking.

D. DISCUSSION
Definition of Vocabulary
Ur writes that “vocabulary can be defined, roughly, as the words we teach in the foreign
language” (1996: 60). According to Scrinever (2005: 227), “vocabulary typically refers mainly to
single words (e.g. dog, green, wash) and sometimes to very tightly linked two-or three-word
combinations (e.g. stock market, compact disc, sky blue).” From the two definitions, it can be
concluded that vocabulary is a single words and a word combinations.
The Importance of Teaching Vocabulary
McCarthy (1990: viii) states that: “no matter how well the student learns grammar, no
matter how successfully the sounds of L2 are mastered, without words to express a wide range of
meaning, communication in L2 just cannot happen in any meaningful way”.
Vocabulary is fundamental to foreign language teaching because without adequate
vocabulary students cannot not only express their own ideas but also comprehend others. This is
how Wilkins (1972: 111-112) summed up the importance of vocabulary learning: “without
grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” Even
without grammar, with some useful expressions and elementary words, people may manage to
communicate at a basic level. When going abroad, people firstly learn basic vocabulary because
it helps them to exchange information with native speakers of a given language (Wilkins 1972:
112).
We can conclude that vocabulary is the basic thing that students have to know in learning
other language. Without any vocabulary, they are impossible to develop any skills such as
listening, writing, speaking, and grammar. Students cannot go to the next steps of learning
without through the basic.
Definition of Music and Song
Murphey (1992: 7) names songs as „adolescent motherese‟. According to him,
„motherese‟ means the highly affective and musical language that adults use to communicate
with infants. As toddlers grow up they get less and less of that language. The language vanishes
slowly as children develop and they may be replaced by a song. A typical example of
„motherese‟ speech may be a lullaby. Interestingly, people talk about a song at least two
dissimilar ways. The first is as a purely musical work. On the other hand, a song might be
understood as a rendition, that is, a realization of that song in a performance, a recording or a
written material. Additionally, it is crucial to take a broad view of songs. They incorporate not
only the tune and the lyrics, but also all of the contexts in which it is created, produced and
consumed. It is important where the song was performed and by whom, the audience and the
technology that produced it.
 Dictionary.com provides seven entries under the headword music. The first explanation
says that “music is an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms
through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color”. The definition emphasizes that
music has a role which is to describe emotions and there are four essential features which
characterize music. The second definition says that these are “the tones or sounds employed,
occurring in single line (melody) or multiple lines (harmony), and sounded or to be sounded by
one or more voices or instruments, or both.” In fact, in this explanation it as all about instruments
and voice. Simply, music is instruments or voices (or both) people hear.
Reason for Using Songs in the Classroom
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 (Eken 1996:
46). Krashen (1982: 45) has it that: “for effective learning the affective filter is must be weak. 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 (Eken 1996: 46).
Eken (1996: 46) 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.
Songs also give a chance to develop automaticity which is the main cognitive reason for
using songs in the classroom (Schoepp 2001). Automaticity is defined as “ a component of
language fluency which involves both knowing what to say and producing language rapidly
without pauses” (Gatbonton – Segalowitz 1988: 473). To put it in other words, songs may help
automatize the language improvement process. Essentially, the students should be placed in an
environment in which it is possible to use the target language in a communicative way
(Gatbonton – Segalowitz 1988: 476). As a matter of fact, the nature of songs is said to be quite
repetitive, logical and persistent.
Benefits of Using Songs in the Classroom
Some teachers might not be aware of possibilities of using songs in the classroom. They
may feel that such activities are not appropriate for classes which often cause discipline
problems. To add more, lecturers may think that using music may create chaos or students may
be reluctant to sing. Stanislawczyk and Yavener (1976: 60) have opinion that a song is an
advantageous tool and a teacher should take advantage of it during linguistic practice. They also
emphasize the importance of the engagement learners get when listening to songs or creating
own lyrics: “In the era when guitar players are ubiquitous, music must be an integral part of
language study. It is a part of classroom activities from the start of the work in language,
supplying additional language learning and cultural insights. At the advanced level, students
become even more actively involved in music by creating songs” (Stanislawczyk – Yavener
1976: 60). The passage below attempts to present rationale for using song activities in English
foreign language classrooms.
Disadvantages of Using Songs in the Classroom
Although, songs have many good aspects, there are some less positive concerns about
music and songs teachers should regard in the language classroom. Murphey (1992: 8-9) writes
that loudly playing songs may disturb neighbor classes. Secondly, some learners get too excited
and may forget about the discipline. Another issue is the fact some students may disagree about
musical pieces and they have dissimilar musical tastes. Teachers often complain that the learners
just want to listen, not work. More importantly, many songs may be intelligible for students since
they contain many colloquial expressions and the pace is too fast. Siek-Piskozub and Wach
(2006: 91-97) add that there are songs which touch taboo topics like violence and sexism and
thus such songs may confuse the learners or embarrass them.
 Using Songs for Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners
As stated above that using song as a strategy for teaching has both the advantages and
disadvantages. However, it depends to the teachers how to apply it in classroom so that it
becomes effective teaching and learning, and choose the appropriate songs for the students.
Nowadays, songs not only for teens and adults, there are also many songs for children, and
teachers can use them for teaching English especially vocabulary. It can make learners
enthusiastic, interested, and get motivated to learn and it is easier for them to memorize the
words of the songs. According to the theory of Vygotsky about the development of verbal
mediation is envisaged as the process through which children become able to use language and
other sign systems to regulate their own behavior, it means that by using song also can help
students using language, and in this paper, vocabulary. It also can develop the automaticity of the
students.

E. CONCLUSION
Vocabulary is the essential and basic thing that must be learned by students, especially
young learners in learning English. To motivate and make them interesting to learning English,
teachers have to look for strategies that can increase their motivation and interest. One of the
effective strategies that can be used is by songs. Songs play an essential role in both to develop
cognitive and affective domain of the students, and it also connects to the theory of Vygotsky
which songs can develop the automaticity of the students. However, using songs also has the
advantages such as it can disturb other classes, not all students like the songs, and students just
listen to the songs, and not working. It is suggested to teachers especially who teaches young
learners, to apply songs as teaching strategy not only for teaching vocabulary, but also other
skills (grammar, listening, speaking, and writing) and it hoped to the teachers to choose the
appropriate songs for the students.
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