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Teach English in Zhifang Zhen - Jining Shi

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Teaching music and languages simultaneously is a very rewarding and efficient process for both aspects. I realized it in my own practice being a choir conductor and a composer by my fist education. It was a reason to deepen my knowledge about possibility of joining language and music for teaching and learning process. I would like to dwell upon the song's advantages and benefits in teaching English as a foreign language for young learners. Why songs and chants? Listening to music is a common process for every child because it starts from the cradle. It is vital and natural part of human being life. Due to the young students peculiarities such as curiosity, necessity of movement, lack of concentration and many others, music can help to smooth out frequent problems. There are many spheres of teaching English as a foreign language to young learners where songs and chants can be used. English Grammar can cause difficulties in the teaching process. Monotonous exercises or worksheets suitable for adults can't be appropriate for young learners. To avoid it, a teacher should include an exciting song, for example "Where's My Desk?". The text of this song helps to establish some basic grammar clearly - "I can" phrase and interrogative constructions. Repetition of such structures wouldn't be boring. Teachers can use a new object in the next verse. It is a good choice to consolidate new vocabulary. This fact makes young students more active because they can offer their own objects and subjects. Where's my desk? Where's my desk? Here it is! Here it is! I can touch the desk, I can touch the desk, With my hand, with my hand. This song is not so simple for young learners as it may seem. "Here" and "there" understanding and their application can be practiced. Moreover, "Where's My Desk?" song can help to present prepositions of place. Having prepared the material in advance, a teacher can include the desired topic in the song. A lot of movements that accompany activities from the song's text facilitate children motivation. Recurrent movements with rhymes and rhythm help to memorize the material in an entertaining way. It is very important for young students, who learn English as a foreign language, to use new expressions and basic grammar structures. Such music activities simplifies communication based on their active vocabulary. The songs are very convenient because they can be used at any stage of the lesson. It is appropriate to sing "The Hello Song" in the Engage phase. It helps to memorize common greetings and to make young learners speak the target language. As was mentioned above, such songs as "Where's My Desk?" is suitable for Study phases. Unit vocabulary, Grammar, pronunciation drills etc. can be included with the teacher´s adaptation in a definite situation. Activate phase is also a fruitful stage to sing in. For example, at the end of the Study phase the teacher offers their young learners to make their own "song-dialogues" based on previously studied material from a song "Where's My Desk?". In the Activate phase all students should be ready to present their variants in pairs. The final part of the stage is a joint choral rendition. To sum up, English as a foreign language can be presented in many fascinating ways being a real art. Referring to young learners, it is totally significant for the teacher to be a master in various activities which can motivate his young students. Personally, I prefer a musical way because I am able to combine two subjects into one and help my young learners to see this wonderful world, to assist them to widen their minds and to experience everything learning and speaking foreign languages and music concurrently because they are mutually complimentary. The first step to language acquisition can be facilitated by natural perception of harmonious phrases both musical and lingual.


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