Teach English in Zhuanbu Zhen - Linyi Shi

Dorothy Brown-Smith Summative Task-ITTT May 13, 2019 Why Should EFL Teachers Use Songs in the Classroom? Before I came to teach in China, I was a reading teacher in the U.S.A. A friend had just returned from teaching in China for a year, so I thought I would inquire about her experience. As we talked, she told me about the wonderful travels, opportunities, and experiences she had while teaching overseas. As she spoke, I could see and feel her intense excitement and satisfaction. She gave me some information to peruse and contact information for the organization she worked for, just in case I wanted to pursue the opportunity further. After a few months, I finally mustard up the courage to inquire seriously about the qualifications for teaching in China. I also did much research on the culture, customs, people, language, etc. Much of what I found out, my friend had confirmed, but I still wanted to do research about this big and beautiful country. In October of 2019, I found myself in the airport in Shanghai, China. My whole world changed at that moment! I was a foreigner in a countrywhere I did not speak the language, nor did I understand the language, but I was there to teach English! When I came to teach English in China, I tried to come with an open mind. I put away what my friend told me, and what I read. I wanted to have an authentic international teaching experience, so I stepped into my first class excited and nervous at the same time. It was a 4th grade class. The first of five, fourth grade classes that day! I don’t know who was more nervous me or the students, but we all were very intense! It was our first time seeing and meeting each other! I had planned to do some get to know each other activities and games. I was told that the students knew a little English. This was not correct! The children did not know any English! They knew, “Hello” and “Goodbye”. They did not understand a word I was saying. Yes, I expected this much, but not to the degree I experienced because I was told that the children knew a little English. I thought we could at least communicate on a basic level,but not so. The students just stared at me with this confused look upon their faces as I spoke! Being the experienced professional that I am, I immediately began to speak slower, mime, sing, use a lot of hand and facial expressions. I noticed, when I started to sing the children lit up like firecrackers! I knew I was on to something, so I began to make up songs to teach some basic words in English. As you can imagine, I sang in every class I taught that day! I made a mental note to find songs that would correlate with the lessons I would be teaching in the future. What I could not communicate speaking English, I could communicate using a song. I began to do some research looking for songs that I could incorporate into a few of my lessons for the younger students. For the older students, 6th and 7th graders, I just asked what kind of music they liked to listen to with the help of a Chinese assistant. I prepared a lesson on “Daily Routines”. I found a website called DreamEnglish.com. This website was the first one I used to find songs that worked with the lesson I would be teaching, and it also was a life saver for a first time EFL teacher because the school classrooms did not have internet access, and I learned very quickly my voice would not last very long singing and speaking in every class! The song had most of the vocabulary words we would be learning and using in the lesson, along with movements and actions demonstrating the words. I could also download the songs from this site and put them in a PowerPoint. My opportunity to take the research, and what I learned about using songs in the classroom came. My 3rd grade class was ready and excited when I stepped into the classroom. I did a ten-minute warm-up activity to get students talking. I introduced the lesson theme, reviewed the vocabulary, did a class worksheet, and lastly, introduced the song. I played the song twice, but at the request of the students, I ended up playing the song about five times. I did not have to do much teaching or prompting of the words because the students naturally began trying to learn/say the words, which is why they kept requesting that I play the song again. After these activities were completed, I did a review of our vocabulary. Every student raised their hand to respond to the vocabulary review. They could pronounce the word, do the motion to demonstrate its meaning, and tell me in a simple sentence at least one daily routine they did in the morning! This was a classroom of almost fifty students! I was amazed, excited, and pleasantly surprised at the same time! Not only did the students learn the vocabulary and its meaning, but at the end of class the students were still singing the song as the left the classroom, which was a reinforcement of the vocabulary and what they had learned that day. Why Should EFL Teachers Use Songs in the Classroom? • Using songs in the classroom can break the ice. • Using songs in the classroom can break language barriers. • Using songs in the classroom can reinforce English vocabulary learned. • Using songs in the classroom can helps students retain what they have learned and make connections to their real lives. • Using songs in the classroom can create a natural curiosity for learning. • Using songs in the classroom makes learning fun, interesting and engaging. • Using songs in the classroom can be an effective learning tool, when used properly. What I could not communicate speaking English, I could communicate using a song.