论英文歌曲在中学英语教学中的运用

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1、On the Application of English Songs in English Teaching in Middle School论英文歌曲在中学英语教学中的运用单位：伶俐中学姓名：杨华 摘 要：随着社会的发展，英语变得越来越重要。如何学好英语已经成为人们普遍关注的一个话题，也是英语教师一直思索和研究的问题。目前，许多教育工作者都对英文歌曲应用于中学英语课堂进行研究，发现把英文歌曲应用于中学英语教学有很大的优势。不仅能够营造一种轻松愉快的课堂气氛，调动中学生学习英语的积极性，而且对提高学生的英语水平有很大的促进作用。本文以中学英语教学为视角，探讨了英文歌曲的实际应用。本文首先提出

2、了英文歌曲能够应用于中学英语教学的理论基础；其次，论述了英文歌曲的应用在激发中学生学习英语的兴趣和活跃课堂气氛等方面的优势；最后，探讨了英文歌曲在词汇、发音、语法和句型教学方面的运用，以让我们更好地理解和合理地把英文歌曲应用于中学英语教学，为中学生创造一个生动活泼的学习氛围，最大限度地唤醒其学习的积极性、主动性。把英文歌曲作为英语教学的有益补充，让学生在乐中学，在乐中发展，是每一个英语教师必须认真思考的课题。关键词：英文歌曲；应用；英语教学；中学Abstract: With the development of society, English is becoming increasingly

3、 important. How to learn English well has become a topic of general interest and a problem which English teachers keep thinking about. Currently, many educators have been studying the application of English songs in English teaching in middle schools and find out that the application of English song

4、s can not only create a pleasant atmosphere, mobilize students interest in learning English, but also greatly influence the promotion of students English level. This paper discusses the practical application of English songs from the perspective of middle school students. Firstly, it puts forward th

5、e theoretical basis of applying English songs in middle school. Secondly, it presents the advantages of the application of English songs in stimulating students interest in learning English and activating classroom atmosphere. Thirdly, it explores the specific application of English songs in teachin

6、g pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and sentence patterns. The goal of this paper is to make us have a better understanding of the application of English songs in English teaching in middle school and the ways of creating an active learning environment which can wake up students enthusiasm and init

7、iative of their English learning. English songs are useful in complementing English teaching. So teachers are supposed to consider the task of making students learn English with fun and develop in happiness carefully. Key words: English songs; application; English teaching; middle school一、 Introduct

8、ion With the spread of the globalization, English plays an important role in communication and economy. More and more middle students have to try their best to learn English well. Most of them acquire vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar through traditional language study. However, lots of studies

9、have proved that most middle school students are stressed out or nervous in mechanical classroom drills, which will affect their interest and motivation in English learning greatly. With the launching of many studies, educators have found that applying English songs in English teaching is a practica

10、l and useful method. “The present study indicates that the use of music could have strong implication in the middle school classroom, and the results could persuade teachers of the value of using songs in the foreign language classroom and laboratories. The addition of music in lesson planning on a

11、regular basis could have a long-term influence on language students performance.”(D. Cranmer, 1992)“English songs can often provide an atmosphere to effectively reduce anxiety. English songs can be a motivator to better stimulate interest. English songs can be a way to activating meaning and improvi

12、ng comprehensibility, similar to a visual aid.”(Aton, 1990) Applying English songs in English teaching of middle schools has lots of advantages. Therefore, the author hopes that English songs can be reasonably applied in English teaching in middle schools. This paper explores the application in deta

13、ils. Thus teachers will have a better understanding of the application of English songs in English teaching in middle schools. 二、 Theoretical foundation of the application of English songs in English teachingEach teaching method has its own theoretical basis, which directs the practical teaching. Th

14、e present study indicates that the use of English songs can have strong implications in English teaching. The following ideas show some common theoretical principles of applying English songs in English teaching in middle schools.（一） Suiting physiological principle of human brainThe application of E

15、nglish songs in English teaching complies with the physiological principle of human brain. Human brain can be divided into two hemispheres, right and left hemispheres. “Songs bridge the brains hemispheres strengthening retention through a complementary function as the right hemisphere learns the mel

16、ody, the left, the words.” (Guglielmino, 1986) “The left hemisphere of the brain expresses thoughts in words, while the right hemisphere of the brain controls action, problem resolution, memory, and emotions and has the ability of appreciating painting and music. Most learners use the right hemisphe

17、re of the brain to process music, and since most instruction relies heavily on left brain approaches, music opens an opportunity to learners who have a strong right orientation.” (Mc. Gilichrist, 2010) So while English songs are applied in English teaching of middle school, they will activate middle

18、 students right hemispheres and cause a high degree of excitement. The excitement will motivate middle students left hemispheres which control abstract thinking and language. “As a result, the left hemisphere and right hemisphere will be simultaneously engaged in a particular activity and an ideal E

19、nglish learning situation is established and the most productive English learning occurs.” (Guglielmino, 1986) English songs can be used to establish an ideal learning situation for middle students to acquire English from the perspective of neurophysiology.（二） Suiting psychological characteristic of

20、 middle studentsApplying English songs in English teaching in middle schools is in line with middle students psychological characteristics. “Attention deficit disorder is one of the most common psychological disorders that develop in middle students and their mental condition is characterized by poo

21、r attention, distractibility and impulsive behaviors.” (Thomas Brown, 2006) Middle students are unable to fix attention on study for a long time. They need not to acquire lots of grammatical knowledge or grasp a large number of vocabularies. The mechanical methods of traditional language teaching fa

22、il to suit middle students mental characteristic. Middle students require to study with fun. “English songs are full of fantastic fun which keeps young bodies on task and happy throughout the class.” (Carol Aghayan, 2006) With the application of English songs in English teaching, middle students are

23、 supposed to improve their English ability effectively. “Soft and light music aims at totally relaxing students, a state which heightens mental activity and concentration.” (D. Cranmer, 1992) Thus easy songs for a happy language study in the classroom are feasible.（三）Suiting cognitive principle of m

24、iddle studentsApplying English songs in English teaching in middle schools conforms to the cognitive principle of middle students. “It is invaluable for anyone to understand young childrens thinking, especially teachers in middle schools. Young childrens cognitive development should be particularly

25、concerned with in the early years of schooling. Childrens cognitive level is relevant to their social, emotional and cultural context. In most thinking practices, young children prefer image thinking to abstract thinking.” (James G. Greeno, 1998) It means that mechanical memorization is not desirabl

26、e for the middle students to acquire English. “Easy English songs can be introduced in the language classroom and the effects of using music to activate image thinking and abstract thinking are great.” (D. Cranmer, 1992) English songs contain graceful melodies and implicate beautiful images which wi

27、ll greatly stimulate middle students image thinking and abstract thinking to learn English effectively. English songs can be applied in English teaching of middle schools, concerned with middle students cognitive principle. 三、Advantages of the application of English songs in English teaching Many ed

28、ucators regard applying English songs in English teaching as an ideal teaching method on account of the advantages of music. “English songs play an important role in language study, not only for inspiring middle students enthusiasm and strong interest in learning, activating classroom atmosphere, bu

29、t also for maximizing their involvement and memorization.”(D. Cranmer, 1992)（一） Stimulating middle students interest in learning English“Interest is the best teacher”, said Einstein. “The addition of music to the foreign language classroom as a teaching method may be a good way to focus students int

30、erest, and produce a more committed learner. Students who have positive attitudes toward the English language tend to be more successful language learners than those students who are learning English merely as a requirement for school and have no interest in English. In this case, educators may have

31、 to provide a motivator for some students. When students do not live in the community where the target language is spoken, using music may be a way to motivate students to learn the target language. Songs deal with the whole realm of human emotions and students are often willing to sing a song in a

32、foreign language even if they do not fully understand the meaning of the words.” (Falioni, 1993) English songs play an important role in stimulating middle students interest in learning English well. The primary students will not view English learning as a burden if they are interested in English. M

33、ost middle students are fond of English songs which have meaningful lyrics, beautiful melody and strong rhythm. So applying English songs in English teaching to arouse middle students interest in acquiring English is useful. （二） Activating classroom atmosphere“English songs used as teaching aids in

34、the foreign language classroom, facilitate the development of a natural rhythmic atmosphere that is needed in the acquisition of English. Relaxation and physiological response also may be affected by the subjects beliefs in a positive way, through relaxing music. The addition of English songs in les

35、son planning on a regular basis can have a strong implication in language students performance. As early as 1950, Pickrell, Metzger, Wilde, and Edwards found that music help to alleviate tension and establish a relaxed environment. Highly anxious students achieved superior results when they were exp

36、osed to music.” (Jolly, 1975) English songs can be used to relax middle students and to provide an enjoyable classroom atmosphere. Many Chinese middle students are learning English in a nervous mood. The negative beliefs will affect middle students positive interaction in English classroom badly. “E

37、nglish songs may therefore be an influential factor that should be taken into consideration when providing middle students an ideal learning atmosphere.”(Statton, 1984)（三） Increasing accumulation of language materials“Music is a universal in human culture. All cultures on this planet have music. Bef

38、ore the written word, stories of war and odes of praise were passed along from tribe to tribe by songs. Music is very much a fundamental part of learning about the culture and language. Each English song is a culture capsule containing a significant piece of social information, such as culture, hist

39、ory and geography. Peoples daily lives are also exposed in songs.”(Larrick, 1991) So that English songs can be used as a way of better understanding cultures and common knowledge of English speaking countries. Further more, “practically all grammar points can be found in music texts and the texts al

40、so offer a wide variety of vocabulary, all of which can be utilized to accumulate language materials”. (Jolly, 1975) Considering middle students learning ability, applying English songs in English teaching of middle schools is a vivid way to accumulate English materials. （四） Promoting middle student

41、s memory of English Nowadays, more and more scientists find that the application of English songs can increase middle students memory of English knowledge. “Music is one of the most effective memory aids available to middle students, especially for recalling vocabulary and grammatical structures.”(A

42、nton, 1990) “Music is an effective memory aid for the classroom. Many students often remember the rhyme, rhythm or melody better than ordinary speech.”(Falioni, 1993) “As the song or melody persists in ones head long after the audible singing has stopped, the music continues to enhance the learners

43、mental stimulus.”(Wilcox, 1996) Therefore teachers in middle schools are supposed to apply English songs in English teaching to promote middle students memory of English. 四、 Application of English songs in English teaching in middle schoolApplying English songs in English teaching in middle schools

44、is an ideal method. However, it is difficult for teachers to apply English songs in practical teaching reasonably. If English songs are used irrelevantly, the teaching effect will be influenced greatly. The following ideas will explore how to apply English songs in specific English teaching effectiv

45、ely. （一） Application in pronunciation teachingPronunciation is an important part of vocabulary. “The particular value and effectiveness of using songs in language instruction is specifically to improve pronunciation skills. It has been found that pronunciation can be taught more rapidly, more effect

46、ively and with greater memory through the use of English song, rather than the mechanical classroom drills. English songs, with their tones, rhythm and stress, can provide for a suitable way to teach and practice pronunciation. It is relatively easy to find song lyrics that stress a particular phone

47、me. The melody, combined with the lyrics, provides an excellent opportunity to acquire pronunciation and enjoy music at the same time. Thus the pronunciation is more easily to learn and tend to stick longer than mechanical drills. English songs can be applied to teach the vowels. For example, the so

48、ng Twinkle Twinkle Little Star can be used to teach the / a: / and / ai /. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky; Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!” Through sing the words “star” “are” and “high” “sky”

49、 , middle students will get a deep memory of / a:/. Thus English songs can be applied in pronunciation teaching.（二） Application in vocabulary teachingAcquiring vocabulary is an essential step to learn English well. Present English textbooks in middle school contain many strange words and most units

50、have more than 20 new words, which make middle students stressed out. “English songs contain melodies, beats, rhymes, and meaningful context which help middle students to remember vocabulary more easily.”(Falioni, 1993) Similarly Harmer states that actions, in particular, are probably better explain

51、ed by mime and again in conjunction with songs lyrics provide a more memorable context. It is wise to reduce middle students big vocabulary burden by applying English songs in vocabulary teaching. For example, teachers can organize the words like “head” “shoulders” “knees” and “toes” into a song whe

52、n they teach body organs. In the way of singing, middle students have a better grasp of the noun of animals in a relaxed, active and interesting atmosphere and avoid boring rote. In general, it is worthy to choose English songs as a complement to the vocabulary teaching. （三） Application in sentence

53、teachingSentences play a key role in communication. However, how to make middle students have a better understanding of sentence structures is a difficult task for most English teachers. Sentence patterns are relatively complex which are not easy for middle students to fully understand. So teachers

54、are supposed to teach sentence patterns in an easy way, rather than a mechanical drill. English songs can also deal with this problem. English songs can be used for sentence pattern practice. “English songs provide a natural context for many sentence structures. Music can be a way of activating mean

55、ing and improving comprehensibility in a musical context, similar to a visual aid.”(Leith, 1979) For example, the song How Old Are You can be applied to teach the greeting sentence “How old are you”. The lyrics sing “How how, how old are you? Five five, I am five years old. One, two, three, four, fi

56、ve, six, seven, eight, nine, ten”. The lyrics are simple and cheerful which middle students can easily sing the song out and remember the sentence “How old are you” in a meaningful context. In addition, middle students, who have learned the greeting sentence “How are you”, might feel confused to dis

57、tinguish these two sentence patterns. English teachers can also show middle students the video of the song and present them a specific social scene with subtitle of proper greeting sentences in a musical atmosphere. Then teachers can encourage middle students to have a role play according to the sce

58、ne on the video with the sentence “How old are you”. Thus middle students might implant this social situation to their brains and use the target sentence in similar occasion. In a word, it is beneficial to apply English songs in sentence teaching.（四） Application in grammar teaching English songs can

59、 be used for teaching grammar. The fact that grammar teaching may sometimes appear to be boring for certain middle students may make them rather unwilling to learn the grammar of English. In this situation, teachers should find some alternative, more motivating ways of teaching it. “Different styles

60、 of English songs are correlated with the various grammar lessons, because a certain beat reminds middle students the song, and the song in turn reminds them of the grammar. If appropriate tasks are given, English songs give pleasurable repetition with no boredom and provide active participation in

61、the language. It is an easy way for middle students to know what the grammar is and how to use the grammar.”(Aton, 1990) One example is that teachers can use With Me to London as a supplement to teach the Future Continuous. “Come with me to London Town. How shall we get there? Well hop the way the r

62、abbits do. Thats how well get there.” Teachers can illustrate the Future Continuous and explain the main idea of this song to middle students first. Then after middle students sing this song well, teachers can appropriately question them:” How can we go to London?” This question will greatly stimula

63、te their enthusiasm and answer in the way of singing like “Well fly the way the birds doWell swim the way the fish doesWell run the way the puppy dogs do” Thus middle students will have a deeper understanding of the grammar of the Future Continuous. Therefore English songs can be used in grammar tea

64、ching.五、 Tips on the application of English songs in English teachingDue to the broad application of modern media such as the Internet, the resource of English songs is wide. However, there are also many songs which are not appropriate to middle students. Thus selecting suitable song materials is pa

65、rticularly important for English teachers. （一） Consistency with the practical English ability of middle studentsThe song selection needs to follow the middle students practical level of language and comprehension ability. General speaking, too difficult lyrics will affect their interest and enthusiasm. So lyrics need to set an advisable difficulty level. Sometimes songs can be easier so that all students are able to understand, and sometimes songs chosen need to be slightly higher than the average level of middle students so as to drive most of them to make efforts to understand