Using Songs in Developing Intercultural Competence

Abstract

Songs in teaching English are not used to the full extent. To confirm this, we created a set of exercises based on the use of songs to form socio-cultural and regional knowledge, to familiarize students with the culture and way of life of Great Britain, to gain a deeper understanding of the representatives of this linguistic cultural community. The next step was carrying out a survey on revealing the effectiveness of using songs in EFL class, more precisely their effect on the developing of intercultural competence. Following methods were used to conduct the survey: the questionnaire of teachers and students, to determine the role of English songs in the developing of intercultural competence; the analysis of English language course books to determine the presence of songs focusing on their cultural significance; Life in the UK Test, a test to check the knowledge of the history and culture of Britain. The results of the research showed the expediency of using song to develop intercultural competence. Moreover, use of songs aroused interest among students; they expressed the opinion that lyrics have a much deeper meaning and varied information than they thought before using them in English classes. They expressed a desire to continue using songs during classes in keeping with this approach.

When “grass was greener”*: Longplay Album Covers and Learning English. A Retrospection

“…In a similar vein, Shayakhmetova et al (2017) argue that songs can be successfully used for the development of intercultural competence. They carried 12 out a year-long experiment durning which EFL learners were studying eighteen topics related to British culture and everyday life, using five to six songs interwoven with other activities.…”

Brazilian songs in a French university: classroom practices from the perspective of literomusical literacy

“…Griffee (1992) argumenta que a música é universal, pois todos conhecem e estão predispostos a conhecer essa arte, e ela é também culturalmente específica, pois o conteúdo e estilo da canção se espelham em uma cultura particular, podem ser produto dessa cultura, podem refletir e influenciar essa cultura. Shayakhmetova et al (2017), com sua pesquisa, afirmam que a música é um excelente material para desenvolver a competência intercultural no ensino da língua inglesa. Seu uso despertou o interesse dos alunos, eles compreenderam mais a canção, opinaram que a letra tem significado muito mais profundo e apresenta mais informações do que pensavam, com isso eles expressam o desejo de continuar usando a música.…”

“…Gobbi (2001), em sua dissertação "A música como estratégia de aprendizagem no ensino de Língua Inglesa", relatou pesquisas que também discutiram o ensino de línguas por meio da música: Miragaya (1992), Kanel (1996), Griffee (1992), Jourdain (1997), Murphey (1990); todas essas pesquisas compartilham a ideia de que a música ajuda na memorização e contribui para uma atmosfera agradável em sala de aula e enfatizam a repetição da música como uma prática importante para a aprendizagem. Shayakhmetova et al (2017) cita as pesquisas de Murphey (1992), Jalongo e Bromley (1984), Martin (1983), Mitchell (1983), que analisam um corpus de canções populares em língua inglesa. Eles concluíram que as músicas eram ferramentas úteis e significativas para melhorar a qualidade do ensino de línguas estrangeiras.…”

Intercultural Communication-Based Lessons through Songs: Effects on the Intercultural Competence Development of Thai Tertiary Students

“…In other words, very few studies related ICC to the use of songs. Few studies were found, for example, Shayakhmetova, Shayakhmetova, Ashrapova, and Zhuravleva (2017) investigated the use of songs in developing intercultural competence by creating a set of exercises based on the use of songs. A survey on the effectiveness of using songs in EFL class on the developing of intercultural competence was used as well as a test to check the knowledge of the history and culture of Britain.…”