Authentic Music with Beginning-Level Language

LearnersLaura Catherine Carruthers-Green

Carlisle High Schoollauracatherine.green@gmail.com

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How do you think listening to music in Spanish impacted your learning ?

“Some of the songs we learned helped me remember some of the things we were learning. Also they make class more interesting and that makes us pay closer attention (Andrea).”

“It not only impacts in Spanish class but out of too. We have more things to say in conversation out side [sic] of class and it builds our vocabulary in class so it makes it easier to understand and know instead of guessing (Estrella).”

How do you think listening to music in Spanish impacted your learning ?

“I didn’t know first off that folk rock existed and that Spanish culture could make it so artistic (Logan).”

“I learned how to say new words in Spanish like simplicity, equalize and miss (Logan).”

Current uses and challenges

Research/graduate study findings

Practical ideas for using music

Resources for finding music Spanish song suggestions

Questions and comments

Let’s get started!

Cloze activities Quick and can be stressful

Singing Secondary: lack of motivation to participate

Analyzing song lyrics, meaning and messages Too advanced for Level I

Current Uses & Challenges

Do students have to understand every single word of songs they hear in another language? No!

Toddlers learn songs long before they understand what they mean.

It’s no different with Level I language students!

My Ah-ha Moment

Sra. CG to her students: Are you going to understand every word?

No! Is that ok?

Yes! Absolutely that’s alright! Focus on what you

already know and recognize and challenge yourself to notice something new.

It’s All About the Introduction

It IS possible for students in Level I to understand authentic music and learn from it.

Level I students need comprehensible input.

Music is a motivating way to incorporate culture and expose students to different music styles and important musical artists from the target culture.

Research & Graduate Study Findings

Eighteen 8th graders (Spanish I)

Ten songs in Spanish

Learned info about song (artist, genre, year, etc.)

Jigsaw activity to decipher meaning

Judged song based on various elements

Research & Graduate Study Findings

Statement 1 2 3

I like listening to music in Spanish class. 0 2 15

Listening to music in Spanish is a challenge for me.

8 9 0

Listening to music in Spanish improved my understanding of the Spanish language.

0 4 13

Listening to music in Spanish made me more interested in the Spanish language.

2 5 10

Listening to music in Spanish improved my understanding of Hispanic culture.

0 7 7

Listening to music in Spanish made me more interested in Hispanic culture.

2 7 8

Listening to music in Spanish class is a valuable tool.

0 2 12

Research & Graduate Study Findings

1 = I completely disagree. 2 = I somewhat agree. 3 = I completely agree.

Reinforcement and growth of linguistic knowledge Connections to vocab and grammar

Student engagement In how many classes do they get to listen to music and

watch music videos?

Growth in cultural practices & perspectives

Evidence of life-long learning!

Research & Graduate Study Findings

If you listen to songs in class and take the time to explore them with students, they WILL listen them outside of class, they WILL download them and they WILL look them up on YouTube and they WILL tell you how much they enjoy them.

Might even hear the songs in the halls.

Evidence of Life-Long Learning

Jigsaw lyrics Write unknown words on individual notecards

(infinitives for verbs with the form from the song in parenthesis)

Students look up their word (dictionary or WordReference.com)

Teacher leads students through the lyrics and students share their meaning

Put together the meaning as a class

Jigsaw Lyrics

www.elmundodebirch.wordpress.com Wealth of info about using music to learn

language

“Music Critique: You Be the Judge” sheet

Modified version for thesis

Song Evaluation/Judging

With a certain focus in mind, students listen and/or search for key words

Simple: listen/search for pronouns or definite/indefinite articles

Advanced: listen/search for examples of certain thematic words (adjectives) or grammar (stem-changing verbs)

Give students the number of a certain item and challenge them to find all the examples

Key Words

Students research artists or a band and listen to their music

Students envision and write an interview with the artists or band

Can act out with a partner/group in class for an in-class activity or summative assessment

Great way to practice forming/asking/answering questions in the target language

Interview with a Singer/Band

Disclaimer: I currently use this with my Levels III and AP students. Would be possible for Level I, but would take time and teacher support.

Give students a section of a song to work through

Listen to sections each day or wait until end to reveal

Warm - Ups

Give students slips of paper with sections of song lyrics

As students listen, they have to put the lyrics in order as they hear them

Go through meaning before or after

Variation: Students get one section of the lyrics, must hold theirs up when they hear it

Lyric Order

Pandora

Edmodo teacher groups/communities

Zachary Jones (www.zambombazo.com)

www.elmundodebirch.wordpress.com

Resources for Finding Music

= good and appropriate official YouTube video

Camisa Negra (Juanes) Cosas Pequeñas (Prince Royce) Bailar Contigo (Carlos Vives) El Universo Sobre Mí (Amaral) No Te Pido Flores (Fanny Lu) Te Voy a Amar (Axel) Que Vida, La Mia (Reik) Tren del Cielo (Soledad)

Spanish Song Suggestions

= good and appropriate official YouTube video

Una en un Millón (Jesse & Joy) Non-official YouTube video with pictures for

lyrics

Libre Soy (Adriana Vitale)

Vivir Mi Vida (Marc Anthony)

Somos el Mundo (various artists)

Sra. CG’s Faves

= good and appropriate official YouTube video

Quien Te Quiere como Yo (Carlos Baute) Tengo tu Love (Sie7e) Jueves (La Oreja de Van Gogh)

YouTube search: Canciones Únicas Jueves – La Oreja de Van Gogh

Start at :40 because of graphic bombing footage

Have Kleenex ready

Sra. CG’s Top Faves

Incorporating music with level I students can lead your students in so many exciting directions

Find a way/activity that works for you and songs that you enjoy. Students will pick up on your enthusiasm

Be patient with students as they work through music in another language. It’s hard stuff!

Enjoy!

That’s a Wrap