Music w/ iPhone

 

Music Integrated Language Teaching w/ iPhone

Teachers know the iportance of practicing the language learnt. But they also intervene between real life and the school life so practicing looks like a boring class activity. Teachering has changed since Pink Floyd’s rebellion by the song Another Brick in The Wall in 1979. But what has not changed is that “Teacher still does not leave the kids alone”. With this in mind, why don’t teachers do something cool that will make their kids want to show off in real life.

Language and Music: Words, theme, syntax, dialogue, expression, character, narrative, reading, composition… (music-in-education.org)

As indicated above music has many benefits in language learning and everybody is on the side of using it. If you are a teacher of very/young learners, you are lucky as your kids will be willing to sing their lungs out. But as they grow older, they start to care about what their peers think about them. They start to form a charisma by doing or not doing something that sometimes creates hard times for teachers. Some of the things you do work in class, some don’t. We all know that selection of songs are important and the most favorite, hit record of your teenage years can now just be a stinky cheese. Instead of imposing them what to learn, we can give them the opportunity to either write their own lyrics or choose their own favorite song.

Here is a tool which can make them look cool! This tool is called LADIDA by Khush. Unfortunately it is now (April, 2012) only available in Apple iPhones/iPads. Windows, Mac and Android platforms don’t seem to have them. What does this tool do? Basically, it makes your beautiful voice more beautiful (or bearable). It contains different types of music and you arrange the tempo and a few other very easy settings. Just let students write their own lyrics or let them cover a song they already know. This is Education and Entertainment or as it was made popular “Edutainment”.

Some students will not be willing to do it as it is the first time and it has the risks of being “uncool” what’s more mockery is ready hanging out there. Solution? First, teachers can do it themselves so that students will stop saying “he would never do that but he is making us do”. Another option is identifying the student with the will to sing and have him do kick the ball running. If your students don’t like their voices to be recorded because of their beliefs, you could try singing in chorus.

 

What I also realized is that when the teacher provides some information about the cause of doing such a “stupid” activity, students start to become more willing to do it. Telling them how learning by songs can be permanent with some scientific information helps the teacher. After giving students little information about the function of brain and that when the two lobes of brain interact learning becomes more permanent. As a quick summary; Left lobe representing the hard disc of a computer and Right lobe represents artistic side including songs so when lyrics meet songs, they will remember it for a long time. Ask them to remember a lullaby or childhood song, many will succeed to remember and be convinced.  In Brain Based Learning it is important to understand how brain works and then plan your lessons accordingly, also giving students some metacognitive information creates awareness in activities. Teachers can reveal their own basis on why they are doing it.

Below are the two examples of two different students singing recorded by Ladida. In one of them lyrics are made up by the stundent and the other is a cover of very well known song. (Thank you… Gamze and Yasemin for letting me share them)

 

http://music-in-education.org/articles/The_Learning_Through%20Music_Music-Integrated_Teaching_and_Learning_Framework.pdf

 

 

 

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