Speaker
KEYWORDS
Designed activity, music, autonomy, vocabulary learning
ABSTRACT
Music has been utilized in numerous language learning scenarios globally, and many kinds of research introduce the benefits and potentials of using music and song. In this presentation, I present an activity that I designed and conducted in a Japanese EFL classroom using Western music lyrics. The goal of this activity is for students to understand the meaning of the lyrics written in English and rewrite them in their own words.Through this activity, students start with understanding the literal meaning of the lyrics and then interpret them into language that involves a personal interpretation. They then write their personalized lyrics using their interpretation of the song and present them to their classmates. Because there is no one correct way to interpret the lyrics, different students produce different interpretations based on their experiences, ideas, and feelings. At times, research into the background of the song might be helpful or required. This activity engages students with ideas in Western music in an enjoyable way while they autonomously learn about the use of L1 and L2 vocabulary.
| TITLE | An Original Interpretation of an English Song |
|---|---|
| RELEVANT SIG | Task-Based Learning (TBL) |
| FORMAT | Practice-oriented Oral Face-to-face presentation (25 minutes, including Q&A) |
