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  • Lisa Anderson

How to integrate music into your classroom…even if you aren’t musically inclined!

Updated: Jun 27, 2019

All of the teachers I have interviewed agree that using music in the classroom is beneficial (and science also agrees). That said, not all teachers are comfortable singing in class or know how to play an instrument, so they simply feel like they are ill-prepared to make music with their students. But what if I told you there was another way?!?

According to Chapin (2010), and described in one of my previous blog posts, listening to music can help individuals encode and retrieve memories, moderate their behaviour, and regulate their emotions. Kang and Williamson tested this theory within the context of language learning. They found that accompanying beginner language lessons with simple instrumental background music at a low volume creates a more engaging learning environment and aid students with their knowledge recall, particularly when learning tonal languages like Mandarin or Cantonese (2014). For best results, the researchers suggest using music set to a medium tempo with minimalistic instrumental arrangements that avoid distracting or unusual melodies and frequencies that are similar to the human voice. Moreover, the researchers caution against using background music in language classes when more advanced analytical tasks are required. This is because previous studies have found that background music can have negative effects on musically trained participants (Patson and Tippett, 2011, as cited in Kang and Williamson, 2014). In the cited study, musically-trained adults performed better at a language comprehension test when taken in a silent room than when taken in a room with background music. This may be because musically trained adults use more overlapping cognitive structures when processing language and music and are therefore, overstimulated by the musical environment. Even though this has not yet been tested on musically-trained children, it may be best to avoid using background music when you get into the real nitty gritty lessons just in case!

Another way you can use background music in the classroom is during small group discussions. A 2014 study found that EAP (English for Academic Purposes) students felt more at ease and were more likely to contribute to small group discussions when soft background music was being played (Cunningham). Anyone who’s taken or taught a language class knows that small group discussions are an essential component to developing oral language skills and fostering knowledge building among students. That said, a silent classroom full of apprehensive language learners may not provide the most conducive environment for building these skills. Cunningham predicted that playing soft background music during discussions could help create an atmosphere similar to those in which authentic conversations take place such as coffee shops, restaurants, or pubs. In such spaces, the background music allows groups to converse even while others are silent and permits individuals to reflect before responding to a question as they no longer need to fear the infamous “awkward silence”. As it turns out, her inklings were well founded. When asked what they thought of background music use during small group discussions, none of the participants considered it to be detrimental. Moreover, almost half of the participants considered it to be beneficial as the music created a more inviting environment, made lulls in conversation less awkward, and helped shy group members feel more comfortable speaking when all of the other groups had gone silent. What’s more, 61 percent stated that they would be using music in their future classrooms (if permitted by their employer) during small group discussions.

In short, when using music in your classroom, you don’t need to be a musician yourself. All you need is a phone or a computer, a speaker into which you can plug in said device, and a program or app that allows you to create and save Playlists. Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube all come to mind, but I am sure there are many more options. And don’t feel like you have to do the brunt of the work all by yourself, get your students involved! Asking your students to submit a list of song requests (all of which should be vetted by you before playing them in class) not only lessens your workload, but also makes them feel like their voices matter, demonstrates that you value their contributions, and motivates them to come to class. It’s a win-win!

Until next time music and language lovers!


References:

Chapin, H., Jantzen, K., Scott Kelso, J.A., Steinberg, F., Large, E. (2010). Dynamic Emotional and Neural Responses to Music Depend on Performance Expression and Listener Experience. PLoS ONE 5(12): e13812. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0013812

Cunningham, C. ‘Keep talking’: Using music during small group discussions in EAP. (2014). ELT Journal. 68(2) 179-191. doi: 10.1093/elt/cct097

Kang, H., Williamson, V. (2014). Background music can aid second language learning. Psychology of Music, 42(5), 728-747. doi: 10.1177/0305735613485152

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