Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Research Background
Based on the investigation and analysis of status quo of junior middle school students’English learning, this paper explores the feasibility of English songs assisted teaching andhow to effectively play its role in teaching so as to promote students’ enthusiasm for learningEnglish and enhance their English listening and speaking skills. This chapter introduces theresearch background and elaborates the research purpose and significance. Besides, theframework of this paper will be introduced in this chapter.English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2011 Edition) stipulates thatlanguage skill is a crucial part of language application ability, including listening, speaking,reading and writing skills and the comprehensive application of these skills. Also, it explicitlyputs forward the grading objectives of and requirements on English song teaching: The firstgrade target (Grade Three and Grade Four) requires students to sing 15 children’ songs andballads in English. The second grade target (Grade Five and Grade Six) requires students tosing 30 simple English songs and ballads (including the requirements of the first grade). Thethird grade target requires students to recite a certain amount of English poetry or ballads, andsing some English songs. Thus it can be seen that the song teaching method is one of theimportant teaching methods to develop students’ language competence in middle school.In the teaching process, teachers should apply perse teaching thinking modes and payattention to students’ language understanding and perception ability so as to stimulatestudents’ interest in language learning and cultivate students’ English learning thinking andinspiration ability. English songs assisted teaching meets the requirements of EnglishCurriculum Standards. Students’ interest in language learning is stimulated by songs, and theyare encouraged to speak English and feel the happiness and pleasure of English learning. Only when students enjoy and like learning can the learning efficiency be improved.
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1.2 Research Purpose and Significance
1.2.1 Research Purpose
This research adopted the method of action research. The English song teaching practicewas carried out in a class of the eighth grade taught by the author to explore and verify thefeasibility and effectiveness of applying English songs in junior high school English teaching.The positive effects of applying English songs assisted English teaching in junior high schoolare summarized. Finally, the author rethought the problems as well as the teaching effect thatshould be noticed. Meantime, it is expected that this study can make the teachers in theforefront scientifically understand music teaching methods, so as to widely utilize it inclassroom teaching and enrich the educational research in this field.
1.2.2 Research Significance
Theoretically, based on the previous research results, this paper combines with thecharacteristics of junior high school students, and the theory of pedagogy and secondlanguage acquisition so as to strengthen the theoretical research on the basis of practice,expand the application breadth of breadth and depth of the song teaching mode in middleschool English teaching, cultivate students' comprehensive language ability, and realize thenew objectives of English curriculum.From a practical point of view, First of all, the application of English songs in classroom teaching is in line with the needs of teaching. English teachers need not only to complete theteaching tasks in limited time, but also to mobilize the enthusiasm of students in theclassroom. The current state of junior high school English teaching is characterized by highconsumption and low efficiency, which makes it urgent to improve the teaching effect. Thispaper aims at demonstrating the feasibility and importance of the use of English songs inEnglish teaching in junior high schools and providing an effective and practical approach toEnglish teachers of middle schools. It not only enriches the means of English teaching andeffectively improves the teaching effect, but also meets the needs of middle school Englishteachers.
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Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.1 Definition of Relative Concepts
As a kind of English teaching method, the song teaching method refers to carrying outthe activities of speaking English ballads and singing English songs in the teaching process.Through music observation, listening, imagination and discussion, it can promote students’learning, stimulate their learning interest, and cultivate their creativity. Studies have shown,“whether for English learners in the initial stage, middle stage or advance stage of Englishlearning, sing ballads or songs have a positive effect on English learning. Generally, Englishballads and songs are used to assist the teaching of English letters, pronunciation, vocabulary,sentence patterns, grammar, and daily expression in the initial stage. In middle stage andadvance stage, English songs are mainly used to help develop listening, speaking, reading andwriting skills and cultural knowledge. In most cases, students only need to appreciate Englishsongs(Luo Xiaojie. 2006, p. 18). ” It is undoubted that speaking ballads and sing songs play arole in the development of students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.In foreign countries, the music teaching method has been widely used in scientificresearch and teaching. However, Chinese song teaching in middle school is still confined tothe traditional music class. Although many educators have been aware of the importance ofsongs assisted teaching methods, its universality and adaptability are deficient in the teachingpractice.
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2.2 Overseas Researches
Overseas experts and scholars have carried out many studies focusing on the applicationof English songs in teaching.Eken proposed that teaching by English songs has the following advantages, creating arelaxed classroom atmosphere; stimulating learners’ positive emotion and attitude;encouraging learners to take full advantage of their imagination and creativity; combining the pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar as well as other knowledge in teaching; And makinglanguage learning perse and interesting (Eken, 1996, pp. 46-47).Foreign researchers Adamowski argues that learning by listening to music can make thelearning atmosphere relaxing. Also, learners’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skillscan be cultivated, which further enhances learners’ comprehensive language skills(Adamowski, 1997, pp. 52-55).N.Chomsky, a famous American linguist, points out that although human beings are bornwith the mechanism of language acquisition, the corresponding language environment is alsovery important. Learners need language environment and accept certain language input.English song assisted teaching can create such a language learning environment with a largeamount of language input.In addition, the American educator Murphey (1992, pp. 770-774) analyzed and studiedone hundred English pop songs. Through careful analysis, he found that these popular songshave the characteristics of low difficulty, abundant emotion, and similarity to daily dialogue.Also, they can be remembered easily. They are conducive to listeners’ memory and languagelearning. Popular songs include many common words, phrases and personal pronouns, and thedifficulty is low. Sentences in the songs are appropriate for daily conversation, one fourth ofwhich are the imperative sentences and interrogative sentences. In addition, since most songsdo not clearly define time and place, so they can be used in multiple situations. The speed ofmany songs is slower than daily conversion, and there are also a lot of pauses. Also, the samevocabulary and grammatical structure will occur repeatedly. These factors enable learners tobetter learn language through songs.
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Chapter 3 Theoretical Basis .... 14
3.1 Krashen’s Input Hypothesis....... 14
3.1.1 Background of Input Hypothesis.............. 14
3.1.2 Basic Contents of Input Hypothesis ......... 14
3.1.3 Affective Filter Hypothesis.......... 16
3.2 Constructionism ........... 16
3.2.1 Introduction of Constructionism............... 17
3.2.2 The Effect of Constructionism on English Teaching.......... 17
Chapter 4 Methodology ........... 19
4.1 Action Research Design ............ 19
4.2 The Implementation of Action Research ............. 23
Chapter 5 Research Results and Discussion .... 39
5.1 Questionnaire Survey after Experiment .............. 39
5.2 Interview after Experiment........ 42
5.3 Post-test Results and Analysis................ 43
Chapter 5 Research Results and Discussion
In the former chapter, the implementing process of the whole action research plan ismainly introduced, and in this chapter, the author evaluated this action research plan on thebasis of the analysis of survey data as well as the test results.
5.1 Questionnaire Survey after Experiment
The questionnaire is pided into two groups, pre-teaching and post-teaching, in whichthe results of the pre-teaching questionnaire has been analyzed in the fifth chapter. Thepurpose of the post-test questionnaire is to assess the effectiveness of English songs used injunior high school English classroom teaching. The questionnaire 2 has added an openquestion “If you think singing English songs could help improve your English study, pleaselist in what areas it embodies?” A total of 58 questionnaires have been issued, the effectiverecovery of the questionnaire is 58.The following tables could suggest that this action research has achieved someachievement. The English song teaching method does not only make the teachers’ teachingmethods changed, but also help shift the students’ attitudes towards a better direction andimprove their interests in learning English.The questionnaire is pided into two groups, pre-teaching and post-teaching, in whichthe results of the pre-teaching questionnaire has been analyzed in the fifth chapter. Thepurpose of the post-test questionnaire is to assess the effectiveness of English songs used injunior high school English classroom teaching. The questionnaire 2 has added an openquestion “If you think singing English songs could help improve your English study, pleaselist in what areas it embodies?” A total of 58 questionnaires have been issued, the effectiverecovery of the questionnaire is 58.The following tables could suggest that this action research has achieved someachievement. The English song teaching method does not only make the teachers’ teachingmethods changed, but also help shift the students’ attitudes towards a better direction andimprove their interests in learning English.
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Conclusion
The purpose of this study is to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of English songteaching in junior high school English teaching through action research. The research isplanned, designed and implemented by the author, whose results show that English songs canhelp students improve their interests in English learning, enhance their learning enthusiasmand self-confidence, and it is conducive to promoting the teaching and learning of English.
1. Teachers’ teaching philosophy in the teaching process has been fundamentallychanged. In the former teaching, because of the restraints of exam-oriented education,teachers are often the center, and all teaching activities are carried out around the teacher.Since the introduction of English songs into the classroom teaching, teachers have become thedesigners, the participants, the guides and the organizers of the teaching activities, it becomesstudents-centered. Through the teaching, the teachers update their educational concepts andknowledge structure, which not only enriches their professional knowledge, but also improvesthe innovation ability of educational research. In the teaching, teachers should pay moreattention to researching the deep fusion of pedagogy and psychology. Through their ownexploration and discovery, combined with the actual learning situation of students andteaching practice, teachers truly serve the development of the students whole-heartedly.
2. English teaching through songs is very effective to improve the junior high schoolstudents’ English learning and can help them to improve their interest and motivation inlearning English. From the experimental results, most students can adapt to this way well,whose enthusiasm has been enhanced. Since interest is the best teacher, listening and singingEnglish songs just cater to the taste of most students, which help these students grow andlearn in a relaxing environment. Teaching and learning English songs can help them todevelop their emotions and activate atmosphere, which is helpful to the further developmentof teaching and promote students’ English learning.
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References (abbreviated)