For these above reasons, I would like to choose the topic: “USING SIMPLE SONGS TOGETHER WITH GESTURES AND MOVEMENT TO INCREASE THE STUDENTS’ INTEREST IN STUDYING ENGLISH IN CLASS 6 AT QU
Trang 1TABLE OF CONTENTS: Page
I INTRODUCTION : 2
II.4 Results and Findings 17
III CONCLUSION
Trang 2PART I: INTRODUCTION I.1 Rationale
Nowadays, with the develpoment of science and technology people in general and students in particular are surrounded by information from several sourses and
reaching information becomes more and more important English is the language of
the international business, technology, science and travel and the ability to
communicate in English can be kind of a linguistic power While English language is
widely used for communication, the competence in English is considered as an added
potential
However, it can be said that learner of a new language face exciting challenges in developing their abilities to speak, listen, read and write and in learning about other
cultures as well
Generally speaking, students often feel nervous or shy when they try to speak English They even struggle to understand what someone is saying to them despite
years of study They are embarrassed about their pronunciation or worried that they
speak too slowly Despite the fact that they have vocabulary and grammar, it is
difficult for them to actually to use their English to speak
One of the big problem teachers all face is maintaining students’ interest throughout the lessons as well as make them enjoy learning English Although there
are more and more innotivate approaches helping students study English, music is
said to be a great teaching tool because of its universal appeal, connecting all cultures
and language
Music plays an important role in our life Music is also considered a form of international language All everybody can enjoy and understand music, whether you
are one, and where do you do For students, the music brings back a lot of useful
things
Scientists have provided reasons to explain why music will bring back many wonderful things for childre, especially in teaching foreign language.This makes it
one of the best and most motivating resources in the classroom, regardless of the age
or background of the students
For high school students, Super Simple Songs are both easy to listen and short to remember Teachers can bring new worlds into the classroom and bring language
learning alive through Super Simple Songs If songs allow students to feel the
language, gestures and movement help them make sense of it Students learn more
quickly and retain the knowledge longer when they sing and move together
For these above reasons, I would like to choose the topic:
“USING SIMPLE SONGS TOGETHER WITH GESTURES AND MOVEMENT TO INCREASE THE STUDENTS’ INTEREST IN STUDYING
ENGLISH IN CLASS 6 AT QUAN SON SECONDARY AND HIGH SCHOOL
IN QUAN SON, THANH HOA”
in the hope of motivating the students of class 6 at Quan Son Secondary and High
school in studying English and then developing their listening and speaking skills
Trang 3though listening and singing along those songs in regular basis I also expect that
English super simple songs as authentic materials are possible to increase the
students’ interest in the study of English at school
It is hoped that both students and other teachers will find some useful reference for their learning and teaching
I.2 Aims of the study
The study is aimed to help the students:
- Become familiar with English sounds and their pronunciation and intonation
patterns as well as recognize the sounds they hear, imitate them and then develop
their listening skill
- Learn English phrases used in real life situations, improve vocabulary and catch
authentic languages
- Create an enjoyable asmophere
- Increase the students’ interest in the study of English
I.3 Objects of the study
The study is carried out with 45 students of the class 6 who have been learning English for 2 years( 2 years at primary school ).These students study at Quan Son
Secondary and High School in Quan Son, Thanh Hoa They are mainly from ethnic
minority, Thai people
Among 45 students who take part in the study, most of them are not good at English, even they can not speak English, expect some simple words or sentence
However, they have mobile phones which can be connected by wifi or 4G everyday
I.4 Methods of the study
In order to achieve the above aims, the teacher uses English- language super simple songs as authentic materials to increase the students’ interest in the study of
English as a second language Students will have time to watch super simple songs
with gestures and movement After singing along in a period of time, they will
gradually develop their English skills, copy or imitate the pronunciation and enjoy
learning English more
In this study, theory study, observation, data collection and analysis, discussion
as well as evaluation are mainly used to achieve the aims of the study
Trang 4PART 2: CONTENT II.1 Literature review
II.1.1 The definition of Super Simple Songs
According to https://supersimple.com/super-simple-songs/, Super Simple Songs are original kids songs and classic nursery rhymes made SIMLPE for young
learners Combining captivating animation and puppetry with delightful music that
kids love to sing along with Super Simple Songs make learning simple and fun
II.1.2The benefits of using songs in English class
II.1.2.1 Linguistic benefits
The use of music in the classroom has numerous advantages The benefits of using songs in the English class are obviously linguistic, since they help students to
distinguish different phonemes and stress parterns and favour the unconscious
acquisition of otherwise difficult issues such as pronunciation, rhythm and intonation;
they offer grammatical structures which are repeated once and again and are therefore
easily absorbed in their mind; and they introduce lexical items in context, which
facilitates the correct use of such items in their future utterances
II.1.2.2 Psychological benefits
Psychological benenits like motivation, social participation, confidence building or memory development also deserve being mentioned as an important part
of the learning process They also can be achieved from the use of songs in the
English classroom
Because of their linguistic and psychological benefits, songs are useful tool in the language learning classroom They contain authentic language, are easily
abtainable, provide vocabulary, grammar and cultures aspects and are fun for
students They provide enjoyable speaking, listening, vocabulary and language
practive both in and out of classroom Therefore, songs are considered as a regular
part of their classroom activities
II.1.3 Music: Using Gestures and Movement
According to https://dictionary.cambridge.org/vi/dictionary/english/gesture, Gestures
is a movement of hand, arms and a head, ect to express an idea or feelings.
On the website Wikipedia(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesture) A gesture is a form
of non-verbal communication or non-vocal communication in which visible bodily
actions communicate particular messages, either in place of, or in conjunction
with, speech Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of
the body Gestures differ from physical non-verbal communication that does not
communicate specific messages, such as purely expressivedisplays, proxemics, or
feelings and thoughts, from contempt and hostility to approval and affection, often
together with body language in addition to words when they speak.
Gestures make learning funny and easy One way to really enhance language development in the classroom or at home is the use of music and gestures together
There are a number of studies that indicate that both songs and gestures together absolutely assist learning
Trang 5One of the great benefits of using song with gestures is that it helps students understand where the words are in the sentences When singing with gestures, even if
students do a gesture for one word or phrase in a sentence, understanding that one
word helps us piece together the rest of the sentence Do not need to make gestures
for everything When doing gestures with songs, too many gestures will confuse and
frustrate the students Identify key words and create gestures for those Keep it
simple
Using gestures helps students internalize the language When students have a chance to create movement and gestures themselves, it makes that connection to the
language even stronger If the students are not yet familiar in the song, try
introducing the vocabulary with pictures, objects, or flashcards When using
flashcard, introduce the card, say the word together and then have the students create
a gesture for that word The teacher migh need to help them but do it together Make
sure that gestures for a song are not too big or complicated because there may not be
time to do them while singing Keep the gestures simples and concise
II.2 The reality of the students’ interest in the study of English at Quan Son
Secondary and High School
Quan Son is one of the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa province The living condition and studying condition are poor and restrict Although students who are in
grade 6 have been learning English for 2 years, they still feel that English is a very
difficult subject, especially the listening and speaking skills Most of them do not
receive sufficient exposure at home They have many difficulties in recognizing
sounds, understanding English sentences as well as using English to communicate
with others because of the lack of knowledge on sentence pattern, grammar
knowledge, poor vocabulary and even wrong pronunciation
Additionally, the students who study at Quan Son Secondary School in Quan Son, Thanh Hoa are mainly from ethnic minority, Thai people Their mother tongue
is Thai language and they do not have opportunities to study English extra or use it
outside classrooms Thus, they find it difficult to remember English words, the
pronunciation as well as the usages Those are the reasons why their English are not
good, even there are many students who do not know anything about English
For these students, learning English as a foreign language is a really boring and uninteresting task Students used to work on grammar exercises on their own and
learn enormous lists of vocabularu by heart, which lacked any communicative sense
All this turned this subject into something horrible and boring to tears
Besides, Quan Son has the boder with Laos and a lot of foreigners come here every year They mainly use English to communicate with local people However,
most of the students can not communicate in English, even they can not hear and
understand what the foreigners are saying as well as how to reply
Therefore, motivating students, increasing their interest in the study of English and then developing their English skills are really necessary and important in their
English learning and in their daily lives as well
Trang 6II.3 The produre of using gestures and movement together with Super Simple
Songs to increase the students’ interest in the study of English in class 10A1 at
Quan Son Secondary School
II.3.1.Time and Measurement
II.3.1.1.Time
The study is carried out at the beginning of English lessons This warm- up last 5 minutes, they have three English lessons per week at class but English Super Simple
Songs with gestures are only applied once a week Every song is repeated twice
Students are watched again at home( songs are up on the group of the class on
Facebook or on Youtube)
The study lasts 2 months ( from February 15th 2021 to April 15th 2021) In this study, there are 5 Super Simple Songs
II.3.1.2 Measurement
Assessment of the students’s interest in the study of English is based on their language development and motivation they have Their language development here is
mainly about oral language Oral language must focus on a student’s ability to
interpret a conveying meaning for authentic purpose in interactive context Giving
students a mark for speaking is challenging job Evaluating speaking is difficult as
there are many things to pay attention at the same time One possible solution for this
is to pay attention on one or two aspects at a time For an example a particular
speaking activity or task the teacher can focus on marking the content and the word
stress For next, the teacher can pay attention on intonation and linking sounds
In this study,I myself evaluate the students’ interest through their attitude in studying English as well as my observation about their improvement compared to
their level at the beginning to see whether the students are able to listen and recognize
sounds better, minimize errors, use new words and phrases that they learnt when they
speak, speak confidently, speak clearly or organize ideas
Table 1: Measurement scale Level Competencies
Level 1 Student listened or spoke one or two words from speech
sentences, the sentence is meaningless Level 2 Student listened or spoke approximately 1/2 of the words from
the sentence, the sentence does not provide the full meaning Level 3 Student listened or spoke more than ½ of the words from the
sentence, the meaning of the sentence is almost there Level 4 Student has completed ¾ of the sentence, with some mistake in
Trang 7pronunciation The meaning of the sentence is apprehended.
Level 5 Student listened or spoke the sentence complete and full
Moreover, I also have discussion with my students and my colleage working with me at Quan Son Secondary School on using English super simple songs with
gestures in increading the students’ interest in studying English and evaluate it
II.3.2 The ways to use gestures and movement together with Super Simple Songs
For students in class 6, the teacher chose Super Simple Songs that are very simple,repetitive and easy to understand to helps them sing easily They understand
mostly from what they receive through their senses, that is to say, through sight,
hearing or touching and from interaction rather than from explanation
Some principles on using gestures together with songs to increase students’
interest in the study of English
This proceduce is divided into two stages: + Preparation
+ Presentation
II.3.2.1 Preparation stage ( Teacher’s preparation before the lesson)
- Step 1: Using Super Simple Songs that start with music and movement in mind
It can be said that most super simple songs are short and easy to use gestures
- Step 2: Preparing the flashcards/ pictures/ objects related to the vocabulary of the
song
- Step 3: Finding gestures which are suitable for the song.
Make sure that gestures for a song are not too big or complicated because there may not be time to do them while singing Keep the gestures simples and concise
II.3.2.2 Presentation stages
Step 1: Song Presentation
- Activity 1: First of all, the teacher represents or symbolizes the different gestures
and movement used in the song while the students listen to it
- Activity 2: The teacher use flashcards/ pictures/ objects to elicit vocabulary from
students or introduce vocabulary of the song in order to help students understand
what they hear
- Activity 3: The teacher re-presents the song with gestures and movement while
students listen to the song again
Step 2: Students’ Presentation
Ater the song presentation, the students stand up and repeat what the teacher has
done, imitating him or her They sing along with their gestures
II.3.3.Suggested topics in choosing Super Simple Songs
Basing on the content of units in English 6 textbook and the students’knowledge I recommand some topics such as:
- Hello and goodbye songs: Hello, hello, goodbye….
- Song related to people: the body part, the family,the neighbour, the friend, …
- Daily activity songs: in the morning….
- Nature and weather songs:Rise and shine, ….
Trang 8Songs are divided into vocabulary songs and grammatical songs
II.3.4.Some illustrating examples for using gestures and movement together with
Super Simple Songs
Here are two illustrating examples and I have included 4 different examples in Appendix 3 The steps and activites I have proposed for the two example chosen can
equally be appiled to any the songs in appendix 3
2.3.4.1 Super Simple Song: Wash Your Hands Song
* Preparation stage:
Step 1: Super Simple Songs: Wash Your Hands Song
- Step 2: Preparing the flashcards/ pictures/ objects related to the vocabulary of the
song
- Step 3: Finding gestures which are suitable for the song.
* Presentation stages
Step 1: Song Presentation
- Activity 1: First of all, the teacher represents or symbolizes the different gestures
and movement used in the song while the students listen to it
- Activity 2: The teacher use flashcards/ pictures/ objects to elicit vocabulary from
students or introduce vocabulary of the song in order to help students understand
what they hear
- Activity 3: The teacher re-presents the song with gestures and movement while
students listen to the song again
- Step 2: Students’ Presentation
Ater the song presentation, the students stand up and repeat what the teacher has done, imitating him or her They sing along with their gestures
Wash your hands, wash your hands( using hands guestures)
I rub my hands here and there( using hands activities)
I wash my cute face ( using hand and face gesture)
Mother to son :Wash your hands ! Wash your hands !
After you play games , you shoud wash your hands Look at your little hands, there are many germs
Trang 9After you play games , you shoud wash your hands
Son to mother: Wash my hands ! Wash my hands !
I rub here and there , bubble, bubble, bubble
I wash my little hands , go away germs
I dry my hands with a towel, it’s all done
Son to mother :Wash your hands ! Wash your hands !
After you sneeze , you shoud wash your hands Look at your little hands, there are many germs After you sneeze , you shoud wash your hands
Mother to son Wash my hands ! Wash my hands !
I rub here and there , bubble, bubble, bubble
I wash my little hands , go away germs
I dry my hands with a towel, it’s all done
II.3.4.2 Super Simple Song: Colours finger family
* Preparation stage
- Step 1: Using Super Simple Songs that start with music and movement in mind
Lyrics
- Step 2: Preparing the flashcards/ pictures/ objects/ videos related to the vocabulary of the song and Finding gestures which are suitable for the song
( colours )
* Presentation stages
Step 1: Song Presentation
- Activity 1: First of all, the teacher represents or symbolizes the different pictures related to colours and movement used in the song while the students listen to it
Lyric 1:
One, two, three, four, five!
Finger blue, finger blue, where are you ?
Trang 10Here I am Here I am , How are you?
Finger green, finger green, where are you ? Here I am Here I am , How are you?
Finger yellow, finger yellow, where are you ? Here I am Here I am , How are you?
Finger red, finger red, where are you ? Here I am Here I am , How are you?
Finger purple, finger purple, where are you ? Here I am Here I am , How are you?
Lyric 2: Six , seven , eight, nine, ten
Finger pink, finger pink, where are you ? Here I am Here I am , How are you?
Finger orange, finger orange, where are you ? Here I am Here I am , How are you?
Finger brown, finger brown, where are you ? Here I am Here I am , How are you?