Learning english through pop culture analyzing the impact of media and entertainment

Music, movies or TV shows, video games and social media – these elements of pop culture have become an important way to learn English by watching, listening and reading.. The purpose of

HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY 2

FACULTY OF ENGLISH

-🙞🙜🕮🙞🙜

-LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH POP CULTURE: ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

Field: English Linguistics SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN THI HA ANH

Student name: Triệu Thị Phương Thảo Student code: 237220201037 Hanoi, 2024

TOPIC: Learning English Through Pop Culture: Analyzing the Impact of Media and Entertainment

ABSTRACT

The worldwide spread of English is causing a demand for learning methods that work outside the traditional classroom Music, movies or TV shows, video games and social media – these elements of pop culture have become an important way to learn English by watching, listening and reading The purpose

of this study is to investigate how engaging in English-language pop culture contributes to learners' vocabulary skills, listening comprehension abilities and ability to understand different cultures With mixed method, the data was collected using questionnaire containing 15 closed and 5 open-ended questions provided to college English learners who were consumers of pop culture Results suggest a significant influence of pop culture on learners' motivation and ability to use language in the world, as well as on their exposure to informal language, slang and common idiomatic usages However, challenges such as reliance on subtitles and the risk of misinterpretation were also highlighted The findings suggest that pop culture can effectively complement traditional learning, offering engaging and culturally relevant ways to improve English proficiency

INTRODUCTION:

In today's interconnected world, with the growing presence and influence of English, language skills are more important than before as they open up a plethora of opportunities and resources to individuals worldwide Historically speaking ways of acquiring language proficiency through education like classroom teaching and textbooks have been the go-to method for learners everywhere Nevertheless, with the reach of culture encompassing: music, movies, TV shows, social networking platforms and gaming, a new interactive and engaging approach to learning English has emerged for students seeking to

improve their language skills Many students find that pop culture serves not as

a source of enjoyment but, as a casual aid, in learning languages

Pop culture is known for its influence and popularity among people worldwide

It has a notable impact on how we communicate daily and experience different cultures It covers everything from song lyrics to conversations in films and engaging elements in video games; it introduces individuals to diverse language expressions and cultural references that are usually not included in language learning environments by learners genuine and current language usage found in pop culture content facilitates the connection between knowledge and practical use, in real life scenarios

This study aims to investigate the role of culture, including music, movies, TV shows, and social media, in helping people learn English by examining how it affects listening abilities and cultural comprehension This research will shed light on the benefits of learning settings alongside conventional approaches Furthermore, it will discuss how popular culture impacts language learning strategies and inspires learners to immerse themselves fully in the language

LITERATURE REVIEW:

1 The Role of Pop Culture in Language Learning

The study of culture such as music videos and movies has become increasingly popular in language learning research circles over the years Various research projects have looked into how interactions with English language pop culture can influence the acquisition of language skills For example, Murphy's study in

1990 suggests that listening to music Songs with repeated lyrics Can help improve retention and pronunciation Similarly, Zhang's research in 2019 shows that watching movies and TV series can expose learners to English and help them grasp colloquial expressions and idioms more effectively

Gee's work on video games (2003) shows how they lead to natural, authentic language practice with real-time feedback which cultivates strong reading and interaction abilities in learners, particularly for role-playing or

narrative-centered games Furthermore, Reinders and Wattana's study (2015) showed the impact of online multiplayer games in providing opportunities for non-native speakers to be able to communicate with native ones as well as practice conversational English in a less formalized way but more effective manner The main discoveries from these studies suggest that popular culture has an impact on improving individuals’ English language proficiency skills Being exposed to English through music assists in acquiring vocabulary by incorporating words into scenarios Medina (1993) demonstrated that song lyrics frequently feature recurring phrases that aid learners in absorbing vocabulary efficiently In contrast to this approach, movies and television programs offer learners language usage within a setting enhancing listening abilities and pronunciation by exposing them to the accents and speech patterns

of native speakers Studies conducted by Vanderplank in 2016 show that individuals who regularly engage with English language content tend to improve their listening skills and expand their vocabulary effectively

Video games offer a mix of education and fun according to Sylven and Sundqvist (2012) Playing games requires involvement as players engage with dialogues and social interactions while enhancing their reading and speaking abilities through interaction and response to instructions

In contrast, the classroom setup that emphasizes grammar and vocabulary drills pop culture offers a casual and captivating avenue for individuals to grasp the nuances of the English language According to Pennycook (2007) pop culture is portrayed as a "lived experience " presenting learners with language, within a real world setting This relaxed method enhances the learning experience by making it more enjoyable and inspiring as learners encounter materials aligned with their interests such as music aficionados or movie enthusiasts

In addition, to this point and in a sense of the term pop culture often leads to learning where individuals absorb new words phrases or even cultural insights without actively recognizing that they are gaining knowledge This stands in contrast to the stricter task driven approach of traditional classroom education which typically prioritizes exam results over nurturing a profound innate grasp

of the language Research has also indicated that individuals who interact with

pop culture feel inclined to enhance their English skills as it enables them to engage with their passions and connect with others both near and far

2 Music and Language Acquisition

2.1 Linguistic Impact of Music

Music, particularly English-language songs, has been shown to significantly contribute to language acquisition, especially in terms of vocabulary development and pronunciation improvement Several research has outlined and identified where the repetitive and rhythmic features of song lyrics help the learners Murphey (1990) noted that music motion assists memory retention since repetition in music will enable learners to commit new words and expressions in memory more effectively than rote learning These are usually in song form, with repeated choruses and key phrases so that the things stick in learners' minds Such lyrics memorization, in such a way, will boost vocabulary acquisition, whereby learners get accustomed to words and expressions within usual contexts

Music also plays a role in pronunciation learning for language learners as it exposes them to the rhythm and intonation of the English language when they listen to and sing along with songs According to Medina (1993), music aids language learners, in mastering English sounds and pronunciation patterns by providing a repetitive structure that facilitates mimicry and practice of pronunciation techniques When people sing along to music, it helps them pay attention to the rhythm and natural flow of the English language spoken aloud

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Furthermore, the emotional bond created by music can enhance the learning experience, and make it more interesting and significant As stated by Lems (2001), the emotional aspect of music boosts motivation enabling learners to interact with the language resulting in improved retention of vocabulary and pronunciation structures

2.2 Cross-Cultural Communication

Pop music also opens the door for learners into nuances of culture, idiomatic

sets, and slangs that don't normally find a place in regular language textbooks

Learners, through song lyrics in the target language, get flooded with various informal forms of speech, such as idioms and slangs, which are an intrinsic part

of everyday conversations in English-speaking environments For instance, songs by artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, or Ed Sheeran can be assumed to be full of colloquial sayings, thus giving vivid examples to the listeners of how the contemporaries use language in an informal environment

Mora (2000) points out that music is full of references that help learners understand the values and beliefs of English speaking societies better Pop

songs often mirror shifts and social movements which give language learners a perspective on how the language fits into its cultural context This kind of

exchange not only helps learners improve their language abilities but also fosters a greater respect for the culture linked to the language For instance,

interpreting mentions of concepts, like "the American Dream" or the notion of " work culture" found in song verses can provide students with an understanding

of the societal meanings associated with these terms, which can be challenging

to capture through conventional language teaching methods

3 Movies and TV Shows as Language Tools

3.1 Discourse and Listening Comprehension

It has been massively promoted that watching English-language movies and television is a good way to develop not only listening ability but also colloquial English According to recent research, exposure to authentic dialogue in this genre of films and series would allow learners to comprehend everyday speech patterns, accents, and informal expressions in a more effective way According

to Vanderplank (2016), it is through films and TV shows that learners get to attune to the natural flow and rhythm of spoken English, which differs from the more structured language often found in textbooks This, in effect, gives them the ability to set up and nail different accents, intonation, and speech rates, which improves their overall listening comprehension

Further research, such as Webb (2010), also indicates that such learners who have been more frequently exposed to English media perform better in making meaning out of idiomatic sets of phrases, slang, and informal phrases in

everyday English, which is largely absent in formal learning settings The more the learner gets exposed to through film dialogues, for example, the easier it will be for them to follow and respond to real-life conversations; thus, enabling improvement in overall communicative ability In addition, the TV shows give exposure to a certain key phrase and expressions in repeats that the learner can reinforce with what they have heard in the course of several episodes

3.2 Subtitles

The use of subtitles in language learning has been a topic of extensive research, particularly in terms of how subtitles affect comprehension and language retention It has been realized that bimodal input (watching content with English audio and English subtitles) is very useful in improving either listening comprehension or reading skills According to Vanderplank (1988), if learners view films and television programs with English subtitles, they would be able to

do matching of the spoken word with written text, which in turn can aid their pronunciation, spelling, and sentence structures all at the same time It allows for learners to adopt a more integrated way of learning the language

On the other hand, same-language subtitles prove to be useful in terms of immediate comprehension for the beginner learner

Danan, however, found that while native-language subtitles improve comprehension because of a fuller grasp of the storyline, they diminish the attention which can be devoted to authentic English listening, which may in turn ultimately damage the listener's improvement in listening competence Subtitles

in English provide an effective balance between allowing for listening and reading comprehension, vocabulary retention, and grammatical understanding with visual reinforcement Furthermore, Gorjian et al (2011) claim that even in the long run it is possible for learners who have watched English with English subtitles to retain more of the vocabulary compared to the one without or with vernacular subtitles Subtitles give context to the learners, hence the meaning of unknown words or phrases can be comprehended through the combination of all the visual clues, dialogues, and the text This provides better retention of vocabulary, as the learners will be able to see the usage of the new words

4 Video Games and Interactive Media

4.1 Language in Gaming

Recently, video games, particularly those that integrate intriguing stories, dialogues, and interactions by the player, are being researched as a potential tool

to support language learning According to Gee's work (2003), during storytelling and dialogue, games can provide an authentic context in which to use English Most video games, especially role-playing and adventure games, involve a lot of stories; players have to understand and interact with in-game characters through dialogues, as one would with everyday real-life English Interaction like this serves to show how colloquial language, slang, idioms, and cultural references all expose these players to various forms of English not

Examples include games such as The Elder Scrolls or The Witcher series, where players are put into an immersive environment in English, where they need to read and understand the text and listen to spoken dialogue, then act upon it in some manner to continue in the game This linguistic development is made real

by the fact that regular exposure to such games, as reported by Sylven and Sundqvist (2012), makes the players repeatedly come across new words in different contexts with which they can try to guess their meaning and hence enhance language learning In addition, Mawhorter et al (2015) mentioned in their paper that games offer learners a no-threat atmosphere to make mistakes without the fear of evaluation, which results in further language learning

4.2 Active Participation

Unlike more passive forms of media, such as movies or music, video games require active participation, which makes them a more immersive and interactive learning experience Playing a video game involves a constant need

to understand instructions, make decisions, and communicate with other players

or characters in the game, which is also very often in real-time Such active engagement with the language makes video games unique in offering language acquisition through practical and immersive use

For example, research by Reinders and Wattana (2015) shows that in multiplayer games, players communicate with one another in real time, thereby providing a social platform where learners may practice their English with other native speakers or other learners themselves

Play with games like Fortnite, Minecraft, or similar games that require team play and strategies where, quite often, players have to use English This interactive use of languages surpasses the receptive skills of media consumption and allows the production-perception of language for meaningful and purposeful communication Additionally, outside of the social aspects of multiplayer games, single-player games that challenge a player to read instructions, solve puzzles, or work through quests provide additional support for language learning by grounding the use of game advance through the processing and response to language By progressing through the game, the players are exposed to increasingly complex language structures, which further support their comprehension and critical thinking skills

5 Social Media and Language Learning

5.1 Social Media Sites

Social media like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram have started to play a more influential role in the processes of language learning, giving learners access to a wide variety of content in the English language and chances to get in touch with native speakers This is confirmed by research showing that these tools provide unique, informal opportunities to engage with authentic English in real-life situations For example, Kuppens demonstrated how an English-language involvement with YouTube can help learners improve their listening comprehension and widen their vocabulary by being exposed to various types of content: tutorials, vlogs, and interviews

Most notably, TikTok has claimed this place with short-form content typically being casual and colloquial, even representative in nature to existing slang While learning, one could follow the creators who create content in English, participate in trends or challenges, and even create his own videos in English

Such active participation gives more immersion to the learning process As stated by research conducted by Shao and Crookall (2020), video platforms like TikTok are effective and efficient for improving learners’ listening skills and mastering idiomatic expressions, since one is able to re-watch, imitate, and then interact with the content in an entertaining format Learners can follow influencers, celebrities, and some educational accounts on Instagram in English They get to know conversational English while reading their captions of the posts, when watching stories, and interacting with comments Social media encourages learners to take part in using the language at their own pace and authentic environment, according to Sundqvist and Sylven (2014) By this, they would be able to absorb language without threats in a non-threatening manner and enjoyable

5.2 Language Communities

Online communities and fan cultures also play a pivotal role in creating informal, immersive learning environments for English learners Platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and Discord host large communities where people around the world discuss shared interests—whether related to movies, music, games, or books—in English These communities often operate in a collaborative, real-world context, where users must practice and refine their English in order to participate in discussions, debates, or collaborative projects

Chik (2014) examined how participation in fan communities, such as those surrounding popular TV shows or video games, fosters peer learning Within these communities, learners engage with other fans through message boards, forums, and fan fiction, practicing their reading and writing skills in a supportive environment For example, anime or video game fandoms often involve writing reviews, discussing plot theories, or creating original content, all in English This informal, interest-driven learning makes language acquisition enjoyable and motivates learners to engage more deeply with the language

Online gaming communities also provide spaces for real-time communication, often requiring learners to work with native speakers to achieve shared goals Reinders and Wattana (2015) found that multiplayer games and their associated