KOTESOL National Conference 2018
Workshop (45 minutes)
John Breckenfeld, Gangneung-Wonju National University
Multiple Ways to Utilize Songs in the ELT Classroom
Abstract
Music is one of life’s treasures, and our students connect with songs for the same reasons we do. Like comfort food, influential songs become powerful memory triggers, propelling us back in time to the days when we first heard Nirvana, Prince, or Beyonc?. If only our classroom experiences could reemerge in students’ future musings in similarly positive ways! After teaching English in Korea for over five years?from kindergarten to university classrooms?and utilizing a substantial amount of songs throughout, I find myself intrigued by a playful question: Why haven’t I used songs more often during lessons? Furthermore, as Dwayne Engh claims, “From an educational standpoint, music and language not only can, but should be studied together.” (Engh, Why Use Music in English Language Learning? A Survey of the Literature. 2013).
This workshop will feature a comparison of two drastically different approaches to using songs in the university ELT classroom: A) within a one-time/one-off Special Activity lesson; and B) as core materials of a content based liberal arts elective course. With a limitless supply of free resources available at our fingertips, songs of all kinds can be seamlessly incorporated into the ELT classroom. If you have experience combining songs and ELT, or you are interested in doing so, this workshop offers an ideal setting to expand your ELT toolbox while sharing ideas with colleagues in the field.
Biographicals
John Breckenfeld has been teaching English and living in Gangneung, Korea, for over five years. His passions include music, nature, sports, travel, and food. His professional/research interests and inspirations include Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, Freire’s Popular Education, and the educational opportunities/services available to multi-cultural families living in Korea. Email: johnbreck@ucla.edu
See the list of Presentations at the KOTESOL 2018 National Conference
