Hi everybody
since singing along in classroom settings is not allowed in some countries due to COVID restrictions, i am wondering whether there is any research about learning songs from/through singing along with recordings and the optimal conditions for such learning to take place.
i myself learnt many songs from repeated (endless) listening to CD/cassette when i was a child. Learning in classroom i found much more difficult - perhaps because of less exposure/frequency of listening and practicing. Is there research on optimal instruction (e.g. first listen, then sing along, then sing alone) for learnins songs? And what about digital? Are there song-learning apps????
Yes, of course, because songs have a positive influence on young learners' vocabulary retention. Regardless of the setting used, aural or aural/visual, the results prove that songs are suitable for different learning styles, encourage positive learning experiences, and increase their knowledge. Songs help with motivation and help students develop a love for language learning. Students motivated in this way are imaginative, creative, and eager to learn and succeed.
thank you, Kevin William Andri Siahaan ! this is exciting! do you have a reference for the positive influence on young learners' vocabulary retention through singing?
Learning grammar through singing? An intervention with EFL primary school learners.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475219304190
Hello, I am not an expert in singing yet I could reflect a little from a general musical point of view. Singing is certainly useful in many aspects (however, playing instruments according to some specialists is likely more useful). Singing with a recording is, of course, a pleasant occupation, therefore, it is more attractive and easy in comparison with work in class, but if a person wants to learn to sing more fundamentally a serious work is inevitable. Singing with a recording, I suppose, has several negative aspects: it does not allow interaction with ensemble partners and thus does not develop ensemble singing skills; accompaniment in recorded sound or (even more) electronic sound of a phonogram does not match the quality of sound of "natural" acoustic instruments; singing with a recording does not include learning of musical literacy; the quality of singing in a recording not always corresponds the requirements of pitch correctness; singing with a recording inevitably imposes the way of interpretation of the recorded voice to the imitator and prevents from creating different interpretation; finally (even it is an item of more advanced level), such way of learning singing is restricted with the principles of the equal temperament and does not allow to develop a sense of more subtle nuances of tuning.
Rytis Urniežius these are very interesing thoughts. for young children (3-5 year-olds) some of the negative aspects of singing a long with a recoded song-model might not apply (but this is a research question). whyt would be your speculation about using 1:1 singing along with a pre-recorded song for the initial steps in learning a song. if i would run a study it would be like this:
group 1: singing/learning a song in the kindergarden group along with the teacher 2x a day for 2 weeks
group 2: singing with a teacher 3x a day for the first 2-3 days, then sing with the teacher 1x and sing along 1x with a recording in 1:1
group 3: only sing with recording 1:1
which group would know and sing the song best?
Hello, I suppose that verifying the results of teaching singing in different groups using different methods would be an objective way to carry out your research. Unfortunately, I cannot be an adviser in this situation because I am not a specialist in singing and I have no experience with teaching such small children. I wish you success in your research.
Susana Weich-Shahak why? could you explain how to best learn a sing ( in a group of young children or individually)?
Nothing can replace the teacher singing. Doing so, he projects how important is music for him (or her, the teacher) and how rewarding and in this way it is communicated to the child . The same, and as important, it is for the parents to sing to (or for) their children, not precisely children songs but rather songs that the parent likes, the music that the parent loves will transmit to his child the love and the importance of music in our life.