Music on Vocabulary Competence, Writing, Reading Comprehension

¶ … Music on Vocabulary Competence, Writing, Reading Comprehension and Motivation in English Language Learning in High-School

EFFECTIVENESS OF MUSIC ON VOCABULARY

The Effectiveness of Music on Vocabulary Competence, Writing, Reading Comprehension and Motivation in English Language Learning in High-School

Most English language learners in high schools show poor vocabulary competence. The main reason for this is the limited level of exposure to the language. It is generally understood and practically acknowledged that words form the basic unit of language structure. Therefore lack of sufficient vocabulary constrains students from effectively communicating and freely expressing their ideas.

Vocabulary competence is critical to developing reading comprehension skills. Lack of vocabulary development is detrimental to the development of metacognitive skill that is important in comprehending advanced texts. Comprehension is a major component of development of vocabulary, reading to learn. Therefore, reading comprehension it is quite challenging for students lacking adequate knowledge of meaning of words.

In addition, inadequate vocabulary is an impediment for students in the process of learning. Students who lack exposure to new words are unlikely to acquire the necessary skills in achieving fluency and this is most likely to lead to poor academic performance. There has been a clear establishment of the fact that academic achievement is dependent on growth in vocabulary acquisition (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002). Furthermore if students lack knowledge of vocabulary expansion, they are most likely to lose interest in learning. Therefore emphasis is laid on learning vocabulary, a job many students consider tedious. Many English language learners find themselves uninterested in learning the language because they find it a dry and challenging to learn. Consequentially, many students, despite the fact that they attend the lessons, develop a dislike in learning the language thereby losing interest in either learning or speaking it properly.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of using music on vocabulary competence, writing, reading comprehension and motivation in English Language Learning in High school students as a part of the learning process in the classroom. Many teachers of English as a second language as well as the learners consider vocabulary as a critical factor in learning the language. Therefore it is important to develop creative and interesting ways of teaching vocabulary in English class.

Thesis Statement

Incorporating music in English as second language class is effective in enhancing vocabulary competence, writing, reading comprehension and motivation in learning English as opposed to the traditional teacher fronted instructional methods.

Research Questions

1. Is there a significant difference in vocabulary competence between mean scores before and after the test for those embracing music as an English language teaching method?

1. Is there a significant difference in writing between mean scores before and after the test for those embracing music as an English language teaching method?

1. Is there a significant difference in reading English between mean scores before and after the test for those embracing music as an English language teaching method?

1. Is there a significant effect of using music to enhance motivation in learning English in high school students?

Setting of the Study

This study will be conducted within the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Educating more than 50,000 students early, SFUSD is the eighth largest school district in the State of California a state with the largest English language learners in the country (Batalova & McHugh, 2010). It will target specifically high school English language learners' in the bay area. To satisfy the objective of the study, these students will be selected from Lowell High School and Balboa High School and those chosen will be organized into groups of experimental and control.

Historical Background

The State of California has historically attracted immigrants since the gold rush era. Since then, the state has witnessed an influx of immigrants from different parts of the world. There are more than one million children in the state lacking English proficiency who attend schools in the state constituting a quarter of the total school population. Moreover, California's population is 12% of the United States of America; the schools contain over 40% of the number of speakers of English as a second language (Macias, 2000). This is a representation of the cases in each of the Counties and Cities in the State including San Francisco.

The Lau v. Nichols, 414 U.S. 563 (1974) was a turning point in the education for the English language learners in San Francisco. There were ramifications for the schools found to be non-compliant with the Supreme Court's ruling for equal educational access to ELL students. Under the Lau Remedies, schools were required to submit specific voluntary compliance plans to the Office for Civil Rights. Most of these plans incorporated bilingual instructional methods, which was adopted in many public schools and later dropped due to the diverse and large influx of immigrant in the eighties (Hakuta, Yuko, & Witt, 2000).

Since the Lau, the San Francisco school system still struggles with proper implementation of programs for English language learners. Despite SFUSD adapting various programs in a bid to advance education of ELL, vocabulary learning has been a neglected area in teaching the English language. Learning vocabulary is a complicated issue that needs to be adequately addressed in all English classrooms and specifically English language learners' class. Therefore more studies are needed in this area.

It is critical for second English language learners to acquire a large word bank as a long-term goal (Nation, 2001). Teaching vocabulary needs to be an integral part in the SFUSD English language learners Curriculum. It is therefore critical to further explore the challenges faced by ELL students and provide innovative ways of improving the teaching as well as learning vocabulary. A good starting point would be to explore effective strategies that can be adopted in instruction other than multilingual techniques. As a result, this study is conducted to examine the effectiveness of using music to enhance the English language learning among high school students in the SFUSD.

Importance of the Study

The application of conventional method in teaching English language has proved to be ineffective in language acquisition. Students find this dull and boring, thereby affecting their learning spirit. It is important for the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to incorporate new and interesting ways of instruction in order to meet the demands of the challenging world. This will assist students of varying ability by enabling them master language structure and vocabulary.

This study will be a significant endeavor in promoting new creative ways of instruction in English language classes and motivation for both teachers and learners. The study will specifically be beneficial to the learners and instructors of English as a second language when applying effective learning in their classroom setting particularly in different concepts related to the use authentic instructional tools. By understanding the learner's needs as well as the benefits of quality education, the instructors will be assured of a competitive advantage over their first language learners.

Scope of the Study

The overarching aim of the research is to examine effect of music in enhancing vocabulary competence, writing, reading comprehension and motivation as opposed to the traditional teacher fronted instructional methods. The study will be limited to the SFUSD high school students. It seeks to investigate four issues and examine their correlation with the use of music as an instructional tool in high school English class. There are different instruments used to investigate the issues and to capture data about the scope and relative effectiveness of music in an English class.

Definition of Terms

Plus Level: To describe the result above average score in English proficiency degree.

Base Level: To describe the result of average score in English proficiency degree.

Minus Level: To describe the result below average score in English proficiency degree.

Lau Remedies: A set of guidelines given in 1975 that transformed schools' legal functions into pedagogical directives.

Phonetic Qualities: The sounds of human speech qualities in linguistic. In phonetics, the speech sounds produced by the vocal cords.

Syntactic Qualities: Conforming to the quality of syntax. In linguistics, the study of the rules that govern the ways in which words combine to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is one of the major components of grammar. Syntactic is the arrangement of words in a sentence.

Semantic Qualities: Regarding quality of signifiers. Semantic is the study of meaning, and the study of linguistic development by classifying and examining changes in meaning and form.

CHPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

This chapter includes the content of English Language learners, Using Music to Help English Language Learners, Words and Music, Theoretical View, Effect of music on the Mind, Music and Language Development.

Using Music to Help English Language Learners

One of the ways through which the English language has spread around the world is music. Many non-native English speakers, especially those who did not learn the language in class were first exposed to it through Popular Music (Xmarabout, 2010). Music has been found to have a positive influence in the atmosphere of language classes; students usually find lessons with music enjoyable making them more effective than the traditional teacher centered method.

According to Medina (1993) use of music is a sure way of teaching and has been proven to foster language acquisition and production. Music assists English language learners thereby making them more successful in acquisition (Jalongo & Bromley, 1984). They assert in the article Developing Linguistic Competence through Song that it is ideal in introduction of new words, cultural aspects as well as accents. This makes it a useful instructional tool in an English class room. Music contains language that is natural, easy to acquire and enjoyable, it can, therefore, be selected to suit particular needs and interest of learners, such as relating the lyrics to everyday real life situation.

Music has the ability to offer enjoyable communication including listening and vocabulary practice. In the same line, Campbell, Campbell, and Dickinson (1996) states that singing along help learners remember vital information as well as making learning lively, music provides positive influence in classroom setting.

According to Orlova (2003), there has been an active consideration of inclusion of music in the methodology of teaching English as a second lanuage. In her article, Helping Prospective EFL Teachers Learn How to Use Songs in Conversation Classroom, She reveals that in the past decade, she has used songs in teaching English and that the use of songs in language classroom increases students attention as well as their desire to learn. She agrees that music offers a multifaceted approach to language and can applied to reinforce and improve spoken word as well as listening comprehension, vocabulary and phrasing. In his article Music in the ESL Classroom, Beare (2010) is supportive of the same notion. He reports that the use of music at the beginning of a class introduces new words to the students steering them to think in the desired direction. This gives them an outline of the lesson. Lo and Li (1998) also suggest that this technique is a break from the normal routine. They assert that learning English through songs introduces ease in the classroom favourable in enhancing the four skills.

There are different ways in which music is used in language teaching. Instructors worldwide report high levels of success in the incorporation of music in the English as a Second Language (ESL) class. According to Huy Le (2007), there is a great value attached to the use of music by both students and teachers of ESL. Domoney and Harris (1993) also reiterate the importance of incoporating music in the English class adding that music improves their teaching and brings life to their classrooms. It is also critical to examine the outcomes of empirical research about the effectiveness of music in ESL classrooms. Brand (2007), in his study Music, Asia, and English: Use of Pop-Songs in ESL Instruction concludes that there is overwhelming support for the use of music in instruction spoken English. He further elaborates on the use of music lyrics to sensitise the Chinees ESL on the benefits of intercultural comminication. He continues that the main objective of learning English is not just to speak it, but to interact with other people, especially from different cultural settings.

Theoretical View

There are theories that reinstate the fact that use of music as an instructional tool enhances language acquisition, one such theories is the Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition. Krashen as quoted by Schutz (2007) sets it off by asserting that the application of extensive grammatical rules is not a requirement in language acquisition; neither does it reqiure tedious drills. He asserts that for meaningful language acquisition to occur there must be natural communication in which there is more emphasis on the message other than the form of utterrances, for this to happen there is need for target language interaction. Krashen recommends that best language acquisition methods are those that offer comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations. He adds that these methods should not force early production in the desired language but allow production at the right time. He reiterates that enhancement is a product of communicative and comprehensible input rather than forcing and correcting.

This theory comprises five hypotheses, and one of them is the Affective Filter Hypothesis. Schutz (2007) outlines the details of the hypothesis by stating that there are variables that are supportive of second language acquisition including, motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. Learners who are motivated, have self-confidence and less anxious perform better in language acquisition as compared to those with low motivation and self-esteem. According to Krashen (Schutz 2007), the student' emotional state is the filter that allows or blocks the needed acquisition inputs.

Schoepp (2001) views the Affective Filter Hypothesis as a critical factor in second language acquisition. He supports the hypothesis citing the fact that it explains the reason why there are varied learning abilities in language classes. He further notes that for a long time instructors have recognized the importance of attitude in learning and this hypothesis gives clear direction on the way forward in regard to improved learning situation that is conducive to language acquisition. Acquisition is most likely to occur when the affective filter is weak invoking enhanced motivation in the learning process. On the other hand, when the affective filter is strong, the learners are less likely to seek the language input therefore failing to open for the language acquisition. Gardner in Woolfolk (1998) Readings in Educational Psychology, introduces eight distinct intelligence that humans posess; musical, spatial, logical-mathematical, linguistic, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist. This theory is consistent with the use of music as a tool for instruction English language learners.

Bancroft (1985), in regard to the use of music in learning languages points out that healers, philosophers, scientists, and teachers have for a long time recognized the importance of music in therapeutic and developmental functions. Stansell (2005) asserts that there are studies that havr been conducted over the last twenty years that point at the advancements in the theory of language acquisition and that many are compelled to pedagogically incorperate language and music.

According to Stansell (2005), music complements life. Since time in memorial music has asserted its importance, Bancroft outlines music therapists that are well renowned for their use of music; this includes Egyptian priest-physicians, King David in the Bible, Pythagoras, Aristotle, and Plato. She further says that music in the ancient times was therapeutic and was used to serve magical rather than aesthetic purposes. According to Jowett (1994), Plato thought that use of music in training was more critical than any other, he asserts that the human soul cannot resist rhythm and harmony; this makes the soul of the student graceful in the course of learning. He further emphasized that music embraces both language and movement. From the Greek perspective, music, referred to as mousikas is defined as an intimate joining of melody movement and verse (Dickinson, 1909). This concept, compared to the modern times was much more inclusive, music meant language. Plato referred to melody without words as an indication of the need of a true artistic taste. To a Greek listener, music uniquely enabled them to differentiate mood that the rhythm and tune represents, the Greek understood the critical role of music in the development of linguistic genres (Dickinson 1909).

In his Mythology The Age of Fable, Bullfinch (1913), explains the birth of Mnemosyne considered as a Titan by Music. This lays emphasis on the importance of the human memory as it was the main concern of this Titan, Mnemosyne. To the ancient Greek the human mind was important just as the sea and sky. To further point at the importance of music in linguistic development, this Greek mythology further describes the daughters of Mnemosyne as using music to inspire language that included poetry, lyric poetry, sacred poetry and love poetry among other spoken genres (Bullfinch, 1913). In the same line, reference is made to Apollo and Dionysus in regard to the use of music.

Bancroft (1985) explains that the two represent todays therapeutic use of music. Music can be used to soothe, arouse or to energize. Those who use music for such purposes reveal the associated benefits including relieving of psychological and physical stressors. In addition inadequacies in language that are as a result of trauma can benefit from music therapy. In the same way language learners who are not familiar with the target culture more so those who have problems expressing themselves can associate through the influence of music in these instances the role of the instructor is synonymous with the music therapist (Stansell, 2005).

Mora (2000), in the article Foreign Language Acquisition and Melody Singing, tells of Del Campo a spanish music therapist who claim that in oral communication, fifteen percent is spoken language, seventy percent is body laguage communication, another fifteen percent is intonation, which is the musical aspect of communication. In other words, communication is a composition of several different modes and the largest part is musical. The ratio presented by Del Campo, is mostlikely to vary pegged on the linguistical task, conversationalist and purpose, and in this regard he simulates the three traditional aspects, the melody which is the intonation, the lyrics or the words and dance represented by the body language. Therefore human frontal interaction is a musical phenomenon as well as exchange of words. In other words such communication is precisely classified as a dance with musical language components in addition to concrete details.

Thompson and Andrews (2000) in their work, An Historical Commentary on the Physiological Effects of Music: Tomatis, Mozart and Neuropsychology, looks at Dr. Tomantis assertion of the developmental connectedness of movement, language and music. He explains that the capture of information from sound and motor movenets by the human ear is important in the early development of the nervous system. In addition to this, an infant develops physical movements, sound perception, location as well as discrimination from the sense of hearing. He further gives a description of fetal and infant orientation to intonation contours of the native dialect specifically through recognition of the mother's (Thompson & Andrews, 2000). Therefore, there exist early language development is connected to the pre- existing musical arrangements. This emphasizes the point that a baby in the womb hears musical vowel sounds through the mother's body. Mora (2000) explains that in the initial stages of language acquisition, humans learn from the discourse intonation, but in the later stages, acquisition is largely through interaction where the child picks the necessary communication skills (Mora, 2000). Furthermore, Mora explains that a small baby can imitate the rhythm and musical contours of the native language prior to learning the words. She further explains that musical components of the native language such as tone and pauses are resonant units into which alphabet are later placed (Mora, 2000).

According to Loewy (2004), there exist Musical Stages of Speech where consideration is put on language in a musical context rather than cognitive one. This concept is derived from Van Riper known for his role in the development in modern speech therapy. Van Riper, notes that infants first begin with crying and comfort vocalizations then move to babbling then starts the acquisition of words. According to Van Riper (1984), the sounds help prepare the post telegraphic speech development.

The model as elaborated by Loewy (2004), outlines the develpmental stages that include the mental, physical, and emotional stages that work towards vocalization. Therefore, instead of focusing on language development from the first spoken words, care giver then need to concentrate on the child's inclination to communicate from the initial utterances. It is also possible for physicians to deduce if an infant will develop speech impairment by examining their production of cooing sounds; these are the predictors of speech (Loewy, 2004). Primarily, before full development of language, music serves as the relay for communicative intent, the melodic contours in a baby's cry as well as the babbling behavior contain an emerging communicative purpose, which are considered the baby's first audible expressions. Therefore, where no words are prominent, all the communication is majorly crying, which is considered a musical element. An effective comfort to children would be music or singing in the child's tonality, assuming notes that resolve dissonant notes of distress.

Words and Music

There are factors that are directly related to the aspect of enjoyment in learning language through music. It introduces many options for the learners in gaining knowledge. According to Smith (2002), the theory of multiple intelligence, which proposes that people have different intelligence working in unison but in varying strength in different people, is applicable. He further claims that these intelligence manifested in words and numbers are dominant in traditional instructional and learning process. However, music intelligence seem to have been neglected and instructors need to device options of engaging all these intelligence in a bid to increase success in learners. He recommends the use of music and asserts that music can be either be composed or used in relation to the subject in class. The lyrics used introduce new words thereby reinforcing word intelligence, and this triggers involvement of more than one intelligence at a time.

In addition, Aksnes (1996) claims that the introduction of different stimuli in language class such as music is a critical strategy and improves competence, performance as well as perception skills. In the same line, Coromina (2010) supports the fact that music can introduce interesting class discussions, when learners find the music enjoyable, they certainly will want to learn the lyrics to it. Maess, Koelsch, Gunter, and Friederici (2001) reveal that music and language are both processed in one area of the brain, they are both processed the same way. Pryse-Phillips (2003) introduces a set of research results pointing at the fact that listening to Mozart's music enhances short-term working of certain mental functions.

According to Griffee (1990), it is recommended that slow music be used in beginner classess including activities such as putting together a song word puzzle, representing a song as a drawing or even identifing related pictures. In support, Murphey (1992) in his study, The Discourse of Pop Songs, reiterates that music ideal for practicing grammar and syntax, vocabulary, pronunciation, as well as the skills of listening, reading, speaking, writing and translation. He assert that instructors of English language worldwide apply this technique as a teaching method. He adds that music stays in both the short and the longterm memory enabling one to remember quite long pieace of language. Further, music can be used as effectively as any other text. To acquire a language, learner needs to discover phonetic distinctions and their uses. Music as a learning material helps this by introduction of sounds, stress and rhythmic patterns. In addition, it positively affects accent, memory, grammar, vocabulary as well as conversational exchanges (Davanellos & Akis, 1999). Instructors should therefore be confident in application of music in language acquisition process considering the many associated benefits.

Effect of Music on the Mind

Stansell (2005 ) concludes that there is exists a correlation between music and language, which is a challenge without a discrete intelligence. According to Gardner, there are eight distinct domains of intelligence; verbal-linguistic, mathematical-logical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical-rhythmic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic (Gardner, 1998). Though linguistic and musical intelligences work as a unit giving a stronger outcome. In addition, he asserts that language intonation is reliant on music perception among most individuals.

Carroll (1993), in the book, Human Cognitive Abilities: A Survey of Factor-Analytic Studies formulates a close connection between music and mind. In this book, fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, general memory and learning, broad visual perception, broad auditory perception, broad retrieval ability, broad cognitive speediness, and finally processing speed are determinants of one's musical prowess.

Examining Zatorre's Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination, it portrays the human brain as a network comprising of the left posterial and parietal whose major function is to process phonology among most musicians (Zatorre, 2000). In addition, the right side of the brain is responsible for pitch discrimination. This originates from the right prefrontal cortex, right superior temporal gyrus, and the right frontal lobe (Zatorre, 2000). In line with this, musicians are having increased aptitude in foreign language learning due to an advanced ability in perception, processing, and reproducing learnt accents. Furthermore, the brain is responsible for scanning and filtering out background noise resulting in visual images among musicians.

Richards asserts in, Music and Rhythm in the Classroom that music, rhythm, and movement all are vital since they form a link between the right brain's processing of music and rhythm and the left brain's processing of verbal information (Richards, 1993). In this article, she reveals that emotional response to music, occurring in the paralimbic and neocortical regions, is delinked from both the view of the music, and from other types of emotional reactions. Thus, processing of music extends to both sides of the brain as opposed to claimed divisions between these two regions.

Palmer and Kelly in their study Linguistic Prosody and Musical Meter in song reveal that most musical works are devoid of natural stress and duration elements, always characterized by amplification of vocals by musicians (Palmer & Kelly, 1992). Thus, for music to be made correctly, the phrase structure and musical structure must coincide, which does not happen in most cases. Besides, the 4-beat of songs should coincide with linguistic altercations to ensure compatibility of music and language. This is vital as it helps increase memory of words and phrases whenever they are sung by musicians. In their publication, Palmer and Kelly agree that learners always comprehend word stresses and memory when songs played match in stress and accent (Palmer & Kelly, 1992). The authors further stress the fact that, words paired and rhymed correctly hold songs together thus, improving the mind's ability to recall the song.

Steinke, Cuddy, and Holden in their work Dissociation of Musical Tonality and Pitch Memory from Nonmusical Cognitive Abilities points out at the fact that musical intelligence is independent on the language but at a different level (Steinke, Cuddy, & Holden, 1997). They further note that it is the compatibility of music and language that makes it possible for them to cooperate. In addition, perception of tonal structure and pitch memory are unrelated to performance on tests of nonmusical cognitive skills. In the contrast, these researchers ascertain that listening to music listening and performance engage elementary sensory motor encoding and symbolic representations among the musician and listeners.

Rauscher, Shaw, and Katherine ascertain that music is a way that can be used to increase the work of the brain (Rauscher, Shaw, & Ky, 1995). In their study, Listening to Mozart Enhances Spatial- Temporal Reasoning they outline that classical music can potentially improve test scores among students listening to it. This research confirms that music distortions during a listening spree via methods such as electronic-gating is capable of opening new pathways in the brain, thus providing a wider perception of incoming information, creating desire to communicate with and learn from others.

In The Mozart Effect for Parents: Unlocking the Potential of Your Child, Campbell explains the positive effects of listening to music in regard to students' academic improvement as well as its impact on the social connection. Music assists learners develop a rare intellectual potential of learning different languages, getting along with others and spiritual potential of hearing and trusting the inner voice as well (Campbell, 2003).

Stansell (2005), cautions that music should not be overemphasized among children to the point that it makes them lose focus on academic studies. According to the study conducted from Campbell, teachers should also focus on music as a teaching method in the classroom as opposed to mainly focusing on books. It is important to have a structured inclusion of music in language class to facilitate targeted results of language acquisition. In this context, learners are able to enhance their vocabulary acquisition (Stansell, 2005 ).

Music and Language Development

Jourdain concludes that music and language are correlated in his book Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy (Jourdain, 1997). The book states that despite the fact that the mind is capable of communicating via several symbols and gestures, music and language operate in greater detail within the mind (Jourdain, 1997). According to his publication, he stresses that language is a representative of the outside world in a symbolic way while music recaptures experiences within the body. Music does this by mimicking experiences of interior feeling in a world of turbulent flow (Jourdain, 1997). He further notes that music and language are dependent on each other in learning human expressions. Thus, the interconnectedness of musical and linguistic factors ensures music understand vocabulary and phrases; tasks governed by linguistic intelligence. This is seen in multilingual musicians having high musical abilities while those with single and thick accents sing in standard dialects.

Loewy in her article, Integrating Music, Language, and the Voice in Music Therapy, mentions that music is volatile and fragile in language classrooms, factor therapists must be made aware of. Currently, most language acquisitions have majorly focused on problem solving and social interaction, among students while ignoring singing and dance; which are also equally important (Loewy, 2004).

Fawn Whittaker supports the use of music in educational settings (Whittaker, 1981). She alludes that the use of music in classroom settings assists students in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. By presenting students with songs, their perceptions are refreshed helping them focus on the rhythm and learn the lyrics. This has been found to be effective as it results in out-of-class associations that are vital during language learning among students. Using music reduces schoolwork monotony among students by giving them the opportunity to learn patterns via memorizing song lyrics without even noticing it (Whittaker, 1981). This method has been found to be effective in reinforcing complicated grammar concepts for mature language learners in a bid to grasp the language.

In their article, Opus 2: Learning Language through Music, Macarthur and Trojer focuses on reciting text in tune with a rhythm, extracting words from lyrics to practice them mentally, and even making the text's tune into a corresponding movement that the students are able to perform. The use of these techniques in learning, strengthen musical methods for English language learners. This is likely to increase students' motivation while reducing inhibitions of performing and speaking.

Leung applauds music and language though among the deaf, autistic, and other disabled persons. She discusses the effects of teaching and training children regarding pitch, tone, accent, and contours of language. These factors according to her help in facilitating perception of receptive language and production of expressive language among them (Leung, 1985). Thus, music language and spoken language become very critical in aiding speech therapy among children. In addition, musical teaching methods focus on having fun with the language by utilizing social interaction among the students and peer discussion as well. Therefore, by integrating music into a more naturalistic way of learning language, students develop several cognitive abilities. In line with this, it is clearly seen that incorporating music in classroom studies assist learners with vocabulary acquisition as well as mastery of language-relevant information (Gfeller, 1986).

Most instructors propose that using tunes, rhyme, and categories to organize study material clarifies most tasks making them appear simple. Therefore, many agree that music enables language to stay in the memory, but, music in the classroom is still a sideline issue in most academic settings. The use of linguistic sources of that are not school based, is less daunting and well organized, than classroom reading filled with music, songs, and art are beneficial for most learners (Medina S.L., 1990). In addition, students acquire language by understanding languages relayed via songs from different language settings. This ensures that the students take several aspects of the learnt languages in the languages. Thus, their language proficiency increases the more they become exposed to songs from different languages helping them have successful communication skills (Krashen, New York).

CHAPTER III: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

Introduction

In the following section of this chapter, the study is explained research design, sampling, methodology, instruments, data collection plan, observations, journal entries, data analysis plan, and limitations of the study. The researcher collected data from an experimental and control group to explore the differences between mean scores before and after the test by embracing music as teaching method.

Research Design

The research will be implemented in eight phases each with specific tasks. The first phase involves literature review where the researcher reviews literature related to the scope of study. The second phase involves collection of the deductions from the literature review pertaining to the pending research. The third stage involves development of the study objective and the research questions. This also involves planning of the research methodology as well as the instruments the researcher intends to apply. In the fourth phase, the researcher selects suitable popular English music intended for use in the study. Here the music selection criteria involved music that has comprehensible lyrics, bearable tempos. The fifth phase involves inclusion and planning of activities associated with vocabulary acquisition based on the selected music. These activities include singing along, following up words, phrases in the music, cloze test creation of own lyrics, melody. The sixth phase involves the lessons which involved collection of qualitative data through constant observation, writing of journal entries by the students as well as vocabulary tests. The seventh phase involves data analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program. This includes an independent sample t-test and paired t-test to confirm the difference between the two groups. Qualitative data is analyzed based on the constant observations and the student's journal entries. Finally, the eighth phase involves a report ascertaining whether the research questions have been answered.

Sampling

In this study, a total of 60 students will be selected from two or more of the 104 public high schools in the San Francisco bay area as participants. To strengthen the sample group so as to avoid invalidity misrepresentation, the study will use two heterogeneous groups. Therefore the only difference being that one is experimental exposed to treatment of music and the other control exposed to traditional instruction methods. The two groups will consist of 30 students each. In order to facilitate qualitative data collection, 6 students are to be selected from each group making 12 the total selected from the sample. They are to represent three levels of English proficiency namely plus level, base level and minus level. The reason for this criterion is ensures that the instructors give adequate attention to all of them and not just the ones in the minus proficiency level. This will also ensure that the participants in the experimental group are given adequate attention when exposed to music.