The present study explored whether listening to songs and singing can improve second language pronunciation and vocabulary learning at beginning stages of language acquisition. One hundred and eight Chinese students underwent a 4-min training session to learn 14 words from a meaningful French song about the parts of the body in either one of two…

Instructional videos for teaching second language (L2) vocabulary often feature an instructor onscreen. The instructor in the video may involuntarily produce beat gestures with their hands, as occurs in real teaching settings. Beat gestures highlight key information in speech by conveying the rhythm of the language, but do not themselves convey…

Conversation analysis (CA) has been used for interventionist purposes in different fields, such as medicine, mediation services, and speech and language therapy, but it has yet to be fully utilised in teacher education. In this report, I describe how CA is used in teacher supervision to intervene with the development of a student-teacher (ST) in a…

This study aimed to investigate the effect of written cues on the second- language (L2) language perception, processing, and word learning, especially when the person's first language (L1) belongs to a different rhythmic type of language than L2. The first objective was to examine whether late bilinguals as L2 learners can benefit more from…

Vocabulary as an undeniable part of language learning is a main component in communication which requires to be taught in innovative ways. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of musical mnemonic on vocabulary recalling, and long-term retention of words by young learners. The design of study was experimental. Sixty teenagers from…

Every language has its own rhythm. Unlike many other languages in the world, English depends on the correct pronunciation of stressed and unstressed or weakened syllables recurring in the same phrase or sentence. Mastering the rhythm of English makes speaking more effective. Experiments have shown that we tend to hear speech as more rhythmical…

A variety of classroom activities using songs to enhance French language learning are described. Strategies include sensitizing learners to aspects of the music; looking at themes, key words, and symbols; and manipulating music and language in relation to current cultural issues. A list of singers and themes is offered. (MSE)

Advantages and disadvantages of songs in the language classroom. (FWB)

''Rhythm is one of the most pervasive aspects of the human condition; it is in the world around us and in the world within us, in our bodies and our minds, our living and our thinking'' [Auer, P., Couper-Kuhlen, E., & Muller, F. (1999). "Language in time: the rhythm and tempo of spoken interaction." New York: Oxford University…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 590 Culminating…