Using songs in a language teaching is not anything new. It has been used long before. But unfortunately, its usage goes to a wrong way. Many teachers use it just for fun or rewards because the students have done many exercises. Shortly speaking, they do believe that using songs in teaching English is not an effective way. It spends too much time consuming. As a result, they give the students exclusively desk-bound and textbook oriented activities. The objective is about more to reach the curriculum targets, hoping to get good mark for the student in a final national exam (Ebtanas). In addition to this, successful of Ebtanas would be decided as a judgment of the successful learning and teaching English.
No wonder many teachers seem that they have no ideas. They spend much their time just to collect many exercises for the students to do. In this case, English is thought as knowledge, not language. So, they know more about it instead of do it. They learn English just using their eyes and hands. But their ears and mouth become useless because they seldom practice how to listen and speak. If you have them practice, it will be predictable that they do nothing. Or they may do it, but they have to write the dialogue and memorize it as though they could do.In my experience when I taught my new class in my English course, I used to have this condition. Many of my students felt worried, nervous and ashamed when I asked them to speak. They used to thing first and write everything they wanted to say hoping able to speak fluently. In fact, they could do because they read their mind. What about your class? If you have this condition, I offer you how to solve the problem.I often begin my new class by giving them songs. Singing song can make my students feel relaxed so that they forget that they have a duty to practice the dialogue. Song can be a little warming-up of words, phrases or sentences pronunciation. For me teaching English should not be related to the marks or value. English is skill, especially speaking. So it should be practiced and practiced like Ronaldo when he wants to make a good goal by unusual kicking. Unfortunately, many students often take the wrong way in ordet to do conversation. They often memorize the dialogue before then perform in the class. This is acceptable because the teacher never focus on the process but the reazult instead. Here the students perform the conversation as though they could speak. (I will discuss this topic later). To whom do not prepare the script, automatically will not do. Even if they have not only prepared but olso memorized, but they have no brave will do nothing. Or they may perform the conversation but feel stagnant in the middle because they feel nervouse so that they loose every words they want to say.
The question is how to make the song usefull in our teaching (especiallty speaking). Here are some of my experiences to use songs;
1. Find the songs which consist of words or phrases you are going to use in a conversation. Or you can compose your own songs.
Here is the sample. If you're going to teach how make a phone call, you can use songs of number such as; One little Two little Three little finggers, darling you van love one, Three blue peagons, etc. Take an example that you want to use this song;
One little Two little Three little finggers
One little, two little, three little fingers
Four little, five little, six little fingers
Seven little, eight little, nine little fingers
Ten little on your hands
Note: First, you have to teach how to sing till it is familiar. Remember that the goal of this song is not only able to sing but also to understand the number, seven means seven, nine means nine, etc. They are often able to say the number if it begins from 1. But they often seem difficult to read the sign "7". They have to count their figers first while saying the numbers (one, two, three....) To do this they have to act out the song by showing their finger one when the song says one, and so on. It will give the students practise the number through the songs.
2. Use a music instrument (guitar or keyboard) if you can to make your students interested. Or you can play the cassette and let your students join, or just with clapping but should be in full of spirit. It is because the way you sing impact your students. If you are lazy, they will be too.
3. Repeat and repeat.
