Complete Essay

Song as a Media to Improve Student Listening

Language skills are an important aspect of communication. And in English learning itself there are 4 aspects namely listening, speaking, writing and reading. Every individual has different levels of difficulty, including difficulties in communication, difficulty understanding pronunciation, grammar or minimal vocabulary. In learning English, you must master 4 aspects of skill. In this aspect of the skill students learn about how to pronounce or pronounce words correctly, write sentences correctly according to grammar and listen to foreign language sentences correctly and thoroughly so that what is heard matches what is said.

One aspect that is difficult for students to learn is listening. Many students who still cannot understand even do not understand words or sentences spoken in English verbally by the interlocutor so that what happens will be misunderstanding. In general, they have difficulty understanding English expressions or sentences. Their listening and English skills are still lacking. So many factors that affect them are difficult to learn to listen in English such as: the material is too fast to be heard so that they forget what they have heard, do not know the meaning of words in English spoken or heard because of the limitations of the English Vocabulary they have, no concentration on the material being listened to.

These problems make it difficult for them to learn to listen so they feel lazy and scared when they take English lessons. Though listening is one important part. Learning to listen is not easy and often students ignore it. One of the factors that influence the learning process of listening is the learning media. Effective and fun learning media will influence students in learning to listen. So many efforts can be made to learn English, one of which is the listening aspect. Students often find it difficult when learning to listen. Listening is our understanding in hearing English. Both directly and through media such as music, songs or films.

This essay will discuss how to use song media in effective listening teaching.

How to use song media in effective listening teaching

According to Hidayat (2013: 21), “listening is considered as an important ability that has to be mastered. How well someone listens has a major impact on the quality of their relationship with others”. It means that listening is the ability to understand the messages being expressed by the speaker through the sound. On the other hand, Harmer (2001: 242) says that songs or piece of music change “atmosphere” in the classroom. As defined by Ocak (2012: 333) songs are important teaching tools in teaching EFL (English Foreign Language) because as most teachers find out, students love listening to the music in the language classroom. Students often hold strong views about music and students who are usually quiet can become very talkative when discussing it. So, the students should have a great motivation to increase their listening ability. In this case, teacher has many options, one of those is by using English songs. Further, the students will not be bored listening to the lesson because most of student likes listening to the music. So, English song can be interest for other people.

Shen (2009: 90) argues that using English songs in EFL (English Foreign Language) classrooms can successfully bring about affective learning through providing a harmonious classroom atmosphere, reducing students’ anxiety, fostering their interests and motivating them to learn the target language. Students will regard English songs as part of entertainment rather than work and thus find learning English through songs amusing and relaxed. Using songs in the classroom is a great way to live up listening activities. It can be success to the process though to make the listening activities more effective. As mentioned by Murcia (2001: 84) listening is the language skill used most in life, needs to be a central focus-all day, every day-limited only by the availability of the target language in the school, the community, and the media. According to Kline (1996: 46) “building your vocabulary will improve your conversational skills and your reading skills as well as your listening skills. And the more words you learn, the better listener you will become. So, there are relationship between listening and vocabulary. When you listen, you also know about new word that you hear”. Murcia (2001: 461) says that media help us to motivate students by bringing a slice of real life into the classroom and by presenting language in its more complete communicative context. Media can also provide a density of information and richness of cultural input not otherwise possible in the classroom, they can help student to process information. Dealing with the background above, the teacher must try to make students’ interest in learning listening by using songs. Focusing on the problem faced by the students in listening, this study tries to apply songs in improving students’ listening skill. Hopefully, through this approach the student are interested in learning English and to increase their listening skill.

Song is also one of the media in learning English. According to Lynch (2008: 23) ”almost everyone loves music. It is a part of our language and life from before birth onwards. As babies, we hear lullabies. As young children we play, sing and dance to a myriad of nursery rhymes. As adolescents, we are consumed by the beat of popular music artists worldwide. As adults, every form of advertising we hear, every special event we experience, is in part, music. Music pervades television, movies, theater, and even the nightly news. When we exercise, when we work, when we play, when we worship and even when we die, music is there to reinforce or alter or every mood and emotion”. Hidayat (2013: 21) argues that listening ability is also important to be mastered for its benefit in building a good communication. In building a good communication with others, individuals have to understand the meaning of the messages conveyed by their partners when they have a conversation. In comprehending the message conveyed by others, listening ability is needed. Shen (2009: 88) says that in fact, ELT (English Language Teaching) can be implemented in a relaxed and enjoyable way by using English songs in EFL (English Foreign Language) classes. Songs have been an amusing companion for human beings for as long as or even longer than we can speak. As an integral part of our language experience, it can be of great value to foreign language teaching. And the many-faceted merits songs possess may enrich and activate our foreign language class. Teacher should know what students expect in the teaching and learning process, especially in listening class.

Therefore, teacher should be able to determine teaching strategies and methodologies in order to make the learning more successful and enjoyable. So, the teaching learning process by using English songs in listening class of English lesson will be successful if the students pay attention to the material and do their assignment better. Also, teacher should have appropriate and suitable strategies and methodologies in the teaching learning process by using English songs in listening class of English lesson. So the effectiveness of using English songs in listening class of English lesson to increase students listening ability will be granted.

Conclusion

English song can improve the listening skill because song can be media to improve listening skill. When someone learn about English language, they should comprehend in listening skill because listening is one of skill that must comprehend in learning English language. Listening to English song can add the vocabularies, improve pronunciation, and can make comprehend in listening skill and there is way to improve listening skill. Vocabularies can be obtained because people will usual to listen the English word and it can add new vocabularies. Improve pronunciation can obtained because when listen English song, the singer usually is native speaker of English and they will pronounce English well. So that people can use the English song to improve the ability.

Reference

Andriani, Kiki Rezky. Hubungan Media Lagu Dengan Peningkatan Kemampuan Mendengarkan Siswa. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.academia.edu/32673830/HUBUNGAN_MEDIA_LAGU_DENGAN_PENINGKATAN_KEMAMPUAN_MENDENGARKAN_SEORANG_SISWA&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwihz72s2pzpAhU6_XMBHTYUCqAQFjAAegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw0IZhMVZZbJLTA4rBmN6-iz

Putri, Cindiyana Muryani. 2018. Using English Song In Improving Listening Skill. Univeristas Tanjungpura. Retrieved from http://jurnal.untan.ac.id/index.php/jpdpb/article/download/25716/75676576793

Solihat, Dadang. Prita Lusiana Utami. 2014. Improving Students' Listening Skill By Using English Song. English Review: Journal of English Education .Vol. 3, Issue 1, December 2014. Retrieved from https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE/article/view/117/79

Complete Essay

Song as a Media for Increasing Student Listening

Language skills are an important aspect of communication. And in English learning itself there are 4 aspects namely listening, speaking, writing and reading. Every individual has different levels of difficulty, including difficulties in communication, difficulty understanding pronunciation, grammar or minimal vocabulary. In learning English, you must master 4 aspects of skill. In this aspect of the skill students learn about how to pronounce or pronounce words correctly, write sentences correctly according to grammar and listen to foreign language sentences correctly and thoroughly so that what is heard matches what is said.

One aspect that is difficult for students to learn is listening. Many students who still cannot understand even do not understand words or sentences spoken in English verbally by the interlocutor so that what happens will be misunderstanding. In general, they have difficulty understanding English expressions or sentences. Their listening and English skills are still lacking. So many factors that affect them are difficult to learn to listen in English such as: the material is too fast to be heard so that they forget what they have heard, do not know the meaning of words in English spoken or heard because of the limitations of the English Vocabulary they have, no concentration on the material being listened to.

These problems make it difficult for them to learn to listen so they feel lazy and scared when they take English lessons. Though listening is one important part. Learning to listen is not easy and often students ignore it. One of the factors that influence the learning process of listening is the learning media. Effective and fun learning media will influence students in learning to listen. So many efforts can be made to learn English, one of which is the listening aspect. Students often find it difficult when learning to listen. Listening is our understanding in hearing English. Both directly and through media such as music, songs or films.

This essay will discuss how to use song media in effective listening teaching.

How to use song media in effective listening teaching

According to Hidayat (2013: 21), “listening is considered as an important ability that has to be mastered. How well someone listens has a major impact on the quality of their relationship with others”. It means that listening is the ability to understand the messages being expressed by the speaker through the sound. On the other hand, Harmer (2001: 242) says that songs or piece of music change “atmosphere” in the classroom. As defined by Ocak (2012: 333) songs are important teaching tools in teaching EFL (English Foreign Language) because as most teachers find out, students love listening to the music in the language classroom. Students often hold strong views about music and students who are usually quiet can become very talkative when discussing it. So, the students should have a great motivation to increase their listening ability. In this case, teacher has many options, one of those is by using English songs. Further, the students will not be bored listening to the lesson because most of student likes listening to the music. So, English song can be interest for other people.

Shen (2009: 90) argues that using English songs in EFL (English Foreign Language) classrooms can successfully bring about affective learning through providing a harmonious classroom atmosphere, reducing students’ anxiety, fostering their interests and motivating them to learn the target language. Students will regard English songs as part of entertainment rather than work and thus find learning English through songs amusing and relaxed. Using songs in the classroom is a great way to live up listening activities. It can be success to the process though to make the listening activities more effective. As mentioned by Murcia (2001: 84) listening is the language skill used most in life, needs to be a central focus-all day, every day-limited only by the availability of the target language in the school, the community, and the media. According to Kline (1996: 46) “building your vocabulary will improve your conversational skills and your reading skills as well as your listening skills. And the more words you learn, the better listener you will become. So, there are relationship between listening and vocabulary. When you listen, you also know about new word that you hear”. Murcia (2001: 461) says that media help us to motivate students by bringing a slice of real life into the classroom and by presenting language in its more complete communicative context. Media can also provide a density of information and richness of cultural input not otherwise possible in the classroom, they can help student to process information. Dealing with the background above, the teacher must try to make students’ interest in learning listening by using songs. Focusing on the problem faced by the students in listening, this study tries to apply songs in improving students’ listening skill. Hopefully, through this approach the student are interested in learning English and to increase their listening skill.

Song is also one of the media in learning English. According to Lynch (2008: 23) ”almost everyone loves music. It is a part of our language and life from before birth onwards. As babies, we hear lullabies. As young children we play, sing and dance to a myriad of nursery rhymes. As adolescents, we are consumed by the beat of popular music artists worldwide. As adults, every form of advertising we hear, every special event we experience, is in part, music. Music pervades television, movies, theater, and even the nightly news. When we exercise, when we work, when we play, when we worship and even when we die, music is there to reinforce or alter or every mood and emotion”. Hidayat (2013: 21) argues that listening ability is also important to be mastered for its benefit in building a good communication. In building a good communication with others, individuals have to understand the meaning of the messages conveyed by their partners when they have a conversation. In comprehending the message conveyed by others, listening ability is needed. Shen (2009: 88) says that in fact, ELT (English Language Teaching) can be implemented in a relaxed and enjoyable way by using English songs in EFL (English Foreign Language) classes. Songs have been an amusing companion for human beings for as long as or even longer than we can speak. As an integral part of our language experience, it can be of great value to foreign language teaching. And the many-faceted merits songs possess may enrich and activate our foreign language class. Teacher should know what students Expect in the teaching and learning Process, especially in listening class.

Therefore, teacher should be able to determine teaching strategies and methodologies in order to make the learning more successful and enjoyable. So, the teaching learning process by using English songs in listening class of English lesson will be successful if the students pay attention to the material and do their assignment better. Also, teacher should have appropriate and suitable strategies and methodologies in the teaching learning process by using English songs in listening class of English lesson. So the effectiveness of using English songs in listening class of English lesson to increase students listening ability will be granted.

Conclusion

English song can improve the listening skill because song can be media to improve listening skill. When someone learn about English language, they should comprehend in listening skill because listening is one of skill that must comprehend in learning English language. Listening to English song can add the vocabularies, improve pronunciation, and can make comprehend in listening skill and there is way to improve listening skill. Vocabularies can be obtained because people will usual to listen the English word and it can add new vocabularies. Improve pronunciation can obtained because when listen English song, the singer usually is native speaker of English and they will pronounce English well. So that people can use the English song to improve the ability.

Reference

Andriani, Kiki Rezky. Hubungan Media Lagu Dengan Peningkatan Kemampuan Mendengarkan Siswa. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.academia.edu/32673830/HUBUNGAN_MEDIA_LAGU_DENGAN_PENINGKATAN_KEMAMPUAN_MENDENGARKAN_SEORANG_SISWA&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwihz72s2pzpAhU6_XMBHTYUCqAQFjAAegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw0IZhMVZZbJLTA4rBmN6-iz

Putri, Cindiyana Muryani. 2018. Using English Song In Improving Listening Skill. Univeristas Tanjungpura. Retrieved from http://jurnal.untan.ac.id/index.php/jpdpb/article/download/25716/75676576793

Solihat, Dadang. Prita Lusiana Utami. 2014. Improving Students' Listening Skill By Using English Song. English Review: Journal of English Education .Vol. 3, Issue 1, December 2014. Retrieved from https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE/article/view/117/79

Individual Task

Song as a Media for Increasing Student Listening

Language skills are an important aspect of communication.  And in English learning itself there are 4 aspects namely listening, speaking, writing and reading.  Every individual has different levels of difficulty, including difficulties in communication, difficulty understanding pronunciation, grammar or minimal vocabulary.  In learning English, you must master 4 aspects of skill.  In this aspect of the skill students learn about how to pronounce or pronounce words correctly, write sentences correctly according to grammar and listen to foreign language sentences correctly and thoroughly so that what is heard matches what is said.

One aspect that is difficult for students to learn is listening.  Many students who still cannot understand even do not understand words or sentences spoken in English verbally by the interlocutor so that what happens will be misunderstanding.  In general, they have difficulty understanding English expressions or sentences.  Their listening and English skills are still lacking.  So many factors that affect them are difficult to learn to listen in English such as: the material is too fast to be heard so that they forget what they have heard, do not know the meaning of words in English spoken or heard because of the limitations of the English Vocabulary they have, no  concentration on the material being listened to.

These problems make it difficult for them to learn to listen so they feel lazy and scared when they take English lessons.  Though listening is one important part.  Learning to listen is not easy and often students ignore it.  One of the factors that influence the learning process of listening is the learning media.  Effective and fun learning media will influence students in learning to listen.  So many efforts can be made to learn English, one of which is the listening aspect.  Students often find it difficult when learning to listen.  Listening is our understanding in hearing English.  Both directly and through media such as music, songs or films.

This essay will discuss how to use song media in effective listening teaching.

Referensi

Kiki Rezky Andriani. Hubungan Media Lagu Dengan Peningkatan Kemampuan Mendengarkan Siswa. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.academia.edu/32673830/HUBUNGAN_MEDIA_LAGU_DENGAN_PENINGKATAN_KEMAMPUAN_MENDENGARKAN_SEORANG_SISWA&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwihz72s2pzpAhU6_XMBHTYUCqAQFjAAegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw0IZhMVZZbJLTA4rBmN6-iz