Teaching English to young learners (YLs) has become its
own field of study as the age of compulsory English as a
Foreign Language (EFL) education has become lower
and lower in countries around the world, especially in
Europe. Ersöz (2007) defines young learners as those
children from the first year of formal schooling (6 years
old, in our case) to 12 years of age. YLs in Europe are
learning EFL at an increasingly early age. As stated in
Eurydice (2005), the average starting age to compulsory
EFL has decreased to 8.2 years old. Syllabus planning
for the YL EFL classrooms flourished as a reflection of
this common practice. If we carefully examine the English
language syllabuses designed for YLs especially over the
last decade, we will come to realize that; they almost
always focus on the communicative use of the English
language; that the skills of listening and speaking are set
as priorities especially in primary education; and that
songs are included as essential teaching tools in teaching
EFL to YLs. Edelenbos et al. (2006), for example, in
trying to exemplify research, good practice and the main
underlying principles of early language teaching across
Europe argue that games and songs have played a
central part in a number of approaches in various
countries. As to the philosophical background to the
centrality of games and songs in early EFL curricula, they
talk about ‘age-related language-learning’ and they
further argue that songs are prime examples of agerelated
material.
As mentioned by Ersöz (2007), in designing a syllabus for
the YL EFL context, the focus should be on the
communicative value of the language and should include
songs and games. Likewise, Sharpe (2001) also argues
that in planning the primary modern foreign language
curriculum attention should be focused on oral and aural
ends and that songs should be included in the curriculum.
Bourke (2006) in trying to explore the debate on the
teaching of EFL to YLs, also stresses the importance of
songs by arguing that when we plan a syllabus for YLs
we should make sure it is experientially appropriate and
that it should definitely contain songs, chants and
rhymes. Likewise, as Halliwell (1993) points out, YLs
should be taught EFL through songs and games. Indeed,
Rumley (1999) makes the case clear by arguing that
songs help children to learn because they provide a safe,
non-threatening context within which to play with
language. Songs provide excellent opportunities for
repetition and practice which would otherwise be tedious.
This repetition helps learning and this in turn leads to
1028 Educ. Res. Rev.
familiarity so that children feel comfortable with a
language other than their mother tongue.
The findings of research studies that explore the use of
songs in YL EFL contexts mainly conclude that teachers,
YLs and parents are in favour of using songs as teaching
tools. Kirsch (2006, 2008), for example, argues that
singing is definitely one of the most effective language
learning strategies reported by most children. Likewise,
Klein (2005) argues that children respond enthusiastically
to songs and welcome them. Indeed, research
demonstrates that many teachers of YLs know the value
of songs in EFL contexts. Ilter and Er’s (2007) study
about parent and teacher views on teaching EFL to YLs
concludes that both parents and teachers have positive
attitudes toward early language learning and that they
both favour the teaching of EFL through games and
songs. Büyükduman (2005), in concluding a research
study about the opinions of primary school EFL teachers
in regards the English curriculum in Turkey, points out
that all the schools should be provided with audio-lingual
materials for the better teaching of EFL in primary
schools and that books about games and songs should
be written for the better teaching of EFL to YLs.
The exposition of the language learner to necessary
and sufficient input is considered as one of the most
important factors in language learning process (Krashen,
1981). Evaluated in this context, one of the prominent
features of songs is their rhythmic and repetitive nature.
The repetitive nature of songs, the joy songs impose to
the learning activity and the associative power between
the melody and the content of the word may reinforce the
attainment of the language to be internalized. Therefore,
the fostering influence of songs in the YL EFL contexts
doubles. This is because children are keener to rhythm
and they have not yet constructed personal barriers as
was stated by Krashen (1981). Likewise, Johnstone
(2002) who favours an early start to the learning and
teaching of EFL claims that providing the children with a
sufficient amount of input and interaction, embedded in a
range of intrinsically interesting cross-curricular activity is
important. Therefore, teachers of YLs may make an
important contribution to children’s early language
education by introducing their classes to recorded songs,
poems and stories. As pointed out by Çakır (1999) as
well, music can be a wonderful medium for natural
language learning. Songs are comprehensible, enjoyable,
authentic and full of language we need in real life. They
are part of our lives and they are around us.
Cameron (2001) in discussing the importance of
language learning goals, states that there is a further
force in primary school classrooms that may shift
teaching away from learning, and that is the borrowing of
materials and activities from general primary practice.
This transfer of methodology happens rather often at
primary level, partly because of methodological vacuum
in teaching YLs, and partly because primary practice has
some genuinely good techniques and ideas that clearly
work well with YLs. Prime examples of techniques
transferred from primary education would be themebased
learning and the use of songs and rhymes. She
further argues that phonological awareness in the foreign
language, the ability to hear the individual sounds and
syllables that make up words, will develop from oral
language activities, such as saying rhymes or chants and
singing songs. Martin (2000a) also argues that songs,
rhymes, story-telling, role-plays and game-like activities
with a high language content are strong features of many
primary modern foreign language programmes and pupils
are able to memorize texts in songs and stories and they
should be encouraged to do so.
In fact, songs have been part of the human experience
for as long as we can remember. Songs have become an
integral part of our language experience, and if used in
cooperation with a language lesson they can be of great
value (Schoepp, 2001). According to Schoepp, three
patterns emerge from the literature as to why teachers
and researchers find using songs valuable. These are
affective, cognitive, and linguistic reasons.
1) As for affective reasons, Schoepp argues that the
practical application of Krashen’s affective filter
hypothesis is that teachers must provide a positive
atmosphere conducive to language learning. Songs are
one method for achieving a weak affective filter and
promoting language learning.
2) As for cognitive reasons, songs present opportunities
for developing automaticity which is the main cognitive
reason for using songs in the language classroom.
3) As for linguistic reasons, we may say that songs offer
a good variety of language samples and prepare the
students for genuine language they will face.
In a similar vein, Sharpe (2001) also argues that singing
is a vital part of the life of a young child, inside and
outside the school, and incorporating the foreign
language into this fundamental activity is another way of
normalizing it. YLs readily imitate sounds, and will usually
have learnt to associate singing and playing with rhythms
and rhymes with pleasure from an early age. Through
singing traditional songs, made-up songs, catches and
rounds, and other age-appropriate material, pupils
gradually internalize the structures and patterns of the
foreign language as well as the specific language items
which the teacher may wish them to learn. Repetition of
language, for example in returning choruses or
‘cumulative’ songs, is experienced as positively
pleasurable rather than negatively boring.