STUDY OF CHILDREN’S EXPERIENCES OF LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH SONGS
Keywords:
English learning, songs, young learnersAbstract
The main objective of this research is to explore the experiences of children in learning English through songs at SDN 2 Sukarame. The study used narrative inquiry approach, because it can collect deep information about students’ real stories and feelings. The participants were 15 elementary students who already joined English lessons with songs. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, then analyzed by thematic narrative analysis. The findings show that learning English with songs gave many benefits for the children. They enjoyed and felt more motivated in the lesson, they could remember new vocabulary easily, and their pronunciation also improved. Songs also created social interaction, emotional connection, and cultural awareness among the learners. However, some challenges appeared, such as difficulty in understanding some lyrics. The implication of this study is that English teachers should use songs more actively in classroom because they support not only language development but also social and emotional growth. Schools and curriculum designers are suggested to integrate music in teaching English as an effective and enjoyable method for young learners
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