John Rucynski, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan

Introduction

Music is an enjoyable and invaluable resource for English language learners. The numerous benefits of consistent exposure to English music include an increase in listening comprehension (Mobbs & Cuyul, 2018), motivation (Werner & Tegge, 2021), awareness of prosody (Mobbs & Cuyul, 2018), and knowledge of the target cultures (Engh, 2013). Despite these advantages, many teachers struggle with how to make listening to English music a consistent component of the curriculum.

One promising technique to encourage extensive music listening among learners is to have an ongoing class activity of comparing different versions of the same English song. Although the activities described in this article were developed for an asynchronous online English listening course, they can easily be modified for traditional face-to-face classes. Additionally, listening activities can be done either during class time or independently out of class. Easy access to songs on YouTube makes either approach possible.

Introducing Vocabulary for Describing Music

As this will be an activity in which learners are frequently tasked with explaining their musical preferences, it is important to provide the class with a vocabulary list of musical terms. This list could be given all at once as a reference or gradually expanded throughout the course. Below is just a sample of possible musical categories and terms.

Adjectives for describing music: catchy, dark, heavy, mellow, soulful

Musical concepts: beat, harmony, melody, rhythm, tone (all important concepts for prosody instruction)

Song structure: bridge, chorus, verse

Sample Sentences for Comparing Different Versions

You could also provide sample patterns or sentences to help learners as they begin the process of explaining music (and stating their preferences) in English. This is an opportunity to introduce, rehearse, and reinforce grammatical structures expressing causation and comparative structures.

-I like {version 1} more than {version 2} because I think it has a nicer { beat / harmony / melody }.

-I prefer { version 2 } to { version 1 } because I think it has a great { melody / rhythm / tone }.

-I was more { impressed / moved } by { version 1 / version 2 } because….

-I { could / couldn’t } really get into { version 1 / version 2 } because….

Steps of the Activity

To reap the full benefits of extensive exposure to English music, this procedure is recommended as an ongoing activity to be maintained throughout the course. Below is the basic procedure to follow for one song.

1. Choose an English song that has at least two different versions. As students will later vote on their preferred version, the activity works best if the two versions are not too similar.

2. Give students some basic background information about the song and respective artists. As the activity is repeated, learners can also be tasked with researching the information on their own before class. Alternatively, each half of the class could be assigned to one of the artists and then do a jigsaw activity sharing the information they found about the respective artists.

3. Assign learners to listen to both versions of the song. Again, this could be done either in or outside of class (by providing learners with the necessary YouTube links). Prepare standard exercises for the listening, such as CLOZE activities. Instead of repeating the same song to give a second chance to fill in missing blanks, the second version of the song could instead be played.

4. Students vote for their preferred version of the song and state their reasons. This can be done either as a discussion activity (in the classroom) or by completing a survey using an online tool such as Google Forms (outside of class).

5. Repeat.

Sharing the Results of the Voting

Sharing the voting results about the preferred versions of songs is a fun way to add some suspense to this ongoing activity. If the voting is being done via Google Forms, it is simple to share the pie chart that shows the voting results. In addition, sharing some student comments about each version is a good technique for showing examples of opinions and/or use of music terminology that go beyond simplistic statements like “I like this song!” or “It’s cool!”. As one example of this, my learners compared the original version of “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King (1961) with a cover version by John Lennon (1975). For the record, Ben E. King won that battle in a landslide, 75 percent to 25 percent. Below are some sample learner comments supporting each version.

Ben E. King Version:

1. “The upright bass' melody and tones are very gentle. So, they make me feel relaxed. Especially I like the part from 1:53-2:23.”

2. “I think the original version is more powerful. The song's structure is simple, but I was moved by his singing voice. I think his voice is the best for this music.”

John Lennon Version:

1. “I like the effects on his voice. It gives the song a lonely, ghostly feel.”

2. “I like John Lennon’s singing voice and I feel his version is more soulful than Ben E. King's version.”

Possible Themes and Variations

It is strongly recommended to design a variety of different themes to keep the activity fresh and interesting. Having different themes will also promote more interesting in-class activities and discussions rather than just announcing, “Now let’s listen to this week’s song.” Below are some sample themes I developed throughout the course.

Introducing Varieties of English

As noted, one suggested song is “Stand by Me.” This song is a way to introduce different English accents, as the original is performed by an American singer (Ben E. King) and a famous cover version was performed by a British singer (John Lennon). Exposure to varieties of English should include examples from all of Kachru’s Three Circles of English (Kachru, 1985). A great resource for introducing “outer circle” and “expanding circle” speakers is cover versions of songs recorded by the Playing for Change Band. Started in 2002, this project features a global collection of musicians covering popular songs, including “One Love” (Bob Marley) and “The Weight” (The Band).

Responding to the Current Situation

Music becomes more interesting and motivating for learners when they find ways to make connections between different songs and their lives. One simple way I connected a song with a current situation was using the song “Rainy Days and Mondays” (the 1971 original by the Carpenters and the 2015 cover by Japanese/Canadian band Monkey Majik) on an overcast Monday at the start of Japan’s rainy season. Regarding a more serious situation, “Stand by Me” was chosen as the first song of the course as a way of sharing a song of emotional support as my first-year university students faced the unprecedented experience of remote learning. Once you establish a classroom community with your learners (whether online or face to face), there will hopefully be “classroom” events that inspire the selection of respective songs.

Introducing Distinct Musical Genres

As previously mentioned, this activity works better when the two versions of the song are not too similar. After all, there is not much to discuss or write about if the cover version is just a faithful, note for note version of the original. Although it is likely that your learners will be familiar with at least some English music, one of the main benefits of this ongoing activity is to introduce new genres of music and hopefully help them to broaden their musical horizons. As one example of this, my learners compared “What a Wonderful World” by jazz legend Louis Armstrong (1967) and punk rocker Joey Ramone (2002). Another example was comparing the soothing original version of “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles (1969) with the percussion-driven live version by Richie Havens (1971).

Discussing Social Issues

Using music should not be thought of as only a light and fun class activity, as it can also be used as a springboard for discussing important social issues. For example, my students listened to “What’s Going On,” comparing the original version by Marvin Gaye (1971) with the Playing for Change Band version (2014). For a pre-listening activity, students were tasked with guessing what they thought the song was about. In other words, what kind of social statement was being made with the original song in that era? For a post-listening activity, students were given the discussion topic “If someone released a new version of this song today, what kind of social statement do you think they would be making?”

Student-selected Songs

This activity can also sustain motivation if student input is encouraged. Explain to learners that any song they recommend for class listening simply needs to have at least two different versions. If you are using an LMS for the class, it is quite easy to allow space for students to share their suggestions. In addition, students could also recommend additional versions of songs that the class has already listened to. Again, the point is to inspire extensive English music listening.

Conclusion

The types of English songs you decide to use will depend on factors such as the age, cultural background, and proficiency level of your learners. Again, the key point is that this activity is intended as a way of sustaining a component of English music listening throughout an entire course. In the words of the late Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, “Let there be songs to fill the air.”

References

Engh, D. (2013). Why use music in English language learning? A survey of the literature. English Language Teaching, 6(2), 113-127.

Kachru, B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: English language in the outer circle. In R. Quirk and H. Widowson (Eds.), English in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literatures (pp. 11-36). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mobbs, A., & Cuyul, M. (2018). Listen to the music: Using songs in listening and speaking classes. English Teaching Forum, 56(1), 22-29.

Werner, V., & Tegge, F. (Eds.). (2020). Pop culture in language education: Theory, research, practice. Routledge.