The Effects of Songs on Foreign Language Vocabulary Acquisition

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of songs on vocabulary learning. The study was conducted on 60 students of different grades in the department of English Language Teaching at Faculty of Education, Sakarya University. The participants consisted of both male and female students between the ages of 19 and 29. A questionnaire with 23 items developed by Xiaowei was administered as the data collection instrument. As clearly known, language learners with musical intelligence make use of songs and lyrics in the process of learning a foreign language. Learners who are keen on learning a foreign language can practice informal language incidentally by means of repeating the words of various songs. Language of music is also a clear representative of culture and undeniable transmitter of cultures across continents. Learning by means of songs establishes a stress-free atmosphere and eliminates the affective filter which minimizes learning when it is high. Furthermore, listening to songs can help English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners overcome psychological barriers such as; anxiety and lack of confidence since learners actively get involved in self-learning. Thus, songs are entertaining, motivating and easily accessible materials. The findings of the study revealed that learning vocabulary from songs is an effective way and songs assist learners in learning pronunciation, spelling, meaning and usage in varying degrees as they arouse learners' interest and curiosity. It can easily be assumed that curiosity is the key point which leads language learners to acquiring new vocabulary through getting exposed to songs.