В статье рассматривается эффективный метод повышения качества изучения иностранного языка. В песенной лирике изначально заложен механизм, способствующий легкому запоминанию иностранного языка. Кроме того, в песнях содержатся популярные речевые обороты, фразеологизмы и идиомы, грамматические конструкции и прочие компоненты языка.
The main problem is to make the process of learning foreign languages easier for a lot of young people and to make it more effective. The problem of search effective means and technologies is very important now. The aim of our work is to demonstrate our own experience of learning languages.
One of the actual problems is to become a competent specialist who knows English and may use it for future development. Foreign language is considered to be one of the main conditions for success in personal and professional activity of a future specialist. And we should take into account a psychological factor which is a very powerful tool for improving the process of learning languages because a lot of people like to listen to different songs but sometimes they don’t understand the meaning of them.
The purpose of our work is to combine inborn abilities of a person with interests and wishes to listen to songs and the process of learning foreign languages with the help of consciousness of the students as a natural process. We want to attract your attention and demonstrate one of the most effective methods of learning a foreign language.
In order to achieve the purpose we must solve some tasks which will help us to correct the significance of learning foreign languages to the young people. There are a lot of cultural, national and traditional peculiarities are concentrated in different songs and their values that must be taken into account. We suppose that the process of listening to foreign songs may help students to imagine a process of learning about culture, national traditions where foreign words are memorized by a student who pays no attention to the process of memorizing the meanings of the words. The process of listening popular folk songs is not only a pleasant activity but it can give us the opportunity to learn about historical, cultural stages of development of foreign languages.
We can show the practical usage of the given method on the basis of the site www.LyricsTraining.com
First of all we must state that any language is a spontaneous developing system that has its own laws of development that can be expressed in sound signs, words intended for the purposes of communication and expressing a set of knowledge and impression of a person about the world. Language is closely connected with a process of thinking and also any language is a social meaning of memorizing and transferring different sources of information, and it is one of control means of human’s behavior. Language is being realized in a vivid speech of people so it is a self developed system. People must know that a tolerant dialogue is the unique way of peaceful life and everybody must use dialogues. Scientists proved that the best way to learn about dialogues in the speech is the process of learning foreign language. So, paying attention to the arguments we can come to the conclusion that the role of foreign languages is great.
And in order to achieve our goal we must define the word "Language". We must state that we must agree with the explanation given by the author stating. « A person who speaks any foreign language knows a set of mechanical recordings of the signals received by an inborn ability of this person to hear, remember and acquire heard signals. It is also important that these sound signals are acquired in memory not one by one, and together with other signals received from other sensitive organs (touch, sense of smell) and closely associate with them. [1, p3] For example, we suppose that a word "Thanks" is not simply a set of vowels, but we pronounce it only when we are going to thank someone. We easily remembered the meaning of the word "Thanks" when we notice the process how one person is thanking someone.
According to one of the concepts (D.S.Ushakov, V.I.Belikov and L. P.Krysin, D.Kristal), the native language is the language, which person acquires since the early childhood without special training, being in the corresponding language environment (the first language). A child can acquire several languages since his early childhood; however such cases are not frequent. The language which is acquired through special trainings or in the artificial language environment is called «the Second language» (they also can be several). [2, p.139]
Representatives of the given concept think that any language is better to learn while pretending to be a native speaker. It means you must not only remember expressions but to be in situations which may help you to identify words or phrases which the language context they are used. The result will be great because a personality can remember meaning of words and realize the language situation or cultural context of using them in their speech.
Any language can be learnt, only if a person studying this language has the opportunity to speak with native speakers and learn it with the help of regular repetition of words and phrases in different communication situations. But a lot of specialists point out that there are not many people can afford to learn language in America, England as it is rather expensive. And the main reason of slow speed of mastering a foreign language is closely connected with physiological, gender, psychological problems of a personality. [2]
We can easily imagine the process of mastering foreign language as the process of “entering” of some language information into some pieces of brain. In this case the person who learns is a passive object of learning. Some researchers stress the picture of learning may be changed if the person becomes an active subject of learning process with the help of using his personal structures of consciousness as a natural way of learning. At this time the most effective technologies are based on abilities and feelings. So, little children are usually able to utter words very quickly because they use more than one source of getting information. We can compare this result with the result of those people who left school, and do not know how to say something in English because they used only their memory. So, we are sure that it is necessary to learn foreign language with the help of using feelings, emotions in the process of listening pleasant music, folk songs. We‘ll say about method of listening to songs and learning foreign language
There are many new and original ways of learning English - the process of listening songs is among them. So what is this method based on? I want you to learn about my personal experience of learning English.
For sure each knows that songs are easier to remember than poems. Why is it so? Scientists have found out that a musical center is situated in the left hemisphere of a person’s brain, and a person’s speech is in the right. The activity of the left hemisphere of our brain is usually faster and it proves our theory that using songs as an effective technology of learning English and by the way it is pleasant and useful as it combines activity of both hemispheres and people catch foreign words, phrases grammar rules faster.
Thus, with the help of songs we may develop our consciousness. It's essential that song’s lyrics can be a pleasant listening exercise and language practice. You can improve your comprehension and pronunciation and, also you may learn a couple of new words and everyday grammar structures. I would like to attract you attention to a way how to combine music with the process of learning English.
The best way to explain how the process of listening, singing and then reading texts of songs all that can help us to learn English is the concentration on the process of singing as natural things we usually did in our childhood. We did not learn grammar when started talking. We learned Russian by listening and repeating phrases. We did not even realize that we learned some grammar structures. We just listened to people used phrases in different situations and then started using them as well
The activity of the person’s brain is natural when there is no tension and stress but it can be blocked if it is difficult for a person to pronounce words and different diphthongs in English. Songs can help us to improve pronunciation as the process of listening songs may be pleasant and continuous and you may do it as long as you like.
We can also practice pronunciation by listening to words and phrases and then try to imitate tune, tone and stress. It is proved that the most people love singing their favorite songs, and non-native English speakers often seem to find it easy to remember the words for English songs. This may be explained in such a way:
1. Songs in English are popular in many countries as part of contemporary language and culture, and this fact can be additional motivation for learning English;
2. Songs are written in short variant of information so it is easy to remember, and catch the meaning of sentences;
3. Songs touch emotions and feelings that can help a person to remember the words easier.
Listening to songs is a good way to practice and improve your English listening skills, and if you listen carefully and sing you can improve your pronunciation greatly.
Songs are considered to be a good source of natural and creative language usage, often full of idiomatic expressions and slang.
One thing you can remember is to use gap-filling exercises which are rather popular in song’s lyrics. It may be easily done if you listen to the songs and try to find some missing (erased) words in it. It's easy to find a lot of ready-made exercises of that type.
But if you're interested in a specific song you can't find exercises up to your taste. You can find lyrical songs and erase some of the words in it, or have a sort of dictation, while listening to songs you can write these words and then test yourself. If you are able to watch You Tube videos, www.LyricsTraining.com they will be useful and fun for learning English with different songs. Learners watch the best videos, listen to the songs, and type the correct song words in the blank spaces on the transcript below the video. As the results, the song you like can do a lot: they may enrich vocabulary, improve pronunciation and add some affection and pride to your personality by your progress.
You can choose any level of English you want to try, and you can search the site with your favorite artist or song.
Images in music videos can help you to understand the meaning of the words in the songs, although sometimes it may be difficult to concentrate on the words of the songs when you are watching the video for the first time. So you may do it if you know everything in the film. We recommend you
1. When you listen to a song for the first time, think about what it is. Is it a life story? Is it about an event in a glorious history? Is it a love song?
2. Listen to the song and try to write some words you can understand, and then check your words with the actual words. http://usefulenglish.ru/hobby is a good site for searching lyrics with your favorite songs having Russian translation.
3. As to unfamiliar words, try to understand their meaning from the song, or the other words, and then look up their meaning in your dictionary
4. Listen to the song many times to repeat the way the words are pronounced. Can you pronounce without accent or with an accent? Can you catch any rhyming words? Practice in singing the song. You could try recording your singing and then listen to your pronunciation
5. Which aspects of English grammar can you identify? For example, which phrasal verbs, prepositions, adjectives, adverbs and verb tenses can you find?
This may sound like a lot of work, but after all, you want to learn, so you must just start doing it.
Bibliography:
Arutyunova, N.D. // Logical analyses of language. Mental abilities. / N.D. Arutyunova. M. Science. 1993-p3
Karasik, V.I. Language circle: personality: concept and discourse. /V.I. Karasik. Volgograd. Peremena.2002-p139.
Learning English with music and songs – Singing in English. Mode of access: http://englishlinking.com/learning-english-music-songs-singing-english/ - [21.10:20.00]
Learn English with Music. Mode of access: http://www.helping-you-learn-english.com/learn-english-with- [21.10:20.00]
