Memoire Online - The impact of songs and games in english language teaching

This piece of work is dedicated to my parents for having contributed a lot in my studies, for the sacrifices they have endured in life.

It is also dedicated to my young brothers and sisters and the SYLLA family in Darou Mousty.

I would like first of all to express my deep thankfulness and gratefulness to my supervisor Mrs. DIENG for her benevolence and willingness to supervise our research projects.

Our thanks go as well to all the trainers at Fastef mainly those who are in the English department for having made the English department one of the most outstanding departments in the faculty.

Introduction ............................................................................................... 3

Chapter one: description of the context ....................................................................... 5

1.1 Teaching English in the Senegalese context .......................................................... 5

1.2 Problems raised by teaching English in the Senegalese context ............................... 7

1.3 Purpose: to solve the problems through songs and games ..................................... 9

Chapter two: literature review ........................................................................................... 11

2.1 Teaching songs and games in a foreign language context ....................................... 11

2.2 Songs and games in language proficiency .............................................................. 14

2.3 Strategies and techniques in teaching songs and games ........................................ 16

Chapter three: exemplification .............................................................. 17

3.1 Exemplar unit: descriptive analysis ........................................................................... 17

3.2 Unit outline ................................................................................................................ 17

3.3 Trailing and feedback ................................................................................................. 19

Chapter four: methodology .................................................................................................. 22

4.1 Research techniques and instruments, descriptive analysis ...................................... 22

4.2 Data presentation and analysis .................................................................................. 23

4.2.1 Teachers questionnaire data, presentation and analysis ......................................... 23

4.2.2 Students questionnaire data, presentation and analysis ........................................ 25

4.2.3 Cross analysis of the results .................................................................................... 26

Chapter five: results and implications .......................................................... 27

5.1 Statement of results ................................................................................................... 27

5.2 Implications ................................................................................................................ 27

5.3.1 Recommendations to teachers .............................................................................. 27

5.3.2 Recommendations to students .....................................................................................27

5.3.3 Recommendations to educational authorities ...........................................................28

5.3.4 Recommendations to parents .....................................................................................28

Conclusion .................................................................................... 28

Bibliography.........................................................................................29

Appendix ....................................................................................30

Introduction

Language learning is a hard task which can sometimes be frustrating and demotivating. It is clear that a constant effort is required to understand, produce and manipulate the target language. Teaching English as a language in the 4^th form in Senegal is sometimes a hard job to perform because of the number of impediments the teacher may encounter. The difficulties that teachers meet are most of the time the lack of motivation for the students to learn English since they are not exposed to hear and practise English everywhere and all the time.

To take up this challenge, teachers must permanently have recourse to songs and games to enhance the learners' desire to learn the language. It is obvious that a student is always a student no matter how old he / she is. Students learn better when they have the feeling that they are making progress. This happens when the atmosphere in the classroom facilitates it. There is a variety of activities that create this kind of atmosphere - games are only one of them. Playing a game is a great opportunity to repeat the material in a way which is encouraging and not intimidating. If the teacher adds the element of challenge and competition into it and caters to the needs of a larger range of students and learning techniques which suit them; the outcome will be great achievements.

We must discard the misconception which is that all learning should be serious and solemn in nature and that if one is having fun and there is hilarity and fun it is not learning. This assertion is entirely faulty simply because it is possible to learn a language as well as enjoy oneself at the same time. It appears then that one of the best ways of doing it is through performing songs and games.

One has to notice that many experienced textbook and methodology manuals writers have argued that songs and games are not just fruitless and time-filling activities; they are rather activities endowed with great educational values. This is why a great number of writers are today inclined to believe that songs and games should be treated as central not peripheral to the Foreign Language Teaching. A similar opinion is expressed by Richard Amato who believes games to be a fun but warns against overlooking their pedagogical value; particularly in Foreign Language Learning.

Games are easy ways of learning without being bored. And learning should not really become boring. Games therefore are relevant for adult classes too, provided they are adapted to the learners' level. Students in the 4^th form need to have fun in language learning.

It is a good idea to develop or find games that inspire adults to learn the language. These are simply different games to those teachers use for young learners mainly students in the 4^th form.

In the Senegalese context many teachers often use songs and games as short warm up activities or when there is some time left at the end of the lesson. This misuse of songs and games will not be beneficial to the learners because they are not performed in the right way.

As we see, songs and games should not be regarded as activities filling odd moments when the teacher and the students have nothing better to do. We can acknowledge that no one today can deny the efficiency and the effectiveness of songs and games in teaching English as a foreign language. We have to add that songs and games lend themselves well to revision exercises helping students remember material in an entertaining and pleasant way.

There are today so many writers and authors who assert that even though songs and games resulted only in noisy disturbances and entertained learners, they are worth paying attention to, and implementing in the 4^th form classroom since they significantly motivate learners, promote greatly communicative competences and skills and generate adequately fluency.

Games have been shown to have advantages and effectiveness in learning vocabulary in various ways. First of all every one knows that games bring relaxation and fun for students. This can be simply accounted for by the fact that they help learners learn and retain new words and structure more easily. Second, games usually involve friendly competition and they keep learners interested.

It is not a fallacy in this sense to assert and maintain that these activities create the motivation for the learners of English to get involved and participate actively in the learning activities.

In the same line it is possible to say that the vocabulary games bring real world context and real life situations and enhance then students' use of the English language in a flexible and communicative way.

There is one aspect that teachers should not overlook. Whenever a game is to be conducted, the number of students, the proficiency level, the cultural context, the timing, the learning topic and the classroom settings are factors that should really be taken into account.

In an effort to supplement a lesson plan in the English language teaching classroom in the 4^th form, teachers often turns to songs and games. This justification for using songs and games in the classroom has been well demonstrated as benefiting students in a variety of ways.

Chapter one: description of the context

1.1 Teaching English in the Senegalese context

It is visible today that English is a language that is spoken all over the world. As a result of that, Senegalese people are really interested in this language even if English is not the first language in Senegal. To have a high command of the language, people hire teachers and bring their children to schools where English teachers teach them English. English is not the mother tongues the Senegalese people, so it will not be easy for the learners to master the language without great effort.

Teaching English in Senegal can be sometimes very tiresome simply because students are exposed to neither listening nor speaking it all the time. It can be discouraging for the teacher who is not patient because teaching English under these circumstances requires patience and care. One of the main problems that teachers encounter is students' use of their mother tongue in class which is so frequent and common. This situation will not help students because the less students are exposed to practise, the more they are not in a position not to have a full grasp of English. Students tend also to use French in their daily activities. Most students think in French or in Wolof first and then try to translate into English to do the job that is asked to him. These kinds of situations are really impediments and obstacles for those who want to learn the English language.

Another fact that is important to highlight is that the time devoted to teaching English in classrooms is far from enough and this is so problematic. In most Senegalese schools, the English teacher is allocated three hours a week for the 4^th form and everybody knows that three hours is not much time and in this respect it is really difficult if teachers want their students to be proficient. Much more time is needed to carry out the task that is given to the teacher.

It has to be shown that in most schools mainly in schools in the rural areas, books are sometimes not available and it is really difficult to get in touch with the English books because they are unobtainable. This makes the situation more difficult since when students are not exposed to English and they have not the adequate material, it is obvious that teaching them will not be an easy task.

Lack of infrastructure and didactic material are really a problem in the Senegalese schools. Old books are not renewed for a long time and the result is that English teachers will not update their knowledge, and this fact will have negative impact on the students' learning. This matter is so important because if teachers are not well trained or if they are not trained at all, which is the present case, learning and teaching will not be efficient, then beneficial to students. Government and educational authorities should take this matter seriously, because the better the training of the teachers is, the more comfortable students feel when they learn English. Here are some problems that are visible in teaching English in Senegal.

It will not a fallacy to assert that English is one of the most enticing and catching language in the world. English is a language that people use everywhere in the world and they use it in all sectors and activities. This is the very reason why it catches the interest of so many people. A striking fact is that students like so much English that English teachers are the happiest teachers in the Senegalese educational context.

Teaching English in Senegal, particularly in villages are really so interesting because students want to know how to speak and express themselves in English. It is without a doubt that teaching English is so exciting because they are more often than not truly motivated and galvanized into learning. Another fact that has to be pointed out is that the syllabus is in compliance with the Senegalese culture and this facilitates the English teaching in Senegal. While teaching English, when the teacher takes into account the culture of the students, this can really enhance students' interest and lead them to like more what they are learning.

Today many improvements are done by authorities to up level the professional capacities of the teachers of English so that their teaching may be efficient once they are in the classrooms. In this respect, we can name cells which are of vital importance as it is a place where teachers can put their heads together and improve their knowledge. Cells are meant to reinforce the capacities of the teachers. Seminars are also ways of improving English teachers efficiency and capacities to perform their jobs in the normal way. No one can deny today the efficiency and the effectiveness of the English clubs. In high schools, in universities, English clubs are omnipresent, and most of the time they are the most dynamic clubs in the schools. This is really due to the fact that English is the language that attracts people. Students are strongly keen on English because they know its value and the solutions it can bring. Through English clubs, everyone can see that students love English and they set their hearts on it. With the advent of numerous books Go for English, Stayed Tuned, students are really in a position to ameliorate their level with the help of their teachers and reduce to the minimum the problems that they daily encounter.

1.2 Problems raised by teaching English in the Senegalese context

Language teachers in Senegal daily meet a certain number of difficulties which impede them from doing their jobs in the normal way. English teachers suffer a lot from this situation because the language that they teach is the second language and that it is not used all the time. The problems that English teachers are today faced with are numerous. One of the most obvious is the lack of motivation of the students. This is really a problem because when students lack motivation there is nothing that the teacher can do to help them no matter how courageous he or she may be. Teaching English when students are not motivated is really a boring task and this will not give the teacher the strength to continue what he or she is doing.

When students are reluctant to learn it will not easy for the teacher to provide knowledge with the students because students are not in a position to acquire knowledge. When students are not motivated in the class they disturb the classroom atmosphere and this may have negative impact on the learning of the motivated students.

Lack of motivation of students is really problematic in our classrooms and it due mainly to many factors which are internal and external to our school system. It is imperative that today English teachers should take into account this problem because it is really an impediment and an obstacle to our teaching system.

Apart from this fact, there are other problems that teachers of English meet. We can lay the stress on the fact that today most schools are ill equipped and this really a problem. In most schools, particularly in schools which are in rural areas, there are not enough books for students. When there are not enough books, one can imagine the disastrous conditions that teachers and students are going to work. Books are vital in English teaching in Senegal because the syllabus is focused on books which are called Go for English. In most schools, a group of four or five students has to share one book and this will not facilitate the English teaching because when books lack, problems are bound to happen. Lack of books is not the only problems. We can add that lack of hand-outs which are most of the time frequent in many schools because there are no photocopiers.

Hand-outs are very important in the language teaching because they help and illustrate what has been taught to students. Sometimes handouts are pictures or maps which are really helpful as they enable students to understand in a very quickly way

The insufficiency of teachers of English in schools is another problem that has to be taken into account. In some schools teachers are really understaffed and the ones who are available will not spend all the time teaching because when they spend all their time teaching they will be in the long run, feel tired. When in a school, English teachers are understaffed; the students' learning of the language is not efficient. By dint of hard work, you will finally be exhausted. English teachers are understaffed and educational authorities should take this matter more seriously and hire new English teachers.

The training of the new English teachers is really important because it has a part to play in the learning of the students. It is so problematic when teachers are hired and sent to schools without basic training.

We can also point out that it is really difficult to teach English when students tend to use their mother tongue. In Senegal schools, students use French or just their mother tongue. French and mother tongue's is so conspicuous and recurrent that when you want to teach English you will face problems. We have to lay emphasis on the fact that some students use or mother tongue with the complicity of teachers of English. This kind of teaching English will not be efficient because English is mixed with other languages. Some students because they are afraid or ashamed of making mistakes, they express either in French or in their mother tongues. We see this situation when students are asked to conduct activities in pair work or group work. Because most of the time when students do pair work or group work activities and the teacher is not in the group, students use continuously their mother tongues when in fact a language is to be spoken permanently if you want to have a high command of the language.

Teachers of English should be more cautious and attentive with students' use of their mother tongue in a place and at a time when they should practise their English, it will become really problematic.

Another problem of the English teachers is that the national syllabus does not sit with our cultural, values so much so that it will not be easy for the teachers of English to teach students realities different to the ones they know. When cultural realities are so different, students will have problems to get sense of direction and to know where the teacher wants to lead them. The national syllabus has to take that into consideration because when teachers want to teach English through other realities, students will be in difficulty as far as the English handling is concerned.

Culture is something that is very important in such extent that when students are estranged from their culture, they will be at a loss and under such circumstances learning is so hard.

It is necessary today authorities have in mind that only by focusing the syllabus on our culture can it be advantageous and beneficial to the English teachers as well as the students.

Parents' lack of involvement in the education of the students is sometimes a problem that has to be considered. In rural areas, home schooling is non-existent and some parents do not care about their children's education. This situation does not help the teacher because learning should be permanent. Students, whether at home or at school, they should always learn. At school teacher can control the student and make him work. Some students after school have to go to their fields to help their families in rural areas. Sometimes parents are not facilitators; they are just obstacles and impediments in their students learning.

1.3 Purpose: to solve the problems through songs and games

Often, English language teachers adopt various languages teaching methodologies e.g. Audio Lingual Method, Direct Method, Grammar-Translation Method, Community Language Learning, Natural Approach, Total Physical Responses, Communicative Approach, etc. But what is more important for teachers is to know what the most appropriate approach to teaching the language in that particular environment is and what activities are suitable for a given group of learners. In most cases, teachers in Senegal are worried about how to teach the students to improve their level of proficiency in English language. So, the problem for many teachers is how to develop genuine interest among students to continue to learn and use English once the examination is over. Consequently, they should realize that they need to find creative ways to teach the language and increase the students' motivation to learn the language effectively and to eventually appreciate it.

It is imperative to any language rules tip. Songs are one of the most charming and ethnically prosperous resources that the teachers can easily use in verbal communication classrooms. Songs propose a change from habitual classroom actions. They are valuable resources to expand students' abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They can also be exercises to teach a variety of language matters such as sentence patterns, vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, adjectives, and adverbs. Learning English in the course of songs also affords a non-threatening ambiance for students, who usually are tense when speaking English in an official classroom location. Songs also give new insights into the objective traditions. They are the means in the course of which educational topics are presented successfully. While they supply genuine texts, they are inspiring. Prosodic features of the language such as stress, rhythm, intonation are presented through songs, thus from side to side using them the language, which is cut up into sequences of structural points, becomes an entire once more. There are many advantages of using songs in the classroom. Through using modern trendy songs, which youngsters well know, the teacher can meet the challenges of the teenage needs in the classroom. Because songs are extremely unforgettable and motivating, in many forms they may comprise an influential subculture with their own rituals. Furthermore, through using customary folk songs the support of the learners' knowledge of the target culture can be broadened. Appropriately, chosen traditional folk songs have the twofold encouraging assault of beautiful tunes and appealing stories, in addition for many students- the added component of originality. Most songs, especially folk songs, go after a frequently repetitive verse form, with rhyme, and have a series of other discourse features, which make them easy to follow. In consequence, if preferred appropriately and adopted cautiously, a teacher should benefit from songs in all phases of teaching grammar. Songs may both be used for the presentation or the perform phase of the grammar class. They may support widespread and concentrated listening, and inspire resourcefulness and use of imagination in an undisturbed classroom ambiance. Whereas selecting a song the teacher should take the age, interests of the learners and the language being used in the song into deliberation. To improve learner commitment, it is also advantageous to allow learners to take part in the selection of the songs. The latest concern of the foreign language teachers is to make the children use the language communicatively. After the realization of communicative competence, activities, or techniques that are task-oriented and that guide children to use the language imaginatively have gained significance.

Games and problem-solving activities, which are task-based and have a purpose beyond the production of accurate speech, are the examples of the most preferable communicative activities. Such activities highlight not only the competence but also the performance of the learner. Nonetheless, they are the indispensable parts of a grammar lesson, since they reinforce a form-discourse match. In such activities, the attention is on the discourse context. Both games and problem-solving activities have a purpose. Games are organized according to rules, and they are enjoyable. Most games require choral responses or group works, whereas problem-solving activities (though they are structured) require individual response and creative solutions. Games and problem-solving activities are generally used after the presentation, in the practice part, because such communicative tasks can only be handled after mastering sufficient grammar and lexical points. Through well-planned games, learners can put into practice and internalize vocabulary, grammar, and structures extensively. Play and competition that are provided by games enhance the motivation of the young learners. They also reduce the stress in the classroom. At the same time as playing games, the learners' attention is on the message, not on the language.

Verbal communication games are an influential means of livening up the lessons and scattering tediousness, which frequently results from drills. Language games, like songs, must be constructed in such a way that they give linguistic practice in imperative constructions. Each game must have an extraordinary aim and the educator must be conscious of what meticulous cleverness is practiced through a scrupulous game.

In the English language classroom this is more appropriate to create songs and-games because the explanations are given in another language that requires even more effort by the students to comprehend than their own mother language. Then using songs and games in a well-planned lesson is essential. The teacher must be creative and flexible. Depending on the nature of the class and the students' levels, the dynamics of the class must be appropriate. Some students at the advanced level, a little above what they already know have been observed. They are energetic. But sometimes when they don't understand, teachers have to change mechanism and think of another way as not to lose the energy of the class. Some students who are not energetic at all have also been observed. The lessons must be simple, and interesting, with a lot of changes from a writing exercise, to a speaking session, then to a listening practice, again back to writing, and so on, all in the same class. If the students' span of attention and levels are lower, they usually don't like to take in something a bit challenging. But students who enjoy challenging materials will try harder to understand some things on their own. Rightly instructed students when they face with something they do not understand, will say, «I think I know what the teacher means, I'll give it a try», instead of «I didn't understand, I can't possibly start this on my own.»

Another important aspect of improving the intrinsic motivation of students is to be a caring teacher. Although guidelines and rules must be set and understood by the students, and if they cross the guidelines a punishment will follow, the teacher must be caring approachable, and understanding.

Teachers must be kind and helpful to the students, and be patient when they don't understand. There are some teachers, who conduct their classes very strictly, almost as a sort of dictator in class. The teacher gets upset when it appears that the students don't understand what is taught in the class. A caring teacher tries to develop a relationship with the students. If the teacher sees potential in all students, and communicates this well to the students, they will in return build a desire to learn and participate. When the students realize that teacher is not going to get angry, s/he is being nice and understanding, and the reason they are trying so hard is because it is important to them that their students learn and do well. A teacher's positive energy could lead to the students becoming more motivated. If the students see that the teacher is happy to be in the classroom and excited to teach them, then the students can learn by example. A smile is contagious. Positive attitude is a must for successful learning atmosphere. To promote self-confidence, it helps if the teacher is self-confident. Positive approval and appreciation of student efforts is very effective, even if the student is wrong. Let the student know that the teacher is glad, they tried and being wrong or making mistakes is not such a big problem, and the students won't be so reluctant the next time when they are called on to participate. Positive energy affirmation and a belief in the student's ability develop a comfortable atmosphere for the students in the classroom

Chapter two: literature review

2.1 Teaching songs and games in a foreign language context

It is not a fallacy to assert that songs and games are one of the most charming and ethnically prosperous resources that the teachers of the fourth form can easily use in verbal communication classrooms. Songs propose a change from habitual classroom actions. They are valuable resources to expand students' abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They can also be exercises to teach a variety of language matters such as sentence patterns, vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, adjectives, and adverbs.

Learning English in the course of songs also affords a non-threatening ambiance for students, who usually are tense when speaking English in an official classroom location. Songs also give new insights into the objective traditions. According to Wilgo M Rivers (1987) they are the means in the course of which educational topics are presented successfully.

While they supply genuine texts, they are inspiring. Prosodic features of the language such as stress, rhythm, intonation are presented through songs, thus from side to side using them the language, which is cut up into sequences of structural points, becomes an entire once more. There are many advantages of using songs in the classroom. Through using modern trendy songs, which youngsters well know, the teacher of the fourth form can meet the challenges of the students needs in the classroom. Because songs are extremely unforgettable and motivating, in many forms they may comprise an influential subculture with their own rituals. Furthermore, through using customary folk songs the support of the learners' knowledge of the target culture can be broadened. Appropriately, chosen traditional folk songs have the twofold encouraging assault of beautiful tunes and appealing stories, in addition for many students- the added component of originality. Most songs, especially folk songs, go after a frequently repetitive verse form, with rhyme, and have a series of other discourse features, which make them easy to follow. In consequence, if preferred appropriately and adopted cautiously, a teacher should benefit from songs in all phases of teaching grammar.

Songs may both be used for the presentation or the perform phase of the grammar class. They may support widespread and concentrated listening, and inspire resourcefulness and use of imagination in an undisturbed classroom ambiance. Whereas selecting a song the teacher should take the age, interests of the learners and the language being used in the song into deliberation. To improve the fourth form students' commitment, it is also advantageous to allow learners to take part in the selection of the songs. The latest concern of the foreign language teachers is to make the students use the language communicatively. After the realization of communicative competence, activities, or techniques that are task-oriented and that guide students to use the language imaginatively have gained significance. Games and problem-solving activities, which are task-based and have a purpose beyond the production of accurate speech, are the examples of the most preferable communicative activities. Such activities highlight not only the competence but also the performance of the learner. Nonetheless, they are the indispensable parts of a grammar lesson, since they reinforce a form-discourse match. In such activities, the attention is on the discourse context. Both games and problem-solving activities have a purpose.

Games are organized according to rules, and they are enjoyable. Most games require choral responses or group works, whereas problem-solving activities (though they are structured) require individual response and creative solutions. Games and problem-solving activities are generally used after the presentation, in the practice part, because such communicative tasks can only be handled after mastering sufficient grammar and lexical points. Through well-planned games, learners can put into practice and internalize vocabulary, grammar, and structures extensively. Play and competition that are provided by games enhance the motivation of the young learners. They also reduce the stress in the classroom as Krasen S.D (1988) suggested. At the same time as playing games, the learners' attention is on the message, not on the language. For teachers, using the game-based platform in class is sometimes a real challenge. In the 5th form class, pupils are understood by teachers to be working on learning the language, but they are also to some extent understood to be exercising their out of school identities as players and gamers while interacting with the platform, and thereby bringing unsolicited and unwanted entertainment into the classroom. On the one hand so many teachers in the fourth form acknowledge that gaming, including the Pacman activity could facilitate vocabulary acquisition and spelling, on the other hand the role of the teacher is often to slow down the pace of playing and interacting and to encourage pupils to concentrate, repeat and persist. Often teachers would insist, when they are guiding or supervising individual pupils, that pupils should engage in introductions to tasks and other kinds of preparatory work that students were more likely to skip in order to move on to `real' task interaction. In this sense teachers were trying to reconceptualise gaming as a profound or `serious' learning activity based on concentration and perseverance, in which a linear process of solving and understanding tasks should generally be observed.

In the 4th form classroom gaming is from the beginning conceptualised as a learning activity by the teacher which allow the students to understand gaming as a teacher controlled activity from the outset. In the 4th form class where the teacher has pre-selected the tasks, pupils are much more likely to work through the tasks and to do this in the order suggested by the teacher, though a number of the students also choose to do the tasks in the order that seem interesting to them. The attention span of these students is generally longer than that of the 5th formers, also their pace of learning and interacting with the platform was much more relaxed than the 5^th formers, who would typically move quickly through the tasks, and often skip from the platform menu to individual tasks as described above. Whereas it may be argued that these differences in attention span and platform response could be due to age differences, 4th formers are also observed to prefer the most playful tasks and to have little patience with tasks that were too `bookish'. In addition to this, some 4th formers would do `entertaining' tasks (for instance the Pacman task) that they were not asked to do, in these cases the teacher said that they we allow to work on tasks of their own choice when they had finished what they had been asked to do. Gaming in this sense often worked as a reward after `learning'. Research, Reflections and Innovations in Integrating ICT in Education

2.2 Songs and games in language proficiency

Surprisingly enough, educators' use of the term "active learning" has relied more on intuitive understanding than a common definition. Consequently, many faculties assert that all learning is inherently active and that students are therefore actively involved while listening to formal presentations in the classroom. Analysis of the research literature (Chickering and Gamson1987), however, suggests that students must do more than just listen: They must read, write, discuss, or be engaged in solving problems. Most important, to be actively involved, students must engage in such higher-order thinking tasks as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Within this context, it is proposed that strategies promoting active learning be defined as instructional activities involving students in doing things and thinking about what they are doing.

Use of these techniques in the classroom is vital because of their powerful impact upon students' learning. For example, several studies have shown that students prefer strategies promoting active learning to traditional lectures. Other research studies evaluating students' achievement have demonstrated that many strategies promoting active learning are comparable to lectures in promoting the mastery of content but superior to lectures in promoting the development of students' skills in thinking and writing. Then, one has to acknowledge that songs and games are the best ways to enhance students interest incommunicative learning as Hadfield J (1984) put. Further, some cognitive research has shown that a significant number of individuals have learning styles best served by pedagogical techniques other than lecturing. Therefore, a thoughtful and scholarly approach to skilful teaching requires that faculty become knowledgeable about the many ways strategies promoting active learning have been successfully used across the disciplines. Further, each faculty member should engage in self-reflection, exploring his or her personal willingness to experiment with alternative approaches to instruction

Games may have a number of potentials for foreign or second language learning. Most of these potentials are associated with the ability of games to provide learning environments that contextualise knowledge and provide immersive experiences for learners. As suggested by a recent review in Languages, technology and learning (Milton 2006) learning a language is different from any other subject in the curriculum as it combines explicit learning of vocabulary and language rules with unconscious skill development in the fluent application of both these things. For language learners this implies that they should be able to master both grammatical knowledge and fluency, the latter being often difficult to provide in classrooms where a couple of lessons a week may fail to provide the meaningful exposure to the foreign language required for learning. Games and simulations have been part of language learning for decades, and have had a role in supporting communicative approaches to language learning, i.e. in providing authentic and meaningful opportunities for language production and use. Game-based language learning has for instance supported fluency and Research, Reflections and Innovations in Integrating ICT in Education715 communicative competence by letting learners simulate or play real life situations, drama or narrative (Crookall 2007, Li & Topolewski 2002, Crookall & Oxford 1990). In addition to this puzzles and minigames such as Hangman have been used to enhance vocabulary acquisition and use. In this sense games have been associated with a move from the teaching of discrete grammatical structures to the promotion of communicative ability (Warschauer & Kern 2000, 1). According to Macedonia (2005) games may serve to proceduralise foreign language knowledge, i.e. to encourage and support fluency against the generally rule-based, declarative approach to foreign language teaching. In moving from declarative to procedural knowledge game-based language learning may serve to provide practice as well as a basis for the repetition of grammatical structures in the foreign language.

In Senegal foreign language education is a central part of the curriculum, as Senegalese citizens, being speakers of a minority language, need foreign language competence to communicate, learn and interact in a number of contexts at home and abroad. In secondary schools children are taught English from the first form (twelve years age group). Senegal has a long tradition for communicative foreign language education. This means that English is generally taught in English, teaching materials are as a rule authentic, and language activities are contextualised and related to everyday activities. In addition to this there is a focus on adapting instruction and learning to the needs of the individual learner. This implies that pupils are viewed as children who are motivated by and learn through play, musical and creative activities. In the 3rd form pupils will therefore generally have their first school based encounters with the English language through for instance songs, rhymes, dialogue, minigames and role-plays.

Receptive skills are given priority in the first phases of learning the language, which means that listening is central activity in the classroom. Text material is not generally given priority in the classroom in the first phases of learning the language. Finally, there is an awareness of the fact that students do not necessarily learn their initial English vocabulary in school, i.e. that many children learn English at an early age through the media, for instance television, films, music and computer games. This means that instruction and learning must relate to the fact that some learners have already acquired vocabulary and initial communicative experience when they start learning English in school. The principles for student's education in English in Senegalese secondary schools to some extent facilitate the use of games in the classroom. As mentioned above games have been part of language education for decades, and playful and creative approaches to learning the language are generally accepted both in formal and informal learning contexts. However, computer games have never had a central position in foreign language education, and schools and teachers are to some extent sceptical of the educational role of digital games. This may be due to what de Castell and Jenson call the «dominant cultural (op) positioning of play and education» (de Castell &Jenson 2003, 654), i.e. the fact that play and gaming are understood as representing childish activities that are potentially disruptive and antithetical to schooling. Gaming is, as claimed by de Castell and Jenson, a fundamentally unpopular culture in schools, a fact that influences teachers' views on gaming as well as their practice (de Castell & Jenson 2003). The role of the teacher as a gate keeper and negotiator of game-based instruction and learning is, as I will argue below, one of the central aspects of assessing and designing serious games for language learning in a global context

2.3 Strategies and techniques in teaching songs and games

The innovators of the TEFL approach (Thorpe, Bunker, & Almond, 1986) suggested that game appreciation and the development of tactical awareness should precede the development of motor skills. In other words, teaching what to do should precede teaching how to do it. The adoption of this innovation, simple as it is in essence, could in my opinion transform games education by linking it to that groundswell of change that appears to be taking education into a constructivist millennium.

The technical model favours the learning of motor skills, in the hope that they will automatically be implemented in game play. The teacher is usually the chief decision maker where tactics or strategies are concerned, and to be successful, students must demonstrate their acquisition of skills. This approach is the most efficient if the goal of the lesson is for students to execute skills.

Factors Influencing the Choice of L2 Learning Strategies Oxford (1990a) synthesized existing research on how the following factors influence the choice of strategies used among students learning a second language.

Motivation. More motivated students tend to use more strategies than less motivated students, and the particular reason for studying the language (motivational orientation, especially as related to career field) was important in the choice of strategies.

Gender. Females report greater overall strategy use than males in many studies (although sometimes males surpassed females in the use of a particular strategy).

Cultural background. Rote memorization and other forms of memorization are more prevalent among some Senegalese students than among students from other cultural backgrounds. Certain other cultures also appear to encourage this strategy among learners.

Attitudes and beliefs. These are reported to have a profound effect on the strategies learners choose, with negative attitudes and beliefs often causing poor strategy use or lack of orchestration of strategies.

Type of task. The nature of the task helped determine the strategies naturally employed to carry out the task.

Age and l2 stage. Students of different ages and stages of L2 learning used different strategies, with certain strategies often being employed by older or more advanced students.

Learning style. Learning style (general approach to language learning) often determined the choice of L2 learning strategies. For example, analytic-style students preferred strategies such as contrastive analysis, rule-learning, and dissecting words and phrases, while global students used strategies to find meaning (guessing, scanning, predicting) and to converse without knowing all the words (paraphrasing, gesturing).

Tolerance of ambiguity. Students who are more tolerant of ambiguity use significantly different learning strategies in some instances than do students who are less tolerant of ambiguity.

Chapter three: exemplification

3.1 Exemplar unit: descriptive analysis

It is proved that songs are truly important in teaching English. Then it is necessary for teachers to be conscious that when they use songs in their classes they make the class livelier and catch by the way students `interest. This is the very reason why no teacher should neglect songs.

3.2 Unit outline:

She calls out to the man on the street
«Sir, can you ...................... me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep
Is there ....................... you can tell me?»

He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
He starts to whistle as he crosses the street
She's ............... to be there

Oh, think twice, it's just another day for
For you and me in paradise
Oh, think twice, it's just another day
For you, you and me in paradise
Just ................... about it

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she's been cryin'
She's got blisters on the soles of her feet
She can't .................. but she's tryin'

Oh, just think twice, it's just another day
For you and me in paradise
Oh, yes think twice, it's just another day
For you, you and me in paradise
Just think about it, just think about it

Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do?
Oh Lord, there must be .......................... you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she's been there
.................. been moved on from every place
`Cause she didn't fit in there

Oh, yes think twice, it's just another day
For you and me in paradise
Oh, yes think twice, it's just .................... day
For you, you and me in paradise
Just think about it, just think about it

Pre-listening 20mn	Teacher asks students to brainstorm on Phil Collins by telling where he lives and the issues that he raises in his songs
While-listening 20mn	Teacher gives students the gapped text and then students listen the song to the tape and fill in the gaps
Post-listening 20mn	Students are asked to work in group to propose solutions to solve the problem of homelessness in Senegal in the coming rainy seasons

3.3 Trailing and feedback

Colleagues who attended this class fully appreciate it as students were really interested in it. However they suggested that the text was too long and that can make students lose the track when listening to the song. They advise next time to choose short songs , they seem to be more manageable for students in the 4^th form.

Games

By definition, games are fun and nearly everyone would agree that if learning can be more enjoyable b then students will learn more. Games provide an excellent opportunity to use grammar and build a vocabulary network.

Game with adjectives:

This game consists in finding the correct adjectives in the sentences and from the adjectives you find their opposite to fill in the chart.

1234567891011

Across

1. To be ___ , I did not like your performance.
4. Don't throw the bottle away. It may come in ___.
6. He's so ___. He grasps the concepts so quickly!
7. Don't be ___. You are among friends.
8. How ___ he is! He keeps insisting on that.
10. We must have a ___ discussion about our relationship.
11. This is a ___ piece of writing! It's tidy and carefully done.

Down

2. I'm ___. I'd like a glass of water, please.
3. Why are you ___ with me? I didn't do anything wrong.
5. You look ___. Did you stay up all night?
9. I like ___ music, not loud music.

Game with color Expressions

1234567

Across

1. My little brother is the ___ sheep of the family.
3. He's rarely so pessimistic! Why is he in such ___ mood today?
6. Do we have to go through all this ___ tape to get his permission?
7. I bought this at a ___ elephant sale.

Down

1. That movie always makes me feel ___.
2. Congratulations! You passed your math examination with flying ___.
3. He has a ___ thumb and likes to garden.
4. He has a ___ streak in him and is often afraid.
5. Look at him! He has become ___ with rage.

Students are asked to fill in the gap with adjectives and then find the opposites of the adjectives and place them in the chart. Chart 1

Students are asked to fill in the gap of the sentences with names of colours and then complete the chart. Chart 2

Chapter four: methodology

4.1 Research techniques and instruments: descriptive analysis

The study includes two questionnaires: one destined to English teachers and the other to students of the fourth form level. Both questionnaires aim to assess teachers' and learners' perceptions of songs and games teaching in their working conditions. In the teachers' questionnaires, respondents are requested to spell out their point of views by ticking one of the right boxes. As for students, their questionnaire aimed to rate activity effectiveness or ineffectiveness among the most currently used ones.

The study involved a sample population of 105 people (male and female) operating as teachers or students in different secondary schools of Senegal.

4.2 Data presentation and analysis

In order to have a comprehensive picture of the impact of songs and games in ELT in the 4^th form in the Senegalese context, the data will be presented and analysed in a systematic way. Firstly the teachers' data will be presented and analysed from both quantitative and qualitative views. Then students' data will follow the same procedures. Finally teachers' and students' data will be compared to gauge the impact of songs and games in ELT in the Senegalese context.

4.2.1 Teachers' questionnaire data: presentation and analysis

No	Questions	Answers	Percentages
1	Do you teach songs and games in your class?	Very often often never 29 17 O4	58 34 O8 %
2	When teaching songs and games what is your purpose?	grammar vocabulary fun 25 1O 15	5O 2O 3O %
3	Are songs and games	demanding boring motivating O6 O9 35	12 18 7O %
4	At what moment of the lesson do you use them?	start middle end 15 16 19	3O 32 38 %
5	How do they find songs and games?	Difficult pleasant encouraging O5 15 3O	1O 30 6O %
6	What type of grouping do you use?	solo work pair work group work O3 2O 27	O6 4O 54 %
7	Which difficulties do you encounter when carrying out these activities?	timingstudents'control mana gement 12 11o 27	24 22 54 %

Out of 60 handouts given to teachers only 50 have been returned; so we have collected the data in the first table. For the questionnaire the analysis is carried out question after question.

1 Do you teach songs and games in your class? If we consider the first question we can see that the great majority of teachers use songs and games in their classes.

2 When teaching songs and games what is your purpose? Here we can state that options are diverse but we must not lose sight that most of them focus on grammar.

3 Are songs and games demanding, boring or motivating? From the answers we can notice that many teachers believe that designing songs and games is too demanding

4 At what moment of the lesson do you use them? The conclusion we can draw here is that most teachers do these activities at the end of the lesson as they do not think they can be integral lessons. So they use them most of the time as fillers or routine breakers.

5 How do they find songs and games? Teachers find them so encouraging and motivating that using songs and games in English language teaching is vital for students to participate efficiently in the class.

6 What type of grouping do you use? When taking into account the answers of the teachers we can acknowledge that today teachers tend to use group work to encourage participation of all the students. If we look at the table we will see that the percentage that uses regularly group work is more numerous than the one who use solo work.

7 Which difficulties do you encounter when carrying out these activities? The conclusion we draw here is that teachers have great problems to manage their classes when it comes to dealing with these activities. Sometimes it is impossible to perform these activities in tiny classrooms

4.2.2 Students' questionnaire data: presentation and analysis

N	Questions	Reponses	Pourcentages
1	Apprenez-vous des chansons et des jeux en classe?	rarement non oui 18 14 23	33 25 42 %
2	Comment les trouvez_ vous?	Très intéressant inter. Pas inter. 2O 2O 15	37 36 27 %
3	Les chansons et les jeux vous aident ils à être en forme ?	oui non parfois 25 13 17	45 24 31 %
4	Comment les taches sont organisées?	En solo en P air en groupe O7 2O 28	13 36 51 %
5	Les chansons et les jeux vous permettent d'apprendre de nouveaux mots	oui non parfois 18 14 23	33 25 42 %
6	Comment sentez-vous quand vous les pratiquez?	heureux mécontent indifférent 27 12 16	49 22 29 %
7	Y a t_il des difficultés dans les jeux et chansons?	oui non rarement 12 27 16	22 49 29 %

The students `questionnaire has been designed in French to make students be in a position to understand and answer them. Out of 60 handouts given; only 55 were returned; these data are in the second table

1 Apprenez-vous des chansons et des jeux en classe? We see here that the great majority of students do songs and games in their classes

2 Comment les trouvez_vous? When students answers this question we can take it for granted that students find songs and games very interesting and they help them a lot in their studies

3 Les chansons et les jeux vous aident- ils à être en forme? For this question they answer yes which means that songs and games give them joyful mood and they put them in a better condition learn happily.

4 Comment les taches sont organisées? Students work most of the time together which facilitate real life communication situations. Students do no longer work in isolation and this make them communicatively competent.

5 Les chansons et les jeux vous permettent d'apprendre de nouveaux mots ? Songs and games really help students to discover and memorize new words easily.

6 Comment sentez-vous quand vous les pratiquez? Most students really appreciate songs and games because they enhance their desire to learn English.

7 Y a t_il des difficultés dans les jeux et chansons? Students state that they meet sometimes difficulties but these difficulties are minor difficulties but most of the time songs and games work well and there is no real impediment preventing them from understanding.

4.2.3 Cross analysis of the results

As we can see in the data we can say that the teachers of English in Senegal use songs and games in their classes in their daily activities. This can be accounted for by the fact students tell that they do them frequently with teachers. Songs and games really permit real life situations.

Teachers use songs and games in their classes for various and different reasons. There are some teachers who use them for grammatical purpose; others use them for vocabulary reasons and some others for just fun. It still remains that teachers perform them to achieve their aims. Teachers as well as students find songs and games very interesting and motivating because they can draw lots of information on them. According to the teachers songs and games help students to master in a very quickly way for instance the nouns of animals. In this respect they are very informative and constructive. Even if some teachers find sometimes designing songs and games can be a tedious task to perform; students fully appreciate games in class as they find them pleasurable. We notice today that songs and games are performed through pair work or group work in order to increase participation of students and prevent at the same time inhibition.

When making a cross analysis of results we see that teachers and students have nearly the same opinion as far as the questions they are asked are concerned. They all acknowledge that songs and games are really important and vital to English Language Teaching.

Chapter five: results and implications

5.1 Statement of results

As the data of the table show, students as well as teachers have nearly the same point of views as far as the impact of songs and games in English Language Teaching is concerned. Nearly all of whom, favour positively the implementation of songs and games in the English language teaching. Teachers and students who answered questions in the questionnaires state that songs and games help a lot in their activities even tough there a certain number of difficulties they meet from time to time.

5.2 Implications

To wipe away all the problems and difficulties that we face when using songs and games, we think it necessary to propose recommendations to teachers of English, to students, to educational authorities and to dear parents so that in the future English teaching should be more efficient and constructive.

5.3 Recommendations

5.3.1 Recommendations to teachers

It is really important for teachers to make use of songs and games in their classes if they really want to promote their students communicative capacities. We must not lose sight of the fact that when using songs and games in our classes, we give students sense of self confidence and it is only by being self-confident can students express themselves freely and without constraint. It is an imperative to assert that today teachers should not only worry about the success of their students in exams.

What is important is that the teachers of English should strain every nerve so that their students use the English language without any difficulties. This can only be achieved when they are more aware that songs and games are really an opportunity for them to promote communicative skills.

Accuracy is important in a language but the new trend favours fluency. Fluency can be developed in the learners of English if the teachers use songs and games regularly in classes.

5.3.2 Recommendations to students

It is a necessity for students to understand that English is a language that should not be neglected for so many reasons. If students want really to have a high command of the language, following his or her teacher in the daily activities is extremely important. As we show it in the data so many teachers use songs and games not only to motivate their students, but they also use them to teach grammar, vocabulary and so on. So, this shows that following songs and games in class is part of their learning.

Beyond the notion of fun, there are many more important things with songs and games. This is the very reason why young teachers even old teachers tend to use them in class more often than not.

It is now up to students to avail themselves to profit by this opportunity to develop their capacities because in songs and games they can obtain whatever they want

5.3.3 Recommendations to educational authorities

In the Senegalese context, teaching English under the existing circumstances can be sometimes very tedious and frustrating for many levels. No one can deny that in nearly all Senegalese secondary schools there is a conspicuous lacks of infrastructures and materials aimed at promoting an efficient teaching. There are so many ordeals that the teachers of English are faced with today.

If we really want an efficient teaching it is the duty of the educational authorities to have in mind that without adequate materials there is nothing that teachers can do. It is their responsibilities to supply books, tapes, and computers so that people in schools should better rejoice new technologies.

If you cast a look at schools in rural areas and the CEM of Keur Momar Sarr is very illustrative, the impression we have is that decent equipment is quite inexistent and this is a disgusting situation. To better use songs and games schools are needed to be more equipped in terms tapes, computers, TV sets and so on.

5.3.4 Recommendations to parents

Parents should know that songs and games are parts of the students learning. As it is proved songs and games are valuable and efficient in the students' way of learning. Today parents are becoming more and more conscious that students need to work in a relaxed environment. In this respect, it will be very helpful for parents who can afford materials for his students because songs and games are not for just fun and nice time; they develop the students' intelligence.

Parents should no longer be impediments to their children' learning; instead they should be partners and they are partners they help teachers to achieve their aims by knowing that songs and games are no harm to their children, it is just the teacher of English want to make the student communicatively competent

Conclusion

Although the communicative approach has become the mainstream in language teaching we notice that students are very positive recipients of knowledge meaning that they are only a minimal role in the selection of learning materials and teaching methodologies. Therefore teachers should allow students to take in developing material development through existing materials.

We have to acknowledge that today teachers as well as students are truly lucky with the globalisation and the information high way from which every body can benefit. This conception of education is now overshadowed by the notion that it is about developing skills for accessing and progressing information. That is to say that the teacher must always be learning to update his or her knowledge and keep his or her role of monitor.

It is clear that the promotion of English language can be improved especially in Senegal where in most secondary schools there are English clubs in which songs and games are performed. Such activities provide meaningful and enjoyable language practise and they encourage the learners to explore the wonderful world of English language through songs and games.

Basically, Game is one of the fundamental learning activities and not only in studying foreign languages. Classes for adults which contain games and competitions, elements of team guessing are so refreshing and best to practice skills of communicating. Besides, songs and games give students a lot of positive emotions and this is also a basic tool in studies. Games are serious devices by which we can create an interesting activity. Students learn the grammar items without knowing that they are learning. Moreover it encourages their participation.

We must admit in this respect that well-chosen songs and games are really invaluable as they give the students the opportunities to practise language skills. Today it is shown that songs and games in English Language Teaching are highly motivating and play a paramount role as they can be used to give practice in all language skills and be used to practise many types of real life communication. According to researchers; students in the 4^th form get anxious when learning a foreign language.

A game can help them forget they are learning and enjoy the experience while enhancing in a quickly and efficient way their knowledge and competences.

As demonstrated, the three theoretical reasons are all intertwined and help to demonstrate the value of using songs in the classroom. The next step in the procedure is to successfully integrate the songs into a language lesson. Because of the Internet, access to music, lyrics, and activities has been simplified which makes it easy for the teacher to effectively use songs in the classroom

Bibliography

Ø Krause S.D (1988); Principles and Practices in Second Language Acquisition; oxford; oxford university Press

Ø Wilgo M. Rivers (1987) Interactive Language Teaching; Cambridge University Press

ü Lo, R. & Li, H.C. (1998). Songs enhance learner involvement. English Teaching Forum, 36, 8-11, 21

ü Monreal, M. E. (1982). How I use songs. English Teaching Forum, 20, 44-45

v KAMA Boubacar (2005 2006) Teaching English to beginners through songs and games, Fastef, Dakar Senegal

v NDOYE Mareme (2005 2006) Teaching English through songs and games in beginner classes, Fastef, Dakar Senegal

Appendix

As a trainee at FASTEF I am conducting a research project on the impact of songs and games in English Language Teaching in the fourth form. I would be delighted to get your opinions on these questions. All responses will be kept confidential. Thank you in advance.

Dans le cadre d'une recherche sur l'impact des jeux et des chansons dans l'enseignement de l'anglais en classe de 3^eme nous vous prions de bien vouloir répondre à nos questions. Nous vous remercions d'avance pour votre collaboration. Vos réponses seront confidentielles.

The impact of songs and games in english language teaching

Table of contents

Introduction

Chapter one: description of the context

1.1 Teaching English in the Senegalese context

1.2 Problems raised by teaching English in the Senegalese context

1.3 Purpose: to solve the problems through songs and games

Chapter two: literature review

2.1 Teaching songs and games in a foreign language context

2.2 Songs and games in language proficiency

2.3 Strategies and techniques in teaching songs and games

Chapter three: exemplification

3.1 Exemplar unit: descriptive analysis

3.2 Unit outline:

3.3 Trailing and feedback

Games

By definition, games are fun and nearly everyone would agree that if learning can be more enjoyable b then students will learn more. Games provide an excellent opportunity to use grammar and build a vocabulary network.

Game with adjectives:

This game consists in finding the correct adjectives in the sentences and from the adjectives you find their opposite to fill in the chart.

Across

Down

Game with color Expressions

Across

Down

Chapter four: methodology

4.1 Research techniques and instruments: descriptive analysis

4.2 Data presentation and analysis

4.2.1 Teachers' questionnaire data: presentation and analysis

4.2.2 Students' questionnaire data: presentation and analysis

4.2.3 Cross analysis of the results

Chapter five: results and implications

5.1 Statement of results

5.2 Implications

5.3 Recommendations

5.3.1 Recommendations to teachers

5.3.2 Recommendations to students

5.3.3 Recommendations to educational authorities

5.3.4 Recommendations to parents

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendix