Songs in English-language education: A well-known resource used in the twenty-first century

Abstract

This chapter discusses the affordances that songs and singing can have in the teaching and learning of an additional language, with special reference to English-language education. It reports an investigation that addressed 110 teachers' views and practices related to the use of songs in the English classroom. The teachers were aware that songs can be a valuable resource for various aspects of language learning, as well as an important factor in reducing stress and foreign-language anxiety. Nonetheless, they seem to use songs primarily as a motivation factor, and mainly with the youngest children. This corresponds to previous research. The chapter therefore argues that more attention should be paid to the affordances of songs in foreign-language teachers' education, in order to enable and encourage teachers to exploit songs to their full potential for language learning.