The effectiveness of using songs for teaching foreign languages to young learners: a systematic review

Conference item : Poster

Songs are popular resources with teachers of young language learners. This systematic review synthesises evidence about songs' impact on the linguistic outcomes of children aged 2–18 years learning second or foreign languages in formal education. Of the 1862 studies screened, 61 studies from 23 countries measured outcomes including vocabulary acquisition, grammatical learning, and speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Studies reported predominantly positive effects of using songs to teach young learners, but with weak overall strength of evidence. 42 included studies have high risk of bias with multiple methodological flaws. The literature's limitations are discussed, with a case for further, rigorous research and reliable reporting made, building on stable theoretical foundations and the scant findings from well-conducted existing studies.

Authors: Hamilton, C; Schulz, J; Chalmers, H; Murphy, V

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Educational Research Association
• Host title: 2023 Annual Meeting Paper
• Publication date: 2023-04-14
• Acceptance date: 2022-11-10
• Event title: American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting 2023 (AREA 2023)
• Event location: Chicago, IL, USA
• Event website: https://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/Annual-Meeting/2023-Annual-Meeting
• Event start date: 2023-04-13
• Event end date: 2023-04-16
• DOI: 10.3102/ip.23.2007160
• Language: English
• Subtype: Poster