Please don't stop the music: an exploratory study on teaching pronunciation and vocabulary through songs in different modalities

Abstract

Pop songs could provide a noteworthy source of L2 native input both inside and outside the classroom even in settings where the foreign language is not ordinarily spoken. The present study investigates perceptual/receptive and productive learning of English pronunciation and vocabulary through songs in different modalities (with or without lyrics) and instruction (direct or indirect) in the case of teenage Italian learners. Results show that treatment was effective for most tests and they provide support for the inclusion of songs in the L2 class. Overall, Modality did not stand out as a significant variable, while Instruction did only in Vocabulary Production. The study also registered a significant interaction between the no-lyrics modality and the indirect type of instruction, which supports the idea of effective extensive listening, when the activity is not aimed at comprehension and aural input is supported with images.