Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Music, Sound and Brainwave Activity: Using Music for English or Foreign Language Learning


Music, Sound and Brainwave Activity
Scientists have discovered that there is a definite relationship between brain wave activity, visual stimulation (light) and auditory or sound input. (Kandel, Schwartz, Jessel 1985) That is to say in part, that sound – in this case music – can be used to alter or control the state of activity in the brain. For the English or foreign language teacher, this means that we can induce a more relaxed, receptive state of input acquisition in our learners using music. Communication between the brain’s millions of nerve cells can be registered by measuring the frequency of these electrical impulses. Researcher Gray Walter discovered in the 1940s brainwave activity tends to mirror visual or auditory frequencies most particularly in the Alpha and Theta brain wave ranges.

To better understand this phenomena and its relationship to learning, first let us look at the four principal frequency ranges of the human brain, Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta.

The Four Brain Wave Types
Brain wave patterns are determined by the frequency of their oscillations. Each range of brain wave activity can be associated with a particular mental state.

Beta
From 15 to 30 Hertz (oscillations per second is called Hertz) characterizes a brain in the normal, conscious state actively problem-solving, thinking or otherwise consciously involved with your environment. You are in this state right now while you are reading this. (I hope!)

Alpha
From nine to 14 hertz is the Alpha range during which your brain activity is slowed down from the Beta state. You’re calm, relaxed and peaceful. This is also the beginning of the brain’s most creative states just below active consciousness and entry into the brain’s meditative states.

Theta
At four to eight hertz, you have deepened your relaxed, meditative state. Memories from long ago, dreamlike images and fantasy begin to flow in this state. You are almost, but not quite asleep. One of the most extraordinary states of consciousness, it’s also known as the “twilight” sleep you briefly experience upon awakening or just before drifting off into a deep sleep. In the Theta state we can also be receptive to input beyond our normal conscious awareness. It is widely believed that a state of Theta meditation stimulates intuition and activates extra-sensory perception.

Delta
From one to three hertz or oscillations per second, this is normally the slowest of brain wave activity that occurs during a deep, dreamless state of sleep or a very deep state meditation in some cases.

Considering this, when we can induce a more relaxed or receptive state in our learners, they are better able to successfully mentally input, process and retain whatever information, i.e., learning, that we provide. This can well be especially true of language-related input which is seated in the brain’s left hemisphere and cross-linked through the Corpus Callosum to the right hemisphere where music and rhythmic abilities are seated. This essential cross-link dramatically aids in both acquisition and retention.

Application in Teaching and Learning Practice

Try teaching a grammar lesson or segment while playing a soft Mozart selection in the background at a low but recognizable volume. Have the learners practice dialogues with low-volume vocals playing at the same time. Use a song in an unrelated foreign language to “time” a mill or mingle activity. Try having the learners complete a concept-checking or other written exercise while giving them the interval it takes to play musical selection all the way through. Even if they balk at first, they’ll adjust without further complaint within a month of your first using these processes. Within a semester, the learners will be complaining if you DON’T use music with their learning activities.

Using these techniques, the learners’ motivation will rise, overall learning should improve, your English or foreign language learners most likely will be happier and so, my dear pedagogue, will you.


Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, get your copy of his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” by sending an e-mail to lynchlarrym@gmail.com with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. Need professional, original content and photos or images for your blog, newsletter, e-zine or website? Want more information, have a comment or special request? E-mail the author for a prompt response.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Using Music as a Matrix for English or Foreign Language Learning and Recall


Music to Soothe the “Savage” Learner


“Alex” leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes and let the sounds take him. At times he would hum softly. Other times his head would move in a distinctive rhythmic pattern. No question about it, music was his life. It could also be a way to reach him and teach him English like almost nothing else could.

If you find that most of your learners have a high musical tolerance you’re not alone. Not only that, but did you know that learners can be “programmed”, so to speak, to improve their mental function in a classroom using a musical background environment?

Graphic: The main areas of the brain: brain stem, cerebellum and the four lobes of the cerebral hemisphere: frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe and the occipital lobe (from R.P. Lehr Jr., http://www.neuroskills.com/index.html)

Types of Music
You probably don’t need me to tell you that all music is not created equal. That being the case, there are both “good” and “bad” types of music that can be employed in an EFL or foreign language teaching and learning setting. First, some “positive” music types useful in lowering learner Affective Filters (Krashen-Terrell, 1983).

Classical – a cornucopia f musical selections by the likes of Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, et al can be highly effective when used as background music for learners

Instrumentals – with the obvious exception of heavy percussion, extensive trumpeting or marching music, instrumentals can be highly useful in the language learning classroom

Jazz – no matter how much they might pooh-pooh it at first, carefully selected Jazz instrumentals are not only highly effective, but the learners often like them as well The exclamation, “THAT?S jazz?” is a frequent one in some of my classes. Learners often don’t realize the breadth and range of musical genres outside of their normal listening venues

Foreign Language Vocals – another useful musical background venue is playing background music vocals in a language unknown to the learners. Try using Hindi vocals with European learners or Chinese ones with Latin American learners, Portuguese and French vocals can work well with North American, Asian and other language group learners too

Types to Avoid
However, in addition to music types which have proven to be useful, there are those which may tend at times to work against what you are trying to achieve. Some possibly “negative” music types tend to include:

L1 vocal songs – the last thing you want in most cases, is to use music and songs in the learners’ first language. Why? Because they’ll simply code switch into their L1 without any effort at thinking or functioning in English or the foreign language you’re trying to get them to work in

English vocal songs – if you’re using musical background, songs in English, even if you’re teaching English, may at first be disorienting or confusing. You want to use an Affective Filter lowering matrix, not generate a sing-along

Heavy Metal music, Hard Rock music, Trance – while music of these genres maybe pleasant or interesting to some of the learners, it is often not conducive to a positive learning environment. Not necessarily all of it is so, but a generous amount of screening may be called for to get a series of musical selections that are suitable for your purposes. The effort to screen lyrics and music are frequently not worth the hours I have to spend in advance to do it so I just avoid these genres in favor of easier ones to set up

Reggae, Rap, Hip-Hop, etc. – Again, music from these genres may not help to produce the desired classroom effects with using music as a background matrix for English or foreign language learning. This though, may well depend on where you and your learners are

In the next segment of this theme, we’ll consider some useful requisites for selecting music and genres that will promote foreign language acquisition in the English language learning environment. We’ll examine the use of music and its effects and exactly how music influences the brain functions in language learning and acquisition. Watch for "Music, Sound and Brainwave Activity: Using Music for English or Foreign Language Learning" coming soon.


Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, get your copy of his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” by sending an e-mail to lynchlarrym@gmail.com with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. Need professional, original content and photos or images for your blog, newsletter, e-zine or website? Want more information, have a comment or special request? E-mail the author for a prompt response.