Teachers' Perceptions about Using Songs in Vocabulary Instruction to Young Language Learners

Abstract

There is an increasingly pressing demand for improving the quality of teaching and learning English in Vietnam to meet the needs and interests of learners in the global integration. Research into vocabulary instruction through songs has indicated its positive effects on young learners' vocabulary gains and language learning, including English as a foreign or second language. However, little research focuses on the use of songs perceived by teachers in vocabulary instruction to young learners within the teaching and context in Vietnam where English is taught as a foreign language. This paper therefore considers teachers' perceptions about this instructional delivery at a foreign language center in the Mekong Delta. A descriptive study was conducted with seventy-five teachers from an English language center in the Mekong Delta. Data on teachers' perceptions about using songs to teach young learners' vocabulary were collected through the questionnaire and follow-up semi-structured interviews as part of a wider study over fifteen-week semester time. The findings indicate that teachers had positive perceptions about songs used in vocabulary instruction for young learners. Also, the findings provide teachers with insightful views of the effectiveness of implementing songs in promoting young learners' vocabulary and serve as a useful resource for teachers and practitioners by suggesting how to use songs to facilitate young learners' vocabulary. The paper concludes by giving pedagogical implications for further research into seeking alternative ways to maximize young learners' vocabulary learning.