Vocal Development Research Articles

Fast Retrograde Access to Projection Neuron Circuits Underlying Vocal Learning in Songbirds

SUMMARYUnderstanding the structure and function of neural circuits underlying speech and language is a vital step toward better treatments for diseases of these systems. Songbirds, among the few animal orders that share with humans the ability to learn vocalizations from a conspecific, have provided many insights into the neural mechanisms of vocal development. However, research into vocal learning circuits has been hindered by a lack of tools for rapid genetic targeting of specific neuron populations to meet the quick pace of developmental learning. Here, we present a viral tool that enables fast and efficient retrograde access to projection neuron populations. In zebra finches, Bengalese finches, canaries, and mice, we demonstrate fast retrograde labeling of cortical or dopaminergic neurons. We further demonstrate the suitability of our construct for detailed morphological analysis, for in vivo imaging of calcium activity, and for multi-color brainbow labeling.

A cloud-computing platform for developing and evaluating vocal biomarkers based on home audio recordings: Resources for large-scale data processing and analysis

This presentation describes the design and construction of a comprehensive cloud-computing platform for implementing and evaluating vocal biomarkers, both for assessing typical development of speech and language and detecting deviations in autism. As part of a prospective longitudinal study of early vocal development (NIH P50 MH100029), whole-day home audio recordings were collected from more than 300 children every month from birth to three years using LENA, providing long-term, large-scale sampling of each child's natural environment. The database contains more than 40 000 h of raw audio data, post-processed acoustic measures, event timing statistics, hand-coded and automated annotations, as well as sociodemographic and clinical metadata, the storage, integration and processing of which has presented significant new challenges. Flexible cloud solutions have been adopted to allow secure cross-platform shared access and referencing of the data. Customized modular “C” code libraries for physical modeling, spectral analysis, temporal event labeling, voice activity detection, speaker diarization and developmental profiling have been developed, based on standard BLAS/LAPACK libraries optimized for device-independent virtual machines, and integrated with an interactive graphical interface for signal analysis and labeling. Resources and specific challenges for large-scale analysis of infant vocalizations will be discussed.

Prelinguistic Vocal Development in Children With Cochlear Implants: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review is designed to (a) describe measures used to quantify vocal development in pediatric cochlear implant (CI) users, (b) synthesize the evidence on prelinguistic vocal development in young children before and after cochlear implantation, and (c) analyze the application of the current evidence for evaluating change in vocal development before and after cochlear implantation for young children. Investigations of prelinguistic vocal development after cochlear implantation are only beginning to uncover the expected course of prelinguistic vocal development in children with CIs and what factors influence that course, which varies substantially across pediatric CI users. A deeper understanding of prelinguistic vocal development will improve professionals' abilities to determine whether a child with a CI is exhibiting sufficient progress soon after implantation and to adjust intervention as needed. We systematically searched PubMed, ProQuest, and CINAHL databases for primary reports of children who received a CI before 5 years 0 months of age that included at least one measure of nonword, nonvegetative vocalizations. We also completed supplementary searches. Of the 1916 identified records, 59 met inclusion criteria. The included records included 1125 total participants, which came from 36 unique samples. Records included a median of 8 participants and rarely included children with disabilities other than hearing loss. Nearly all of the records met criteria for level 3 for quality of evidence on a scale of 1 (highest) to 4 (lowest). Records utilized a wide variety of vocalization measures but often incorporated features related to canonical babbling. The limited evidence from pediatric CI candidates before implantation suggests that they are likely to exhibit deficits in canonical syllables, a critical vocal development skill, and phonetic inventory size. Following cochlear implantation, multiple studies report similar patterns of growth, but faster rates producing canonical syllables in children with CIs than peers with comparable durations of robust hearing. However, caution is warranted because these demonstrated vocal development skills still occur at older chronological ages for children with CIs than chronological age peers with typical hearing. Despite including a relatively large number of records, the evidence in this review regarding changes in vocal development before and after cochlear implantation in young children remains limited. A deeper understanding of when prelinguistic skills are expected to develop, factors that explain deviation from that course, and the long-term impacts of variations in vocal prelinguistic development is needed. The diverse and dynamic nature of the relatively small population of pediatric CI users as well as relatively new vocal development measures present challenges for documenting and predicting vocal development in pediatric CI users before and after cochlear implantation. Synthesizing results across multiple institutions and completing rigorous studies with theoretically motivated, falsifiable research questions will address a number of challenges for understanding prelinguistic vocal development in children with CIs and its relations with other current and future skills. Clinical implications include the need to measure prelinguistic vocalizations regularly and systematically to inform intervention planning.

Fostering singing agency through emotional differentiation in an inclusive singing environment

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain insight into experiences of adults who expressed personal discomfort with singing, either alone or when others might hear them. Singing agency in music learning, one’s belief in one’s own capacity to sing aloud, served as the guiding lens for the study. Narrative analysis of interview data, from 15 adults who self-identified as non-singers, provided understanding of experiences that they believed undermined their capacity for singing agency. Four initial themes emerged as participants described wounding incidents with resultant perceptions of deficit, disability, and shame; personal strategies to enhance or protect singing agency; perceived obstacles to singing agency; and personal definitions of good singing. Findings describe vocal skill development through emotional differentiation, linking singing agency with principles that underlie a social constructivist approach to music learning and teaching and a Universal Design for Learning.

Style Features of the Vocal Cycles by Alexander Jacobchuk

The vocal cycles “Excerpts from my Kobzar” based on I. Hubarenko’s poems for mezzosoprano and piano and “Plum Blossom” based on M. Bashō’s poems for soprano and piano (2017) by Alexander Jacobchuk, the representative of the Kyiv Composers School, are considered in view of the originality of interpretation of conceptual basics of the outlined genre.The embodiment of poetry in music, in particular in the genre of the vocal cycle, as one of the interesting areas of the composer's work is highlighted through the use of textual, analytical, comparative, historical methods, as well as the method of interviewing the author. Since an era of Romanticism a history of music has accumulated considerable experience in this genre, which testifies to its huge artistic and aesthetic potential in both vertical (chronological, stylistic) and horizontal (geographical, national) aspects, according to the renewal of compositional techniques in interpretation of poetry. In this field A. Jacobchuk’s work has not yet become the subject of interest, that’s why actualizes its study in the stream of vocal cycle development at the beginning of the XXIth century. The artistic and stylistic features in relation to the figurative and semantic context of the verbal series are analyzed. It is revealed the use of musical intonation as the most important expression of the semantic load of the word. Chromatization consistently used in melodic lines and harmonic complexes, due to the expressive-philosophical basis of I. Hubarenko’s poems, as well as the manifestation of Orientalism in the embodiment of lyric contemplative-meditative poems by M. Bashō are introduced to convey the idea of colouring music language, which resonates with the achievements of the impressionists (parallelism of seventh chords, the principle of matching consonances, sound imagery, the study of phonic qualities of texture in the direction of spatial effects). It is proved that the integrity of drama in both cycles is based on thematic arches, the formation of culmination zones, a well-thought-out tonal plan. A special way of concentrating emotions is alternation the use of unaccompanied vocal solos with piano solos in some parts and instrumental interludes (in framing parts).

Social and endogenous infant vocalizations.

Research on infant vocal development has provided notable insights into vocal interaction with caregivers, elucidating growth in foundations for language through parental elicitation and reaction to vocalizations. A role for infant vocalizations produced endogenously, potentially providing raw material for interaction and a basis for growth in the vocal capacity itself, has received less attention. We report that in laboratory recordings of infants and their parents, the bulk of infant speech-like vocalizations, or "protophones", were directed toward no one and instead appeared to be generated endogenously, mostly in exploration of vocal abilities. The tendency to predominantly produce protophones without directing them to others occurred both during periods when parents were instructed to interact with their infants and during periods when parents were occupied with an interviewer, with the infants in the room. The results emphasize the infant as an agent in vocal learning, even when not interacting socially and suggest an enhanced perspective on foundations for vocal language.

Розвиток вокальної майстерності співака (на прикладі творів Джузеппе Верді)

The paper presents the features of the singer's vocal mastery development, carried out on the example of the works of G. Verdi. The transformation of bel canto traditions in the opera of the composer and the formation of the style of opera singing, peculiar to the present days, are noted. The requirements for vocalists related to the change in the vocal range and the need to create dramatic complex images are fundamentally changing. The greatest difficulty in performing Verdi's works is the problem of mastering the voice material, since in many of his works the boundaries of registers change significantly, both in women and men parties. The melody of the composer is genetically related to the Italian folk Melos and devoid of external virtuosity, which would not be due to deep content. There are many examples of solo numbers in G. Verdi's creative heritage that allow not only the lyrical and lyrical-dramatic portrayals of female characters to be revealed, but also to convey a range of spiritual-related feelings with religious content. In particular, it is possible to distinguish a number of solos in opera works, which researchers propose to refer to as « solo prayers » . It will be advisable to give attention not only to opera, but also to Verdi's spiritual works, which contributes to the development of skills for the embodiment of various figurative spheres. For the composer, these requirements were due to the need to bring the appropriate images, emotional states of the characters. Verdi often required the use of a wide range of timbre colors, choosing them depending on the desired figurative content – from muted half-singing to chanting. For Verdi, it was important to choose vocalists who would be suitable for dramatic roles. Moreover, it creates the need for a strong sound that would become a model for further musical practice.

Mouthing and fingering supports vocal behaviors development

ABSTRACT The current study explored the link between mouthing and fingering and vocal behaviours directed to objects and caregivers. Nine infants were tracked from the ages of 8–16 months by video recording their mouthing and fingering vignettes and vocal behaviours and vocal behaviours resulting in a total of 2,061 coded behaviours. Microanalysis revealed that the infants tended to accompany almost 25% of their mouthing and fingering vignettes with vocalization, a tendency that was found not associated with the attainment of linguistic milestones. Rather, it was found that the combination of mouthing and fingering link to most of the vocal behaviours directed to objects and caregivers. The benefits of mouthing and fingering to vocal behaviours development are discussed in terms of the level of exposure to vocal outputs and information integration skills provided by both exploratory forms.

Increasing Muscle Speed Drives Changes in the Neuromuscular Transform of Motor Commands during Postnatal Development in Songbirds.

Progressive changes in vocal behavior over the course of vocal imitation leaning are often attributed exclusively to developing neural circuits, but the effects of postnatal body changes remain unknown. In songbirds, the syrinx transforms song system motor commands into sound and exhibits changes during song learning. Here we test the hypothesis that the transformation from motor commands to force trajectories by syringeal muscles functionally changes over vocal development in zebra finches. Our data collected in both sexes show that, only in males, muscle speed significantly increases and that supralinear summation occurs and increases with muscle contraction speed. Furthermore, we show that previously reported submillisecond spike timing in the avian cortex can be resolved by superfast syringeal muscles and that the sensitivity to spike timing increases with speed. Because motor neuron and muscle properties are tightly linked, we make predictions on the boundaries of the yet unknown motor code that correspond well with cortical activity. Together, we show that syringeal muscles undergo essential transformations during song learning that drastically change how neural commands are translated into force profiles and thereby acoustic features. We propose that the song system motor code must compensate for these changes to achieve its acoustic targets. Our data thus support the hypothesis that the neuromuscular transformation changes over vocal development and emphasizes the need for an embodied view of song motor learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Fine motor skill learning typically occurs in a postnatal period when the brain is learning to control a body that is changing dramatically due to growth and development. How the developing body influences motor code formation and vice versa remains largely unknown. Here we show that vocal muscles in songbirds undergo critical transformations during song learning that drastically change how neural commands are translated into force profiles and thereby acoustic features. We propose that the motor code must compensate for these changes to achieve its acoustic targets. Our data thus support the hypothesis that the neuromuscular transformation changes over vocal development and emphasizes the need for an embodied view of song motor learning.

Evidence of repertoire sharing and stability despite a high turnover rate in a duetting neotropical wren

In songbirds, the spatial pattern of song sharing among individuals is influenced by the song learning and dispersal strategies within each species. In birds where females and males sing and create joint acoustic displays (duets), the processes defining the patterns of song sharing become more complex as there might be different selection pressures shaping the behaviour of each sex. To provide further insight into the vocal development and the dispersal strategy of duetting tropical species, we investigated the patterns of individual and pair repertoire sharing, as well as the stability of these repertoires, in a colour‐marked population of riverside wrens, Cantorchilus semibadius, located in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Using data collected over a five‐year period, we found considerable variation in the sharing levels of phrase and duet type repertoires among neighbouring individuals coupled with a general decline of repertoire sharing as distance increased between birds’ territories. These results are consistent with a pattern predicted in age‐restricted learners that establish preferentially near their tutors. Furthermore, we found no evidence of individuals changing their phrase type repertoires over time, including after remating events. Duet type repertoires were also stable when pairs remained together. However, we observed a surprisingly high turnover rate. When individuals remated, even though the majority of the previous duet type repertoire remained, several new duet types were included. Taken together, our findings suggest that riverside wrens might create their individual repertoires by copying their same‐sex parent and neighbouring individuals before dispersal. Additionally, we speculate that even though birds were able to create new duet types after changing partners, a substantial portion of their duet type repertoire might also be copied from their parents and neighbouring pairs during the initial critical period of song learning.

Predicting Expressive Language From Early Vocalizations in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Which Vocal Measure Is Best?

Purpose This study was designed to test the incremental validity of more expensive vocal development variables relative to less expensive variables for predicting later expressive language in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We devote particular attention to the added value of coding the quality of vocalizations over the quantity of vocalizations because coding quality adds expense to the coding process. We are also interested in the added value of more costly human-coded vocal variables relative to those generated through automated analyses. Method Eighty-seven children with ASD aged 13-30 months at study initiation participated. For quantity of vocalizations, we derived one variable from human coding of brief communication samples and one from an automated process for daylong naturalistic audio samples. For quality of vocalizations, we derived four human-coded variables and one automated variable. A composite expressive language measure was derived at study entry, and 6 and 12 months later. The 12 months-centered intercept of a simple linear growth trajectory was used to quantify later expressive language. Results When statistically controlling for human-coded or automated quantity of vocalization variables, human-coded quality of vocalization variables exhibited incremental validity for predicting later expressive language skills. Human-coded vocal variables also predicted later expressive language skills when controlling for the analogous automated vocal variables. Conclusion In sum, these findings support devoting resources to human coding of the quality of vocalizations from communication samples to predict later expressive language skills in young children with ASD despite the greater costs of deriving these variables. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12276458.

Artificial sounds following biological rules: A novel approach for non-verbal communication in HRI

Emotionally expressive non-verbal vocalizations can play a major role in human-robot interactions. Humans can assess the intensity and emotional valence of animal vocalizations based on simple acoustic features such as call length and fundamental frequency. These simple encoding rules are suggested to be general across terrestrial vertebrates. To test the degree of this generalizability, our aim was to synthesize a set of artificial sounds by systematically changing the call length and fundamental frequency, and examine how emotional valence and intensity is attributed to them by humans. Based on sine wave sounds, we generated sound samples in seven categories by increasing complexity via incorporating different characteristics of animal vocalizations. We used an online questionnaire to measure the perceived emotional valence and intensity of the sounds in a two-dimensional model of emotions. The results show that sounds with low fundamental frequency and shorter call lengths were considered to have a more positive valence, and samples with high fundamental frequency were rated as more intense across all categories, regardless of the sound complexity. We conclude that applying the basic rules of vocal emotion encoding can be a good starting point for the development of novel non-verbal vocalizations for artificial agents.

Mechanisms of larynx and vocal fold development and pathogenesis.

The larynx and vocal folds sit at the crossroad between digestive and respiratory tracts and fulfill multiple functions related to breathing, protection and phonation. They develop at the head and trunk interface through a sequence of morphogenetic events that require precise temporo-spatial coordination. We are beginning to understand some of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie critical processes such as specification of the laryngeal field, epithelial lamina formation and recanalization as well as the development and differentiation of mesenchymal cell populations. Nevertheless, many gaps remain in our knowledge, the filling of which is essential for understanding congenital laryngeal disorders and the evaluation and treatment approaches in human patients. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of the laryngeal embryogenesis. Proposed genes and signaling pathways that are critical for the laryngeal development have a potential to be harnessed in the field of regenerative medicine.

Development of vocal emotion recognition in school-age children: The EmoHI test for hearing-impaired populations.

Traditionally, emotion recognition research has primarily used pictures and videos, while audio test materials are not always readily available or are not of good quality, which may be particularly important for studies with hearing-impaired listeners. Here we present a vocal emotion recognition test with pseudospeech productions from multiple speakers expressing three core emotions (happy, angry, and sad): the EmoHI test. The high sound quality recordings make the test suitable for use with populations of children and adults with normal or impaired hearing. Here we present normative data for vocal emotion recognition development in normal-hearing (NH) school-age children using the EmoHI test. Furthermore, we investigated cross-language effects by testing NH Dutch and English children, and the suitability of the EmoHI test for hearing-impaired populations, specifically for prelingually deaf Dutch children with cochlear implants (CIs). Our results show that NH children’s performance improved significantly with age from the youngest age group onwards (4–6 years: 48.9%, on average). However, NH children’s performance did not reach adult-like values (adults: 94.1%) even for the oldest age group tested (10–12 years: 81.1%). Additionally, the effect of age on NH children’s development did not differ across languages. All except one CI child performed at or above chance-level showing the suitability of the EmoHI test. In addition, seven out of 14 CI children performed within the NH age-appropriate range, and nine out of 14 CI children did so when performance was adjusted for hearing age, measured from their age at CI implantation. However, CI children showed great variability in their performance, ranging from ceiling (97.2%) to below chance-level performance (27.8%), which could not be explained by chronological age alone. The strong and consistent development in performance with age, the lack of significant differences across the tested languages for NH children, and the above-chance performance of most CI children affirm the usability and versatility of the EmoHI test.

Voice breaking and its relation to body mass and testosterone level in the Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus)

Vocal development of cranes (Gruidae) has attracted scientific interest due to its special stage, voice breaking. During voice breaking, chicks of different crane species produce calls with two fundamental frequencies that correspond to those in adult low-frequency and juvenile high-frequency vocalizations. However, triggers that affect voice breaking in cranes are mainly unknown. Here we studied the voice breaking in the Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) and test its relation to the body mass and testosterone level. We analyzed 5846 calls, 39 body mass measurements and 60 blood samples from 11 Siberian Crane chicks in 8 ages from 2.5 to 18 months of life together with 90 body mass measurements and 61 blood samples from 24 Siberian Crane adults. The individual duration of voice breaking and dates of its onset, culmination and completion depended neither on the body mass nor on the testosterone level at various ages. But we found correlation between the testosterone level and mean deltas of percentages of the high and low frequency components in Siberian Crane calls between the closest recording sessions. We also observed some coincidence in time between the mean dates of voice breaking onset and the termination of body mass gain (at 7.5 months of age), and between the mean dates of voice breaking completion and the start of a new breeding season. Similar relations have been shown previously for some other crane species. We also showed for the first time that the mean dates of voice breaking culmination correlated with the significant increase of the testosterone level (at 10.5 months of age). So, we suggest that voice breaking in cranes may be triggered by the end of chicks’ body growth, is stimulated by the increase of testosterone level and ends soon after adult cranes stop taking care of their chicks.

Maternal presence influences vocal development in the Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica)

AbstractSocial influences on vocal development of young birds have been widely studied in oscine songbirds who learn to sing by vocal imitation of conspecifics, mainly male adults. In contrast, vocal development of non‐vocal learners such as Galliformes is considered as being under strong genetic influence and independent of the social environment. In this study, we investigated the role of the mother on the vocal development of young Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). We compared the vocal development of mothered and non‐mothered chicks during the first 21 days of life. We analysed the structural changes of two vocalisations: a) the rally call, emitted during long‐distance communication and in stressful situations, b) the contact call, emitted during short‐distance communication when chicks are in visual and/or auditory contact with congeners. We showed that temporal and spectral structures of the two types of calls changed during development and differed between mothered and non‐mothered chicks. These results demonstrate that maternal presence influences the vocal development of the young in the Japanese quail. Even if the adaptive value of such changes was not assessed, these results highlight that plasticity of vocalisations in species considered as non‐vocal learners has been underestimated.

Vocal development in nestling kea parrots (Nestor notabilis)

ABSTRACT This study investigates vocal development of nestling kea parrots (Nestor notabilis). First, we examine how many structurally distinct call types were present during the nestling period, and the age in which call types occurred. Based on studies with other avian species, we predicted that kea nestlings would have multiple call types, with some present at hatching and others emerging later in the nestling period. Results showed that nestlings have four distinct call types, two present at hatching, and two emerging when the nestlings undergo large physical changes in the second week of life. While two of the call types developed gradually towards more adult-like structures, the other two did not and were apparently only used for communication in the nest. Second, we tested whether nestlings could be discriminated individually based on their calls. All four call types were individually discriminable from hatching until the end of the study, thus providing evidence for vocal signatures. While the function of vocal signatures cannot be ascertained from this study, kea breeding biology rules out explanations based on preventing misdirected parental care. We suggest that vocal signatures may be relevant to the division of parental resources in the nest.

Cricopharyngeal myotomy for delayed Cricopharyngeal dysfunction after head and neck surgery \u2013 case report

BackgroundHead and neck surgeries can perturb normal structures of neck muscles and nerve innervations, which are supposed to function in harmony to allow complicated process like swallowing. It is still likely that cricopharyngal dysfunction emerges years after the head and neck surgeries.Case presentationWe report a case with history of left unilateral vocal cord immobility and development of dysphagia and aspiration 2 years after radical thyroidectomy with neck lymph nodes dissection and medialization thyroplasty. Cricopharyngeal dysfunction was impressed and was confirmed with visualization of cricopharyngeal narrowing segment in radiographic contrast swallow examination. The patient was treated successfully by cricopharyngeal myotomy, achieving long-term relief in our 4 years of follow up.ConclusionsOur case of delayed cricopharyngal dysfunction after radical thyroidectomy and medialization thyroplasty shows that it is important to follow up swallowing functions after patients with UVCI undergo medialization thyroplasty. In the event of delayed manifestation of cricopharyngeal function, it can still be treated successfully by cricoharyngeal myotomy, achieving long term relief of dysphagia.

Nearest neighbours reveal fast and slow components of motor learning.

Changes in behavior, due to environmental influences, development, and learning1–5, are commonly quantified based on a few hand-picked, domain-specific, features2–4,6,7 (e.g. the average pitch of acoustic vocalizations3) and assuming discrete classes of behaviors (e.g. distinct vocal syllables)2,3,8–10. Such methods generalize poorly across different behaviors and model systems and may miss important components of change. Here we present a more general account of behavioral change based on nearest-neighbor statistics11–13 and apply it to song development in a songbird, the zebra finch3. First, we introduce “repertoire dating”, whereby each rendition of a behavior (e.g. each vocalization) is assigned a repertoire time, reflecting when similar renditions were typical in the behavioral repertoire. Repertoire time (rT) isolates the components of vocal variability congruent with the long-term changes due to vocal learning and development and stratifies the behavioral repertoire into regressions (rT < true production time, t), anticipations (rT > t), and typical renditions (rT ≈ t). Second, we obtain a holistic, yet low-dimensional14, description of vocal change in terms of a stratified “behavioral trajectory”, revealing multiple, previously unrecognized, components of behavioral change on fast and slow timescales, as well as distinct patterns of overnight consolidation1,2,4,15,16. Diurnal changes in regressions undergo only weak consolidation, whereas anticipations and typical renditions consolidate fully. Because of its generality, our non-parametric description of how behavior evolves relative to itself, rather than relative to a potentially arbitrary, experimenter-defined, goal2,3,15,17 appears well-suited to compare learning and change across behaviors and species18,19, as well as biological and artificial systems5.

Integrisanje muzičkih i jezičkih sadržaja i veština u okviru predmeta Engleski jezik za decu uz pesmu i pokret

A song is a musical content in which melody and poetic text are unified, which makes it an ideal tool in all music activities with children of preschool and early primary school age. It also represents the core of integration of different school subjects, with a huge educational potential in language teaching (both mother tongue and foreign languages). In this paper we elaborate on the advantages of integrating English Language and Music Education academic courses in working with pre-service primary and preschool teachers who are trained to teach English to preschool and early primary school children. We examine students' music experience and their preferences, as well as their familiarity with the phonological elements of the language with the aim of improving the quality of teaching. The paper also presents the key results of the research conducted in 2018 and 2019 with the first and the second generations of students attending the course English Language for Children through Songs and Movement at the first year of their studies at the Teacher Education Faculty in Belgrade. Apart from providing useful insights for further teaching, the results of the research conducted on a convenience sample of 58 students (N = 58) confirmed the importance of integrating the two academic courses by reinforcing students' vocal development in English through songs and action songs as a fundamental tool in the cross-curricular integration. The results also offer new guidelines for the future exploratory research of teaching in university education. These guidelines have a broader pedagogical significance and methodological implications for the work of the future preschool and primary school teachers.