Using FL songs to help improve pronunciation

[Mark Purves]

Hi Everyone.

I don't get back to this wonderful site as often as I should but as I started out here when blogging et al was a very novel thing to do, so kind of feel it's a bit like home!

Anyway, just thought I would share a couple of posts from my own blog that have been drawing a lot of traffic and want to share in particular with primary MFL teachers.

 

If you know anything about my pet topic on the souffler blog site, I am passionate about using music to help nervous and hesitant TEACHERS as well as PUPILS build up their self confidence when speaking and pronouncing a new language.

 

Speaking is easier when done to a beat: easier when we exaggerate : easier when chanting chorally: easier when repeating without getting bored : easier when we are using movement / actions to embed meaning + IT's FUN!

 

The last couple of blog posts here and here demonstrate a couple of videos that you can use (French only as yet) to teach some key pronunciation areas in French. The great thing is that you don't have to get involved with the text and meanings of the songs at all to start with. Just use them to get your children to experience the sound of the language and play 'detectives' to unpick some of the pronunciation patterns and rules that emerge.

 

There's a lot more on the site about songs and pronunciation work with singing and backing tracks. I'm sure that Jo won't mind this plug because I truly believe it has the power to make hesitant teachers and pupils into the bounciest happiest people in your schools!

 

If you feel that your school, schools, or teacher training institutions would like to learn more about how to implement ideas on how music and singing can support language learning, in fact can support ANY learning across the primary curriculum, please get in touch with me at souffler.uk at gmail.com

 

If you are going to the Sunderalnd Primary Languages training on March 17th or the Cornwall training at Newquay on March 29th I will see you there!

 

Have FUN!

Mark

ps Find out on my blog site at http://souffler.typepad.com/home/songs/ how you can add a musical backing track to ANY part of your lesson, on any topic, in any subject, without having to wait to find that 'ideal' song. You can create a musical 'clip' to practise repetition of one simple phrase or a small dialogue.

http://souffler.typepad.com/home/songs/