以英語流行歌曲提升六年級學生學習動機及單字學習之研究

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(1)國立屏東大學英語學系碩士班碩士論文 Department of English National Pingtung University Master’s Thesis 指導教授：楊昕昕博士以英語流行歌曲提升六年級學生學習動機及單字學習之研究 The Effects of Using English Pop Songs on Learning Motivation and Vocabulary Acquisition -A Study of Sixth Graders in Taiwan. 研究生：蘇美琪撰. 中華民國. 一百零五年六月.

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(4) Acknowledgement Indeed, it is not an easy job to work on a master thesis. During the process of my study and thesis writing, a great number of people gave me lots of help and support. Without them, I would not have reached the achievement. Here, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them. My deepest gratitude would go to my advisor, Dr. Hsin-hsin Yang for her professional advice, inspiring guidance which helped me go through all the difficulties and made this thesis possible. Moreover, I would like to convey my sincere thanks to Dr. Shwu-mei Hwang and Dr. I-fang Chung for their invaluable contributions as committee members of my thesis. I benefited a lot from their insightful comments and suggestions on my thesis. Meanwhile honest gratitude goes to my students who actively participated and cooperated in the EPSI program. Without their aids and positive feedback, the completion of this thesis would be a mission impossible. . In particular, I would like to share my achievement of this thesis with my dear classmates: Stephanie, Kathy, Sebastian, Sophie and my friends: Amy, Echo, Po-chin, Claire and Chin-ting. They always stood by my side and showed their hearty encouragement so as to help me go through the hardships and spur me to persist to the last. i.

(5) Last but not least, I truly appreciate the understanding and great support of my family, particularly my dear husband and sweet kids, who accompanied me all the way for the past two years. Their love and concerns have made all my efforts and fulfillment worthwhile.. ii.

(6) 中文摘要本研究旨在英語流行歌曲教學對提升國小六年級學生學習動機及單字學習之效益。研究設計是以高雄市某國小四十八位六年級學生為研究對象，透過十八週的英語流行歌曲教學，教學前、後分別給學生施以動機問卷及單字前後測和延後測，以了解學生的學習動機及不同英語程度學生在單字學習上的差異情形。本研究採用量的研究方法，並輔以訪談及學習回饋問卷等質性的分析資料。根據資料分析結果，本研究之主要發現如下﹕ 1. 英語流行歌曲教學有助於提升學生的英語學習動機。 2. 英語流行歌曲教學有助於不同英語能力的學生之單字學習及記憶。 3. 實施英語流行歌曲教學後，大部分的學生在情意、認知方面及行為發展上，都抱持正向態度，並更願意主動從事英語相關的學習活動。根據研究結果及發現，鼓勵國小英語教師運用英語流行歌曲為教材，讓學生在愉快的情境中學習，並將所學習融入生活經驗當中，進一步提升習習動機及學習成就。此外，也希望本研究能作為未來研究的相關資訊及參考。關鍵字: 英語流行歌曲、學習動機、單字學習. iii.

(7) Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of the English pop song instruction on sixth graders’ English learning motivation and vocabulary acquisition. This research was conducted with 48 sixth graders as the participants, studying at a public elementary school in Kaohsiung city. The participants received an eighteen -week English pop song instruction program, 40 minutes per week. The instrumentation including the learning motivation questionnaires as well as the vocabulary pretest, post-test and delayed post-test were distributed before and after the instruction to collect data for quantitative analysis while the participants’ responses toward this program were analyzed qualitatively. Firstly, the main findings of the study indicated that the teaching English pop song facilitated the development of the sixth graders’ English learning motivation, especially on affect component and expectation component. In addition, the statistical results of vocabulary tests revealed that the English pop song instruction had positive effects on sixth graders’ vocabulary acquisition and retention. Lastly, the majority of students were interested in learning English popular songs and showed positive attitudes toward the English pop song instruction. Therefore, based on the findings, this study concluded by outlining pedagogical suggestions for English teachers to use English pop songs as authentic materials in the EFL classroom to create a motivating iv.

(8) and enjoyable learning environment and to help their students improve vocabulary learning. It is also hoped the findings could serve as references and make contributions to further research.. Key words: learning motivation, English pop songs, vocabulary acquisition. v.

(9) TABLE OF CONTENTS. Acknowledgemet…………………………………………………………………….i Abstract……………………………………………………………………………..iii Table of Contents……………..………………………………………………...….. vi List of Tables………..……………………………………………………………….x List of Figures…………………….………………………………………………...xii Chapter One: Introduction…………………………………….…………………1 Background and Motivation for the Study……………………………...…... 1 Purposes of the Study…………………….…………………….…...…..…… 5 Research Questions…………………….…………………..............................5 Significance of the Study………………………………….............................5 Definition of Terms…………………….………………….............................7 Chapter Two: Literature Review…………………….……….…………...…… 9 Learning Motivation…………………….……….……...................……..…. 9 Songs and Language Learning………………….………………………..…. 13 Using songs based on the theories of psychology and neuroscience…..… 13 The features of songs…………………….…………………………..…... 14 The affective filter hypothesis………………….…………………….….. 15 Vocabulary Acquisition…………………………………………………..…. 17 vi.

(10) Definitions of vocabulary knowledge…...………...…….…………..…… 17 Two modes of vocabulary acquisition………….……………………..….. 20 Songs and vocabulary acquisition……...…………….……………..……. 24 Songs and vocabulary retention………...………….………………..…… 27 Listening in vocabulary learning by songs…………………………..…… 29 English Pop songs and Language Learning………………………..………... 30 The appeal of pop songs……………….…………………………..……... 31 Pop songs and language learning……………….…………………..…….. 32 Pop songs and vocabulary acquisition……………….………………..….. 34 Chapter Three: Methodology……………...……………….……………..…..… 41 Research Design…………………….…..……….……….…………..……… 41 Participants…………………………………………………………..………. 43 Materials and Teaching Process…………….………..………….…..………. 44 Target words……..….…………………………………………..………… 44 Seven selected English pop songs……………..…………………..……… 46 Teaching process……………………………………………………………48 Instruments……………..………………………….…………………..…….. 48 Vocabulary pretest, post-test and delayed post-test………………..……… 48 English learning motivation questionnaire pretest and post-test….……… 54 vii.

(11) The learning feedback sheet toward the EPSI…………………………..... 58 Interviews……………………………………………………………........ 59 Procedure………………...………………………………………………….. 61 Data Analysis………...……………………………………………………… 63 Chapter Four: Results and Discussion…………………………………………. 65 The Effects of the EPSI on Students’ Learning Motivation………………….65 The Effects of the EPSI on Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition………………..69 The effects of the EPSI on vocabulary acquisition…………………………70 The effects of the EPSI on vocabulary retention…………………………...74 The Students’ Responses toward the EPSI……………………………………76 The students’ affective perspective…………………………………………77 The students’ cognitive perspective………………………………………...81 The students’ behavioral development……………………………………..85 Chapter Five: Conclusion…………………………………………………………91 Summary of the Main Findings……………………………………………….91 Pedagogical Implications………………………………………………………94 Suggestions for Further Research……………………………………………...98 English References …………………………….…………………………………101 Chinese References……………………………………………………………….110 viii.

(12) Appendix A Vocabulary Pretest…………………………………………………111 Appendix B Vocabulary Post-test………………………………….……………113 Appendix C Vocabulary Delayed Post-test…………………………..………… 115 Appendix D Learning Motivation Questionnaire………………………….…….117 Appendix E. Learning Feedback Sheet.………………………………………… 119. Appendix F Interview Guideline……………….………………………………. 121 Appendix G Lesson Plan…………………………………......…………………. 123 Appendix H Interview Transcription………………………………………….….127 Appendix I. Agreement Form for Parents in Chinese………………………….…129. ix.

(13) LIST OF TABLES Table. page. 1. What Is involved in knowing a word…………….…………….………….……19. 2. Related Research in Using English Songs in Taiwan..……………..…….…....36. 3. Design of the Study………………………………….…………….…………... 42. 4. Descriptive statistics of the Participants’ Proficiency …………….......……....44. 5. List of Target Words and Selected Pop Songs…………..……………………....46. 6. Pilot Test of Vocabulary on Difficulty and Discrimination…………………...... 50. 7. Item Analysis of the Pilot Test of Vocabulary……………………………….......52. 8. Item Distribution of Vocabulary Tests..................................................................53. 9. Reliability of the Vocabulary Tests…………………………………………….. 54. 10. Exploratory Factor Analysis of English Learning Motivation Questionnaire…57. 11. Items Distribution of Motivation Questionnaire..……………….….………….58. 12. Syllabus of the English Pop Song Instruction Program…….………………….63. 13. Results of Paired Samples T-Test for Learning Motivation…………….………66. 14. Results of Paired Samples T-Test for Three Components of Learning Motivation………………………………………………………………………68. 15. Paired Samples T-Test for the Individual Items…..…………………………….69. 16. Results of Paired Samples T-Test for Vocabulary Pretest and Post-test………...71 x.

(14) 17. Results of the Paired Samples T-Test for the Subcategories of Vocabulary Knowledge………………………………………………………………………72. 18. Paired Samples T-Test Results for Two Types of Vocabulary Learning…………73. 19. Results of Vocabulary Tests among Groups of Different Proficiency…………...74. 20. Results of Paired Samples T-Test for Vocabulary Pretest and Delayed Post-tes.75. 21. Results of Vocabulary Retention among Groups of Different Proficiency……...76. 22. Frequency and Percentage of Students’ Affective Responses toward the ESPI...78. 23. The Students’ Responses on Cognitive Perspective of the EPSI………………..82. 24. The Students’ Responses on Cognitive Perspective of Other Language Skills….83. 25. The Students’ Responses toward Behavioral Development…………….……….85. 26. The Students’ Responses toward Other Items on the Feedback Sheet…………..87. xi.

(15) LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 A flow chart of the research procedures………………..………………….62. xii.

(16) Chapter One Introduction Background and Motivation for the Study English language teaching in Taiwan has been conducted for years. However, there is no surprise that English learning seemed to be short of attraction as an unconquerable subject for most Taiwanese students. Being an English teacher in elementary school, I have found that sixth graders tend to have lower learning motivation in English classes than other graders do. Many students who have learned English in cram schools since they were in the first grade think the content of English classes in general schools is too easy and seem to lose their interest in English classes. On the other hand, those underachieved students lack confidence and motivation in English learning as well because they think English is too hard to learn. One possible reason leading to the low learning motivation might be the uninteresting teaching materials which mainly focus on grammar learning and the exam-oriented instruction. That means what students learn from English classes is hardly used in real daily situations. Also, since most classroom activities are teacher-centered, students might easily lose their interests in and concentration on learning. Warrington and Jeffrey (2005) concluded that students’ previous negative learning experiences have a crucial influence on their motivation toward English learning in the future. For this reason,. 1.

(17) elementary school English teachers should carefully choose teaching materials and take their teaching method seriously. Besides, for some students, there is no immediate need to use English in their daily life. They learn English simply because it is a required subject at school; once they fail to get a satisfying grade, they get demotivated (Chen & Chen, 2009). In this case, students’ vocabulary knowledge may partly explain the reasons causing the low-achieved English academic performance. Vocabulary could be viewed as the predictor of language learners’ comprehension ability, language proficiency, and academic achievement. The learners’ vocabulary knowledge has great influence on their performance in listening, speaking, reading and writing (Beglar, 2000). That is, students with limited vocabulary knowledge probably have difficulty in comprehension and production when learning English and tend to have lower motivation in class. Thus, to improve students’ vocabulary acquisition skills and promote students’ interest of learning become an issue and a challenge for English teachers in Taiwan. Though Beglar (2000) reported that vocabulary is a crucial element in foreign language learning in general, many learners still bear the heavy burden of learning thousands of words nonetheless. In Taiwan, English as a foreign language taught in class, students could mainly receive English input from the courses at school and English textbooks are served as the main or even the only resource for English. 2.

(18) learning. Consequently, their vocabulary knowledge development would be affected by their lack of being exposed in an extensive English context. To improve learners’ vocabulary knowledge and increase their vocabulary size, a variety of studies in Taiwan and other countries put emphasis on extensive reading (Huang, 2008; Chuang, 2008). However, the effects on vocabulary acquisition through extensive reading have been questioned. According to Zimmerman (2014), learners are required to know about 98% of the words in a written text to comprehend it. It is not an easy task for elementary school EFL students in Taiwan. Besides, Luo (2013) concluded that only few words could be able to be picked up from reading. Recently, there are more and more studies exploring the effects of using music, such as soft music, as the backdrop or teaching materials in English class (Moradi, 2014). With the features of lovely melody and varying tempos, music provides enjoyable learning atmosphere and easily arouses learners’ interest and motivation (Lee, 2010). Music plays an important role in a variety of activities in human daily lives, offering a relaxing atmosphere that helps reduce one’s pressure (Moradi, 2014). Furthermore, in an attempt to improve students’ English learning, Cheung (2001) suggested using popular culture can benefit young people’s learning motivation because it provides them with more meaningful exposure to English learning. Authentic materials, such as American movies or English pop songs that highly. 3.

(19) appeal to young people can help them increase their interests and sustain a long-term desire to learn English (Cheung, 2001). Cheung also stated that popular culture is not only served as the effective source that develops learning related to learners’ daily experiences, personal values, attitudes and feelings, but also a bridge to connect formal and informal English learning. Another important reason of using English songs as teaching materials is that 99 % of popular music are “entirely or predominantly in English” (McKay, 2002). That means English pop songs are available almost everywhere and teachers can easily use them as authentic teaching materials on vocabulary instruction. Although students may listen to the English songs provided in textbooks, those songs do not attract sixth graders’ attention because their lyrics and melodies are not popular among young people. Therefore, using English pop songs in English classes seems a good way of attracting students’ attention, intriguing their learning motivation and enhancing their vocabulary acquisition. However, only few research in Taiwan have focused on using English pop songs and their effectiveness on vocabulary acquisition. There is, therefore, a need to study this area in order to examine whether students’ vocabulary acquisition would be influenced by English pop songs and their lyrics.. 4.

(20) Purposes of the Study This study aims to conduct the implementation of using English pop song instruction (here after EPSI) in English class for sixth graders and to examine how this instruction improved students’ learning motivation and vocabulary learning. Thus, the present study was conducted for the following purposes: 1. To investigate the effects of the EPSI on sixth graders’ English learning motivation. 2. To investigate the effects of the EPSI on sixth graders’ vocabulary acquisition. 3. To investigate the participants’ responses and reflections toward the EPSI. Research Questions Based on the purposes of this study, the following questions are generated: (1) Are there any differences on participants’ performances of English learning motivation before and after the EPSI? (2) Are there any differences on participants’ performances of vocabulary learning before and after the EPSI? (3) What are the students’ responses toward the EPSI? Significance of the Study Some of the Taiwanese sixth graders’ English learning motivation is low since. 5.

(21) English learning is not regarded as an interest but a requirement at school (Chen & Chen, 2009). To solve this problem, some previous studies related to the EPSI in Taiwan have been conducted to examine its effects on English learning. According to Chen (2011), application of the EPSI is a good way to improve high school students’ vocabulary learning. Nevertheless, in her study, the results showed no significant increase on learning motivation. Moreover, the participants in her study were aboriginal high school students. In 2009, Wen’s action research focused on using English pop songs to improve sixth graders’ English learning attitude and general English efficiency and he found that most students showed positive attitude toward English pop song teaching. Lately, another research conducted by Lee (2014) tried to discuss the relationship between English vocabulary capability and English songs teaching. The results of Lee’s study showed that the first graders’ English vocabulary capability was prominently upgraded via teaching Mother Goose Songs. In light of the previous studies, the current study is done with the hope that it can contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between the EPSI and EFL sixth graders’ learning motivation and vocabulary learning. Hopefully, the implementation of the EPSI can act as a means to motivate young learners and to cultivate their English vocabulary knowledge as well as to provide them with an enjoyable environment of abundant meaningful English input, in which the formal school learning and informal. 6.

(22) learning outside the classrooms can be combined together. As a result, English can be regarded as a practical tool, rather than only a required subject for study. It’s also hoped that the results of the study can offer some constructive suggestions for the English instructors and researchers who are interested in the EPSI. Definition of Terms 1. English Pop Songs: Pop songs “appeal to a large percentage of the population” and “is familiar and widely heard” (Campbell, 2006). According to Yu (1997), English pop song is a kind of popular music spreading widely in English speaking countries, such as the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia. English pop song is different from nursery rhyme and classical music and it consists of familiar tune, repetitive verse and chorus. 2. Motivation Motivation is a mental process that leads people to achieve a goal. It contributes to inspiring students’ autonomic learning activities, maintaining their strong learning interests and helps students to achieve satisfaction with learning task (Chang & Lin 1996). For language learning, the students’ orientation is focused on the goal of learning the target language and which could be achieved by students’ positive attitudes toward learning. In this study,. 7.

(23) motivation is defined according to Horwitz as “ the feelings of the learner toward the particular target language, its culture and the individual pragmatic reasons for learning a foreign language” (cited in Engin, 2009, p.1036).. 8.

(24) Chapter Two Literature Review Based on the main purpose of this study: to explore the effectiveness of using English pop songs on sixth graders’ leaning motivation and vocabulary acquisition, this chapter gives a general review of theories and previous research related to this study. First, theories about learning motivation will be discussed in section one. In section two, some theories of songs adopted in language learning are reviewed. Educational literatures about vocabulary acquisition are included in section three. Finally, section four presents the reasons why English pop songs are used on vocabulary acquisition. However, before starting discussing the relevant theories and literatures, I clarified that in this present study, the term “ vocabulary learning” and “vocabulary acquisition” would be exploited interchangeably. Learning Motivation Motivation is the key to all human activities. It provides the inner drives, impulses and desires that move one to a particular action (Chang & Lin, 1996). Among motivations, language learning motivation is the more complicated one than human motivation or general learning motivation due to its unique and specific nature of the language (Chen, 2011). Since learning motivation is the backbone of the language classroom, language teachers regard the skills of motivating their students as. 9.

(25) an essential part of their teaching profession. Some researchers (Gardner & Lambert, 1972) claimed that motivation plays an influential role in acquiring a new language. Students with higher motivation tend to have positive attitude toward learning and more easily reach greater achievement. Hence, in accordance with the first research question: are there any significant differences on participants’ performances of English learning motivation before and after the EPSI, some important theories related to the present study are highlighted in the following. One effective approach of the motivation construct has been distinguished between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Intrinsic motivation defined by Deci and Ryan (1985) is that the learners require no apparent reward but enjoy the activities when engaging in activities. That is, the intrinsically motivated learners tend to study because they want to study for their own sake, not for the outside rewards. For instance, learners may learn foreign languages to satisfy their curiosity, interests, or the feelings of challenge and competence instead of getting a better job. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation refers to doing something that leads to separate outcome beyond the self, such as money, prizes, grades, etc. (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Students with the extrinsic motivation study for outside rewarding consequences, like receiving a reward or passing a test.. 10.

(26) As for the discussion of L2 learning motivation, Gardner and Lambert (1972) firstly identified two distinct orientations: integrative and instrumental orientation. Integrative orientation refers to language learning for personal desire of learning and interests in culture of the target language, while instrumental orientation refers to language learning for external rewards or an academic goal. In Gardner and Lambert’s view, integrative motivation would be more positive than instrumental motivation in language learning. However, some researchers thought Gardner’s claim might not sufficiently explain the motivation of EFL learners, because Gardner conducted the experiment in Canada, where both English and French are official languages; however, in Asian countries such as Japan and Taiwan, English is treated as a foreign language, and learners here do not have immediate needs to use English in their daily live (Chen, 2011). Kouritzin, Piquemal and Renaud (2009) argued that Gardner failed to consider the “social contexts of learners” and the “differences between foreign and second language learners and the language they study” (p. 289). Similarly, the researchers in Taiwan found that integrative motivation plays no significant role in language learning (Chen, Warden, & Chang, 2005). Apparently, learners in an EFL environment may show different learning motivation orientation from those receiving bilingual education in which English is treated as the second language.. 11.

(27) Since motivation plays an essential role in the classroom setting, in 1994, Dörnyei proposed a model of L2 motivation components consisted of three specific aspects: course-specific, teacher-specific and group-specific motivational components. Course-specific motivation components refer to teaching syllabus, teaching materials, teaching methods and learning task. Teacher-specific motivational components comprise teachers’ personality, teaching style and relationship with students, while group orientation, norm and reward system. In view of Dörnyei’s (1994) suggestion, language teachers can provide authentic materials, like songs, to motivate students to get involved in the meaningful tasks and learn the target language. Hence, the present study is aimed at using English pop songs as the main teaching materials. With the overview of the motivation theories above, the considerable diversity of approaches in the study of learning motivation have received lots of attention and offered reasonable explanation toward learning behaviors and performances. In Taiwan, an EFL environment, different learning motivations might influence students’ related learning behaviors, so it is needed to focus on the discussion of learning motivation in Taiwanese educational setting. Based on Pintrich’s motivation theories, Liu, Chang, Hsu and Chang (2005) constructed the “Primary School Learning Motivation Scale” and divided learning motivation into three components: value, expectation and affect. Value component is. 12.

(28) the supporting reasons of students’ learning, including the importance, effectiveness and interests toward learning. Expectation component includes students’ self-expectation of learning achievement and the faith of self-efficacy. Affect component implies students’ emotional reactions toward learning and test anxiety. In order to specify motivation types valid to meet the Taiwanese primary school students’ educational background, the motivation questionnaire in this study was designed based on Liu et al.’s analysis of motivation components. Songs and Language Learning There are a number of literature arguing the relationship between songs and language learning, including in various respects, such as psychology and neuroscience, the features of songs of being the authentic materials, and second language acquisition. In this section, all the relevant respects mentioned above are discussed. Using songs based on the theories of psychology and neuroscience Songs contain musical elements, which make them an effective tool of language learning. Quite a few research findings of psychology and neurology have testified that music has positive effects on language learning. It is proved that the process of music and language occur in the same brain area (Maess & Koelsch, 2001); they have reported that musical and linguistic syntax are processed similarly. Ayotte (2004) claimed that both music and language share the “same auditory, perceptive, and. 13.

(29) cognitive mechanisms that impose a structure on auditory information received by the senses” (p. 10). To testify the effects of music, one experiment was conducted to test adults’ implicit learning by giving them a stream of nonsense syllables presented in either spoken form or singing form. The results showed that the participants had a better performance under musical conditions (Schön, Boyer, Moreno, Besson, Peretz, & Kolinsky, 2008). That is, the use of music facilitates language learning to some degrees. Another study was conducted to examine whether the use of soft music improved college students’ learning of English words. The results indicated that compared to non-musical mode group, the musical mode group memorized more vocabulary when listening to soft music (Moradi, 2014). Thus, the research suggests that because of the songs’ melody and rhythm, the efficiency of the brain process of language learning could be increased. The features of songs Songs have been used as teaching materials in the field of foreign language learning for a long time. Some studies describe that the melodies and lyrics of songs are able to contribute to language learning and make influence on students ’learning abilities because most songs are delightful and meanwhile provide the language that students use in their real lives. The features of repetitive musical pattern and contents of lyrics help students practice the forms, syntax, lexical items and segments of the. 14.

(30) target language efficiently (Geyer, 2001). Through exposing themselves to the highly repetitive nature of song lyrics, learners can get familiar with the expressions they are able to use in the daily conversations (Abbott, 2002). For example, the lyrics “I’m hanging around” in the song Lemon Tree are quite useful expressions for EFL learners when having conversation with their friends in the daily life. Beside, songs provide meaningful context of language learning and cover relevant topics and familiar themes students would feel interested in their language class (Abbott, 2002). Therefore, more and more teachers and researchers try to explore the effects of applying English songs in English language learning. The affective filter hypothesis In language learning, the affective filter hypothesis proposed by Krashen (1981) was that learners’ feelings and emotions had substantial impact on learning quality. Krashen argued that “performers with high or strong filters will acquire less of the language directed at them, as less input is ‘allowed in’ to the language-acquisition device” (1981, p. 22). EFL students might have some learning frustration and stress when they first face the unknown language and“the learners’ emotional state is just like an adjustable filter which freely passes or hinders input necessary to acquisition” (Lee, 2010, p. 10). Accordingly, in a friendly environment, students’ learning anxiety will be reduced and their interests will be fostered. In other words, the positive. 15.

(31) learning attitude can occur in the relaxing classroom atmosphere, and students with a low affective filter are able to receive more input and learn effectively. Based on the above mentioned reasons, using English songs in English classes can benefit students since the delightful music creates a friendly learning atmosphere that supplies a low affective filter and easily enhances students’ learning interest and motivation. There are a number of studies discussing more benefits of using songs in EFL classroom. Brand (2007) advocated that song lyrics help create a natural speaking environment for language learners, providing native speakers’ culture, value and beliefs. Thus, the use of songs in English class can extend vocabulary and comprehension skills, develop listening and speaking skills, and improve learners’ attention and memory. Moreover, songs are an important source of vocabulary because they offer good authentic language and help vocabulary learning to take place in a pleasant way. Murphey (1992a) also concluded several reasons that songs, particularly pop songs, might benefit vocabulary learning for their comparatively simple words are suitable for students in learning English. Pop song lyrics are usually presented with a repetitive pattern and their vocabulary contains common, daily-use words as well. Consequently, the use of songs can be deemed as interesting, appropriate and authentic teaching materials for vocabulary instruction. In the following sections, there is theoretical review and empirical evidence suggesting that. 16.

(32) use of songs enhance students’ success in language acquisition and vocabulary learning. Vocabulary Acquisition Vocabulary has a fundamental position in language learning. It is essential for both listening and reading comprehension as well as speaking and writing production. Findings of some studies, like Laufer and Nation (1999), have claimed that the learners’ vocabulary knowledge has strong correlation with their learning performance in listening, reading, speaking and writing. Language learners with more vocabulary knowledge and skills could achieve higher development of language proficiency (Huang, 2008). Consequently, in this section, five main subsections outline the definitions of vocabulary knowledge, vocabulary acquisition, songs and vocabulary acquisition, songs and vocabulary retention, and listening in vocabulary learning by songs, which are basic concepts of this study. Definitions of vocabulary knowledge To improve EFL students’ vocabulary knowledge, the first issue addressed here is to define what vocabulary knowledge is. The present study is mainly aimed to ascertain the effects of intentional and incidental vocabulary acquisition from English pop songs, so the learning outcomes should be measured in terms of different levels of vocabulary knowledge.. 17.

(33) Generally speaking, the differentiation between breadth and depth of word knowledge is one of the most common conventions. Milton (2009) suggested that “breadth of knowledge refers to the number of words a learner knows and depth of knowledge refers to what the learner knows about these words” (p. 13). That is, it is possible to investigate learners’ vocabulary knowledge by testing the amount of words they recognize and the word usage they are able to apply. He also divided word knowledge into two dimensions: active (or productive) and passive (or receptive) knowledge. Most learners receive a word first and then process it into productive use later; and compared to actively knowing the words, there are more words known by learners passively. In addition, Nation (2001) differentiated the relation between passive and active vocabulary knowledge by using the categories of reception and production of word knowledge, which could be regarded as the most comprehensive definition of vocabulary knowledge (see Table 1). Based on Nation’s standpoints, receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge can cover all the aspects of knowing a word. Receptive knowledge involves: knowing the meanings of the words as well as their written forms in reading context; being able to recognize the words when hearing them. Productive knowledge, on the other hand, includes being able to say the words with correct pronunciation and spell it correctly. Also, with productive knowledge, learners are able to use the words properly and correctly in the sentences.. 18.

(34) In short, productive learning involves a higher level of knowledge than receptive learning does since it requires more concentration on new spoken or written patterns. Table 1 What is involved in knowing a word Form. spoken. written. word parts. Meaning. form and meaning. concept and referents. associations. Use. grammatical functions. collocations. R. What does the word sound like？. P. How is the word pronounced?. R. What does the word look like?. P. How is the word written and spelled?. R. What parts are recognizable in this word?. P. What word parts are needed to express the meaning?. R. What meaning does this word form signal?. P. What word form can be used to express this meaning?. R. What is included in the concept?. P. What items can the concept refer to?. R. What other words does this make us think of?. P. What other words could we use instead of this one?. R. In what patterns does the word occur?. P. In what patterns must we use this word?. R. What words or types of words occur with this one?. P. What words or types of words must we use with this one?. constraints on use. R. Where, when, and how often would we expect to meet this word?. (register, frequency…). P. Where, when, and how often can we use this word?. Note：In column 3, R = receptive knowledge, P = productive knowledge Adopted from Nation (2001, p. 27) As can be seen from Table 1, Nation also divided word knowledge into three categories: acquiring a word from its form, meaning and usage. Each of these three. 19.

(35) categories also includes two aspects of reception and production of word knowledge. This division of word knowledge shows that learners need to learn both the written and spoken form of a word. However, Read (2000) criticized Nation’s classification system of knowing a word is only suitable to small proportion of speakers. This all aspects of word knowledge, according to Read (2000), is just “an idealized account rather than a realistic description of what native speakers know” (p. 27) about the words. Since the participants of current study were EFL students, the purpose of this study merely focused on investigating vocabulary acquisition at a low level of word knowledge which may be more receptive than productive when acquired from pop songs. Thus, form and meaning of each word in this study would be put more emphasis on than aspect of usage. Two modes of vocabulary acquisition To improve students’ vocabulary knowledge, English teachers need to carefully consider the modes of vocabulary acquisition as well as vocabulary instructions. Zimmerman (2014) suggested that both direct and indirect methods could be useful in facilitating vocabulary learning, in which the former was known as the intentional vocabulary acquisition and the latter one was incidental vocabulary acquisition. Both these main well-known vocabulary learning modes are related to psychology and second language acquisition (Tu, 2003). As for the definitions, Zimmerman (2014). 20.

(36) claimed that “word learning involves both intentional learning (the focused study of words; also referred to as explicit learning) and incidental learning (as when words are picked up while one’s attention is focused on language use)” (p. 291). Ellis (2015) also stated that “the essence of intentional learning is that it involves a deliberate attempt to learn; this may or may not involve awareness” (p. 444). Incidental learning, in contrast, “is characterized by an absence of intentionality to learn, but may involve adhoc conscious attention to some features of the L2” (Ellis, 2015, p. 444). Another fundamental explanation of these two modes of vocabulary, according to Laufer and Hulstijn (2001), is that intentional vocabulary learning means learners acquire vocabulary directly by committing the lexical information such as definition, part of speech and usage. On the other hand, incidental vocabulary learning is learners acquire vocabulary without intention or when they put the main focus on something else, like reading or communication. That is, the new words learned with incidental acquisition are just the outcome of the by-product of learners’ learning, which is different from the approach of intentional vocabulary acquisition (Laufer & Hulstijin, 2001). According to Craik and Tulving (1975) and Eysenck (1982), the difference between incidental learning and intentional learning was whether the prior instruction about the up-coming test was given to the learners or not. When participants were. 21.

(37) tested for retention after being given a task on stimulus materials without giving instructions, this kind of learning was so called incidental learning. On the contrary, in the intentional learning condition, participants were informed of an upcoming test in advance. Moreover, the instructions between these two modes of vocabulary learning are also different. Intentional learning provides students with the direct instruction and trains them through intentional and explicit learning techniques, such as getting familiar with the word meanings, doing word drills and sentence production, etc. (Rodriguzw & Sadowki, 2000), but incidental vocabulary learning occurs when the learners’ main focus is on doing something else, rather than on learning itself. That is, vocabulary features are acquired through reading written context or singing songs rather than only through direct instruction (Nagy, Herman & Anderson, 1985). In short, with intentional acquisition, learners should focus on vocabulary learning itself and which would be a more boring and tedious learning burden (Chuang, 2008). On the other hand, incidental acquisition could make students acquiring vocabulary naturally and delightfully without focusing on learning itself. Though the characteristics of these two modes of acquisition are different, both of them play important roles in vocabulary acquisition. Dickinson’s study reported intentional learning had significant influence on the learners’ long-term storage, while small differences were showed on short-term memory between these two types of. 22.

(38) learning (cited in Tu, 2003). However, there are also numerous empirical studies that offer evidence of the effectiveness of incidental learning. For example, Sheiton and Newhouse (1981) claimed that when given the recall test, learners who were exposed to the stimulus material in the incidental learning condition outperformed those who were given an instruction to learn the same material. Similarly, in Chuang’s (2008) study, the students’ vocabulary learning was enhanced incidentally through extensive reading. There is more and more research in Taiwan or other countries (Chuang, 2008) putting emphasis on the effects of using songs or extensive reading on incidental vocabulary learning and some of the research revealed the positive relationships between incidental learning and using the pleasant approaches, like reading stories and singing English songs. Nevertheless, some researchers have criticized that the proportion of incidentally acquiring an unknown word from exposing in context is disappointingly low, only between .10 to .15 (Nagy et al., 1985). Luo (2013) argued that too small a vocabulary size could be able to be picked up with incidental acquisition. Accordingly, to foster the effective vocabulary learning, Prince suggested that translation learning which is intentional learning of target vocabulary accompanied by the L1 equivalents can benefit more in terms of quantity of learning words (as cited in Tu, 2003).. 23.

(39) To sum up, after an overview of the discussions above, the better learning strategies is to combine these two techniques of vocabulary acquisition. In the present study, I was aimed to examine the effects on the implementation of English pop song instruction in terms of both intentional and incidental vocabulary learnings. Songs and vocabulary acquisition Though vocabulary is a significant element in learning foreign language, in fact, there is no surprise that EFL learners view vocabulary acquisition as an insipid and unconquerable obstacle. The task of learning thousands of words directly and intentionally of the words by learning the forms, meanings and usage is sometimes indeed a heavy burden for them. Some research reported that the incidental acquisition which has been proved to account for substantial proportion of vocabulary learning could benefit EFL learners (Tu, 2003). Acquiring new words while focusing on other tasks: reading, singing or communication may make learners feel that learning new words is not so frustrating or boring. However, recently some researchers revealed incidental learning does not effectively favor vocabulary acquisition, especially in extensive reading. Luo (2013) doubted the feasibility of the incidental learning approach to EFL learning. Some restrictions were reported by Luo: first, when learning English words through reading incidentally, the learners would need to add up their reading out of class as ten times what they do in class and it. 24.

(40) would be a heavy load for them; then, it is too small a vocabulary amount which can be picked up with incidental vocabulary acquisition for EFL learners; also, learners’ prior vocabulary size is another obstacle on the effectiveness of incidental vocabulary acquisition through extensive reading. However, all these restrictions mentioned by Luo could mostly be made up by using English song instruction. To begin with, learners’ prior vocabulary size argued by Luo (2013) is not necessarily required when singing songs, because words or phrases of songs are often used in learners’ daily life and appear repeatedly in the lyrics (Abbott, 2002). In addition, differing from the small amount of vocabulary that is able to be picked up through reading, the repetitive nature of song lyrics, especially words, phrases and sentence patterns can promote automatic target language learning by exposing EFL learners to lexical items (Abbott, 2002). That is, vocabulary could be picked up effectively and incidentally by learners through singing songs (Schwarz, 2012). Also, unlike extensive reading, singing songs would not be a learning burden for EFL students; on the contrary, it could be an enjoyable way of vocabulary learning outside of class (Murphey, 1990). Hence, singing songs enables learners to practice target language materials whenever and wherever they would like to, not only in class but outside the school as well.. 25.

(41) In testifying the effects on incidental vocabulary acquisition by using songs, Medina (1993) concluded that utilizing music and illustration in elementary school helped second-grade Spanish-speaking students with limited English proficiency in learning English vocabulary. Similar findings occurred in Chen’s (2011) study, which focused on using SIR-KR (singing, instructing, replacing, karaoke and recording) English teaching model to increase Taiwanese aboriginal high school students’ vocabulary size and learning motivation. The results showed a significant increase of students’ vocabulary size. Besides, a study conducted by Atta-Alla (2012) reported that forty-five adult English language learners were instructed in some vocabulary skills through a vocabulary program based on children’s rhymes and songs and the results proved this kind of vocabulary program was effective in developing the adults’ comprehension and production vocabulary skills by showing that the vocabulary gain scores were considerably higher in the post-test. All the evidence above suggests that language teachers may apply an alternative method instead of traditional vocabulary instruction to promote students’ vocabulary growth. To sum up, effective vocabulary learning occurs when language learners actively take part in language learning tasks. The more students are engaged in tasks in which they use and learn vocabulary actively, the higher language proficiency level they can improve. Therefore, just as Atta-Alla (2012) stated, language teachers should. 26.

(42) take students’ background and learning style into consideration, and try to make their vocabulary instruction enjoyable and meaningful to their students. Songs and vocabulary retention It is widely believed that using songs has a positive effect on vocabulary learning due to their aid of retention. Mora stated that applying musical approach could strengthen learners’ long-term memory (as cited in Ludke, 2009). The rationale of this retention effect of song has been discussed from a neuroscientific point of view. Newham (1995-1996) stated that patterns produced in form of melody or songs could promote learners’ learning recall and facilitate language learning because “the primarily right hemisphere-oriented process of music making can enhance the process of language acquisition and memory which place demands upon the left hemisphere” (p. 72). That is, the positive retention effect of songs is resulted from dual coding which causes brain’s deeper processing and better recall. From Ashcraft’s (1994) viewpoint, songs could serve as mnemonic devices to aid the recall of learning. One reason is that the phrases and sentences of song lyrics combined with melody could facilitate learners’ recalling and language learning. Many adults can recall immediately the lyrics of their favorite songs they sang in childhood when hearing the familiar melody again even after twenty or more years. This kind of so-called. 27.

(43) “song-stuck-in-my-head-phenomenon” mentioned by Murphy (1992b, p. 7) has proven that the employment of songs benefits the recalling or retrieving process. Another critical characteristic of songs is they are mostly in rhyme. The rhyming lines or chorus enable learners’ memories to retain longer (Lee, 2013). That is, with the rhyming words and enjoyable melody, song lyrics may easily be recalled by learners. Finally, Aschcraft (1994) suggested that target materials should be practiced repeatedly to achieve the retention effect. The verse and chorus of songs are always repeated. With this repetitive feature, singing English songs could offer a beneficial method for EFL learners to acquire vocabulary in a pleasant way. Based on the merits of using songs to aid the recalling of learning materials, several studies had been conducted to compare conventional pedagogical methods with song-using instructions and found that the use of songs has positive results in vocabulary recall. For example, Rainey and Larsen (2002) investigated participants’ performance after they studied lists of unconnected names in visual form, spoken form or sung in familiar melody. The findings illustrated that participants in the songs condition did not learn faster but remembered and relearned more quickly after a one-week interval. That is, learning target information in combination with a familiar melody may promote long-term retention.. 28.

(44) In China, an EFL country like Taiwan, Li and Brand (2009) examined the relative effectiveness of varying the use of songs on graduate students’ vocabulary acquisition, language usage and meaning. The results of the study showed that the participants who were exposed to the most music obtained higher score on the post-test as well as the delayed posttest three weeks later. Also, the participants in songs condition showed positive attitude toward language learning. Another empirical study found that upper-level language learners outperformed on both vocabulary recall and retention in the musical groups (Alipour, Gorjian & Zafari, 2012). In brief, this memory retention is particularly crucial to vocabulary acquisition and the studies above support the idea that singing English songs may help learners acquire English phrases and words because they could naturally review the newly-learned patterns and vocabulary when listening to music and singing songs. Thus, it can be concluded that songs are not merely an entertaining tool but can also be integrated into language lessons as a pedagogic material with proper instructional design on vocabulary teaching. Listening in vocabulary learning by songs One effect of using songs attracting researchers’ attention is its positive impact on learners’ language listening ability. According to Shen (2009), while repeatedly listening to English songs, EFL students could get familiar with native singers’. 29.

(45) pronunciation and intonation , which could help them improve listening ability. Meanwhile, some empirical evidence has proven that listening to English songs facilitates EFL learners’ listening skills. In Lin’s (2010) study, the results revealed that English songs instruction had a significant effect on Taiwanese EFL junior high school students’ listening comprehension. Songs are usually used as listening supplemental materials in EFL class. Language teachers can design some activities to help students in improving listening comprehension such as fill-in-blanks or song dictation, that make a boring practice an interesting activity. In short, English songs can be effective teaching and learning sources in developing learners’ listening skills, because native singers’ natural pronunciation offers a model for EFL students to imitate. Students would enhance their listening skills and correct their pronunciation by repeatedly listening to and singing English songs (Shen, 2009). Hence, English song singing would be a good choice for teachers to use to improve their students’ listening skills. English Pop Songs and Language Learning Based on the discussions in the previous sections, songs can be seen as a valuable tool for achieving EFL learners’ vocabulary improvement. English pop songs, identified as one type of music genres that teenagers usually listen to, have been investigated regarding their effects on language learning as well. Therefore, this. 30.

(46) section will discuss how English pop songs can facilitate English language learning and vocabulary acquisition. The appeal of pop songs Being a combination of music and language, English pop songs have numerous functions for facilitating language learning; one among these is their richness in culture and themes. Songs, particularly pop songs, are sometimes created and associated with cultural or historical events. English pop songs, according to Brand (2007), convey western culture, values and beliefs. That is, singing English pop songs provides opportunities for EFL students in understanding Western culture and sometimes the celebration of festivals in Western countries. For example, the song Do you Hear the People Sing reflects French people’s striving for equality and freedom. Another song When Christmas Comes to Town by Mattew Hall and Meagan Moore describes some Christmas customs in Western culture. Besides, pop songs, representing part of pop culture, can be referred to youth culture. Just as Shen (2009) mentioned that using music from pop culture is easy to arouse young learners’ sympathetic responses and makes them have more willingness in learning. Another merit English pop songs possess is that they are abundant in themes and expressions which might echo in learners’ heart. Pop songs employ various themes, such as love or friendship that appeal to teenagers (Shen, 2009). Adolescence. 31.

(47) can be regarded as a period of transition and change. They are lack of self-identity and eager to peer relationship. Song lyrics with themes of love, friendship, memories of childhood can help them to express their inside feeling, release the negative emotion and pressure as well as create a more peaceful mood (Schwarz, 2012). Also, instead of listening to nursery rhymes or lullabies which offers the affective musical ‘motherese’ language, teenagers tend to enjoy pop music that can be seen as the ‘motherese of adolescents’ and which may be connected with the benefits of ‘affective foreigner talk’(Murphey, 1992a). Therefore, pop songs actually play such a big role in adolescents’ lives. Nowadays, sixth graders are more mature and may also qualify as adolescents. They enjoy pop songs more than children rhymes. That is the reason why I employed English pop songs as teaching materials. Pop songs and language learning Affective learning can also be the effective learning. In light of viewpoints of psycholinguistics, Bolitho, Carter, Hughes, Ivanic, Masuhara and Tomlinson (2003) pointed out that affective learning of language can “stimulate a fuller use of the resource of the brain”, build up “neural paths between areas of brain” and then broaden and deepen the multidimensional processing of language (p. 256). Pop songs with conversation-like and repetition features, always present at approximately half the speed of spoken rate (Murphey, 1992b); as a result, they may lower learners’. 32.

(48) affective barriers. Also, in connecting with the previous discussions of ‘motherese of adolescents’, it is obvious that pop songs create a low affective filter for teenagers because of their comfortable and pleasant nature (Engh, 2013). Consequently, using English pop songs in EFL classroom can effectively bring about affective learning through creating a harmonious classroom atmosphere, fostering learners’ interests and motivation in learning target language. In sum, the application of English songs as teaching materials has presented its enormous values in language acquisition. However, the participants in the current study are sixth graders, so pop music is more attractive than other kinds of music; and for teachers, English pop songs can also be easily obtained through the Internet as well. Some studies mentioned above have discussed the importance of English pop songs in language learning since pop songs offer interesting materials for teachers to use and increase students’ learning motivation. Wen (2009) summarized Chang’s statements about the advantages of using English pop songs: they are usually repeated with the same beautiful melody, so students practice singing the songs repeatedly and easily. Moreover, teaching English pop songs in class can create a relaxing and low anxiety circumstance which eases students’ tension caused by learning foreign language. Therefore, English pop songs may offer beneficial language acquisition resources for both teachers and students.. 33.

(49) Pop songs and vocabulary acquisition This study was aimed to examine the effects of using English pop songs on sixth graders’ vocabulary acquisition. The earlier discussions have revealed that using English pop songs can be an appropriate choice benefiting teenagers in language learning, but the question of why English pop songs can facilitate vocabulary learning has not been answered yet. In this last subsection, the usefulness of English pop songs as a source of lexical learning will be analyzed. According to Medina (1993), a number of useful vocabulary items could be learned through pop songs. Using learners’ favorite songs to teach them vocabulary can create various opportunities for practicing and revision which are crucial for storing the information in long term memory (Murphey, 1992a). Another comprehensive analysis of English pop songs lyrics carried out by Murphey was that pop songs are always repetitive and contain short, simple phrases which lead to better vocabulary retention (Murphey, 1990). In fact, pop songs are not only repeated in themselves, they are also heard more than once (Milton, 2009); especially when the song is popular, it is played in restaurants, department stores or other public places, the lyrics of the song are heard again and again, which helps students store lexical items into long term memory. In addition, Murphey (1992b) also stated that pop songs usually use language associated with the level of 11-year-old native English speakers,. 34.

(50) so the comparatively easy vocabulary may be suitable for EFL students in learning English. The language of pop songs, like real speech, is a conversational style of discourse; lyrics are sung at slower rate with some pause; all these features benefit EFL students’ vocabulary acquisition. Finally, pop songs lyrics enable EFL learners to read not only one word at a time but the whole sentences (Weikart, 1998), which helps students get familiar with the usage of words and develop more complete vocabulary knowledge. English pop songs, with their repeated lyrics and rhythms, have been examined by researchers as a useful tool for improving vocabulary acquisition. Schwarz (2012) conducted a quasi-experiment to investigate whether Austrian EFL learners acquired vocabulary knowledge incidentally by listening to English pop songs outside school. The results showed that there was a significant difference between participants’ vocabulary pre-test and post-test scores, and the findings suggested that English input through popular media such as pop songs could enhance EFL learners’ vocabulary acquisition. However, to the best of my knowledge, only few analyses in Taiwan have explored English pop songs in terms of their effectiveness on elementary school students’ vocabulary acquisition. (see Table 2).. 35.

(51) 36. English teachers. English learning attitude. Most students have a positive attitude toward English pop songs.. Material to Improve English. Learning Attitude and Efficiency. for Grade Six Students. (2009). (table continues). significant positive influence on students’. English Pop Songs as Teaching. English pop songs teaching had a. Shih-Hao. sixth graders. An Action Research of Using. Wen,. Schools action research. of integrating popular songs into their applied this instruction in their class.. in primary school. of Taipei County Elementary. interview. teaching, but only few of them really. English Songs for EFL. (2007). Most of the teachers held a positive view. Instruction in the Upper Grades. A Study of Using Popular. Hsien, Ming-Ta. questionnaire. English motivation scale than the control. The experimental group scored higher on. two groups on achievement test.. experimental. fifth graders. Results. students. Multimedia-Based System on. (2004). Quasi-. Subjects. group, but no difference between these. The Effects of English Songs in. Lee, Mei-I. Methodology. Motivation and Achievement of. Research Topic. Author. Related Research in Using English Songs in Taiwan. Table 2.

(52) 37. English Learning Motivation and. (2011). learner motivation, learning attitude, and the comprehension of. multiple qualitative data collections. English Classes. writing. (table continues). listening, speaking, reading and. how this instruction enhanced. comparative method. Songs in Junior High School. This study is aimed to explore. no significant increase.. their learning motivation showed. after the use of SIR-KR model, but. increased to reach statistic level. The subjects’ vocabulary size had. (2012). school students. aboriginal high. A Study on the Use of English Pop analysis and constant eighth graders. and posttest. vocabulary pretest. questionnaire. Tung, Pao-Lo. Vocabulary Size. Model to Increase Students'. Wen-Chieh. Using SIR-KR English Teaching. comprehension.. High School Student. Chen,. high school students’ listening. Comprehension for EFL Junior. English song instruction had a significant effect on EFL junior. seventh graders. Song Instruction on Listening. seventh graders. (2010). Results. A Study on the Effects of English. Subjects. Lin, Hsin-Yi. Methodology. Research Topic. Author. Table 2 (continued).

(53) 38. students’ learning motivation, but not on students’ English academic achievement.. Learning Motivation and Academic. Achievement of Underachieved. Second-grade Junior High School. participants’ text recall performance but failed to facilitate their learning of the target structure.. Retention of English Subjunctive. Mood Construction: A Case Study of. A Junior High School in Taipei City. music could facilitate the. (2013). The results showed that English pop. Young EFL Learners' Learning and. ninth graders. Chiu-Hsin. experiment. Impact of English Pop Music on. Lee,. Students. program showed a positive change on. Instruction Program on English. grammar remedial instruction. Using English songs in English. (2013). eighth graders. in English Grammar Remedial. experiment. Ting-Yin. Results. The Effects of Using English Songs. Subjects. Chen,. Methodology. Research Topic. Author. Table 2 (continued).

(54) As can be seen in Table 2, most of the studies in Taiwan (Chen, 2013; Chen, 2011; Lin, 2010) have focused on using pop songs instruction on high school students’ English learning motivation or English listening comprehension and grammar learning; but none of them focused on elementary school students’ English vocabulary learning performance. Therefore, there is a need to bridge this apparent research gap by merely putting emphasis on probing the effects of applying English pop songs on vocabulary acquisition. In addition, Chen’s (2011) study indicated that English pop song instruction can increase high school students’ vocabulary size; however, the results of Chen’s (2013) and Lee’s (2013) showed there was no positive influence on students’ English learning. Chen (2011) also pointed out there was no difference on students’ learning motivation after ten-week pop songs teaching. According to the findings of the previous studies, English pop songs may or may not improve students’ English learning motivation and achievements. Hence, more studies are needed to examine the effects of English pop song instruction in elementary school setting in terms of learning motivation and vocabulary acquisition.. 39.

(55) 40.