characteristics and requirements apart from those of
language, and a song is not always or necessarily a good
model. Here are some points to consider when you’re
preparing to teach pronunciation with music:
Choosing songs
Choose songs and recordings carefully. Of course, you’ll want
to look for a song that both you and your students will enjoy
listening to and singing, and one that contains the
pronunciation feature you want to practice—particular
sounds, types of linking, or rhythm patterns.
The singer in a recording should have clear pronunciation
that’s easy to hear and understand, and the words should not
be drowned out by noisy instruments. Songs with one singer
are often easier to understand than songs sung by a group.
When more people sing, the sounds are sometimes muJed
and hard to distinguish. The more singers, the harder they
are to understand.
Avoid songs that don’t provide an appropriate language
model. If the singer’s pronunciation is strongly nonstandard
or hard to understand, the song is probably not a good
choice. For example, Bob Dylan may be a brilliant
songwriter, but he tends to mumble, so he’s probably not the
best pronunciation model.
Also think about the grammar used in the song. One or two
nonstandard or very casual bits of grammar might be all
right, but you probably don’t want your students to learn to
say “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog” after listening to the
Elvis Presley song by that name. Of course, also avoid
obscene language or topics that are not appropriate for
school use.Choose a song with a simple melody that’s easy to sing and
remember, especially if you’re going to ask students to sing
along. Some melodies are more complex than others, and
some song styles have so many “wobbles” that their melodies
are hard to follow. Choose a melody that students can learn
quickly and sing easily, even if music is not their strong
point. Keep the pitch range realistic for your students—not
too high or too low for their voices.Activities to use with music
Sing along: This is the easiest and most obvious activity. As
students sing along with a recording, they’ll start to imitate
linking and other aspects of connected speech. In e"ect, it’s a
very pleasant form of “repeat after me.”Listen and mark: Give students written lyrics and ask them
to !nd and mark examples of the features that they’ve been
studying—linking, contractions, reduced forms, and so forth.179