LEARNING VOCABULARY THROUGH SONGS

A THESIS PROPOSAL

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the Research Design Course

DEDIN EKA NURPRATAMA

112015107

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS

UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN SATYA WACANA

SALATIGA

2018
 Learning Vocabulary through Song

Dedin Eka Nurpratama, 112015107

Faculty of Language and Arts, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana

Introduction

People may agree that learning vocabulary is one of an important basic learning in

learning English in addition to learning grammar. Learning vocabulary is the major part of

the process to learn a foreign language (Alqahtani, 2015; Ghazal). It is very important to

learn because vocabulary has different meaning in every context. Wilkins stated, "Without

grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed“(2002,

p.13). Learning vocabulary can be done by some strategies for example it can be done by

reading a text or listening something. Teaching vocabulary can also be done by teachers by

using many strategies, but not all strategies that teachers use to teach their students is

matching to the students’ learning style. In classroom learning activity, sometimes students

feel that the teacher’s strategy in teaching them about vocabulary does not really match with

their learning style. Therefore, students will find their own way to learn vocabulary by

themselves outside the class activity to help them learning vocabulary easier.

Based on my experience when I was in junior high school, most of my classmates and

I were not interested in reading if the reading materials were not interesting for us, and we

usually also find some difficulties in learning the use or the context of the vocabulary through

reading without listening the word by the native speaker or even our teacher. However, if

students find something interesting in the reading materials for themselves, it can help them

to remember and understand the vocabularies although they do not really like reading.

Therefore, students prefer learning vocabulary through something that they can read and

listen or maybe say and pronounce it in a fun way like when students are listening to songs. I
can be an example of that kind of student. I like playing music and also love songs.

Whenever I was listening to songs and try to remember the lyrics, at the same time I also got

some new vocabulary. Not only that, but I was also enjoying learning vocabulary through

songs because the rhythm of the music reduce my boredom. From learning to songs, I could

find the appropriate context of when I should use some vocabulary because I know that each

word has its own meaning and appropriate context. Through song, students can listen and

read the lyrics while they are enjoying the music. That enjoyable activity made us enjoy and

could a little bit understand about the use, meaning, and the context of the vocabulary. Dzanic

and Pejic stated, “Songs are on type of listening activity that have a broad potential. Music

and songs are essential parts of growing and learning.” (2016). It is such an enjoyable and

suitable strategy that we found to learn vocabulary by our own way out of the school.

Learning vocabulary through songs is the method that I am going to discuss in this

research. The research questions that become the focus of this study are: 1. How can learning

vocabulary through song help the students to learn vocabulary?; 2.What do the students do

when they are learning vocabulary through song?; 3.Do they still need the guidance from

other to?. Those research questions are the key get the objectives of this research. The

objectives of this research are to find how songs can help students to learn vocabulary and to

find what the students do to learn vocabulary through songs. For the significance of the

research, this study is expected to make the learners know about the use of songs in learning

vocabulary.

Literature Review

The Importance of Vocabulary

Vocabulary is very important for those who are learning language for example

English because vocabulary is the basic thing that they must master before they are going to
learn more about language. Once again, Wilkins stated, "Without grammar very little can be

conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed“(2002, p.13). His quote shows how

important mastering vocabulary is. I do also agree about his statement which is grammar very

little can be conveyed but not with vocabulary. Learning vocabulary itself can be done by

doing some strategies. The strategies depend on the each persons, one person may have a

different interest and need from the others about how they will learn vocabulary. People can

learn vocabulary through reading books, teacher explanation in the class, watching movie,

listening to songs, etc.

The advantages of learning vocabulary through songs

“Listening to English songs easily embed new vocabulary and grammatical structures

in learners’ both conscious and unconscious memory” (Shen, 2009). Learning vocabulary

through song is not a common strategy that people usually use in learning process. In addition

to be a method to learn vocabulary, listening to music or songs can also make ourselves

become more relaxed when we are doing other activities to learn vocabulary such as reading

books. However, it can be one of some ways to make learning vocabulary become easier

especially for those who do not like reading, and listening or singing is their hobby. As we

know that when we are listening to songs or music, the rhythm and the lyrics are very easy to

be remembered in our brain. “Music has always played a big part of humans’ lives, beginning

with child’s birth and mothers singing lullabies to their children. It is used during all

important occasions of human lives beginning with child’s christening, through weddings, to

funerals.” (Siskova D, p.9). In this study, the problem that students face in learning

vocabulary is about the learning vocabulary strategy from the teacher which is not match with

their learning style so when they are learning in the class, they find difficulties in

understanding the vocabulary. Therefore, students try to find their own way to help they learn

vocabulary easier outside the school which the strategy is learning vocabulary through songs.
 The reason why students prefer using songs to others strategies may be related to the

previous problem which is show that each person has different learning strategy from the

other persons. Some people may feel that music or songs can make them be more relax in

learning something. Students will listen to some new vocabularies for several times during

they are listening the songs and also followed by the grammatical rules and the accent. Not

only that, but they also will have a good mood and enjoyable learning time that can motivate

them to learn more vocabulary (Panich & Pisutthangkoon, 2016). For those who do really

like and have the passion on learning vocabulary through songs will feel that this strategy is

the best way that they have to choose to help them develop their comprehension in

vocabulary aspect. A research said that music or song has an impact in developing the

students’ comprehension in vocabulary aspect. The research was from Murphey (1992), the

result show that not only the comprehension of vocabulary but listening songs can also help

students to develop their listening and pronounciation skills and then those skills will also

help them to improve their speaking skill. It may because they listening the words and how to

pronounciation the words, phrases, or sentences directly from the native speakers who sing

the song. What makes they enjoy learning vocabulary through songs is related to their

passion in music. It may be caused by their interest in some genres of music or maybe

because they idolize the band or the singer. But does the strategy has any disadvantages or

weaknesses? Sure, all of learning strategies may have their own weaknesses.

The weaknesses of learning vocabulary through songs

Learning vocabulary through listening songs outside the school and not at the class

time makes students have to learn and work to understand about the meaning and the use of

vocabulary. It means that their vocabulary comprehension may not totally clear and perfect.

Actually, students still need the guidance from their teacher. They still need the explaination

from their teacher to make sure about what they have learnt for example to make sure the
meaning of the vocabulary and also how to use it. The research from Milington (2011)

shows, it will be better if students learn vocabulary together with their teacher in the class

than they learn by themselves outside the class. In addition to do that, students should ask to

their teacher to guide and accompany them to learn vocabulary through songs together in the

class. He said that it will be more flexible because students can find the vocabulary which is

may be difficult for them to understand and then they can directly ask to the teacher to

explain more about their findings. Another weakness is students may only focus on the lyrics

that they are trying to remember without giving attention to the new vocabulary which are

needed by the students to learn, and it will make students get nothing (Alipour, Gorjian, &

Safari 2012). Songs can make the listener become relax and comfortable in doing something

but if they feel the songs too much, it may make them to be more relax and not doing

anything but listening the songs itself.

The Study

Context of the Study

This research will be done at Salatiga especially in Faculty of Language and Arts at

Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, this research is about how students learn vocabulary

through songs. The objectives of this research are to find how songs can help students to

learn vocabulary and to find what the students do to learn vocabulary through songs. This

research is a qualitative research and it will explore how students learn vocabulary through

songs based on their experiences.

Participants of the Study

The participants will be ten(10) English education and literature students from Faculty

of Language and Arts at Univesitas Kristen Satya Wacana who have experiences in learning
vocabulary through songs and they will be interviewed. The chosen participants are found by

my observation during I studying in this faculty.

Data Collection Instrument

According to the context of the research, this research will be supported by interview

which consists of some questions and will be improved by giving some follow up questions.

Interview is used in this research because form interview the answers that I get later are

expected to be more informative and clear. The questions will be focus on the way students

learning vocabulary through songs.

Data Collection Procedure

Five students will be interviewed and given several questions for about 15 minutes.

The location where the interview will be done is adjustable, it depends on the interviewees

whether they want to do it at the campus or outside campus. Each of questions may be

followed by some follow up questions. The language which is going to use is Indonesian

language because it is expected to get more information if we use our first language. The

answers from each interview questions are expected to find the point that I need supported by

the follow up questions. The interview will be recorded by the voice only.

Data Analysis Procedure

The data will be analysed based on the interviewees’ answers. The point will be taken

from the interviewees’ experiences when they were learning vocabulary through songs

whether it was about the problem or the reason why they chose this strategy.
Plan of the Interview Questions:

1. What kinds of songs do you usually listen to?

2. Can those types of songs help you to learn more vocabulary?

3. How can those songs help you to learn vocabulary?

4. What do you do when you learn vocabulary through songs?

5. Is it effective to you?

6. Do you find any problems in learning vocabulary through songs?

7. If yes, How do you solve/handle those problems?

8. Do you still need some guidance from other people if you find any problems?

9. In your opinion, what are the advantages from learning vocabularies through songs than

the other strategies?

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Alqahtani, M. (2015). The importance of vocabulary in language learning and how to be

taught. International Journal of Teaching and Education, III(3), 21-34.

Cohen, J. (2008). Listening to Learn: Boosting Vocabulary with Interactive Activities. 1-11.

Džanić, N. D., & Pejić, A. (2016). The Effect of Using Songs On Young Learners and Their

Motivation for Learning English. NETSOL: New Trends in Social and Liberal

Sciences, 1(2), 40-54.

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