This study is an investigation of an arts-integrated approach for ESL learners that uses song lyrics and focuses on ways to promote vocabulary acquisition and low-anxiety environments for high school second language English students. The research questions were: (a) To what extent do the affective filters of students differ in music class than in other subjects, and (b) Do ESL students acquire and retain vocabulary (i.e., second language acquisition) differently when taught using music and language integration activities, compared to traditional ESL instructional techniques? The participants were 9th–12th grade high school students in a title one school in North Carolina, that contained 1500 students, all of whom were assigned by the school to pre-existing classes; one comprised the control group, and the other the experimental group.
This quantitative study had two phases. The first phase focused upon understanding students’ affective filter in music and non-music classes, and the second phase focused upon the investigation of vocabulary acquisition through an arts integration approach as compared to traditional ESL instructional techniques. The results from the first phase reveals that, when it came to being happy, breathing easily, having relaxed shoulders, stomach fine, (not) nervous, excited, and (not) bored, music class was a place where participants strongly agree or agree to having positive feelings at the time of the class. This data suggests that the participants had a low affective filter when it came to being happy and relaxed, with low anxiety in music class. The findings for Phase Two report that when using the Kruskal-Wallis test, the control group, who was given vocabulary lessons via reading, had no significant statistical difference when it came to their vocabulary acquisition. However, when it came to the experimental group, who was exposed to vocabulary acquisition through song, I determined that there was a significant statistical difference when it came to their vocabulary acquisition. I also conducted an ANOVA test on the data which yielded the result that there was no statistical significance between the control group and the experimental group. In connection, the results also disclose that learning using music didn't show significant results that it helped or hurt to use music in those vocabulary lessons, which suggests the need for further study on this topic.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/44418 |
| Date | 11 May 2022 |
| Creators | Jackson, Jr., Roger Dubois |
| Contributors | Legutki, Allen R. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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