The Use of English Songs to improve listening skills in EFL at Senior

High School 1 Pangkalpinang

Arranged by:
Muhammad
zahran dzakwan
A320220008
A

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION

FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION
UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH SURAKARTA
2025
 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

A. Background of Study
In today's interconnected world, English proficiency has become an increasingly vital
skill, opening doors to academic, professional, and personal opportunities. Among the
four core language skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – listening
comprehension forms a foundational element for effective communication. The ability
to accurately process and understand spoken English is crucial for learners in English
as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts.
At the senior high school level, developing strong listening skills is particularly
important as students prepare for higher education, future careers, and engagement in
a globalized society. Effective listening comprehension enables students to understand
lectures, participate in discussions, comprehend media, and interact confidently with
English speakers. Conversely, weak listening skills can hinder academic progress,
limit communication abilities, and create frustration for EFL learners.
Recognizing the significance of listening proficiency, educators and researchers have
continuously sought engaging and effective pedagogical approaches to enhance this
skill. Traditional methods often involve repetitive drills and textbook-based audio
exercises, which may not always capture students' interest or reflect authentic
language use. In this context, the integration of authentic and motivating materials
becomes paramount.
Music, particularly English songs, presents a potentially rich and engaging resource
for EFL listening practice. Songs are inherently motivating, widely accessible, and
often contain natural language, diverse vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural
insights. The melodic and rhythmic elements of songs can also aid in memory
retention and create a more relaxed and enjoyable learning environment.Numerous
studies have explored the potential benefits of using music in language learning.
Research suggests that songs can improve vocabulary acquisition, enhance
pronunciation, increase motivation, and provide authentic exposure to the target
language. However, the specific impact of using English songs on the development of
listening skills among EFL learners at the senior high school level requires further
investigation within specific educational contexts.
Senior High School 1 Pangkalpinang, as an educational institution preparing students
for future endeavors, recognizes the importance of equipping its students with strong
English language skills, including listening comprehension. Understanding the
effectiveness of using readily available and engaging resources like English songs in
this specific learning environment can provide valuable insights for teachers and
curriculum developers. This study aims to explore the impact of incorporating English
songs as a pedagogical tool to improve the listening skills of EFL students at Senior
High School 1 Pangkalpinang. By examining the students' progress and perceptions,
this research seeks to contribute to a more effective and engaging approach to EFL
listening instruction within this particular educational setting.

B. Problem of the Study

Based on the background described above, this study aims to address the
following research questions:
 To what extent does the incorporation of English songs in EFL instruction impact the
listening comprehension abilities of senior high school students at Senior High School 1
Pangkalpinang?
 Is there a significant difference in the listening skills development of EFL students at
Senior High School 1 Pangkalpinang who are taught using English songs compared to
those who receive traditional listening instruction?
 What are the perceptions of EFL students at Senior High School 1 Pangkalpinang
regarding the use of English songs as a tool for improving their listening skills?
 How does the use of English songs influence specific aspects of listening
comprehension (e.g., identifying main ideas, understanding details, inferring meaning)
among EFL students at Senior High School 1 Pangkalpinang.

C. Objective of the Study

In line with the research questions, the objectives of this study are:
 To determine the extent to which the incorporation of English songs in EFL instruction
affects the listening comprehension abilities of senior high school students at Senior High
School 1 Pangkalpinang.
 To identify whether there is a statistically significant difference in the development of
listening skills between EFL students at Senior High School 1 Pangkalpinang who are
taught using English songs and those who receive traditional listening instruction.
 To explore and describe the perceptions of EFL students at Senior High School 1
Pangkalpinang regarding the use of English songs as a tool for improving their listening
skills.
 To analyze how the use of English songs influences specific aspects of listening
comprehension (e.g., identifying main ideas, understanding details, inferring meaning)
among EFL students at Senior High School 1 Pangkalpinang.

D. Significance of the Study

This study offers several significant contributions to the field of English language
teaching:
 For EFL Teachers: The findings of this study can provide practical insights into the
effectiveness of using English songs as a supplementary pedagogical tool for enhancing
listening skills in the EFL classroom. It can offer evidence-based strategies for
incorporating music into lessons, potentially leading to more engaging and effective
teaching practices. Teachers can gain a better understanding of how songs impact different
aspects of listening comprehension and student motivation.
 For EFL Students: This study can highlight the potential benefits of using a readily
accessible and enjoyable resource like English songs for improving their listening abilities.
It may encourage students to take a more active and autonomous role in their language
learning by utilizing music outside of the classroom. Furthermore, understanding the
specific ways songs aid listening comprehension can empower students to focus their
learning efforts.
 For Curriculum Developers: The results of this research can inform the design and
development of EFL curriculum and materials at the senior high school level. Evidence
supporting the effectiveness of using songs could lead to the integration of more authentic
and engaging audio resources into the curriculum, potentially improving overall language
learning outcomes.
 For Senior High School 1 Pangkalpinang: This study provides specific data regarding
the effectiveness of a particular teaching approach within their own educational context.
The findings can inform instructional decisions and resource allocation within the school,
contributing to the continuous improvement of their English language program. It can also
position the school as being receptive to innovative and student-centered teaching
methodologies.
 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Review of Relevant Studies

Numerous studies suggest that using English songs can be an effective and engaging
method for improving EFL learners’ listening skills. The integration of music with
language learning offers several benefits:
• Increased Motivation and Enjoyment: Songs can create a more relaxed and
enjoyable learning environment, boosting students’ motivation and reducing
anxiety often associated with listening comprehension tasks. Students often have
positive attitudes towards learning with music.
• Authentic Language Exposure: Songs provide exposure to natural English
pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, and common idiomatic expressions in a real-
world context. This can help learners become more accustomed to the flow of
spoken English.
• Vocabulary and Grammar Acquisition: Repeated listening to songs can aid in
vocabulary acquisition and reinforce grammatical structures in a memorable way.
The context of the song can make it easier to infer the meaning of new words and
phrases.
• Improved Pronunciation: Singing along to English songs can help students improve
their pronunciation and intonation as they mimic the singer’s delivery.
• Cultural Awareness: Songs often provide insights into English-speaking cultures,
enhancing students’ intercultural understanding.
• Memory Retention: The musicality and repetition in songs can aid in memorization
of lyrics and language patterns, contributing to long-term retention
B. Underlying Theory
The use of English songs to improve listening skills in EFL (English as a
Foreign Language) is underpinned by several key theories and principles from the
fields of second language acquisition (SLA), cognitive psychology, and
educational psychology. Here are some of the underlying theories relevant to such
a study
:
1. Input Hypothesis (Krashen, 1985):
• This theory posits that language acquisition occurs when learners are
exposed to comprehensible input (i+1), which is input that is slightly beyond their
current level of understanding.
• Application to Songs: English songs can provide a rich source of
comprehensible input, especially when teachers scaffold the learning process
through pre-listening activities (e.g., pre-teaching vocabulary), during-listening
tasks (e.g., gap-fills with familiar words), and post-listening activities (e.g.,
discussion of the song's meaning). The musical context and repetition can make
the input more engaging and potentially more comprehensible.
2. Affective Filter Hypothesis (Krashen, 1985):
• This hypothesis suggests that learners’ emotional state can act as a filter
that either facilitates or hinders language acquisition. Anxiety, low motivation,
and lack of confidence can raise the affective filter, blocking comprehensible
input from reaching the language acquisition device.
• Application to Songs: Songs often create a more relaxed and enjoyable
learning environment, which can lower the affective filter. The positive
association with music can reduce anxiety and increase motivation, making
learners more receptive to the linguistic input in the songs.
3. Noticing Hypothesis (Schmidt, 1990, 2001):
• This theory argues that learners must consciously notice linguistic
features in the input for them to be processed and potentially acquired. Simply
being exposed to language is not enough; learners need to pay attention to specific
aspects of the language.
• Application to Songs: Teachers can design activities that encourage
learners to actively notice specific linguistic features in song lyrics, such as new
vocabulary, grammatical structures, pronunciation patterns (e.g., weak forms,
contractions), and idiomatic expressions. Tasks like identifying specific words or
phrases, analyzing grammatical structures in the lyrics, or focusing on
pronunciation can promote noticing.
4. Automaticity Theory (McLaughlin, 1987):
• This theory suggests that with practice, language skills can become more
automatic, requiring less conscious effort. This frees up cognitive resources for
other aspects of language processing, such as comprehension.
• Application to Songs: Repeated listening to songs and engaging in
related activities (e.g., singing along, transcribing lyrics) can help learners become
more familiar with the sounds and patterns of English, leading to greater
automaticity in processing spoken language. This can improve their overall
listening fluency.