Boosting Elementary School Students' Listening Skills through specially Created Songs

Abstract

Listening skill is one of the language skills which has to be
mastered by language learners. It is the first and foremost
skill which becomes the foundation for further skills. For
those young language learners who are in the phase of
development of the so-called concrete operation, and have
short span of concentration, language learning will be more
effective if it is designed and wrapped up in the form of
learning while playing. Song is one of the teaching
techniques to assist them to optimize learning. Songs do not
only make them happy to learn, increase concentration,
enhance security and comfortable feeling, raise interests,
but more importantly various vocabulary, grammar,
pronunciation, and language expressions can be
contextualized as to support language acquisition. This
article aims at sharing theoretical insight and pedagogical
practices on the use of special composed songs to
accomplish listening instruction for fourth graders of
elementary school.