LEARNING ENGLISH THE FUN WAY THROUGH DIKIR BARAT SONGS

About the Project

Studies claim that integrating music in teaching can improve students’ memory and recall of the target learning material. While the use of jazz chants to memorize English words and phrases is well-established, there has not been much work done in using familiar music to memorize the grammatical rules declaratively using familiar tunes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine whether the use of familiar music enhance second language learners' ability to memorize English grammar rules, with the ultimate goal of improving their overall acquisition or learning of the English language. Specifically, this study aims to determine whether having a strong memory of grammar rules (which is a type of declarative knowledge stored in the long-term memory) can help with developing the procedural aspects (i.e. the practical application) of learning English as a second language. The study was carried out at University Malaysia Kelantan, a public University in Kelantan which is in the East Coast region of Malaysia. Dikir Barat genre was used since the state of Kelantan is famous for Dikir Barat and the music is postulated to have a stronger attraction effect on local Kelantanese students especially those with CEFR A1 and A2 level. The motivation to use Dikir Barat is based on the belief that familiar music facilitates memorization as per prior studies. Results from the analysis of variance indicate that Dikir Barat and Jazz groups showed a significant difference in terms of the mean scores. Interestingly, Dikir Barat group was found to have a better mean score as compared to the Jazz group. The findings provide statistical evidence that the use of familiar tunes is impactful in helping students to memorize the English grammar rules. These findings are anticipated to increase students’ memory and motivation in learning English language as well as to promote and create cultural awareness among the younger generations.