South Korean EFL teachers' attitudes, beliefs, and practices about using songs in the classroom (original) (raw)

While there are many who promote the use of songs in English language teaching (ELT), the research literature on the subject is scarce. This is particularly true in terms of studies which measure teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and practices about the use of songs in ELT. The primary aim of the present study was to make a contribution to this neglected area inquiry. The study measured the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of South Korean primary EFL teachers in regards to the use of songs in the classroom. The study employed a sequential explanatory design, featuring an initial quantitative phase where data was collected through a survey, followed by a qualitative phase, where data was collected through a focus group interview discussion. The findings supported previous research related to this topic, showing that primary school teachers have largely positive attitudes and beliefs about the role of songs in the classroom, and the pedagogical value of songs. However, findings indicated that teachers sometimes face challenges in finding appropriate materials to meet the needs of their learners. Moreover, a lack of teacher training in regards to how to utilize songs in the classroom was pointed out by both phases of the study. Finally, the study pointed to strong connections between the attitudes and beliefs practicing EFL teachers’ hold towards songs and their own personal experiences of songs as symbolic artifacts which can mediate language learning.