Welcome to the Jungle: An Empirical Study on Teaching Listening Through Songs / Welcome to the Jungle: un estudio empírico sobre la enseñanza de destrezas auditivas mediante canciones
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17398/1988-8430.44.227Palabras clave:
decodificación; comprensión auditiva; aprendizaje reflexivo; música; materiales auténticos.Resumen
La comprensión auditiva es una de las destrezas más difíciles de desarrollar en una lengua extranjera, y sin embargo la práctica docente suele centrarse más en evaluar que en entrenar esta habilidad. El presente estudio analiza si una actividad de aprendizaje reflexivo basada en letras de canciones puede favorecer la decodificación auditiva, en particular la segmentación de palabras, en estudiantes de italiano como lengua extranjera. Noventa y siete estudiantes malteses de 1.º y 2.º curso de secundaria participaron en el estudio siguiendo una de tres condiciones de instrucción: canciones pop con música, versiones habladas de las mismas letras sin música o enseñanza tradicional. Todos los participantes realizaron pruebas pre- y post-tratamiento mediante mini-dictados centrados en la segmentación. Ambos grupos experimentales mostraron mejoras significativas, mientras que no se observaron progresos en el grupo de control (enseñanza tradicional). La música no produjo una ventaja significativa en general, aunque los resultados descriptivos sugieren que los alumnos más jóvenes podrían beneficiarse especialmente de las canciones. Estos resultados aportan evidencia preliminar de que las actividades de comprensión auditiva basadas en aprendizaje reflexivo y con materiales auténticos pueden potenciar la decodificación inicial y complementar la enseñanza de la comprensión auditiva.
Abstract
Listening is one of the most challenging foreign language skills to develop, yet classroom practice often prioritises testing rather than training. This study investigates whether an inquiry-based activity using song lyrics can support aural decoding, and specifically word segmentation, in learners of Italian as a foreign language. Ninety-seven Maltese students in Years 7–8 were assigned to one of three conditions: pop songs with music, spoken renditions of the same lyrics without music, or a control group following regular instruction. Participants completed pre- and post-tests based on mini-dictations targeting segmentation. Both treatment groups showed significant improvement, while no gains were observed in the control group. Music did not yield a significant advantage overall, although descriptive results suggest younger learners (Year 7) may benefit slightly more from songs. These findings provide preliminary evidence that inquiry-based listening activities using authentic materials can enhance early decoding skills and offer a valuable complement to instruction.
Keywords: decoding; listening skills; inquiry-based learning; music; authentic materials.
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