The use of songs as a motivating factor in the teaching and learning of French language in Lagos State University.

The use of songs as a motivating factor in the teaching and learning of French language in Lagos State University. A case study Badagry local government

ABSTRACT

For language educators and practitioners, how to effectively motivate students to learn has long been a crucial concern issue. Among all the factors that affect learning motivations, teaching styles and teaching materials might be regarded as the most essential elements to be taken into consideration for achieving a more successful teaching and learning. The objective of this study was to explore whether the use of French popular songs can enhance elementary school students’ motivation for learning French. It was also an attempt to investigate the relationships between learning motivation and learning performance. Five intact six-grade classes of a public elementary school in Tainan city were selected to be the study subjects in the one-semester research. Four French popular songs were chosen as the teaching materials. After the instruction, a questionnaire was distributed to collect data for further analysis. Of a total of 166 questionnaires, 131 were valid, yielding a response rate of 79%. The results of this study showed that the majority of students were interested in learning French popular songs and their learning motivation also increased after engaging in this creative teaching activity. As for learning performance, students felt that their French abilities, especially listening ability, have improved after learning the songs. There was a high correlation between learning motivation and learning performance. Pedagogical implications based on the findings were provided