English language teachers have long recognised pop songs' potential for engaging students and establishing positive classroom environments conducive to language learning. Educational publishers increasingly incorporate music into their coursebooks, including specially commissioned 'ELT songs', whose lyrics feature aspects of target language. This Element explores the phenomenon of ELT songs from the authors' insider perspective as songwriters. It considers the relationship between music and lyrics in songs, what this means for using songs in the language classroom, the historical developments through which ELT songs emerged, and the contexts in which they are written, listened to, and made. Through literature review and reflection, the authors derive a framework of twelve criteria and ten dilemmas to guide ELT songwriting, before applying it in an analysis of their songs and songwriting process. The final section proposes a model for multidisciplinary collaboration between songwriters and non-musician collaborators including authors, teachers, and publishers.
| ISBN: | 9781009345088 |
| Publication date: | 20th March 2025 |
| Author: | Thomas Parkinson, Luke Vyner |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 75 pages |
| Series: | Elements in Twenty-First Century Music Practice |
| Genres: |
Musical scores, lyrics and libretti Music composition Theory of music and musicology Language teaching theory and methods Teaching skills and techniques |
English language teachers have long recognised pop songs' potential for engaging students and establishing positive classroom environments conducive to language learning. Educational publishers increasingly incorporate music into their coursebooks, including specially commissioned 'ELT songs', whose lyrics feature aspects of target language. This Element explores the phenomenon of ELT songs from the authors' insider perspective as songwriters. It considers the relationship between music and lyrics in songs, what this means for using songs in the language classroom, the historical developments through which ELT songs emerged, and the contexts in which they are written, listened to, and made. Through literature review and reflection, the authors derive a framework of twelve criteria and ten dilemmas to guide ELT songwriting, before applying it in an analysis of their songs and songwriting process. The final section proposes a model for multidisciplinary collaboration between songwriters and non-musician collaborators including authors, teachers, and publishers.
More Than Words features in the following genres: Musical scores, lyrics and libretti, Music composition, Theory of music and musicology, Language teaching theory and methods, Teaching skills and techniques
More Than Words is available in Paperback, Hardback
More Than Words was written by Thomas Parkinson, Luke Vyner and published by Cambridge University Press
More Than Words has 75 pages
Yes it is part of Elements in Twenty-First Century Music Practice series
£16.20