Songs are without doubt a precious language learning material. They are appreciated for their linguistic, pedagogical, cultural and entertaining features. Consequently, they can be used to teach and develop every aspect of language. For these reasons, this paper aims to verify these claims and confirm the effectiveness of using songs as a means to improve young learners’ English language vocabulary and to determine whether songs influence young learners’ motivation to learn English. The paper deals with theoretical explanations of young learners, listening skills, and different aspects of using and teaching songs. It also discusses how songs influence motivation and the connection of songs with some of the language learning theories. The analytical part of the paper explains the procedure and the results obtained from the pre-tests, post-tests and delayed tests for three different children’s songs as well as from the questionnaire that was done in order to collect information about motivation provided by songs.

Keywords: Songs, ESL, Young Learners, Motivation, Vocabulary, Listening skills

https://dx.doi.org/10.24819/netsol2016.8