Why rap music is good for improving English speaking and listening?
Basically, I think of rap as the modern and hip version of tongue twisters. We all know what tongue twisters are good for. Rap though could potentially play a more powerful role in training the learner’s mouth and ears in producing and perceiving the sounds of English more effortlessly. Rap comprises 3 main features which, in my opinion, every English learner should be know:
Feature 1: Rhymes.
Rhymes are essentially identical vowels. “rice” for example rhymes with “dice”, “vice”, “mice” etc. I can phonetically transcribe the vowel in all those words with /aɪ/. Whenever the students see that symbol /aɪ/, they will recognize the sound more easily.
Feature 2: Rhythm.
English is a time-stressed language and rap songs contain a large number of characteristics very similar to the ones found in natural speech precisely in terms of “rhythmicity”. One of the primary benefits of using rap is that it “internalizes” the rhythm of English.
Feature 3: Speed.
Rap songs are a perfect tool to study the natural spoken English. The teacher can help the learners to understand how a rapper can run through an entire verse without taking one breath. How is it humanly possible to go from word A to B in, say, 3 secs. In the process, the students learn about elisions, compressions, assimilation and other forms of co-articulation. This helps to demystify the language for the learners and thus enhances their confidence in their ability to comprehend not only classroom English but also real English, the English they hear on TV and in the streets commonly spoken between or among native speakers in everyday situations.
I’m not sure about you guys, but I personally can’t tell you how frustrated my students were when they could understand almost every word uttered in the classroom but almost nothing out of it. This often has a detrimental effect on their self-confidence and motivation. As a result, many of them drop out as they give up or lose interest in pursuing further language learning.
I have often used some of Eminem’s songs (never mind about the content) to highlight the features of the natural spoken English as mentioned above and my students could use it as a reference throughout their course or learning experience.
Check out these snapshots from a YouTube videos I just uploaded a few hours ago, and you’ll see how beneficial it would be for your students, if you are a teacher, to learn about the IPA, stress and connected speech through rap songs. This song is “Hate the way you lie” by Eminem and Rihanna.
What do you guys think?:)
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