ESL students may lack the native speaker's familiarity with the English songs, rhymes and stories. They are at a disadvantage when participating in conversations or watching movies if they lack the knowledge of cultural elements. Joy L. M. Brown, an English teacher at University of North Alabama, US, believes that use of traditional songs, stories and rhymes in the ESL classroom can create an excellent learning experience for the ESL student.
Nursery rhymes and songs may be used in pronunciation practice. Sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb," for example, to practise the "L" sound. The rhymes can also help a student compare how the words may not look the same but are still homophonic.
The repetitive nature of most songs and rhymes help students learn vocabulary and the rhythm of the language. To make a lesson more challenging, a copy of a song or rhyme with words missing can be given to the students. A song can be played and the students can fill in the missing words. This helps with listening comprehension, writing, reading and spelling. The words the instructor chooses to leave off the page may change depending on the lesson. If adjectives are the topic of a lesson, the adjectives may be left out of the song or rhyme so a student can fill them in when it is played for the class.
By using music in the ESL classroom, students practise their listening skills and increase their cultural knowledge. Traditional songs can also be used in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation exercises. Songs can also be used to start cultural lessons about particular historical events or traditions in an area of the world. The song, "Rocky Top", for example is a song about the Appalachian Mountains and the culture of that region. The song is very popular in Tennessee and was adopted as one of their five state songs according to www.tennessee.gov，the official web site of the State of Tennessee, US. "Rocky Top" can be used to start a lesson on the different cultures found within the US and their historical aspects. It may also open the door to vocabulary words such as "Ain't."
