THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ENGLISH SONGS IN ENHANCING LINKING SOUNDS FOR EFL STUDENTS AT BACH KHOA SAIGON COLLEGE

Tóm tắt

This thesis investigates the effectiveness of using English songs to improve Vietnamese EFL learners’ mastery of linking sounds, focusing on students at Bach Khoa College. The study addresses a well-documented issue: Vietnamese learners frequently struggle with linking sounds due to phonological differences between Vietnamese and English and the traditional emphasis on grammar and vocabulary over phonetics. The rationale lies in the potential of English songs, which naturally embed features like assimilation, elision, and linking, to create an engaging and effective learning environment for enhancing pronunciation skills. The primary research aims are twofold: (1) to determine the extent to which English songs improve learners’ ability to recognize and produce linking sounds, and (2) to explore students’ attitudes toward this instructional approach. The study fills a research gap in Vietnamese EFL contexts where linking sounds are underrepresented in pronunciation training, despite their crucial role in promoting natural speech flow. The theoretical framework integrates key phonological theories (Roach, Crystal), Second Language Acquisition (SLA) principles, particularly Krashen’s Input and Affective Filter Hypotheses, and literature on music in language learning (Murphey, Lems). These theories collectively suggest that songs provide comprehensible input, reduce anxiety, and facilitate prosodic feature acquisition, such as linking sounds. The research adopts a quasi-experimental design, comparing an experimental group exposed to song-based instruction with a control group following traditional methods. The intervention lasted five weeks, during which the experimental group engaged in interactive activities using carefully selected English pop songs, while the control group practiced pronunciation through textbook-based drills. The instruments included pre-tests, post-tests, and a Likert-scale questionnaire. The pre- and post-tests measured students’ ability to recognize and apply linking sounds in context, while the questionnaire captured their attitudes toward learning through songs. Lesson plans for the experimental group incorporated gap-filling tasks, lyric shadowing, and song- based discussions to reinforce phonological awareness. For data analysis, SPSS was employed, using dependent and independent t-tests to compare results within and between groups. The findings revealed statistically significant improvements in the experimental group’s post-test scores, with learners showing a 21% to 49% increase