The use of songs to develop listening

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The following literature review contains scientific information about the use of songs to develop the listening skill in elementary school students. This information will be valuable and important for the research report. The first topic to be studied is teaching and learning a foreign language.

2.1 TEACHING AND LEARNING A FOREING LANGUAGE
According with the OxfordDictionary a foreign or second language is “a language that somebody learns to speak well and that they use for work or at school, but that is not the language they learned first.”

An article from Yuliana states that “since English has become an international language, more and more people learn English. The importance of English as a world language has made people to learn English as early aspossible” (62). A major fact for regarding English as a global language is that the world´s knowledge is usually preserved in English. It is a modern language therefore; it is used by most people (Khan 1248).

The fact that English has become an international language, make that English teachers are preparing constantly. As Priyana notes to learn a foreign language in an effective andefficient way, teachers have to understand the principles of teaching and learning a second language, and also to know how they have to put theories into practice in the classroom (1). Furthermore, Astudillo and Peralta state that the importance of teaching English as a second language is connected with some necessities that students have for getting a foreign language; for that reason, the teacher hasto recognize some characteristics of his/her students that influence their learning process, such as age, learner differences, and motivation (8).

As it has been seen teaching English must be a concern for teachers. They have to look for a good methodology that makes the teaching learning process to be successful. As this research is focused on how to develop the listening skill inelementary students through songs, the following are different areas that teachers enhance with the use of music in the English classroom.

2.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF SONGS FOR LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
At first, it is essential to describe the influence that music has in every person. Geyer cites Phillips (100), when he states that music has natural powers since, it can help to vary people´s humoror provide them energy. It happens in all stages of person’s life from birth to death. Therefore music has a significant purpose in the process of acquiring and using the native language (n. pag.).
According to Millington in “Using Songs Effectively to Teach English to Young Learners,” there are many reasons why songs are considered as a valuable pedagogical tool. The most important is that songscan be beneficial if they are used in a fun way, since they help to motivate students in the classroom. Furthermore, songs help to develop children listening skills and pronunciation and also, songs are a useful tool in learning vocabulary and sentence structures/patterns (134).
In addition, Al-Mamary cites Orlova (n. pag) who recognizes other advantages of using songs in learning a foreignlanguage. For example, in the classroom the principal problem that teachers have is how to motivate students to speak in the foreign language; so that songs are a useful tool to encourage students to use English. Also, when students listen to a song, they can identify words and meanings without problems if songs are reinforced with pictures and movements. Moreover, songs provide confidence to studentsin learning a new language (1).
In reference with the use of songs to improve students´ vocabulary, pronunctiation, and grammar patterns, it is important to describe each one of them.
2.3 SONGS TO IMPROVE LISTENING
Reina cites the definition of listening by Oxford (206) as “a complex problem solving skill and it is more than just perception of the sounds. Listening includes comprehension of...