Kelly Rudisill Mora-Flores 520 2:00-3:50 pm 8/3/06

“C Is For Cookie” Music is a universal language; it speaks to people of all races and intellects. Using music for language learning can be a powerful and effective tool. Programs such as “Sesame Street” are aimed towards teaching children through the arts (i.e. visual, drama, dance, music, etc.), by incorporating the idea of “hands-on” active learning, which is most likely one of the main reasons the show has been so successful. Enabling young children to participate in the learning process creates a fun atmosphere, conducive to prolific education. Music allows children to sing along and incorporate their own personalities into their intellectual development. In addition, techniques such as repetition and memorization are often used by younger children to master new concepts. These techniques are similar to both language acquisition and music. The direct relationships between language and music make “Sesame Street’s” integrated curriculum one of the most successful tools in language acquisition. Research shows that music can enhance language learning skills. It is possible to teach children right and wrong words through chords (Koelsch, Gunter, Wittforth, & Sammler, 2005). For example, simple chords, which are usually made up of thirds, are designed to be very pleasing to the ear; complex chords, which can use elements such as chromaticism, are not so pleasing to the ear. Therefore, simple and complex chords can be used when trying to teach children right and wrong words, respectively, through positive or negative reinforcement (Koelsch, Gunter, Wittforth, & Sammler, 2005). Correlating correct sounding words with “correct” sounding chords, and visa versa, gives children the opportunity to use other senses to learn language. What does this mean for children learning a primary language? Children are able to identify meaningful

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sounds before they are able to identify meanings of language (McMullen & Saffran, 2004). Statistics demonstrate that by nine months old, infants show an interest in television. An average of 400 minutes of television per month is watched by children two and a half years of age. Research shows that the minutes progressively increase by twenty-six minutes per month; just imagine the impact television has on children (Linebarger & Walker, 2005). “77 percent of American preschool children from all areas, ethnic groups, and income levels watch the show (“Sesame Street”) once a week or more” (Hymowitz, 1995, pg. 1). This shocking data can only provide one conclusion: “Sesame Street” has a significant influence on the way many children learn. Music is “Sesame Street’s” most powerful learning tool. In considering the question of why music was incorporated into learning the alphabet, the main reason seems to be that the repetitive melodic and rhythmic sequence helps children learn the letters (Green, 1979). Neurologists have proven that music and language are processed in the same areas of the brain (Lems, 2001). This fact demonstrates that music can make learning a language easier for children. It is my opinion that one helpful aspect of using music to learn a language is the pace at which lyrics are delivered. Lyrics in a song are generally delivered more slowly than words in conversation. Primary language learners are easily lost in quick moving conversations, but songs allow children to “keep up” and understand or interpret what is being said. In addition, the songs in “Sesame Street” are short, easy to memorize, and are conducive to childhood learning (Lin, 2003). Children generally have short attention spans, and as a result they love the short, melodic songs offered by “Sesame Street”. To further demonstrate the effectiveness of the songs in “Sesame Street”, let’s take a moment to look at Cookie Monster’s “C Is For Cookie”. (The song is designed to teach children about the letter ‘C’, and words that start with ‘C’.) The lyrics are as follows:

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“C is for cookie, that's good enough for me C is for cookie, that's good enough for me C is for cookie, that's good enough for me Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C” (Lyrics Archive, 2006). This chorus uses two highly productive musical techniques: rhythm and lyrics (Green, 1979). Both of these techniques use repetition. In my personal experience, repetition is a very effective tool used in language acquisition. Although the notes are different between phrases, the melody can also be seen as repetitive because the melodic sequence is the same (Green, 1979). This means that the notes change but the intervals between the notes stay the same. This melodic sequence creates similarities between the phrases, which makes singing and remembering the melody very easy. On that note, musical phrasing can help children better understand phrasing within conversation (Lems, 2001). The first line of the song is sung “C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me”. There is a pause within the music, between this first line and the second line, demonstrating that the first line is a complete phrase and/or sentence. Children are unconsciously learning this concept, and unconscious learning is usually the most productive learning. Another “Sesame Street” song which demonstrates efficient musical learning techniques is called “B Is For Bubble”. This song, like “C Is For Cookie”, is designed to teach children about the letter ‘B’. The lyrics are as follows: “B is for bubble, B is for bubble Bubble bubble bubble, bubble bubble bubble B is for bubble in bubble gum B is your brother who brought you some and B is better than any letter, for bubble gum” (Lyrics Archive, 2006). As demonstrated within the lyrics, the song starts out as a “call and response”, where one child sings the first line, and a group of children repeat the first line immediately after hearing it (Green, 1079). Call and response is another form of repetition that can be incorporated into learning.

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The second run through the song demonstrates a round, or canon (Green, 1979). This means that a group of children start the song, and after the first four beats a different group of children start the song from the beginning. Singing in a round requires the singers to have completely memorized the song, because the addition of the second group of singers makes it very difficult to concentrate on one’s own part, unless the song is known by heart. This encourages children, through peer pressure, to learn the song and the important concepts within the song, so that they can participate in the activity. Yet another song that demonstrates important language learning techniques through music is called “Word Family OP”. This song deals with word families, and different words that you can create from the family ‘OP’. The lyrics are as follows: “You take an ‘H’ that’s ‘huh’ and an O-P, ‘OP’ you put them all together and they spell hop that’s hop, h-o-p, hop, that’s hop, h-o-p, hop you take an ‘H’ that’s huh, and an O-P, ‘OP’ you put them all together and they spell hop You take an ‘M’ that’s ‘mm’, and an O-P, ‘OP’ you put them all together and they spell mop that’s mop, m-o-p, mop, that’s mop, m-o-p, mop you take an ‘M’ that’s ‘mm’ and an O-P, ‘OP’ you put them all together and they spell mop” (Lyrics Archive, 2006). The most important aspect of this song is form, meaning the framework of the melody and lyrics (Green, 1979). The song is structured in such a way that after hearing the melody and the structure of the lyrics once through, children can easily figure out how to sing along with the rest of the song. The idea of the song is to familiarize children with phonemes. The word family is the same throughout the song; the prefix is the only thing that changes. The song helps children understand how and why certain words are put together. Many times children learn words but do not understand the relationships between them. “Word Family OP” exposes children to a

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foreign concept, however, by the end of the song the concept, in it’s simplest form, is not so foreign after all. “Sesame Street” is very appealing to bilingual parents and parents who only speak a language other than English. Teaching children two languages can be challenging for those parents with limited knowledge of the English language. Parents assume that their children are learning English in school, so they feel comfortable using the heritage language at home. However, schools are not always adequate sources for language acquisition; they help, but some students need extra assistance. In addition, most schools encourage parents to use English at home in order to accelerate English speaking skills in school. Television can take an active role in language acquisition outside of school because of accessibility and popularity (Hinton, 1999). Earlier I discussed Linebarger and Walker’s statistics regarding television as one of the most time consuming childhood activities. Although there are many concerns that television can be detrimental to students’ learning habits (i.e. distracts a student from getting homework accomplished), there also can be many positive effects (Lin, 2003). Shows such as “Sesame Street” create positive and fun language learning environments (Hinton, 1999). There are a few other commonalities between music and language that further demonstrate the effectiveness of the combination. The first is identity. People identify with music, or musical genres, just as people identify with language or different languages (Brown, 2000). Music can also be an extremely social activity, just like language. Playing in a musical ensemble (such as a string instrument ensemble) can enhance musicianship skills, just as conversing with two or more people can enhance language speaking skills; music and language are highly effective in a collaborative atmosphere (Brown, 2000). I have experienced idioms through music, used primarily as descriptive songwriting tools (eg. “cat got your tongue?”). Idioms are used in all languages, and can be very confusing when trying to learn a primary language. Music can help

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“decode” these idioms through the context of the song. Songs also demonstrate suprasegmentals, which is the relation of rhythm, stress, and intonation in regard to language. Both music and the human language are full of different sounds and timbres (Koelsch, Gunter, Wittforth, & Sammler, 2005). Also, characters in “Sesame Street”, such as Baby Natasha, allow children to create personal connections to what they are learning. In my experience, learning from a teacher can often be intimidating. The characters in “Sesame Street” act as though they are learning with the viewers which creates a more user friendly situation. The personalities of the characters create a fun learning environment, so children can laugh and learn at the same time. What a great concept! “Consistent patterns of data collected over 30 years indicate that “Sesame Street” holds significant positive effects for its viewers across a broad range of subject areas. Measurable effects can endure for as long as 10 to 12 years, and many have been found to be consistent across countries and cultures as well” (Fisch, Truglio, & Cole, 1999, pg. 3). “Sesame Street” proves to be a highly effective language learning tool for young children. There are many similarities between language and music, which serve to make the program extremely powerful. The program is designed to encourage learning, and to encourage children to have fun while learning. I think this is an important concept but many children do not have the opportunity to experience it in a classroom setting. Generally speaking, many children do not look forward to school and enhancing their education in our current system. Allowing children to experience education in a playful context that incorporates music will encourage learning. Thanks to “Sesame Street” and other educational television shows similar to it, music will continue to be a valuable tool for language acquisition and will encourage prolific academic achievement.

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Works Cited “C Is For Cookie”. Sesame Street Lyrics Archive. 30 April 2006. 1 August 2006. . “B Is For Bubble”. Sesame Street Lyrics Archive. 30 April 2006. 1 August 2006. . Brown, Douglas H. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. White Plains, New York: Pearson Education, 2000. Fisch, Shalom M., Truglio, Rosemarie T., & Cole, Charlotte F. (1999). The Impact of Sesame Street on Preschool Children: A Review and Synthesis of 30 Years’ Research. Media Psychology, 1(2), 165-190. Green, Douglass M. Form in Tonal Music. United States: Wadsworth, 1979. Hinton, Leanne. (1999). Involuntary Language Loss Amoung Immigrants: Asian-American Linguistic Autobiographies. Asian Americans, 1-4. Hymowitz, Kay S. (1995). On Sesame Street, It’s All Show. Retrieved July 27, 2006, from City Journal. Website: http://www.city-journal.org/html/5_4_on_sesame_street.html. Koelsch, Gunter, Wittforth, & Sammler. (2005). Interaction between Syntax Processing in Language and in Music: An ERP Study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 17, 15651577. Lems, Kristen. (2001). Using Music in the Adult ESL Classroom. Vocational and Adult Education, 1-4. Lin, Chia-Hui. Literacy Instruction through Communicative and Visual Arts. English and Communication, 1-4 Linebarger, Deborah L. & Walker, Dale. (2005). Infants’ and Toddlers’ Television Viewing and Language Outcomes. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(5), 624-645.

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McMullen, Erin & Saffran, Jenny R. (2004). Music and Language: A Developmental Comparison. Music Perception, 21(3), 289-311. “Word Family OP”. Sesame Street Lyrics Archive. 30 April 2006. 1 August 2006. .

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