Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sing A Song O' Syntax, Rhoda J. Fagerland

Culminating Projects in English

Can music be an effective tool for teaching grammar to ESL students? While some believe that grammar should not be approached through music, since the two are processed in opposite hemispheres of the brain, a review of literature on neural processing suggests that a normal brain readily transfers information between hemispheres via the corpus callosum, and such transfer is facilitated by repetition. If an ESL student leans a song that correctly places certain grammatical forms in context, the student should be able to transfer those patterns correctly to speech, especially if the music imitates natural spoke intonation, rhythm, and emotion. …