The utilization of songs in TAFL at the university level

This paper examines the role of songs in TAFL at the university level. It argues that songs can be effectively used to impart knowledge of, as well as about, the Target Language (TL) in its Standard and non-Standard forms. Furthermore, because of the rich cultural content of songs, they can be successfully utilized to place the TL in its cultural context, thereby encouraging the learners to respond positively to the learning process. Such encouragement is very important because of the cultural distance between the TL and the native languages of Western students. To achieve these objectives, songs must be carefully chosen, observing the two conditions of authenticity and clarity of diction. While a degree of repetition in songs is pedagogically desirable, over-repetition may induce boredom. The paper ends with an Appendix, containing seven songs drawn from the Standard and the dialectal forms of the TL. Exercises are also suggested to illustrate how these songs may be utilized.