Reimagining English Teaching Methods: Music Integration in a Rwandan Pre-Service Teacher Training Colleges. Open Access

Authors

  • Obert Ganyata
Published online: 1 Sep 2025

Abstract

With the complete implementation of the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) in 2021, Rwandan Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) play a crucial role in preparing future educators equipped with the skills, knowledge, and values essential for an advancing educational system. This research examines the impactful role of music education in improving English skills among Rwandan TTCs. Acknowledging the worldwide importance of English as a tool for instruction and communication, this research explores how incorporating music into the curriculum can enhance language learning in an enjoyable way. Utilizing modern theories of language acquisition, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach, integrating interviews with educators and quantitative evaluations of English proficiency prior to and following the introduction of music-centered teaching methods. Data was analyzed inductively through the aggregation of shared themes until reaching a saturation point. Initial findings indicate that music serves not only as a motivational backdrop for education but also helps with the acquisition of phonetics, retention of vocabulary, and pronunciation of words. The cooperative essence of music creates a nurturing learning atmosphere, boosts student confidence and engagement. This research intends to offer practical insights for educators and policymakers looking for creative solutions in language education, emphasizing music as a potentially transformative factor in enhancing English skills among prospective Rwandan teachers. The findings of this study could reach beyond language teaching, indicating a wider relevance for music in educational environments across various subjects and cultural contexts.

Keywords:
Music , Competence-Based-Curriculum, English literacy

References

1. Ajibade, Y., & Ndububa, K. (2008). Effects of word games, culturally relevant songs, and stories on students; motivation in a Nigerian English language class. TESL Canada Journal, 25(2).

2. Barrett, M. (1990) Music and language in Education. British Journal of Music Education, 7(1), 67-73. Doi:10.1017/S0265051700007518

3. Bergström, D., Norberg, C., & Nordlund, M. (2021). Words are picked up along the way” – Swedish EFL teachers’

4. Besson, M et al., (2011). Transfer of Training Between Music and Speech: Common Processing,Attention, and Memory. Frontiers in Psychology, 2(Article 94), 1- 11.

5. Brandt, A., Gebrian, M., & Slevc, L. R. (2012). Music and Early Language Acquisition. Frontiers in Psychology, 3(Article 327), 1-17.

6. Brown, S. (2001). The “musilanguage” model of music evolution. In Nils L. Wallin et. alt. (Eds.),The Origins of Music, 271-301. Cambridge: MIT Press.

7. Buyandalai, E., & Tumurbat, O. E. (2022). BUILDING VOCABULARY THROUGH ENGLISH SONGS. LLTC Proceedings, 56

Classroom”. Fluent English Educator Blog.

8. Cortés-Rozo, E. J., Suárez-Vergara, D. A., & Castañeda-Trujillo, J. E. (2019). Exploring students’ context representations by using songs in English with a social content. Profile: Issues in Teachers´ Professional Development, 21(2), 129–141 https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v21n2.77731

9. Council of Europe. (2020) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

delayed text recall, and involuntary mental rehearsal. Paper presented at 2010 IABR (International Applied Business Research) & ITLC (International College Teaching and Learning) Conference Proceedings, 1-12.

10. Fonseca-Mora, C., Toscano-Fuentes, C., & Wermke, K. (2011). Melodies that help: The relation between language aptitude and musical intelligence. International Journal of English Studies, 22(1), 101-118.

11. Gordon, R. L., Magne, C. L., & Large, E. W. (2011). EEG Correlates of Song Prosody: A New Look at the Relationship between Linguistic and Musical Rhythm. Frontiers in Psychology, 2(Article 352), 1-13

http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3586887

https://www.famly.co/blog/music-and-movement-promote-language-and-literacy- development

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00123/full

12. Jäncke, Lutz. (2012). The Relationship Between Music and Language. Frontiers,

13. Jentschke, S. (2016). The relationship between music and language. In S. Hallam, I. Cross, & M. Thaut (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of music psychology (2nd ed., pp. 343–355). Oxford University Press.

14. Kao, T. & L. Oxford, R. (2014). Learning language through music: A strategy for building inspiration and motivation. System, 43, 14–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2014.01.003

15. Ludke, K. M., Ferreira, F., & Overy, K. (2014). Singing can facilitate foreign language learning. Memory & cognition, 42, 41-52.

16. MINEDU. (2022) Education Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2024. Ministry of Education, Rwanda

17. Mithen, S. (2005). The singing neanderthals: The origins of music, language, mind, and body. London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson

18. Murphey, T. (1989). The Top 40 for Teachers (in no special order). The Language Teacher

19. Murphey, T. (1992). The discourse of pop songs. TESOL Quarterly, 26(4), 770-774.

20. Newman, S. (2023). Music and Early Language Development: Family. RSS.

21. Patel, A. D. (2012). Language, music, and the brain: a resource-sharing framework. Language and music as cognitive systems, 31, 1-7.

22. Rieb, Courtney and Cohen, James (2020) "The Impact of Music on Language Acquisition," Mid- Western Educational Researcher: Vol. 32: Issue. 4, Article 5

23. Salcedo, C. (2010). The effects of songs in the foreign language classroom on text recall,

24. Uwitonze, C. (2021) The impact of using songs on vocabulary acquisition in lower primary schools in Rwanda.

25. Varnes, D, 2016) “Teaching English with Music: 4 Effective Ways to Use Music in the ESL

XIII (5), 3-6.

Permission is granted subject to the terms of the License under which the work was published. Permission will be required if your reuse is not covered by the terms of the License.

How to Cite

Ganyata, O. (2025). Reimagining English Teaching Methods: Music Integration in a Rwandan Pre-Service Teacher Training Colleges. Jurnal Edukasi Terkini, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.70310/

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.