Pairing Linguistic and Music Intelligences

Kappa Delta Pi Record, Spring 2005 by DiEdwardo, MaryAnn Pasda

It's true. Music is a catalyst for developing critical reading, writing, and understanding skills.

Can music in the language class room setting improve students' reading and writing skills? The answer is yes. In linguistic classrooms, music as a catalyst prepares students of all ages to learn to read and write, and to understand literary history, in addition to offering teachers practical strategies for transforming the educational environment.

Statistical results of case study research have suggested that pairing music and linguistic intelligences in the college classroom improves students' grades and abilities to compose theses statements for research papers in courses that emphasize reading and writing skills (DiEdwardo 2004). Grounded in educational theories, as well as offering practical applications, pairing two intelligences advances student potential. Based on multiple intelligence theory (Gardner 1993), the Mozart Effect (Campbell 2001), and participation as precedent to learning (Bateson 1975), the conclusion may be drawn that integrating music into elementary, middle school, high school, advanced placement, and college linguistic classrooms, as well as into virtual classrooms, enables students to learn to read and write.

Listening to instrumental music as well as songs with lyrics before and during lectures, presentations, and virtual lecture asynchronous lessons offers practical solutions for teachers. In fact, use of music in elementary school through college, and in traditional as well as alternative classrooms, stimulates students to think beyond the textbook. Pairing musical intelligence with linguistic intelligence activities creates a connection between the two intelligences. Using music and lyrics, students can develop critical thinking skills for analyzing and writing about literature.

Educational researchers find that songs initiate cognitive processing. Songs in the linguistic classroom initiate bimodal instruction and positively move cognitive functioning. "Music is processed in the right side brain and speech in the left" (ludin-Nelson 1997, 84). Music awakens the right side of the brain, the creative side, as an element in this process. Students listen to music, read passages, and then analyze those passages based on intrinsic music intelligence. The result is self-efficacy that leads to student learning, successful outcomes in achievement, and ultimately, transformation in the classroom.

The importance of transformation in the literature classroem can go beyond the basic skills of critical reading and writing. When researching literature, students can draw correlations to culture, music, and poetry. Kramer (2001) acknowledged that songs can illustrate points and initiate discussions that empower instructors to find a common ground between language and cultural studies. Furthermore, transformation is vital in the development of students as thinkers and doers, and as individuals who are responsible and knowledgeable about their own cultures. Benefits to the classroom include changes in student motivation, focus on historical background of literary works, bases for primary sources of lessons, and specific framework designs, as well as positive transformational changes in classroom patterns.

Classroom Motivation

Incorporating music that is representative of students' cultures can help them relate to the rhetoric in literary passages they read. For example, modern songs with lyrics-such as "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton-hold cultural and contextual meaning and metaphor. Students compare songs to current multicultural literature and demonstrate connections. For example, the work of Sylvia Plath can be understood through comparisons of her works to the works of modern songwriters.

Students of all ages can be motivated to learn to read and write with the use of songs. The works of Beatrix Potter can be sung to teach concepts to younger students. Literature selected by teachers offers older students opportunities to learn metaphor and language skills through patterns that resemble songs. Bringing a guitar into the classroom and studying excerpts from song lyrics can improve reading comprehension and writing about works of literature.

Literature Comprehension

Literature can be taught to all ages through music. For instance, a teacher could draw connections between the work of Greek playwright Sophocles and music. Music can be applied to break through the barrier of confusion, to bridge the gap to a new understanding of how culture can open the mind, and to help students learn about literature. For instance, a student might create an alternate assignment about how the works of a rap band relate to Chinua Achebe, a contemporary African-American author.

This educational model creates a dynamic classroom, with activities to stimulate musical as well as linguistic intelligences to prepare students to learn literary history. Similarly, young students will enjoy literary works if teachers present them with music. Beowulf or Hiawatha are poems that might not be welcome by 21st century youth; but paired with music, literary works have common elements and human conditions that are quite like students' own situations.