Research Article

The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design

Volume: 45 Number: 2 August 30, 2025
TR EN

The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of using songs as instructional tools to improve the English pronunciation of high school EFL learners. While songs are widely used in language classrooms, their specific impact on pronunciation—particularly on segmental and suprasegmental features—remains underexplored, especially in the context of high school EFL learners in non-English speaking countries. Adopting a time-series design and a mixed-methods approach, the study was conducted over 12 weeks with a group of seven beginner-level EFL students. Song-based lessons were implemented weekly, and students’ pronunciation was assessed at five different points using a standardized pronunciation scale (Cambridge University Press, 2019). In addition to quantitative data, teacher observations provided qualitative insights into students’ progress. The results revealed significant improvement in learners’ segmental pronunciation and overall intelligibility. However, the intervention had a limited impact on suprasegmental features such as intonation and stress. These findings suggest that songs can be effective for enhancing certain aspects of pronunciation in EFL contexts, particularly individual sounds, but may require supplementary strategies to address prosodic features. The study offers practical implications for EFL educators and contributes to the growing literature on music-based language instruction.

Keywords

songs in efl teaching, pronunciation, segmental features, suprasegmental features

References

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APA
Acar, İ., & Çetin, H. (2025). The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design. Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 45(2), 605-621. https://doi.org/10.17152/gefad.1741999
AMA
1.Acar İ, Çetin H. The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design. GUJGEF. 2025;45(2):605-621. doi:10.17152/gefad.1741999
Chicago
Acar, İlke, and Hande Çetin. 2025. “The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design”. Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 45 (2): 605-21. https://doi.org/10.17152/gefad.1741999.
EndNote
Acar İ, Çetin H (August 1, 2025) The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design. Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 45 2 605–621.
IEEE
[1]İ. Acar and H. Çetin, “The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design”, GUJGEF, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 605–621, Aug. 2025, doi: 10.17152/gefad.1741999.
ISNAD
Acar, İlke - Çetin, Hande. “The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design”. Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 45/2 (August 1, 2025): 605-621. https://doi.org/10.17152/gefad.1741999.
JAMA
1.Acar İ, Çetin H. The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design. GUJGEF. 2025;45:605–621.
MLA
Acar, İlke, and Hande Çetin. “The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design”. Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 45, no. 2, Aug. 2025, pp. 605-21, doi:10.17152/gefad.1741999.
Vancouver
1.İlke Acar, Hande Çetin. The Effect of Song-Based Instruction on High School Students’ English Pronunciation Skills: A Time-Series Design. GUJGEF. 2025 Aug. 1;45(2):605-21. doi:10.17152/gefad.1741999