The potential for music to develop a u s t r a l i a n a s o c i e t y s f o r m u s i c e d u c a t i o n e incorportated pronunciation in students with English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) - Abstract and study findings

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Franzy

Study examines how an eight-week music intervention, grounded in audiation principles from Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, can improve pronunciation for students with English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D). Australia’s linguistic diversity and the classroom challenge of learning and speaking English are framed with supporting statistics. Results show pronunciation gains in five of six EAL/D participants. The study concludes positive correlations and offers directions for further research, emphasizing audiation-based music practice for intelligibility.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and significance

Australian immigration statistics

Students with EAL/D

Pronunciation challenges and intelligibility

The potential for music to develop a u s t r a l i a n a s o c i e t y s f o r m u s i c m e d u c a t i o n e i n c o r p o r a t e d pronunciation in students with English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) Brittany A. McCormack, Christopher Klopper, Lisbeth Kitson, Marleen Westerveld Griffith University Abstract Australia is a culturally and linguistically diverse country, with a large proportion of the population originating from non-English speaking countries. One of the significant challenges for non-English speakers living in Australia is the ability to verbally communicate in English. Twenty to 25% of children in Australian schools have English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) (Commonwealth of Australia, 2016; Hammond, 2014). These students can struggle in the classroom as they both learn the English language, whilst being taught in the English language which they may have little to no working function knowledge (Kibler, Valdés, & Walqui, 2014). Further, intelligibility of communication can be affected as a result of poor pronunciation in the target language. This research investigated the potential of an eight-week music intervention, which drew upon principles of audiation from Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, for developing pronunciation in students with EAL/D. Results indicated that five of the six student participants with EAL/D demonstrated improvements in their pronunciation when speaking in English as a result of the intervention. This research indicates positive correlations between the use of a specific music intervention drawing on principles of audiation and the development of pronunciation for students with EAL/D. Recommendations for future research in this area have been presented. Key words: EAL/D; music; pronunciation; audiation. Background and significance Australian Immigration Statistics Australia is a melting pot of more than 2,000 different ethnicities (de Courcy, Dooley, Jackson, Miller, & Rushton, 2012), revealing how culturally and linguistically diverse our population has become as a result of international migration. Asthe total population continues to grow, so too does its international migrant population. The international migrant population of Australia has continued to increase since the 1960s (Migration Policy Institute [MPI], 2015). By 1990, 20% of Australia’s total population were migrants, andover 25% of the population were migrants by 2010 (Migration Policy Institute [MPI], 2015). Recent data captured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS, 2017) indicates 54% of immigrant arrivals in Australia were from a non-English speaking country. Discounting the top two countries (the United Kingdom and New Zealand) whose native language is English, the remaining number of immigrants arriving to Australia from non-English speaking countries amassed to 52.9%. In particular, a number of these immigrants arrive to Australia and are enrolled in Australian schools (The Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection, 2012). As of June 2012, the top ten sending countries of school-aged students were from non-English speaking countries. Data from the Australia Government Department of Education and Training (Commonwealth of Australia, 2016) states that there was an increase of 10.5% over a 12-month period. For the month of December 2016 alone, there were 23,325 international students enrolled in Australian schools, in which the top three countries of origin were reported as China (12,086), Vietnam (2,193), and South Korea (1,276) (Commonwealth of Australia, 2016). These statistics indicate that a significant number of immigrants arrive to Australia from non-English speaking countries, and are being enrolled in our Australian schools. It cannot be assumed that these immigrant students know and understand the English language, and are proficient in communicating in English. This study addressed the development of pr

FAQs

What is the main research focus of the study?

The study focuses on whether an eight-week music intervention can develop pronunciation for students with English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D).

How is the music intervention designed in the study?

The intervention draws on audiation principles from Gordon’s Music Learning Theory.

What were the key results for participating students?

Five of six EAL/D student participants showed improvements in their pronunciation when speaking English as a result of the intervention.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Franzy