Page 167 - Volk, Marina, Štemberger, Tina, Sila, Anita, Kovač, Nives. Ur. 2021. Medpredmetno povezovanje: pot do uresničevanja vzgojno-izobraževalnih ciljev. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem
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Songs in Early English Learning Textbooks:
A Cross-Curricular Potential
Ivana Paula Gortan-Carlin
Juraj Dobrila University of Pula
igcarlin@unipu.hr
Gordana Dobravac
Juraj Dobrila University of Pula
gdobravac@unipu.hr
Globalization and technology have radically changed the way we live posing
a challenge to the education system. Therefore, Croatia has started a Compre-
hensive Curricular Reform with the first reformed curricula implemented in the
school year 2019/2020. The reform reinforced concepts of cross-curricular cor-
relation, intercultural competence and cross-curricular themes in the educa-
tional process. Songs used in early English learning were analyzed as possible
conveying means of such concepts. 51 songs included in three reform-based
textbooks for the first grade were analyzed in terms of musical aspect and con-
tent. The results show the majority of songs contribute to the development
of values recommended by the cross-curricular themes, but their potential in
developing intercultural competence is unexploited. Likewise, more attention
has to be paid to the musical aspect of songs in textbooks because if the pre-
requisite of being age-appropriate is not met, their great potential in fostering
linguistic and non-linguistic content learning, and music literacy is void.
Keywords: textbooks analysis, music education, music education methodol-
ogy, English as a foreign language methodology, early English learning
Introduction
Education needs to be reinvented in this ever-changing world. In 2014, fol-
lowing the global trend, Croatia adopted the Strategy of Education, Science
and Technology with one of the objectives being the implementation of a
Comprehensive Curriculum Reform that would include all levels and types of
education. Consequently, new curricula for subjects were created along with
seven curricula for cross-curricular themes (Ministarstvo znanosti i obrazo-
vanja Republike Hrvatske 2019b). The themes tackle global issues and pro-
vide knowledge and attitudes that students transform into behavioral life
patterns needed for a quality personal and work life in the 21st century. To
implement these changes, new textbooks were designed which will be in-
Volk, M., T. Štemberger, A. Sila in N. Kovač, ur. 2021. Medpredmetno povezovanje: pot
do uresničevanja vzgojno-izobraževalnih ciljev. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-013-4.165-178
A Cross-Curricular Potential
Ivana Paula Gortan-Carlin
Juraj Dobrila University of Pula
igcarlin@unipu.hr
Gordana Dobravac
Juraj Dobrila University of Pula
gdobravac@unipu.hr
Globalization and technology have radically changed the way we live posing
a challenge to the education system. Therefore, Croatia has started a Compre-
hensive Curricular Reform with the first reformed curricula implemented in the
school year 2019/2020. The reform reinforced concepts of cross-curricular cor-
relation, intercultural competence and cross-curricular themes in the educa-
tional process. Songs used in early English learning were analyzed as possible
conveying means of such concepts. 51 songs included in three reform-based
textbooks for the first grade were analyzed in terms of musical aspect and con-
tent. The results show the majority of songs contribute to the development
of values recommended by the cross-curricular themes, but their potential in
developing intercultural competence is unexploited. Likewise, more attention
has to be paid to the musical aspect of songs in textbooks because if the pre-
requisite of being age-appropriate is not met, their great potential in fostering
linguistic and non-linguistic content learning, and music literacy is void.
Keywords: textbooks analysis, music education, music education methodol-
ogy, English as a foreign language methodology, early English learning
Introduction
Education needs to be reinvented in this ever-changing world. In 2014, fol-
lowing the global trend, Croatia adopted the Strategy of Education, Science
and Technology with one of the objectives being the implementation of a
Comprehensive Curriculum Reform that would include all levels and types of
education. Consequently, new curricula for subjects were created along with
seven curricula for cross-curricular themes (Ministarstvo znanosti i obrazo-
vanja Republike Hrvatske 2019b). The themes tackle global issues and pro-
vide knowledge and attitudes that students transform into behavioral life
patterns needed for a quality personal and work life in the 21st century. To
implement these changes, new textbooks were designed which will be in-
Volk, M., T. Štemberger, A. Sila in N. Kovač, ur. 2021. Medpredmetno povezovanje: pot
do uresničevanja vzgojno-izobraževalnih ciljev. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-013-4.165-178
