Music and Culture: A Curriculum Model to Teach

  Language, Self, and Identity to Preschool

Children of Dual Cultures

 

    本文發表於2003年澳洲博斯 (Perth) 的澳洲音樂教育學會(Australia Society for Music Education -ASME)之Music--Culture--Society: A Symposium in Memory of John Blacking年會。

    文章穫選刊登於2005年西澳大學之特別專刊『The Legacy of John Blacking: essays on Music, Culture and Society 』(pp.206-218). University of Western Australia Press, ISBN: 1-920694-47-1。

中文摘要

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    透過參與於歌唱、舞蹈、玩奏樂器中,音樂提供幼兒一個分享的經驗和基本的文化學習。音樂對於幼兒,除了能培植其智能發展,還能增進社交技巧和發展語言能力。音樂和文化間的內在聯結在於音樂是普遍的、傳達思想、分享感情、參與於遊戲和社會互動中。經由音樂,幼兒學習到他們文化中的語言,並得到所有相關之社交的、智能的、語言的、和溝通的成就基礎。本研究的執行是建基於約翰布萊克( John Blacking)的研究基礎上,評量一個使用中英文歌曲去幫助一群被美國人領養的中國幼兒同時得到音樂技巧、語言能力和自我與社會認同的音樂課程。課程之評鑑包括觀察表、半結構式父母訪談、系統的父母回饋表和研究者之教學日誌。結果顯示幼兒經由一個有系統的音樂課程去學習語言和文化,值得注目地在智能成長、文化認知、自我與音樂發展均獲得進步。研究結果對於未來之發展蘊含著運用音樂於課程設計去增進幼兒之語言學習和社會認同有極大發展潛力。

 

Abstract

       Through children's participation in singing, dancing and playing instruments, music provides a sense of shared experience and a basis for cultural learning. For children, the music of a culture fosters cognitive development, improves social skills, and develops linguistic competence. The intrinsic connection between music and culture is seen in the fact that music is universal and serves to transmit thoughts, share feelings, participate in play and engage in social interaction. Through music, children learn the language of their culture and gain the foundations for all related social, cognitive, linguistic, and communicative accomplishments. Based upon the work of John Blacking, a study was conducted to evaluate a music-based curriculum using Chinese and English songs to assist adopted, preschool Chinese children to simultaneously acquire musical skills, language competence, and a sense of self and social identity. The curriculum was evaluated using observation, semi-structured parent interviews, systematic parent feedback, and researcher-teacher field notes. On the basis of research results, preschool children undergoing a systematic music program to learn language and culture significantly advanced in cognitive growth, cultural understanding, and self and music development. Implications for the application of music in curricula designed to improve language and social identity in preschool children are noted.