New Perspectives: Songs as Young Adult Literary Texts

Abstract

This paper advocates the use of contemporary popular songs that are of interest to learners. Primarily, it presents a study using a song for the development of comprehension skills and for examining issues in the song that are connected with young adults. A focus on interactive and reflective learning processes enabled students to participate, exploit and experience the meaning of the texts for themselves. The use of the song also facilitated discussion and allowed students to connect personal experiences to the song, providing an avenue for presenting their thoughts in oral or written form.