Rhythm and Blues and Its Power to Promote Intercultural Skills a Class Based Experience

Abstract

Despite the several efforts carried out in order to bring intercultural language learning to the EFL classroom, there are still several challenges in what concerns achieving a full-scale integration. Therefore, this study aimed at describing the ideas of high school students about the role of music in language learning, its potential to address social issues and its affordances to examine one’s own culture after the implementation of a pedagogic proposal based on the study of Rhythm and Blues music. Focus group discussions, a survey, observations and students’ written responses facilitated data collection. Findings suggest that using Rhythm and Blues invited students to see the power of music for language learning, awakened their critical spirit through the identification and stance-taking towards social issues and it encouraged them to analyze their own cultural context from a positive view.