Subject-Verb Agreement in Popular Music and its Potential Impact on Linguistic Development of Non-Native English Learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18485/philologia.2023.21.21.8Keywords:
subject-verb agreement in English, linguistic feeling, non-native English speakers/learnersAbstract
This paper aims to examine the impact of non-standard subject-verb agreement (SVA) in popular music lyrics and its potential effects on the linguistic proficiency of non-native English learners. A corpus of 802 songs with over 200 million views on YouTube was analyzed using descriptive, analytic, and statistical methods. The hypothesis assumes that popular music often contains numerous SVA instances that deviate from conventional Standard English usage. If not adequately addressed in foreign language classrooms, these instances could potentially impede the linguistic development of non-native English speakers and learners. The results indicate that 49.37% (396 songs) of the analyzed songs contain standard grammatical elements, while 50.62% (406) do not. Of the 181 songs with non-standard SVA, 37 have over one billion views on YouTube, with most receiving between 200 million and over 5 billion views. The study identified 1506 non-standard elements in the songs, with 417 related to non-standard SVA. The majority of non-standard SVA examples were found in the verses or intro/outro sections of the songs, with 142 songs containing non-standard SVA in these sections, while 38 songs had non-standard SVA in the chorus. The findings of this study have significant implications for language instruction and the role of popular music in language learning. The present research underscores the potential negative impact of non-standard linguistic input on non-native English learners and highlights the need for proper educational guidance in utilizing popular music as an authentic and engaging tool in language instruction. This study lays the groundwork for future investigations on the potential role popular music may play in formal language acquisition.
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