2025 MABE Dual Language Bilingual Education Conference

The presentation will discuss the impact of music activities on bilingual education. Its approximate duration will be 75 minutes. The presentation will cover how teachers can use multicultural music in their lessons to support sociocultural competence, multilingual songs to support biliteracy and bilingualism, and singing/songwriting to reinforce subject areas outside of music support high academic achievement.

Through our years of experience, we have appreciated how teaching music works on the social and cultural area of our students. We have used both languages in the musical repertoires we choose to teach our lessons. We have held concerts in which we celebrate Hispanic heritage. We have recorded musical projects in Spanish to highlight musical styles such as la Bomba and el Festejo, genres highly related to Puerto Rican and Peruvian culture, respectively. Likewise, we have worked on Latin rhythms by using instruments such as the flamenco cajon, bongo, güiro, maracas, congas, etc.

As teachers in elementary schools with bilingual education programs, we have used music to help students develop vocabulary and translanguaging skills, as well as supporting early literacy and other content areas through the use of songs.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice songs from multiple languages, practice translation and translanguaging skills by examining song texts, and apply musical skills to their own content areas, developing songs that reinforce vocabulary and concepts from their areas.