Mediated Music Lessons and Language Proficiency in Children of Migrant Workers

Abstract

This study evaluated the impact of Mediated Music Intervention on the language proficiency of a select group of kindergarten children of migrant workers. Mediated Learning is a didactic approach which nurtures synchronized teacher-child interactions while specifically focusing on general learning skills. Pre- and post-assessments evaluated the development of music aptitude, executive functions (working memory, self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility, audio memory (words and numbers) and language proficiency. The findings indicate significant improvements for the research group in cognitive mechanisms and language proficiency. These findings confirm that mediated music environments successfully engage challenging children; foster improved learning skills in a relatively short period; and upgrade the impact of music lessons even among experienced music teachers.