Abstract
This paper discusses how rapping can be used as a tool to improve student motivation and by extension oral fluency in an English additional language (EAL) classroom. The paper discusses prosody and phonetics in connection with development of oral skills. Furthermore, the theory of self-efficacy, theory of expected value and the theory of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are the main motivational theories used. Data sources included a questionnaire and a class discussion with students from 9th grade in the lower Norwegian secondary school combined with in-class observations.
The in-class observations, class discussion and results from the questionnaire suggest that rap activities did engage and motivate the students. It also revealed ways to adjust rap activities.
Due to limitations in the method findings should only be used to in preparation for a future classroom action designed study aimed to develop a rap activity in the EAL classroom. The paper proposes to use rap as an activity that promotes engagement and adapt the development of oral skills to that engagement.