Learners' perceptions on Song-Assisted Learning (SAL) approach for expository essay writing in tertiary education

Abstract

This study explores the perceptions of tertiary ESL learners on the Song-Assisted Learning (SAL) approach in assisting expository essay writing to improve its performance after a nine-week treatment. In this study, the SAL approach carefully integrated selected songs to stimulate idea generation, cognitive engagement – aimed to reduce over-reliance on AI-based writing tools, improve idea generation skills, and increase writing motivation. Through purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews to six participants being undergraduates in a public university in Perak, Malaysia revealed that songs enabled students to connect lyrical contents with personal experiences, prior knowledge, and broader societal issues, fostering original and meaningful writing. Participants reported that upbeat and thematically relevant songs enhanced focus, emotional engagement, and idea development, whereas melancholic songs sometimes hindered productivity. SAL also encouraged students to explore perspectives beyond habitual thinking. The approach provided a low-anxiety, emotionally supportive environment, promoting intrinsic motivation, cognitive flexibility, and expressive writing. In term of AI assistance, some participants highlighted unfairness of essay composition when some students self-developed their essays, while some others used AI writing tools that furnished unfair advantage. However, compared to AI-driven tools, SAL was perceived as more conducive to creativity, authenticity, and critical engagement. The findings suggest that incorporating songs into writing instruction offers a holistic pedagogical strategy that nurtures cognitive, affective, and linguistic skills, supporting the development of sustainable writing competence and originality in tertiary classrooms, being a suitable approach that helps reduce AI over-reliance in the classroom that could impact tertiary learners’ cognitive abilities and individual-writing development capacities in the long run.