Effect of Music Based Instructional Strategies on Sustained Attention and Working Memory in EFL Learners: A Neuroeducational Approach in an Intensive Language Program ILES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/7swvdk82Keywords:
EFL learning, music based instruction, neuroeducation, sustained attention, working memoryAbstract
This study analyzes the effect of music-based instructional strategies on sustained attention and working memory in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners within an Intensive Language Program (ILE). The research was developed through a qualitative, non-meta-analytic systematic literature review, guided by the PRISMA model. A total of 22 studies published between 2008 and 2025 were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis focused on four central variables: music-based instructional strategies, sustained attention, working memory, and EFL learning. The findings suggest that music-based strategies, such as songs, rhythmic repetition, melodies, chants, and lyric-based activities, may support vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, listening comprehension, classroom engagement, and language retention. The results also indicate that rhythm, repetition, and melody can help sustain learners’ attention and support working memory by organizing linguistic input into more manageable units. However, the effectiveness of music depends on its pedagogical design and its alignment with specific language objectives. The study concludes that music should not be considered a peripheral classroom resource, but a neuroeducational strategy capable of supporting cognitive and linguistic processes in intensive EFL contexts.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Victoria Maricela Parra Martínez, Mayra Alejandra Hernández Noroña, Lidia Morelia Garzón Campos, Byron Patricio Castro Mosquera, Karla Paola Casierra Rosales (Autor/a)
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