Turning lessons into song
A teacher is gaining fame for helping his students memorise facts through catchy songs.
HISTORY (Sejarah) is a subject that is perceived to be difficult, with most local students finding it dull and boring because it involves reading and memorising.
A good knowledge of a nation’s history is essential for all. It teaches us about the experiences and lives of people who lived in different times and places.
Last year, a teacher took the unconventional step of turning history lessons into entertaining songs, making the events and dates much easier to digest.
Vulcan Chong Weng Hon decided to turn the content of the Forms Four and Five
Sejarah syllabus into lyrics centred around popular tunes to make it easier for his students to memorise them.
The 25-year-old teaches at a tuition centre in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
In March, Chong listed down and transformed Sejarah topics into songs that were trending among young people.
He uploads them to his YouTube channel called Sejarah Melody.
He thinkgs that many students don’t like
Sejarah because it requires memorising dates, difficult to pronounce foreign names, and complicated storylines.
“Songs not only help in memorising the details of an event, but also in making the learning process enjoyable,” he said.
Chong spends about two weeks to transform historical events into a song by drawing upon key contents of the SPM Sejarah syllabus.
Among the popular songs that he has “modified” are Eyes, Nose, Lips by South Korean heartthrob Taeyang, Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars, and the Doraemon
theme song.
“In the beginning, I had included some Chinese words in the lyrics to make it easier for my Chinese students to understand.
“However, after uploading my first video on YouTube, I discovered that many non-Chinese students also enjoyed my video. They also requested that I use lyrics in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) .
“That inspired me to arrange more songs with BM lyrics because after all, the Sejarah textbooks are written in the national language,” he said.
The Business Administration graduate from the Uptrend Business School in Singapore said after his video went viral in August, he received positive feedback from not only SPM candidates but also school teachers.
“Many students liked the Sejarah Melody videos because it facilitated the memorisation process. Even teachers have downloaded my video and used them as a teaching supplement in the classrooms,” he said.
The idea to turn the Sejarah syllabus into songs was already with Chong since he was a student.
“During revision, I always thought about turning what I understood from textbooks into songs, but I couldn't then because I couldn't play any instrument.
“However, when I mastered the guitar in university, I used it to create songs in my free time, and that was how Sejarah Melody was born. I came up with it while preparing the teaching syllabus for my tuition classes," he said.
Chong believes that teachers should try interactive and creative teaching methods to help students learn and understand better.
“I find many parents and students are too exam-oriented. They are ‘chasing’ As by using old-fashioned methods such as memorising their notes and even the textbook.
“Sadly, many of them are memorising without really understanding what they are reading.
“By using interesting and creative learning methods, students will be able to comprehend and have a better understanding of the information they have. It need not be just exam-related knowledge, but facts for other subjects as well,” he said.
In addition to using songs to teach history, Chong also draws comics based on the storyline of each chapter of the textbooks used in class.
“There are several topics that cannot be turned into songs, so I draw comics instead to help my students make sense of the facts,” he said.
Chong said many of his students have shown an interest in the subject after he came up with his teaching methods.
“They are grateful for the effort I have taken to ignite their interest in history,” he said.
As a tuition teacher, Chong does not mind spending his free time in guiding his students, especially with approaching school and national exams.
“Most of my students like to revise late at night. Sometimes we interact through WhatsApp and Facebook when they have questions. I don't mind guiding them,” he said.
Chong said he will continue writing songs on the other Sejarah topics.
“Future SPM candidates who want to master Sejarah in a creative way can contact me through Facebook (search for Vulcan Chong), or watch Sejarah Melody.” — Bernama