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Using music and songs | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

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Using music and songs | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

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Songs sung in English are listened to around the world and students can often feel real progress in their level of English when they can begin to sing along to the chorus or even just to be able to separate what at first seemed to be a constant stream of words! I am going to split this article into using music and using songs and I will share twelve of my favourite activities with you.

Before bringing music into the class, it may be worthwhile to do a music survey or questionnaire to find out what the students enjoy listening to. As much as possible try to use music they will like. I have found that the students' motivation levels are the determining factor in whether or not a song will work with them. If the students really like the song and the artist they become determined to understand. If you choose the task carefully even lower levels will be able to get something out of working with tricky songs where the language is way above their level of English.

Using music
Music in the classroom doesn't always mean listening to a song and using the lyrics in some way. Music can be used in the classroom in a multitude of ways. Here are just five ways to use music in your classroom.

Set the scene: If music is playing as students enter the class it can be a nice way to settle the group. Give the class a few minutes to settle down and then turn the volume down slowly and use the end of the music as an indicator to the students that the class will begin.

Change the tempo: Music can be used to calm down an over excited class or to wake up a sleepy one. If you know that your students have high energy levels and sometimes need to calm down, try playing some relaxing music to put on as they work. At first they may find it strange but they will get used to it. With sleepy teenagers, try putting some of their favourite tunes on as they work. It may help to increase their energy levels.

Classic gap-fill: Every language student at some point has been given a song to listen to and the lyrics with gaps in for them to fill in as they listen. This activity is not as simple as it sounds and before making one yourself think about why you're taking out certain words. It may be better to take out all the words in one group, such as prepositions or verbs, and tell students what they should be listening out for. Another option is to take out rhyming words. Don't be tempted to take out too many words, eight or ten is normally enough. To make the task easier you could provide the missing words in a box at the side for the students to select, or you could number the gaps and provide clues for each number.

Spot the mistakes: Change some of the words in the lyrics and as students listen they have to spot and correct the mistakes. As with the gap-fill limit the mistakes to a maximum of eight or ten and if possible choose a word set. You could make all the adjectives opposites for example. Another example of this for higher levels is to show the students the real lyrics and you correct the English and make it proper! E.g. 'gonna' change to 'going to' 'we was' change to 'we were' etc. This is a good way to focus on song language.

Comic strip: Songs that tell stories are great for students to make comic strips out of. You have to choose your song carefully and spend time looking at the lyrics with the students and making sure they have understood the main ideas. Lower levels may need guidance as to how to divide up the song into suitable chucks that can be represented pictorially. Avril Lavigne's Skater Boy song from last year was a good one for this activity.

Order the verses: With low levels this is a very simple activity. Chop up the lyrics of the song by verse and give a small group of students the jumbled verses. As they listen they put them in order.

Discussion: Certain songs lend themselves to discussions and you can use the song as a nice lead in to the topic and a way to pre-teach some of the vocabulary. One I used recently was 'Where is the love?' by the Black Eyed Peas to lead in to a discussion about war.

Translation: Although some teachers oppose all use of the mother tongue in the language classroom, some students really enjoy translating lyrics into their own language. If you do ask students to do this ensure the lyrics are worth translating!

Write the next verse: Higher levels can write a new verse to add to a song. Focus on the patterns and rhyme of the song as a group and then let students be creative. If they are successful, the new verses can be sung over the top of the original! Norah Jones' Sunrise was a good one for this.

Time limits: Instead of telling students they have two minutes to finish a task, or with very young learners a minute to tidy the room up after a craft activity, tell them they have until the end of the song. Play the music and when the song ends students should be paying attention ready to listen to the instructions to change tasks.

Feelings: Different types of music will provoke very different reactions within your students. You can explore this by playing a selection of different types of music for a minute or so each and asking students to write some adjectives of how they feel when listening to the different types.

Musical drawings: Give each student a piece of paper and some coloured pencils. Tell them that you are going to play some music and you want them to draw whatever comes into their heads. As music is playing, all students should be drawing. After 20 or 30 seconds, stop the music. Students stop drawing and pass their picture to the person to the left of them in the circle. Play the music again and they continue with the drawing the person next to them had started. Stop the music again, pass pictures on and this continues until the end of the song. When you have finished each student will have a picture that several students contributed to. Then it's up to you what to do with the pictures. They can be used to describe to the group, to write a story about, or to pretend they were a dream the student had last night. The rest of the class can try to analyse the meaning of the dream.

Use different types of music to get different types of pictures. I've found that reggae and samba produce happy beach scenes and dance music gets futuristic city scenes.
Beware - with teenagers this activity can be quite an eye-opener as it tends to reveal what is going on in their minds!

Using songs
Songs provide a valuable source of authentic language and there are hundreds of ways to exploit them in the classroom. The internet has made it very easy to find the lyrics of songs. A search on google with the name of the band, the song title and the word 'lyrics' will bring up a selection of sites you can use. Once you have copied and pasted the lyrics into a word document it is quick and easy to make an effective worksheet. Here is a selection of ideas for you to try.

I hope that at least some of these ideas will be good for your classes. The more you use music in the classroom the more uses you will find for it. If you have any ideas to share why not send them to the discussion list.

Internet links
http://www.freeplaymusic.com/ This site has short music clips on which can legally be used for educational purposes.
http://www.ohhla.com/ This site has a vast collection of hip hop lyrics. Be careful which ones you choose as some have bad language.
http://www.mtv.com/ This is the MTV homepage and has links to loads of potential materials.

By Jo Budden

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Songs sung in English are listened to around the world and students can often feel real progress in their level of English when they can begin to sing along to the chorus or even just to be able to separate what at first seemed to be a constant stream of words!

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Cambridge World of Better Learning https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/category/learning-focus/teens/

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World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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Teens - World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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Can the English lesson be a site for teenagers to learn to learn? Can teachers develop strategies to support their students in this process? In this post I will argue...

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Great ideas: dictogloss, snake and ladders...

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Here are some ideas for making grammar teaching more teen-friendly.
Break down negativity
If your students are very resistant to grammar, show them why it's necessary. Record someone (yourself or a teen) using correct vocabulary but confusing grammar and ask them what the problem is. You could also give them written messages without any grammar words and ask them to make sense of them.

Sometimes students are put off by metalanguage, such as the names of tenses, or the G-word itself, so avoid it! Talk about language for -ing instead, e.g. 'Today we're going to look at language for telling stories'.

Beware of over-generalisations about grammar which are not true. In the long term you won't be doing your students any favours if you teach them, for example, that we only use some in positive statements and any in questions and negatives ('Would you like some more?' 'You can have any of the books.') Sometimes course books give unclear grammar rules, or omit useful language. Back up your course book with reliable grammar books based on corpus research. If you're looking at a tricky area, it's always best to consult a few different books. Don't trust all the rules you find on the internet - they aren't necessarily correct.

Involve the students

Whenever possible find engaging ways to practise grammar such as online games and videos. Have a look at the Grammar Snacks section on LearnEnglish Teens. Grammar is presented in an animated video and explained in a conversation-style text. There are also online practice exercises.

It's good to have a few games up your sleeve which can be used with different grammar areas. For example, have some laminated snakes and ladders boards and dice which can be used with correct/incorrect sentences. You can find pre-made snakes and ladders boards as well as other games on the TeachingEnglish site here: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/board-games When the students have a turn they pick up a card with a sentence on and have to say whether it is correct (and correct the incorrect sentences), otherwise they move back to where they started before they rolled the dice. The others in the group decide whether the student is right or not, and they can check with the teacher if necessary. You can write the sentences or get the students to do it for other groups. Other flexible games based on correct/incorrect sentences are blockbusters or grammar auction.

The right level of challenge

When you introduce or revise a language area, think about any relevant pronunciation areas, e.g. how to pronounce the final -ed of regular past endings, the /l/ sound in I'll, He'll etc. If you don't look at the phonology there is a danger that the students will form erroneous ideas about the phonology which will be hard to unlearn.

Different learning styles

Talk to your students about how memory works. If they are to do grammar practice on one area, it is better to spread it out over a period of time, e.g. one exercise on the same day as the lesson, one two days later, one a week later. Recycling language is very important; without looking at an area a few times, over a period of time, it is impossible for most people to retain it. Build reviews and recycling into your course, but also encourage students to recycle language on their own.

Personalising a grammar area is also effective, e.g. inventing a story about something familiar, such as a friend or relative, incorporating the target language area. Conversely, something strange, funny or surreal can also be a memory aid. Students can write stories, e.g. on an electronic pad, or record them to listen again.

Encourage reflection and responsibility

Find ways of encouraging your teenagers to take responsibility for their own learning, e.g. by getting them to reflect on what they have learnt and to test themselves. Explain that language development does not always follow an upward learning curve. Learners sometimes feel they are not making progress, but what matters is the bigger picture: experiencing a sense of gradual progress over time.

Working on grammar with teenagers can be challenging, but with a bit of preparation it can be very rewarding, for them and for you!

By Helen Hadkins

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Here are some ideas for making grammar teaching more teen-friendly. Break down negativity If your students are very resistant to grammar, show them why it's necessary. Record someone (yourself or a teen) using correct vocabulary but confusing grammar and ask them what the problem is.

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eltexperiences: Project Work and Young Learners

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eltexperiences: Project Work and Young Learners

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by Susan Verner 487,335 views

Try as you might, careful as you are with your planning, sometimes what you plan to cover in class does not work with the clock.

When you are ready for the bell but the bell is not quite ready for you, try one of the following time fillers to keep your class busy until it is time to dismiss.

Try These Top 10 Time Fillers With Your Class

1. Twenty Questions
Do you remember car trips as a child playing twenty questions in the back seat? You think of a person or object and your siblings have twenty opportunities to ask yes/no questions to determine what object you are thinking of. This is an easy and short activity for you to do with your ESL class when you have a few minutes to spare. The first time you play, your students will need specific direction as to the types of questions to ask. You should help them understand how to ask strategic questions to identify the object. The more practice you give your students with this activity, the better they will get at it, and before long they will be begging you to play!

2. Pictionary
No matter what you are currently studying in class, you most likely have a list of vocabulary your students need to learn. When that is the case, a few minutes at the end of class is a great opportunity for either of these two vocabulary revision activities. Have your current vocabulary list written on index cards that you can use at a moment's notice. Then, when you have a few minutes, have one student come up to the board and select one of the vocabulary words. Set a timer for between one and three minutes, depending on how difficult you want to make the activity, and allow him to draw pictures to try to get the class to guess the word. His classmates can call out their guesses while he draws. He is not allowed to use any letters, numbers or symbols as he draws. If his classmates correctly guess the word, you can either give another person a turn or have him select a second word. As you study more vocabulary throughout the year, add those words to your collection. By the end of the year, you will have all your vocabulary words collected ready for a review.

3. Charades
The second vocabulary revision activity is similar. You can play a few rounds of charades with your students in a similar manner to the Pictionary activity. Use the same vocabulary cards, but this time have your student or students act out the vocabulary word rather than draw it. Either you can have one person act out the word for the entire class or have two people act out the word for one half of the class. As is traditional with charades, the actor cannot say anything. The first group to guess the word wins a point. If you like, keep a running score for the two teams for a month at a time and then award prizes at the end of the month. Then you can switch up your teams and seating arrangement for the next month's competition.

4. Write a Communal story
With a few extra minutes, you can also have your class work together to write a communal story. Start with one sentence on the board. Have your students take turns coming up to the board and adding one sentence to the story. Each person will be able to use his or her creativity to further the story, and the whole class can make sure the grammar is correct with each addition. The more often you do this, the more creative your students will become in their additions. It will be fun for your class to see just how crazy they can get and still keep a logical plot.

5. Why/Because
This silly little game has the potential for some laughs with your students. Give each person two index cards or two small scraps of paper. On one card, each person should write a question that begins with the word ' why'. Then on the second piece of paper, each person should answer his or her question starting with the word ' because '. Then collect all the why's in one pile and all the because's in another. Mix up each pile and then read one why card with one because card. The combinations can be very funny, and then after reading all the random match ups you can have your students match the correct answers with the correct questions.

6. Would You Rather
This activity is a good one for getting to know your students better. Keep a list of questions for your students starting with " Would you rather..." For example, you may ask, " Would you rather be a leader or a follower? Would you rather eat ice cream or cake? Would you rather have a cat or a dog? " You can be straightforward with your questions or be creative and out of the box. Ask your class a question and have your students move to one side of the room if they answer one way, the other side of the room if they answer the other way. Then ask random students on each side to explain why they chose the answer that they did. You can do as many or as few questions as you have time for. You may learn some interesting facts about your students and their preferences with this activity.

7. Telephone
This old-fashioned game can get new life in the ESL classroom. Have your students arrange themselves in a circle around the room. Come up with a long sentence yourself or have one of your students do it (check to make sure it is grammatical) and whisper it in the ear of the first student in the circle. The listening student then has one opportunity to whisper it in the ear of the next student. The process continues around the circle until it reaches the last person. That person then says the sentence aloud to the class. You should then tell the class what the original sentence was. Your class will be surprised at how much the sentence changed as it travelled around the circle. If you like, challenge your students to be as careful as they can when speaking and listening and see if the sentence can make it around the circle with minimal change.

8. White Board Slam
This activity will increase your students' vocabulary as well as fill time at the end of class. Start by writing a word on the board that contains four letters. You can start with anything. Then, challenge your students to come up and change only one letter of the word to make a new word. If someone has an answer, have him come up and make the change. Then have another student come up and change the word again. See how many different combinations your students can come up with by changing one letter at a time with no word repeats. Also, give them the opportunity to ask for a definition of any of the words that they may not know throughout the activity.

9. Open Question Session
Sometimes just a simple opportunity to ask questions can benefit your class. If you have a few minutes, open the floor for your students to ask you questions. They can be about material you have covered in class, situations they have encountered that may be unfamiliar culturally, new vocabulary words, or any of many other possibilities. Likely, the question that one student asks will lead to another from a second student. Everyone will benefit from hearing the answers, and some students may even be able to answer questions of their fellow students. If so, let them share from their knowledge and experience. If no one has the answer but you, share it with your class and be glad that the question opened the chance to share.

10. Read Aloud Comprehension
If you have a newspaper or magazine with short articles handy, you can also use this to fill a few minutes in your class. Read aloud a short passage and ask your students to relate back what they heard or answer comprehension questions. You can never give your students too many opportunities to practice their listening skills, so the next time you have a few minutes, read a paragraph or two from the paper and ask your student what the article is about, what they know about the situation from what they heard, what they think the rest of the article is about, and what else they would like to know from the rest of the article.

Having some unplanned time at the end of class is not necessarily a bad thing for your students.

Make the most of the minutes by using one of these engaging and entertaining time filling techniques. You will be surprised at how quickly the time passes.
See our ' Warmers, Time Fillers and Ice-Breakers ' category for more short 5-minute lesson activities!

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.

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