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Songs in the classroomThere are many ways to use music in the EFL classroom. students of all ages are interested in listening to music; the EFL teacher can integrate this interest while planning lessons. Music can help set the mood or tone of the class session. Specific songs help teach every element of language: vocabulary, grammar, structure, and culture. For beginning level classes, teachers of EFL students can access many songs written for native speaker beginners. Even the simple ?A-B-C? song helps students remember letter names, order, and sounds represented by each letter. Neither teacher nor singers have to be good musicians to sing along as they learn. ?Old MacDonald? is a great way to practice animal vocabulary and sounds. There are also many songs that lend themselves well to ?call and response? and can be used while teaching beginning phrases. Long after a class session has ended, students can recall the lesson by reviewing the song associated with the class. Often students can ?sing along? with more English vocabulary than they naturally produce. Using music helps the student gain confidence in applying their English language skills. To improve listening skills, teachers can use popular songs with a ?gap-fill? worksheet. students will listen to a song in the class and fill in the blanks with missing words. Depending on the level of the class, the teacher could supply the missing words or could give a choice of rhyming words and students need to be able to choose the word that would make the best sense in the context. By using music recorded by Elvis or the Beatles (for example), the teacher can make connections with the interest level of the students in culturally classic recordings while practicing grammar and vocabulary skills. Most students who are interested in learning English are also very interested in English songs and pop artists. By including song lyrics in lesson plans, teachers can show great examples of grammar and structure in authentic material. ?She Loves You? by the Beatles gives a good opportunity for students to practice present simple verb sentences. ?Hello, Goodbye? offers repetition of common phrases the students will use regularly. Once students are familiar with some songs, they may be willing to change lyrics and practice other vocabulary. ?Are You Sleeping?? lends itself well to many different questions. The repetition in many songs can help the group practice pronunciation, intonation, and flow of language. As the class practices repeating song lyrics it helps break down barriers and overcome reluctance to produce speech. Many songs have repeated phrases that encourage participation. ?Mulberry Bush? continually repeats certain action phrases; ?I Know an Old Lady? adds to the phrases and repeats the first ones. The natural repetition of songs aids in concentration and memory as the students are learning new language. Music can be used to set the mood for classes. A lesson about travel could begin by playing the song, ?I?ve Been Everywhere,? by Johnny Cash. Review sessions for quizzes and exams can be enhanced by playing soft background music that helps calm nerves and assist concentration. A fun idea would be to encourage students to play background music behind their role-play interactions. This makes their performances memorable as they ?make their own movies.? Music can and should be used in each element of lesson planning, from Engaging the students to offering material, authentic and created, for Study, to Activating their learning practice. If music and song are regularly included as a part of class sessions, they will help lift the spirits and enjoyment level of the students. As they develop a taste for songs in English, they will listen to English music for their own enjoyment and increase and solidify their language skills that much sooner. Websites researched: http://edition.tefl.net/ideas/music/using-music-in-the-esl-classroom/ accessed August 31, 2011 Written by Tara Benwell for TEFL.net March 2008 http://www.hltmag.co.uk/apr09/less01.htm accessed September 3, 2011 written by Hans Mol Year 11; Issue 2; April 2009, ISSN 1755-9715 http://www.lingolex.com/userpages/music.html accessed September 3, 2011 written by ?Ernie? Ernest Barteldes Other useful websites: http://www.eflclub.com/2songs/songs.html http://www.musicalenglishlessons.org/index-ex.htm http://evasimkesyan.edublogs.org/2011/01/04/songs-in-efl-classroom/ http://www.songsforteaching.com/esleflesol.htm http://iteslj.org/links/TESL/Songs/ http://www.manythings.org/songs/ http://www.lingolex.com/userpages/music.html http://eslgames.com/ http://www.tefltunes.com/grammarsongs.aspx http://www.esl-galaxy.com/music.htm http://edition.tefl.net/ideas/music/using-music-in-the-esl-classroom/
