Teach children English using songs

In response to a question from a reader about using songs to teach English to Italian children, I gave the following twelve quick keys. However, they are equally effective for children of any country, or of almost any age as well.

Are here:

1. You can use most songs for teaching the English language, but students tend to prefer songs that are popular today. Both you and your students can collaborate on the song selection.

2. You should also select songs with easy to understand lyrics, absolutely NO profanity, violent, illegal or immoral themes such as sex, drug use, prostitution, gang violence, killing your mother, suicide, etc. (It’s easier to fall into this trap than you think. Many popular song lyrics are horrible)

3. To motivate children, take a dozen nursery rhymes on cassette or CD with the lyrics. Borrow, borrow, or steal a selection of popular nursery rhymes and you’re done. (Okay, don’t steal them, ask, politely, about a million times until they say “yes”)

4. The lyrics of the most popular songs are available online. You will need to be very, very careful about downloads from sites like these as they are often FULL of viruses, Trojans, worms and Lord only knows what else.

5. Walt Disney has a lot of great nursery rhymes. Use movies and shorts directly or just a recording with visualization images for visual support.

6. In addition to the above clues, there are standard children’s favorites that any child or theme song teacher can tell you. You can even use songs from your childhood, if you were ever a kid, sure.

7. Use interactive games and Total Physical Response (TPR) along with songs. Choreograph simple movements and actions to the beat of the song.

8. Maintain a fairly fast-paced class, as children are easily bored and fidgety with your short, short, and short attention spans. Change activities every 15 minutes or so, even LESS with the little “Chiquiticos.”

9. Try incorporating some simple “dance” moves into your songs as well for added benefit. Have the “kids” ad lib, lip sync, pantomime, swing, swing kick, jump, slide, slide, twist, turn, dip, step, jump and wave – you get my drift?

10. Use pictures to help teach keywords in song lyrics. Cutouts, posters, drawings, anything that provides positive visual support and reinforcement for lexical, grammatical, connected speech, pronunciation or use in context is fair game in English as a foreign language classes for children (and also for adults, in reality)

11. Practice a couple of songs and activities beforehand in front of a mirror on your own. (Look how silly you look! Okay though, so don’t worry. We can’t see you)

12. Oh yeah, and be sure to have a lot of fun! Who Said English and Foreign Language Teachers Can’t Have Fun Too? (Certainly not me. Despite my academic appearance, I am sometimes crazy in ESL classes!)

So “Don’t worry, be happy.”

Hope this helps you use songs to teach English to children. Be sure to check out the other posts of mine like “9 reasons why you should use songs to teach English as a foreign language” on my blog to teach English using songs.