Songs in the classroom

Songs in an ESL classroom – why?

There are various reasons why songs work well as tools of EFL teaching:

  • Even before children watch their first English DVD or online video, they have usually listened to a large number of songs.
  • Music is a vital component in teenage lifestyle – it shapes our identity while we’re growing up.
  • From the very beginnings of civilization, songs have been used to encode and transmit cultural knowledge (e. g. Vedic hymns, Homeric epics).
  • Melody and rhythm help us to memorize and remember things more easily.
  • Listening to music and singing songs has a positive effect on our students’ well-being, mental and physical health.
  • Singing brings our students together as a group.
  • Songs help us to express our emotions – and this is also why they help us to create a more supportive learning environment and make our kids remember the contents of our lesson more easily.

Guiding principles for choosing the right songs

Whenever you choose a song for your EFL classroom, make sure that …

  • it is linguistically manageable for your students;
  • it is appropriate for this particular group of students;
  • it is perfectly legal to play this song in your geographical region (copyright, censorship);
  • it is an interesting piece of music;
  • it fits in well with the other classroom activities you have arranged for your students;
  • the lyrics are clearly audible against the instrumental background;
  • there is not too much slang;
  • the singers’ interpretation of the lyrics sounds natural;
  • the song provides you with sufficient material for classroom activities, such as: vocabulary and idioms, grammatical structures, cultural references;
  • the song has a clear storyline or logical structure;
  • it does not contain too much strong language, racism or sexism;
  • it does not offend or incite hatred against members of a minority;
  • it is up-to date or at least an all-time classic that might work well with a super-critical teenage audience.

Suggested activities for your EFL classroom

  • Album cover: Draw a picture that reflects the song!
  • Anthem: Compose / write an anthem for …!
  • Antonyms: Create a different version of the text by replacing all the adjectives with their exact antonyms!
  • Bingo: Write down twelve words you think might appear in a song entitled “…”!
  • Birthday Song: Choose a song for your birthday and bring it to class!
  • BYOS: Bring your favourite song and present it in class!
  • Charades: Act out the song title and make the audience guess!
  • Dictation: Listen to the song and write down as much as you can!
  • Different style: Sing the song like you would sing a church hymn / rock song / heavy metal song / rap song / punk song / reggae song / country song!
  • Different tune: Sing the lyrics to a different tune!
  • Duet: Sing the song together with a partner!
  • Error-spotting: Listen and find all the errors / mistakes in the texts!
  • Gap-filling: Fill in the gaps in the lyrics on your worksheet!
  • Grammar blanks: Fill in the right forms of … and then listen to the song!
  • Jigsaw text: Rearrange these sentences from the lyrics and restore the original structure of the text!
  • Karaoke: Sing along with the music / the video!
  • Multiple choice: Which statement reflects best what the song is about – A, B, C, or D?
  • Music game: Form a circle, put a chair in the centre and make two teams. Listen to the teacher calling out a key word. If you can sing a song that contains this particular word, race to the chair, be seated and sing for ten seconds to score a point for your team!
  • Note-taking: Takes notes while you listen to this song!
  • Parody: Change the lyrics of the song!
  • Picture comparison: Listen to the song and find out what is different in this picture!
  • Picture selection: Listen to the song and choose the picture that illustrates the song’s mood and atmosphere!
  • Picture-sequencing: Add numbers to these scenes from the song – which comes first? Which is second?
  • Predictions: Read the title and predict what the song is about!
  • Prequel: Write down what prior to the events mentioned in the plot!
  • Public speaking: Recite the song as if it was a speech / dramatic monologue!
  • Questions: Listen to this song and answer the questions on your worksheet!
  • Rap: Create a rap to explain …!
  • Recital: Recite they lyrics of this song!
  • Report: Write a newspaper article that covers what is mentioned in the song!
  • Response: Write a song to respond to this song!
  • Sequel: Continue the song and add an ending of your own!
  • Snippets: Listen to these snippets and guess what the song is about!
  • Sound search: Listen to all the words that rhyme with … !
  • Stress patterns: Add stresses to the most prominent syllable in this word. Then, listen and see whether you’re right!
  • Summary: Summarize the events in the song!
  • Synonyms: Replace all the underlined words with synonyms!
  • Transformation: Create a simple past / will-future version of the text! Change the speaker into the we- / you-form! Then, sing the song!
  • Translation: Translate this song from [your native language] into English!
  • True / False: True or false? Tick the right box!
  • Word collection: Listen to the song and take down all the words that … !
  • Word order: Number the words in this passage from the lyrics. Then, listen and check your solutions!
  • Word-spotting: Highlight / encircle all the words on your sheet that are not actually part of the song!

Questions for song analysis

  • Communicative aspects: What kind of speaker is it? Who is the addressee?
  • Functional aspects: What is the song’s primary function? What could you do best while listening to it?
  • Relations between lyrics and music: Which effect does the music have on your interpretation of the lyrics?
  • Gender: Does the text reflect on femininity or masculinity? Do the characters act according to gender roles? Is there any gender bias?
  • Culture: Are there any references to a specific culture or subculture? Can you detect a clash of cultures in the song? Is it a song that integrates various cultures or does it focus on a homogeneous concept of culture?
  • Social status: Is a typical blue-collar song or a song or does it express an “upper class” point of view? What point does it make about class? Are any class struggles mentioned in the song?
  • Age: Does the song reflect a certain age level? Does it comment on youth or old age?
  • Structure / plot: Which elements in the song contribute to the plot? What are the main structural elements? Is there a chorus? Does the meaning of the chorus change, depending on its position in the song? Is there a solo? Can you detect an intro?
  • Message: What (political / social / psychological / ethical) message does the song convey?
  • Genre: Does the song belong in a specific genre? Is it a love song, a dirge, a list song?
  • Meaning: Are there any ambiguities in the lyrics?
  • Performance: Who is the singer? Where is the venue at which the gig takes place? How does the audience respond? Any applause? Any cheers? Can you hear any other background noises? Can you detect any amplifiers?
  • Instruments: Can you describe the … vocals: lead singer? backing vocals? / … rhythm section: lead guitarist? bassist? drummer? / brass section: saxophonist? trombone player? trumpetist? / Others: keyboard player? flutist?