Just for fun!
How did you learn your second language? Was it by sitting in class and studying really hard? Was it by talking to native speakers or traveling to countries that speak the language? Was it by listening to music and singing songs in that language?
More than likely it was through a combination of these things...and more. There are a number of things we can do to improve our second language. One of them is listening to music in that language.
It is a known fact that young learners benefit greatly from learning English through songs, but teenagers and adults can also use music to improve their English. Through music we hear the natural rhythm of the language. We can practice our pronunciation. We get better at intonation. We learn an endless number of lexical items - idioms, slang expressions, vocabulary chunks. Best of all, by learning English through music we have fun.
What are some techniques teachers can use to teach English with songs? Here are just a few:
- You may want to preteach the vocabulary, especially unfamiliar terms and/or expressions that are essential to understanding the gist of the song.
- Use the internet to find the lyrics of the song and save yourself the trouble!
- Use actions and gestures to help students understand the meaning. After students understand the lyrics, they can choose a lyric and act it out while the rest of the class guesses which one it is.
- Have picture flashcards of the important points or events in the song. Better yet - have the students draw pictures of the lyrics and share their interpretations with each other!
- Try singing a cappella - no music allowed. Or, sing karaoke - music only!