Why and how to use songs with young children
Back
when I first starting teaching small children English, 12 years or so
ago, I was lucky or unlucky enough to be in a school where songs were a
vital part of the syllabus of every teacher and were introduced to us
teachers on day one of the training course. I say “luckily” because
those songs helped me entertain and control an age group that I had
little enough experience of interacting with even back in the UK. It
could also possibly be “unluckily” because now I have got used to having
music to help me there is no way I could even think of coping with a
class of 7 year olds and under without my faithful tape of traditional
and EFL songs. And yet, as I have changed schools and countries I have
come across a surprising number of teachers doing just that. Some of
them were coping remarkably well, but I have yet to meet a teacher who
was not instantly converted when they saw what a song in class could do-
and even more so when shown how many things could be done with it. So
here are some reasons why you might want to try using songs in the EFL
young learner class and some tips how to do so:
• They are memorable, and so make students remember the language (in fact, students who quit English while they are still young might find that the only thing they can remember when they go on holiday to the States as an adult is the song Head Shoulders Knees and Toes- possibly useful for that strip search in JFK airport??).
• They can be great fun. And the biggest factor that makes them fun for the kids is how much the teacher likes them, so you have a perfect motivation for using your own favourites.
• They cover the same topics as they kids are covering in the English lessons and other classes: animals (Old Macdonald), body parts (Teddy Bear Teddy Bear) etc.
• They are the best way of marking different stages of the lesson, e.g. starting the class every week with the same song, ending the class with another, and using songs or chants to mark other transitions like books out and books away
• Students can listen to the songs at home and revise the language
• They provide an easy way of changing the pace, e.g. settling down restless students with a lullaby-like calming song (Incy Wincy Spider etc.) or wearing them out with a manic, lively song (YMCA etc.)
• They provide an achievable challenge for all levels of learner in mixed ability classes, by letting some students just show their understanding by doing the actions while others can sing along or even improvise their own words
• They can be used at whatever stage you are at with the language- e.g. presentation, practice or revision before a test. You can even use an action song for a week or two before the formal presentation, and so make the presentation when it comes much easier.
• They sound great to mothers and school managers listening outside your classroom door
• They can be performed during end of year shows or parties
• They allow for lots of repetition of the language without kids getting bored (as long as you add variations), vital for learning in small children. Variations to keep it interesting include doing the song louder and quieter, slower and faster etc.
• They are memorable, and so make students remember the language (in fact, students who quit English while they are still young might find that the only thing they can remember when they go on holiday to the States as an adult is the song Head Shoulders Knees and Toes- possibly useful for that strip search in JFK airport??).
• They can be great fun. And the biggest factor that makes them fun for the kids is how much the teacher likes them, so you have a perfect motivation for using your own favourites.
• They cover the same topics as they kids are covering in the English lessons and other classes: animals (Old Macdonald), body parts (Teddy Bear Teddy Bear) etc.
• They are the best way of marking different stages of the lesson, e.g. starting the class every week with the same song, ending the class with another, and using songs or chants to mark other transitions like books out and books away
• Students can listen to the songs at home and revise the language
• They provide an easy way of changing the pace, e.g. settling down restless students with a lullaby-like calming song (Incy Wincy Spider etc.) or wearing them out with a manic, lively song (YMCA etc.)
• They provide an achievable challenge for all levels of learner in mixed ability classes, by letting some students just show their understanding by doing the actions while others can sing along or even improvise their own words
• They can be used at whatever stage you are at with the language- e.g. presentation, practice or revision before a test. You can even use an action song for a week or two before the formal presentation, and so make the presentation when it comes much easier.
• They sound great to mothers and school managers listening outside your classroom door
• They can be performed during end of year shows or parties
• They allow for lots of repetition of the language without kids getting bored (as long as you add variations), vital for learning in small children. Variations to keep it interesting include doing the song louder and quieter, slower and faster etc.
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