How to Use Music to Teach English

Music in the classroom can grab students' attention and create stimulating lessons. Music is an important tool for students who are just learning English or those who are native speakers. For new English students, music provides new vocabulary, various accents and cultural expressions. For native speakers, music offers a new way to study and grasp a concept. Using music to teach English can be done at all grade levels, but it's important to choose an appropriate song.

Things You'll Need

• Brightly-colored paper
• Marker
• Tape or sticky tac
• Music and music player
• Song lyrics
• Pencil or pen

Instructions

Teaching Vocabulary

1. Select a song. Find a song that is age and learning-level appropriate. The idea is to pick a song with a few new words, but also words students already know. Choose 10 new or unfamiliar words from the song.

2. Select various sheets of brightly-colored paper and print the vocabulary words on matching colors of paper based on their spelling patterns. Use these as a visual key for students to help them with pronunciation and spelling. Make sure the words stand out on the paper. Print one word on each sheet and hang them in random order on the wall or chalkboard.

3. Divide your students evenly into teams of three or four. Instruct them to stand a few feet away from the words on the wall. Tell each team to form a line behind the team captain.

4. Explain the rules of the game. One student from each team will listen to a song. When a student hears one of the vocabulary words he must run to the wall and grab the sheet of paper with the word on it. Ask a new group of students to listen for words. The team that recognizes and collects the most words is the winner.

5. Alter the game slightly to use only verbs as the new words. After a student grabs the word from the wall, he or she must act out the verb. This game helps students associate words and definitions.

Reviewing Literary Devices

1. Spend some time reviewing common literary devices, definitions and examples. Provide examples from stories read earlier in the year so students can make an easy connection. Ask students to provide few examples of their own. Select two or three literary devices to focus on in your song lyrics.

2. Provide students with copies of the lyrics. Giving students copies of song lyrics allows them to visually see the words and literary devices. Students can take notes or circle literary devices they find. Play the songs while students follow along on the paper. Consider Robert Plant's "Stairway to Heaven" or Richard Ashcroft's "Bittersweet Symphony" for reviewing metaphors. Try Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" or Simon and Garfunkel's "Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water" for teaching similes.

3. Instruct students to search for more selected literary devices. Point out one example and discuss why it fits the criteria for a literary device. Allow students time to find and circle or mark other literary devices.

4. Prepare a wrapup activity. This can be a discussion about the literary devices found in the songs. Have students provide examples and discuss the meanings. Or create a simple worksheet for students to complete. Use questions like: "List one simile and explain what is being compared" or "Explain this metaphor."

Resources

• Song Lyrics