USING SONGS IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

NB: You can generally grade the task, not the text – you can use the same song with lots of different levels, just change the task. How to use the songs in this presentation: 1. Chaka Khan’s “Love Me Still” There are 2 versions of the text with alternating deleted lines. Students work in 2 groups according to the text versions. After completing the deleted lines, the 2 groups come together for a check-up. 2. Jamie Cullum’s “My Yard” Give students the lyrics of the song with mistakes. Get students to listen and identify them. 3. Michael Frank’s “Now That the Summer’s Here” Cut the lyrics into strips and get students to order as they listen. They can work in pairs, using strips in 2 different colours if you print out on white paper for one member and on coloured paper for the other. 4. John Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” The lyrics of the song feature pictures put in place of words. Students identify the words as they listen.