So, reward a well-behaved class with a fun song during the last three to five minutes of the lesson.

The fact is, most ESL students love to sing songs. Learn more about ESL classroom management and routines for young learners.

The students can sing aloud with the song while it plays, and you’ll be sure to have a very effective beginning to your class.

In other words, if it is a morning class, use a song with phrases like “Good morning” and “Welcome to class.”.

Find songs that the students can easily learn the words to. Use songs that are relevant to the task.

Tips for implementing music in your routines: For these classes, I play a routine song that the students recognize as a call to return to their seats and focus on the upcoming lesson. For example, some of my students have a difficult time preparing themselves for the beginning of class, as they may be out of their seats, chatting, or otherwise distracted. Music to develop classroom management and routinesĪnother great use of ESL song activities in your classroom is to indicate when you transition to different parts of the class routine. Learn more about teaching ESL vocabulary. As such, try to use it roughly in the middle of your lesson, a time when many students typically begin to disengage.

Is the song/music accessible (in other words, will the students understand the language)?Īs an added bonus, you’re sure to increase student attentiveness during a fun activity like this.

Music can and should be used in the ESL classroom as a relevant means of supporting your instruction – the keyword being “relevant.” Things to consider when choosing what song to use during your lesson are: Tips for implementing music in your lessons: It is a fun way to have your students practice the pronunciation of the months, as well as their order. One of my personal favorite ESL activities and songs is using the well-known “Macarena” (you’ll find the link in the song suggestions below) to supplement my teaching the twelve months of the year to my fourth- and fifth-grade ESL classes in China. Music aids language learning, so, it’s a good idea to use songs in your lessons to present different language points or vocabulary. How can music be used in the ESL classroom? Music as a lesson activity You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started! A teacher incorporates a song in an ESL class with young learners. If you’re new to teaching, you’ll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate. Plus, those students who hadn’t been focusing? You’ll have their attention now. You can help your students by using ESL songs and music to present language points in a more accessible way. And, sometimes, students will have a more difficult time grasping certain language points that you present. You will inevitably have students that struggle to focus their attention during your lessons. Music grabs attention.įurthermore, few things get ESL students’ attention quite like a catchy song. Even as adults, we are much more likely to learn the words to a song than we are to learn the words of a speech that we hear a few times. Imagine the difficulty in mastering the alphabet with the letters scrambled in random order.

Stories, nursery rhymes, and even the alphabet were likely presented in a musical rhythm. For example, think back to your own time as a young student. Students of all ages are naturally inclined to learn certain information more efficiently if delivered in rhythm. Songs also grab your students’ attention and can even help you develop classroom routines. When applied effectively, the rhythm of ESL music and songs can be a highly engaging teaching strategy. Why is music important in language teaching? Good Songs for Teaching English to Teens and Adults.Good Songs for Teaching English to Kids.How can I teach English songs? What are some different ESL activities that can be used with songs?.How can music be used in the ESL classroom?.Why is music important in language teaching?.

Songs to sing along to for kids