[Mr. E English]

I'd like to teach the world to sing!! But first we have the English language to get through!!

What's your favourite song to use in the classroom? How do you use it - just sing along together or listening comprehension exercise or gap fill, etc?

[Mr. E English]

One of my favourite songs to use in the classroom is Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day'.

It's a great song and if nothing else I enjoy listening to it.

This song works well as part of a theme based lesson for upper-intermediate or Advanced level students. The lesson aim is speaking fluency and the topic, well your perfect day of course.

1. Discussion - students in pairs or small groups discuss their answers to questions on handout worksheet about their 'perfect day' - e.g.

What's the perfect way to spend the weekend?
What's the perfect way to spend an evening in?
What's the perfect way to spend a wet afternoon?
Who's the best person to go out for a meal with?

2. Listen to Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' and complete the gaps in the lyric text - see attached handout worksheet.

3. Role play - students in small groups of four. A foreign friend is coming to visit for the day and the students have to plan a day trip somewhere locally. Students decide on the day's schedule and itinerary.

The end - many thanks Lou!

[clivehawkins]

There's a song by The Streets called Dry your eyes mate.
I use it for advanced level.

I do a lesson about relationships and how what men and women complain about \ reasons for splitting up \ ways of splitting up.

I use this song as a way to close the topic.

First I give them some gist questions ( who is leaving who? how do they feel? etc)
Then we look at the lyrics sheet (with gaps) and we listen again for the gap fill activity.
Then we go through what the lyrics mean and discuss the ideas in the song and compare them to the ideas we talked about earlier in the lesson.

It's quite tough but I've always had a really positive response from the group.

[simplyesl]

A song called "it's a dog." It's a kids song with a lot of fun TPR.

[emile]

For advanced levels, I like Baz Luhrman's 'Sunscreen' song since it's full of wacky advice.

"Stan" by Eminem has an intriguing story that the students can piece together from the lyrics.

"Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam is great - the story of a guy who only realises he loves his girlfriend as she dies in his arms after a car accident (okay, it's a but morbid)

[clivehawkins]

Quote emile

For advanced levels, I like Baz Luhrman's 'Sunscreen' song since it's full of wacky advice.

Yes! Did that a couple of years ago and loved it. Why haven't I done it since!!? I'll dust that off and do it this week. Thanks for reminding me!

[livinginkorea]

Quote emile

For advanced levels, I like Baz Luhrman's 'Sunscreen' song since it's full of wacky advice.

"Stan" by Eminem has an intriguing story that the students can piece together from the lyrics.

"Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam is great - the story of a guy who only realises he loves his girlfriend as she dies in his arms after a car accident (okay, it's a but morbid)

Haha all the Korean love these songs. Watch any music video and you will see somebody die in the car crash about 50% of the time and the rest is terminal illness/killed while fighting etc. I don't know why but Korean love it where the love of your life is gone and the story is soooo sad. I guess it's because most of them still get married to who their parents pick and not to who they love.

[Eric]

Quote emile

"Stan" by Eminem has an intriguing story that the students can piece together from the lyrics.

Do you really let them listen to that? It gets pretty intense.

[emile]

Do you really let them listen to that? It gets pretty intense.

Fortunately I don't teach little kids. Currently I'm teaching fresh grads. Also, I have a version of the song that went through the local censors. It's funny though, they censored some odd words like 'suffocate' (pronounce the middle syllable ) and missed some of the real swearing.

[Eric]

That's pretty funny! I thought you were teaching the uncensored one and that would be pretty shocking.

[clivehawkins]

Quote Eric

Do you really let them listen to that? It gets pretty intense.

That raises an interesting point. How far do you go with swearing and 'offensive' slang? Clearly it depends on the group, but I've had classes where we've done songs with some strong language that we've later looked at together. It's always been pretty productive. I don't actively encourage them to use this language but I think they should at least understand it. After all, if they travel about they're going to hear it and need to know what it means.

Also, if they do want to use it they at least have a chance of getting it right!! I have a friend here in Italy that for years used the word 'wonker'. It never had the desired effect. People just laughed.

[Eric]

Quote clivehawkins

I have a friend here in Italy that for years used the word 'wonker'. It never had the desired effect. People just laughed.

That's a good question, though. How far do you explore the language and all its beauty. I guess it depends on how comfortable you are with the material and how confident you are in your class to handle that kind of material. For me, I wouldn't be comfortable teaching the uncensored version of Stan as it's even a little uncomfortable to sing at karaoke... but I still do.

[jenniferp]

Well as I'm teaching kindergarteners I would have to say that "10 lttle penguins" is a current favourite.
I have a big sketchbook as a songbook and every couple of weeks or so I add a new "little" animal to the penguin picture for them to find and sing about. The song literally goes on for ever now.

[emile]

How far do you go with swearing and 'offensive' slang?

Even more off-topic: Here's an examination of the 'f' word and how it is used as a noun, verb, adjective... Don't download it if you don't like foul language:

<the filter won't let me post it even as a link. Use the following URL, but replace **** with f...>

http://people.freebsd.org/~peter/Use...-Word-****.mp3

or go here and scroll down the page a bit: http://people.freebsd.org/~peter/