HOW TO USE MUSIC IN CLASS?

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. Using music to teach English can be done at all grade levels, but it's important to choose an appropriate song.

“Music is the universal language of mankind”. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Ideas for using music in class

Music in the classroom doesn’t always mean listening to a song and using the lyrics in some way. Music can be used in the classroom in a multitude of ways. Here are just five ways to use music in your classroom.

-         - To stimulate discussion of attitudes and feelings.

-       -   To encourage creativity and use of imagination.

-        -  To make internal association with people, places and times in our lives.

-        -  To help students to relax.

-          - To improve concentration

-         - To help people to listen for specific details.

Ideas for using songs in class

Vocabulary Training: Since most song lyrics are quite brief, it is possible for the students to translate the entire text into Norwegian, for instance. You could also give the students a copy of the lyrics but omit several words from it. 

Discussion: Choose a song where it is obvious that the listeners are supposed to take a stand, and prepare questions for the students to discuss. 

Introduction: When you are a starting a new topic in class, you could find a suitable song to use as part of your introduction or presentation. Make sure it contains some references that you can comment on later.

Sing: If you choose to work with a song that the students have heard before, you can of course sing it together in class. In addition to being an amusing break from the usual writing tasks, the students will practice pronunciation and intonation. 

Classic gap-fill: Every language student at some point has been given a song to listen to and the lyrics with gaps in for them to fill in as they listen. This activity is not as simple as it sounds and before making one yourself think about why you’re taking out certain words. It may be better to take out all the words in one group, such as prepositions or verbs, and tell students what they should be listening out for.

Order the verses: With low levels this is a very simple activity. Chop up the lyrics of the song by verse and give a small group of students the jumbled verses. As they listen they put them in order.

An example to use music in class

I think that a good option and song is “My Happy Ending” - Avril Lavigne, because you can find a story about a relationship and it has simple past tense. I love her because she sings very clearly and learners can understand her very fast.

Here is the lesson plan:

Stage	Procedure	Task	Interaction	Aims	Time
1	Write on the board the objective. Ask questions.	Ss have to answer the questions	T & Ss	Learners will practice their speaking	4 min.
2	Give the paper. Give the instructions for the activity. Check for comprenhension. Listen the song twice.	Ss have to listen the song and fill the blanks with the correct words. Compare the answers with a partner	T & Ss / Pairs	Learners will practice their listening and complete the song.	8 min.
3	Tell Ss to circle the past simple tense and compare with their partner.	Ss have to read the lyrics and circle the simple past and compare.	Pairs	Learners will practice their grammar.	4 min.
4	Ask questions about what the song is about.	Ss have to answer the questions. Work in pairs.	T& Ss / Pairs	Learners will practice their speaking.	4 min.

My Happy Ending

So much for my happy ending

Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

Let's talk this over

It's not like we're (1)_____

(2)_____ it something I did?

Was it something you(3)_____?

Don't leave me hanging

In a (4)______so dead

Held up so high 

On such a breakable thread

You (5)______ all the things I thought I (6)_____

And I thought we could be

[chorus:]

You (7)______everything, everything that I (8)_______

We were (9)_____to be, supposed to be, but we (10)______ it

And all the(11)_______, so close to me, just fade away

All this time you were (12)_______

So much for my happy ending

Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

You've (14)____ your dumb friends

I know what they say

They tell you I'm (15)________

But so are they

But they don't know me

Do they even know you?

All the things you hide from me

All the shit that you do

You were all the things I (16)______I knew

And I thought we could be

[chorus]

It's (17)_____ to know you were there

Thanks for acting like you (18)_______

And making me feel like I(19)______ the only one

It's nice to know we (20)_______ it all

Thanks for watching as I fall

And letting me know we were done

[chorus x2]

Now you can check your answers in the complete song:

My Happy Ending

So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

Let's talk this over
It's not like we're dead
Was it something I did?
Was it something you said?
Don't leave me hanging
In a city so dead
Held up up so high 
On such a breakable thread

You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought we could be

[chorus:]
You were everything, everything that I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it
And all the memories, so close to me, just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...


You've got your dumb friends
I know what they say
They tell you I'm difficult
But so are they
But they don't know me
Do they even know you?
All the things you hide from me
All the shit that you do

You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought we could be

[chorus]

It's nice to know you were there
Thanks for acting like you cared
And making me feel like I was the only one
It's nice to know we had it all
Thanks for watching as I fall
And letting me know we were done

[chorus x2]

Check the video:

Reflection:

I believe that is a good option to use songs in class because teachers can catch the student’s attention very fast. Students can develop their listening, grammar, writing skills and they can do many activities related to the song.