Songs and other activities for regular and volunteer teachers of English
On this homepage you can get ideas on how to add more variation to your lessons. If you only want to use one thing here, try the first few songs.
The material covers two areas:
Pedagogical songs and TPR (Total Physical Response).
1. Songs (with lyrics to learn grammar and/or vocabulary)
The songs here are not just songs. They all contain useful grammar and/or vocabulary and therefore they should be sung not once or twice but many times over longer periods of time.
If you are a volunteer: Before you leave home, check out what kind of resources they have at your school. If you have access to big screens in your classrooms you can download a pdf file with all the lyrics to your laptop. If not, you can print the songs on A3 paper and glue them on pieces of cardboard (one song on the front and one on the back). But remember, this is a lot easier to do at home before you go instead of getting material and doing it in your new country. Once the songs are glued on cardboard they will keep and can be used for a long time, long after you are back home!
PDF file: Lyrics to songs in A4 to be printed in A3 and used as posters.
FILM: Watch a film with a couple of songs
The comments in this pdf file will help you to create talking exercises based on the lyrics in the songs.
PDF file: The lyrics to all the English songs with comments for teachers.
Sound files to some of the songs
Some of the songs you can sing yourself with the class but if you want to play the sound files you do that from your mobile if you bring along a small bluetooth speaker.
(If you use Chrome you can download the songs.)
01 Do you want to sing a song? (Melody: London bridge has fallen down)
Rhythm is good for learning
Clap your hands with …
Good morning, good morning, how are you today?
What’s your name?
Go, went, I have gone
Did you go? Yes, I went.
Here you find pdf files with all the lyrics for use on a big screen from a laptop.
PDF: Lyrics for a big screen
PDF: Lyrics for a big screen with Spanish translation
Karaoke
Here you have karaoke films with some of the songs.
Do you want to sing a song?
Where are you?
I am, you are, he is
The Alphabet
Did you see her?
Go went gone
In the morning
Sing when you choral read
The brain stores more and in different places if you use not only speech but melodies and rhythm when you learn something. Here is film that exemplifies how you can sing when you choral read with your classes.
FILM: How to sing and choral read at the same time.
2. An introduction to the use of TPR
PDF: TPR, an introduction and commands
FILM: Watch a film about different ways of using TPR
Click here if you want to download the films.
PDF: Easy ways to get your students talking more
Questions and comments: questions@myenglish.nu
About this page
© Örjan Hansson Läromedel AB, Sweden. Free use for non-commercial purposes.