1. TIPS FOR USING
SONGS IN CLASS
KATHIUSKA MURCIA CORTES

2. If you can commit to
using music once a week,
you may soon see the
benefits, and realize that
you want to do it more
often and in a variety of
ways.
Here are some activities
for you to try:

3. Focus it
• Have them think about the title of the song, in
groups or pairs. Find a picture that relates to the
subject of the song and have students make
guesses about it.

4. Highlight it
Get students to circle, underline or highlight
specific words or word categories.

5. Stop it
• Students must shout STOP any time they
hear one of the new words.
• You could also stop the song before a word
you want them to guess or detail.

6. Lip sync it
Have students lip
sync the song before
a team of judges in a
Class Idol show. This
allows them to
become familiar with
the words, rhythm,
stress and intonation
before actually
singing the words
out loud.

7. Strip it
Cut the song into strips and give each student
one strip to memorize. Students then organize
themselves in the right order, speak the song
and then listen and check.
When I see your face there's not a thing…
that I would change… …Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are… …And when you smile
the whole world stops… …and stares for a while
…Cause girl you're amazing Just the way you are.

8. Question it
• What is the best explanation for this: "I love
you just the way you are when not being just
the way you are"?

9. Gap it
You can prepare a
gapped version
of the lyrics and
let students
complete them
before listening
and then check
afterwards.

10. Draw it
Get students to draw or collage the
song and compare the visualizations in
class

11. REFERENCES AND
CIBRGRAPHY
• Lems, Kirsten, Using Music in the Adult ESL
Classroom, ERIC Digest, 2001.
• Medina, Suzanne L, The Effect of Music on Second
Language Vocabulary Acquisition, ‘National Network
for Early Language Learning’, Vol 6-3, 1993.
• Murphy, T (1992), The discourse op pop songs,
TESOL Quarterly 26”(4), 770-774.
• http:// www.englishclub.com/teaching-tips/music-
classroom.htm
• http://www.eslbase.com/articles/songs
• http://www.eslbase.com/articles/pop-songs