This presentation has always been a fav. of teachers. Here, I add a voiceover and summarizing some of the main points (ever so quickly). Click on the presention to listen and use the slideshow underneath to go to resources highlighting each point (by clicking on the photos). Additionally, the “song” tag gives post gives with more information about using song in our classrooms.
If you liked this post, you might like – Songs With Lyric Sheets
I’m a big fan of always exciting students with “possibility”. By that I mean, designing a lesson so that they can change and interact with the content in creative, personal ways. They can be touched by possibility – much like we are when online and using Web 2.0 tools.
One easy way to do this is to use music/song. A “change the lyrics” activity.
Basically there are 3 steps involved.
1. Teach the song in any way you see fit. It could be the typical listening cloze, Lastonestanding, karaoke or many other ways.
2. Have prepared on the board the chorus or one main part of the song. In front of the students rub out some main content words. Ask students to put in their own words for the song. Have fun!
3. Challenge students to do the same and then share.
Here are two already prepared examples. The first, very simple for the gospel classic, “This little light of mine”. The second more lengthy for “What a wonderful World”.
Whatever you do, have fun adapting a song – I know your students will!
This little little of mine song cards
Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0
Go here for the What a Wonderful World lesson.
Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0
This is a lovely music video of a fabulous and “quirky” Canadian singer, Jane Siberry. Just beautiful and slow – perfect for language learning. I’m also celebrating her because in the spirit of art and knowledge and love – she has just recently made her whole 16 album music collection FREE for downloading. Talk about progressive and a soulmate! Thank you Jane, my soul reaches out to you….
I fell in love with it (it is very recent, from March in the outback of Australia) and wanted to share it with students. Find below a nice organizer for getting students to brainstorm the qualities of “an angel”. Who might they consider an angel in their own life? Also, do some origami and get making some angels!
However, I’d like to discuss and share my ideas for subtitling with Windows Movie Maker. It is a tool that I use often, whenever I need to add text support and support my instruction for learners. Let me take you through the steps I took to make this video.
1. I downloaded the video in FLV high quality by using http://keepvid.com . Just enter the url of the youtube video and you will be provided with links to different qualities of the same video to download. If just downloading – use mp4, it is the most stable. If downloading to subtitle, download a high quality .flv.
2. Next, I used NCH’s videopad. It is free and this Australian company has the best suite of tools for working with audio and video available (also see their free wavepad for working with audio). Videopad is only free for 30 days but after that you still can use to convert to avi and .wmv. Both perfect for subtitling! Download and open the .flv in Videopad. Drag it to the editing area below and press “convert” . Select .avi format. Now, you’ve easily converted it to a format you can use with WMM.
3. Now you have an .avi video file. Next, if you have a windows based computer, click the “START” button and go into programs. Select “Windows Movie Maker”. It is standard and comes with all windows based. operating systems. In the case of the newer Windows 7 – you’ll have to download it HERE through Windows live.
4. Next add subtitles using WMM. Here is a nice tutorial. I think WMM has horrible subtitling options so I also get my own add ons by creating a special file and adding it to the WMM AddOnTFX folder (if not existing, just make your own). For the above video, I needed subtitles on the right and also lower. So I followed these instructions to add my own subtitling option into WMM by creating a nice .xml file. You can download these “different” and additional subtitling files to add to your program’s Movie Maker file HERE. The Movie Maker forum has loads of advice on using WMM. Check out the Titles area in particular. For example I downloaded THIS ONE long ago and made a TV inlay for a “LOVE TRAIN” video. (the animation will be another post 
)
5. After you have your subtitles on the video in WMM – click “file” and “save as movie”. Choose your format and make the movie! You are ready to upload onto your favorite video sharing site or just to use on your own computer and share with students.
Hope this helped somewhere but nonetheless – I hope you enjoyed this very special video. There are still angels out there!
** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1.
The Elephant Song — 150%!!!!
Eric Herman does a great job with his son. It is so engaging, even for adults. A song but with dialogue – it has it all.
Use in millions of ways:
1. Pause ask what is the right animal.
2. Watch, students write down the names of all the animals. Then organize or write sentences using “can” A monkey can…. etc…
3. Sing the song/rewrite the song using different animals.
4. Make/draw Wingdingdongdilly’s (animals with different body parts). Discuss as a group to review body part vocab.
5. Just enjoy!
** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1.
That’s The Way Uh huh, Uh huh, I like it.
I”ve been teaching and hawking the use of songs in education/esl/efl/even hell, for longer than I can even remember (farthest back I does remember is Ostrov nad Labem, 1993, cassette player that ate my tape in the middle of a workshop!).
During all this time, I was constantly confronted with the question to kill all wish of an answer, questions — what’s the best song for the EFL / ESL classroom?
Well I won’t hold you in suspense any longer. I’ve finally arrived at a definitive decision. A song that has stood the test of time, teacher’s incompetencies, student distraction and the comings and goings of various musical genres…. it is without a doubt – That’s the Way I like It by K.C. and the Sunshine Band.
This song has it all. A groove that you can’t forget, young or old. A simple language point – saying “I understand” by Uh Huh, Uh Huh… It also moves your hips! Further, it is suitable for singing in a group. Divide the class into 3 and then rock on! 1) That’s the way 2) Uh huh, uh huh 3) I like it Keep them going in sequence with the swing of your microphone….
This song is the ultimate earworm. You will NEVER get it out of your head. So teachers beware but at least students will have achieved something – a few lasting phrases…..
