Using Music and Chants to
Teach Language:
Cataloging Your Music
Dr. Latricia Trites
Academic Advisor
Fulbright Yilan Project
2008-2009
Think Back
• What chants do you remember learning as
a child? (jumping rope, cheers, etc.)
– Peas Porridge Hot…
– Cinderella dressed in “yella”…
• What songs did you learn?
– Clean up…
– It’s time to wake up…
– London Bridge
– Ring Around the Rosy
Why Music and Chants?
• Motivation Issues
– Song/Chants are fun
– Songs are a part of any culture
– Students sing in groups, no fear of being singled out
• Language Issues
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Stress Patterns
Intonation
Rhythm
Language Chunks
Colloquial Expressions
Common Dialogues
• Learning Issues
– Songs stick in our memory
– Songs are repetitious
Write Your Own Chants
• Think of a common expression, activity, or
concept that you want the students to
learn.
• Keep your chant simple with only 3 to 4
beats per line.
• Keep the chant simple with only one
concept or idea.
• Take a few moments and write a NEW
chant that you could use for your
classroom.
DOs
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Do lead in activities to introduce topic of song or chant, to introduce important
vocabulary.
Sing or chant it through once or twice first for students. Give them a simple task while
they are listening - watching you do the actions may be a task in itself - you could be
their best visual support!
Encourage students to think of the most appropriate actions to accompany the words this
will give them some ‘ownership’ of the song and make it more memorable.
Build up to the whole class singing or chanting on their own. Here are some ideas:
– practice slowly at first to work on pronunciation
– have students repeat (singing or saying) each line after you - though depending on the song, it
may be better to practice verse by verse so as not to break spontaneity
– do some extra practice with bits that go fast or have tricky rhythm
– you sing the song and students do the motions only
– you chant or sing one line/verse and students do the next
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students clap or click their fingers to the beat while you chant or sing.
let them see the words and work on meaning through visuals, mime examples etc.
finally sing the whole song through a couple of times with you and/or on their own. And
do some follow-up activities: Writing the words, filling in the gaps, writing an extra
verse, changing words, drawing pictures, Oral activities using language in the chant or
song.
do a final round of the song at the end of class!
(www.britishcouncil.org/hongkong-eltnetwork-tips-for-using-songs-ho.doc)
DON’Ts
 Don't over-teach as you may ruin the fun of the song
or chant.
 Don't introduce too many new vocabulary items - 6
may be enough
 Don't choose a song unsuitable for the students' age
group/level.
 Don't select a song you hate. It will show!
 Don't expect students to join in immediately.
 Don't teach a song for which you can't remember the
words!
(www.britishcouncil.org/hongkong-eltnetwork-tips-for-using-songs-ho.doc)
Cataloging your Songs
• Think about what your songs can teach
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Vocabulary
Culture
Grammar
Discourse (dialogues)
Sentence Structure
Morphemes (word formation)
Phonemes (sounds – Phonics)
Stress, Rhythm, Intonation
• Create a catalog for your songs so that you can
easily access them for teaching
Cataloging Activity
• Look at the song “Part of Your World” from
The Little Mermaid
• Complete the catalog worksheet finding
the different things that can be taught
through this song.
Teaching with Songs Suggestions
• Make sure songs are age appropriate
– Disney Sing-a-longs
– High School Musical
• Check to make sure the lyrics are correct
• Teach the song using a cloze activity to teach a
particular grammar point or vocabulary list.
• Slow the song down
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
• Teach only the chorus
• www.youtube.com is your friend, also
www.teachertube.com
Lesson Planning
• Take a topic (not Halloween,
Thanksgiving, or Christmas).
• Find songs that would help you teach that
topic (Do not use “Hello/Goodbye” by the
Beatles).
• Explain how you would use the song to
teach the topic or concept.
LINKS
• http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
• http://www.jaltpublications.org/tlt/files/98/apr/sh_means.h
tml
• www.britishcouncil.org/hongkongeltnetwork-tips-for-using-songs-ho.doc