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Alicia Borraz Fabón

“Take It Easy”: Use Songs to Teach English as a SecondLanguage in Primary School

María del Mar Asensio Aróstegui

Facultad de Letras y de la Educación

Grado en Educación Primaria

2012-2013

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Trabajo de Fin de Grado

'Take It Easy': Use Songs to Teach English as a Second Language in

Primary School

Autor:

Alic ia Borraz Fabón

Tutor/es:

Fdo. María del Mar Asensio Aróstegui

Titulación: Grado en Educación Primaria [206G]

AÑO ACADÉMICO: 2012/2013

‘Take It Easy’: Use Songs to Teach English as a Second Language in Primary School. Alicia Borraz Fabón.

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RESUMEN

Cuántas veces hemos tenido la letra de una canción dentro de nuestra cabeza

durante días; o hemos escuchado a nuestras madres decirnos cuando éramos pequeños:

“si te supieras las lecciones como te sabes las canciones…” No cabe duda de que las

canciones, a través de su ritmo y musicalidad, contribuyen al aprendizaje y

memorización de estructuras lingüísticas, ¿por qué no aprovecharlo a la hora de adquirir

un nuevo lenguaje? Este es el objetivo principal de este trabajo: mostrar las grandes

ventajas que puedes llevar hasta una clase de inglés a través de una canción, la

importancia de motivar a los niños y transmitirles el gusto por aprender otro idioma a la

vez que disfrutan.

En primer lugar, se ha realizado un estudio teórico, empezando por citas

interesantes de autores expertos en el tema, para seguir hablando de conceptos

importantes como la motivación o las ventajas que aportan las canciones en el aula.

En segundo lugar, se ha procedido al desarrollo del trabajo, los métodos que voy

a seguir, los objetivos y, sobre todo, las actividades que voy a realizar en cada uno de

los tres ciclos, ya que pienso que hay grandes cambios cognitivos y personales en estas

edades y que difieren mucho las necesidades y gustos en cada uno de los ciclos. Por

ello, creo que, separando las canciones en franjas de dos años (de 6 a 8, de 8 a 10 y de

10 a 12), se facilita la formación y adaptación del alumno.

A partir de todo lo trabajado y estudiado en estas páginas, termino extrayendo

algunas conclusiones, que pienso interesantes, para todo aquel interesado en el tema.

Palabras clave: inglés como lengua extranjera, enseñanza, aprendizaje, canción,

Educación Primaria, motivación, actividades.


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ABSTRACT

How many times have we had the lyrics of a song in our head for days? Or how

many times have we heard our mothers telling us when we were kids: “If you knew the

lessons as you know the songs…” There is no doubt that songs, through their rhythm

and musicality, contribute to the learning and memorization of linguistic structures.

Thus why not taking advantage of this when we want to acquire a new language? This

is the main objective of this essay: to show the great benefits that you extract from a

song in an English classroom, the importance of motivating children and to pass on the

joy of learning another language, while enjoying.

Firstly, there has been a theoretical study, beginning with interesting remarks

from expert authors on the subject, to continue talking about important concepts such as

motivation or the advantages that songs bring to the classroom.

Secondly, the development and corpus of the essay has been carried out; that is

to say, the different methods that I will follow, the aims and, above all, the activities

that I have prepared for each of the three stages. I think that there are huge personal and

cognitive changes in children aged 6-12 and, therefore, their needs and tastes in each

stage are very different. So, separating songs in periods of two years (from 6-8, 8-10

and 10-12) facilitates pupils’ formation and adaptation.

From everything worked and studied in these pages, I have drawn some

conclusion which I believe will be interesting for anyone interested in this topic.

Keywords: English as a Second Language, teaching, learning, song, Primary school,

motivation, activities.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... p. 7

2. General aims .......................................................................................................... p. 9

3. Theoretical framework ........................................................................................... p. 11

3.1. Some general features of Primary school pupils ........................................... p. 11

3.2. Some theories on children’s language learning ............................................ p. 12

3.2.1. Jean Piaget .......................................................................................... p. 12

3.2.2. Lev Vygotsky ...................................................................................... p. 13

3.2.3. Jerome Bruner ..................................................................................... p. 14

3.2.4. How do Primary school pupils learn a second language? ................... p. 14

3.3. Using songs to teach English as a second language ...................................... p. 15

4. Project development: ‘Take It Easy: Use Songs” ................................................. p. 19

4.1. Introduction ................................................................................................... p. 19

4.2. Aims .............................................................................................................. p. 20

4.3. The choice of method .................................................................................... p. 21

4.4. Songs and activities ....................................................................................... p. 24

4.4.1. Stage 1: Songs and activities for pupils aged 6-8 ............................... p. 24

4.4.2. Stage 2: Songs and activities for pupils aged 8-10 ............................. p. 27

4.4.3. Stage 3: Songs and activities for pupils aged 10-12 ........................... p. 41

5. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. p. 49

6. References ............................................................................................................. p. 51

7. Appendixes ........................................................................................................... p. 55


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1. INTRODUCTION

Primary School in Spain covers learning for all children aged 6-12. The Spanish

national curriculum for Primary schools has been established by the “Real Decreto

1513/2006, de 7 de diciembre, por el que se establecen las enseñanzas mínimas de la

Educación primaria”. Among other things, this national law sets out:

the main objectives to be achieved in Primary education,

the subjects that should be taught at schools,

the knowledge, skills and understanding the child should achieve in each subject

according to the child’s age,

the timetable,

the ways and moments in which learning has to be assessed.

English as a second language constitutes one of the six subjects that the national

curriculum sets out for Primary education. This subject is divided into four different but

interrelated areas of study, which are presented in the table below (Table 1):

1 Listening, speaking and talking to/with others.

2 Reading and writing.

3 Knowledge of the English language.

4 Knowledge of sociocultural aspects and intercultural conscience.

Table 1. English as a second language in Primary school: established areas of study. (RD 1513/2006, de 7 de diciembre)

The curriculum for Primary school is divided into three stages. Each stage is

taught during two years for a specific age group. Within each stage the curriculum

establishes the amount of hours that will be dedicated to the teaching of each subject.

The table below represents the curriculum for the teaching of English as a second

language in Primary school (Table 2):

Stages Age groups Years Hours

Stage 1 6-8 1st and 2nd years 105

Stage 2 8-10 3rd and 4th years 140

Stage 3 10-12 5th and 6th years 140

Table 2. The three stages for the teaching of English as a second language in Primary School. (RD 1513/2006, de 7 de diciembre)


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The national curriculum also establishes that the main objectives in teaching

English as a second language will be the development of the following skills (Table 3):

1 To listen and understand messages in different verbal interactions, using the

received information to carry out specific tasks related to their own experience.

2 To express themselves and interact orally in simple, ordinary situations with a

familiar content and development, using verbal and non-verbal methods and

adopting a respectful and cooperative attitude.

3 To write different texts with different finalities about themes which will have

been previously dealt with in the classroom and with the use of models.

4 To read comprehensively different texts, related to their experiences and

interests, extracting from them general and specific information in accordance

with a prior aim.

5 To learn progressively how to use with autonomy every resource they may have

at hand, new technologies included, in order to obtain information and to

communicate in a second language.

6 To value the foreign language, and languages in general, as means of

communication and understanding among people from different backgrounds

and cultures and as a tool for the learning of specific contents.

7 To show a receptive and trustful attitude towards their own learning capacity

and towards the use of the second language.

8 To put former knowledge and experiences with other languages to the service of

a faster, more efficient and autonomous second language acquisition.

9 To identify phonetic, rhythmical, accentual and intonational aspects, as well as

linguistic structures and lexical aspects of the second language in order to use

them as basic elements of communication.

Table 3. Main objectives behind the teaching of English as a second language in Primary school. (RD 1513/2006, de 7 de diciembre)

Taking all the aforementioned elements into account, the following essay deals

with the use of songs as a means to teach English in Primary school, paying special

attention to the above mentioned areas of study, the different stages and age groups, and

offering a project that develops some of the above mentioned skills and is liable to be

put into practice in a real classroom.


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2. GENERAL AIMS

This essay has as its main objective to show that songs may become a very

useful tool when teaching English as a second language to Primary school pupils.

During my internship, I could experience in person that the use of songs is useful in an

English class. Thus, I will mention real examples of the advantages I could observe in

using songs to learn a second language.

Consequently, I firmly believe in the utility of songs as valuable and beneficial

resources in the process of learning a second language. The use of music in the

classroom has numerous advantages. The benefits of using songs in the English class

are obviously linguistic, since they help pupils to distinguish different phonemes and

stress patterns and favour the unconscious acquisition of otherwise difficult issues such

as pronunciation, rhythm and intonation; they offer grammatical structures which are

repeated once and again and are therefore easily absorbed in their minds; and they

introduce lexical items in context, which facilitates the correct use of such items in their

future utterances. Yet, linguistic benefits, although being extremely important, are not

the only benefits that can be achieved from the use of songs in the English classroom.

Psychological benefits like motivation, social participation, confidence building or

memory development also deserve being mentioned as an important part of the learning

process.

Another positive element of using songs in the English classroom is the fact that

it is inexpensive because, normally, each classroom already has access to the Internet or

has a radiocassette. Taking into consideration the present moment of economical crisis

we are living through, I consider that it is important to make use of as many economical

resources as possible.

Nevertheless, choosing the correct song for each specific session is really

important. The choice of songs, as well as of the activities related to them, has to be

carried out taking into account the age group, skill level and features of the pupils. I

think that pupils in each age group have specific features that must be had in mind. So,

the development of my project will be composed of three separate parts, which will

coincide with the three stages in Primary school already mentioned.

To sum up, the aim of this essay is to show that using songs as a learning tool in

an English classroom is a good election to motivate our students, and to increase their

interest in the study of English not only in Primary school but also during the rest of


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their lives. Besides, the use of songs can be recommended for several reasons: the lyrics

tend to be composed of brief sentences and have a repetitive structure that encourages

pupils to imitate the pronunciation and intonation of English in a correct way and that

helps them to memorize the linguistic structures and lexicon used.


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3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

In this part of the essay, I want to support my project by making reference to

some general features of Primary school pupils, firstly; then, to different authors who

theorize about children’s language learning, on the one hand, and about the advantages

of using songs as a productive English teaching tool in Primary school, on the other;

and, finally, to several teaching methods which I consider especially useful when

teaching English as a second language with the use of songs. To do this, I have used

both digital documents and paper documents, but all of them have been, in general

terms, specialised texts about the topic.

3.1. Some general features of Primary school pupils

Primary school pupils are children aged 6-12. This is an age period commonly

referred to as middle childhood. As W. Andrew Collins explains, “the implicit grouping

of ages 6-12 appears to be neither an idiosyncratic invention of Western cultures nor

merely a category by default among arbitrarily defined periods of human development.

Rather, these years universally mark a distinctive period between major developmental

transition points” (1984: 1). This idea of a distinct developmental period has its

theoretical basis on the works of such authors as Jean Piaget, to whom we will be

coming back in the next section. The most important thing to point out here is that

children are in a continuous developmental process which, furthermore, differs in each

child. Nevertheless, it can be safe to provide a few general features which may be

common to Primary school pupils and which have to be taken into account when in the

classroom.

In general terms, Primary school pupils are more independent and physically

active than preschool pupils. This means that they like activities in which they have to

do something. Besides, they are imaginative, curious and involved in their own learning

process; in this sense, teachers should stimulate both their imagination and their

curiosity towards the subject taught, in order to encourage their desire to discover new

things and learn from them. At this period, children already have a more mature and

logical way of thinking.

Even though their thinking becomes more complex, children in this age group

still think in concrete terms. This means they are most concerned with things that are

“real” rather than with ideas. It is very important to provide them with authentic

material (realia) to create in class every day situations in real contexts and to encourage


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them to use their senses as a means to identify things better.

Primary school pupils like to imitate adults and they can be very good at it

because they are uninhibited, that is to say, they do not feel embarrassed when doing so.

This means that teachers can use patterns of repetition and imitation in class with very

successful results.

Primary school pupils are less individualistic than preschool pupils and they love

to share their own experiences with friends and classmates. In this sense, teachers

should use those personal experiences as a means to encourage pupils to communicate

with others both orally and in writing. Personal experiences and likes could also be a

source of class material.

3.2. Some theories on children’s language learning

We can observe that there are different theories related to children’s language

learning. I have read some books about this and I think that the one written by Lynne

Cameron, Teaching Languages to Youn Learners (2001), is the book that best describes

the similarities and differences between an author and another. For my essay, I am

especially interested in the theories of Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner because they

complement one another. Then I present some interesting ideas about how children

learn a second language.

3.2.1. Jean Piaget

As it has already been mentioned, Jean Piaget and his theory of cognitive

development have had an enormous influence on the study of children’s learning

process. As Collins explains, “in Piaget’s view the significant psychological

developments of middle childhood are in the realm of intellectual competence. The goal

of most of the research emanating from Piaget’s theory has been understanding the

logical model of intellectual functioning; indeed, the major contribution of Piaget-

inspired shcolars has been an image of the child at every stage of development as an

active, integrating organism in interaction with the environment” (1984: 4).

Piaget’s concern was with the relation that children have with the world that

surrounds them and their actions. Different factors influence their mental development,

such as biological factors, educational and cultural factors, and the socio-familiar

factors. All of them provide children with strategies to solve problems. “What happens

early on with concrete objects continues to happen in the mind, as problems are


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confronted internally and action taken to solve them or think them through” (Cameron

2001: 3).

Although some of Piaget’s theories have been criticised for underestimating

what children are capable of doing, what interests me about his theories is that they

divided children’s capacities in different knowledge stages: “At each stage, the child is

capable of some types of thinking but still incapable of others” (Cameron 2001: 3).

A second interesting theory is that Piaget, in my opinion, contributed to the best

understanding of children’s features in the teaching-learning process: “We can take

from Piaget the very important idea of the child as an active learner and thinker,

constructing his or her own knowledge from working with objects or ideas” (Cameron

2001: 4).

Children have the desire to talk and ask questions, they want to know

everything, including a different language, and teachers have the responsibility of taking

advantage of all this. Furthermore, normally, students depend on the school as the only

place where they learn a second language, so, teachers have a powerful position to make

their learning of English a positive, stimulating and successful experience by making

use of their desire to learn.

3.2.2. Lev Vygotsky

If I had to summarize Lev Vygotsky’s theory, I would say that he stresses the

importance of social interaction in the development of children cognition. The idea that

human development is only explained from social interaction is the basic idea in his

work. The development consists on the use of cultural tools, like language, which

belong to the human group. Thus we learn through social interaction.

According to Cameron, “Vygotsky’s views of children development differ from

Piaget’s in the importance he gives to language and to other people in the child’s world”

(2001: 5). For Vygotsky, language has a double function in cognitive development. On

the one hand, it is a tool by means of which adults trasmit information to children.

“Language provides the child with a new tool, opens up new opportunities for doing

things and for organising information through the use of words as symbols” (Cameron

2001: 5). On the other hand, language becomes a tool of intellectual development.

Cameron also explains that Vygotsky’s idea of the ZPD (zone of proximal

development): “Rather than measuring intelligence by what a child can do alone,

Vygotsky suggested that intelligence was better measured by what a child can do with


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skilled help. Different children at the same point in development will make different

uses of the same help from an adult” (2001: 6). It is clear, then, that the teacher has a

huge responsibility in this social interaction in order to make the most of all our

students.

I totally agree with Vygotsky’s theories on the importance of social interaction

in the development of children cognition. That is why I think that teachers should

interact with children through language, the second language, in the classroom; they

should communicate with them, and show them that they can communicate and share

their experiences with friends and classmates, as well as with people all over the world.

We want to teach our students that language, and English language in particular, is an

open door to the world.

3.2.3. Jerome Bruner

Jerome Bruner was heavily influenced by both Piaget’s theory about children’s

developmental stages and Vygotsky’s ideas that language is the most important tool for

cognitive growth and that children can do a lot more when they receive skilled help.

However, what interests me more about Bruner’s theory is the importance he gives to

routines, as a useful method for Primary school, above all, in the lower stages.

As Bruner said, “Routines then can provide opportunities for meaningful

language development; they allow the child to actively make sense of new language

from familiar experience and provide a space for language growth. Routines will open

up many possibilities for developing language skills”. (Cameron 2001: 11)

Children learn through routines, which are based on imitation and repetition.

Pupils imitate and repeat what they see and hear in the classroom, which explains why,

by means of songs, we can teach them more than we believe.

3.2.4. How do Primary school pupils learn a second language?

To begin with, I would like to quote Jayne Moon, who has extracted some ideas

from a group of teachers attending an international summer school which I believe that

could be interesting: Children learn a foreign language…

‘…in a natural way, the same way they learn their own language.’

‘…through being motivated. It depends on the teacher’s style. If the teacher

motivated them they would learn fast or quicker.’

‘…by listening and repeating.’


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‘…by imitating the teacher. They want to please the teacher. They feel

embarrassed when they make mistakes.’

‘…by doing and interacting with each other in an atmosphere of trust and

acceptance, through a variety of interesting and fun activities for which they see the

purpose.’

‘…through translating sentences into their own language.’ (2000:3)

To learn a second language in a natural way the teacher has to use that language,

English in our case, as the primary, if not the only, communicative tool in class. This is

why I have found the following reflection by Michael Rost really interesting: “As

teachers, we need a comprehensive image of what we do in order to help students

develop their listening ability. (…) Talk to your students in English. Talk to all your

students – not just the better English speakers” (1991: 7; emphasis in the original).

Howard Gardner once said: “It is not how intelligent you are, but how you are

intelligent”. Two students cannot learn in exactly the same way. However, students, in

their “aural/musical” category will have a lot of benefits from learning through songs.

They are strong in singing, picking up sounds, remembering melodies and rhythms.

They like all of this (www.hltmag.co.uk).

Hans Mol has pointed out some interesting aspects about using songs in the

English classroom: “Songs are part of daily life for most people. Who doesn’t enjoy

music at home, while travelling or studying, or even at work? Language teachers can

use songs to open or close their lessons, to illustrate themes and topics, to add variety or

a change of pace, present new vocabulary or recycle known language”

(www.hltmag.co.uk).

Besides, lived experiences are essential for children and teenagers. Thus, pupils

will always remember “The songs sung and the occasions on which singing is done”

(Fries 1945: 59).

3.3. Using songs to teach English as a second language

As I have already said, the use of songs at school has a huge range of benefits. If

we visit www.tefltunes.com, we can find twenty reasons why we should use songs more

often in our lessons. I would like to begin by referring to what is, in my opinion, the

most important advantage of using songs as a productive English teaching tool in

Primary school: music, in general, and songs, in particular are an extraordinary vehicle

of children’s motivation. At any point in our lives, everybody has confirmed that with

motivation everything is better. We can remember a wonderful teacher who taught us


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from a motivational perspective, and how, at the end of the term, we got high marks

because of that. In this way, all of us know that motivation is the best vehicle for

learning: “most students are highly motivated by song-based activities, which they

perceive to be fun” (www.tefltunes.com 2010).

Using songs to teach English breaks with the daily routine and adds new

elements such as enjoyment or fun. “Children have a great capacity to enjoy themselves.

When they are enjoying themselves, they are usually absorbed by the activity and want

to continue with it. They are not always aware that they are learning a language” (Moon

2000: 6). The article in eHow (1999-2013), titled “How to Use Songs when Teaching

English as a Second Language”, offers “different tools to teach conversation,

vocabulary, English grammar, and concepts”. Thus, “Using music and song is one of

the tools you can use to teach English to your class, regardless of the age of the learner.

Music is a tie that binds all cultures and languages and therefore, one of the best ways to

make learning English fun” (www.ehow.com).

Furthermore, as Suzanne L. Medina notes, “the use of music in language classes

puts students at ease, makes them more attentive and can increase their desire to learn a

language. Music offers a multifaceted way to look at the language and can be used to

reinforce and improve speaking, listening comprehension, vocabulary and phrasing”

(www.ehow.com). Teachers can improve the four skills, and also pupils’ memorization

through repetition.

Another significant reason to use songs in the English classroom is that “Music

can help language learners to learn good pronunciation. Melodies and rhymes guide

learners to speak in a native cadence” (Farrug 2008 in www.tefltunes.com 2010). It

serves, too, to create a good atmosphere in the class and to calm pupils down.

Robert Lake has also pointed out that “Music with lyrics engages both sides of

the brain so it becomes a powerful learning tool” (2003 in www.tefltunes.com 2010).

This means that, through the use of music with lyrics, we can clear up pupils’ heads and

make them gain strength before starting a new lesson, for example.

As I have already said, the choice of songs is a very relevant issue for the

success of the English class. In this respect, it is sometimes interesting to allow pupils,

especially those in stage 3, to choose the song or songs they want to work with.

According to Tim Murphey,


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Using the student’s choice has several advantages:

- Music and song are ‘tools for living’, and the topic holds great value, especially

when students select the material.

- Allowing them to choose gives them some responsibility, involves them in the

lesson more, and gives school relevance to their everyday lives and concerns.

- By looking at music and song critically, with student-generated criteria, we can

also help them to develop the means to sort out the good from the bad.

- For the teacher, it can be a tremendous learning experience in which the students

actually teach the subject matter (their songs and music), while the teacher is a resource for

the language.

- Handing material in this way equalizes the encounter between students and

teachers (Thomas 1984), creating mutual respect and approximating the more equal

interactions that they find outside the classroom.

- It reduces the teacher-time and work spent searching for materials which may not

have as much appeal as those which students themselves contribute. (1992: 14)

To sum up, although different authors have different opinions about this topic,

all of them agree on the idea that thanks to music and songs, children enjoy learning

English and can practice their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. It is true

that music can have some disadvantages because, for example, it can disturb people in

the class next-door or, if you choose an inadequate song, you may not get the expected

benefit from this material. However, we can affirm that, in general, and with a correct

use of it, the presence of music in the classroom is very positive, because it helps to

develop the pupils’ expressive, linguistic, motor, and intellectual skills. As teachers, our

final objective is to achieve the integral formation of our students, and music is a good

vehicle to do so.


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4. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: “TAKE IT EASY: USE SONGS!”

4.1. Introduction

When we were children, learning English as a foreign language was a really

boring and uninteresting task. The methodology used to teach the subject rested on

grammar exercises, which were boring to death, and written compositions, for which no

previous explanation or tip was given. Nothing was done to improve our listening or

speaking skills, apart from the fact that we corrected some written activities by reading

them aloud in the classroom. Students usually worked on grammar exercises on their

own and read stories in English. We practised our reading skills in class, but the main

aim was the literal translation of those stories to the first language, without any attempt

at introducing pupils to the specific expressions and culture of the foreign language.

Besides, we also learnt enormous lists of vocabulary by heart, which lacked any

communicative sense. All this turned this subject into something horrible and boring to

tears, because we could not see the beautiful part of learning a language, only the tough,

useless one. Teachers, parents and students were all jaded with this situation.

Fortunately, a considerable change in education has happened at schools during

the last years. Today, lessons are taught in the second language, more bilingual schools

are opened, children speak a lot, listen to songs, stories and different tales… They can

see the meaning of learning a second language. They are able to communicate and they

really love it, they feel comfortable in the English classes, they feel at ease with these

lessons, they are no longer fed up or demotivated.

In this process of change, songs can have an important function in the class,

because through songs and music, children can learn vocabulary, grammatical

structures, ordinary expressions... Songs contain common colloquialisms that, once

acquired, can be used and reproduced in ordinary speech. Songs introduce a huge range

of advantages from the learning point of view and they can be a very versatile material,

because they allow us to practise the four English skills: listening, writing, speaking and

reading.


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4.2. Aims

When we learn a second language our main objective is to manage to

communicate with people who speak that language. English can be tedious, tiresome,

monotonous, laborious and certainly difficult for some students, which is why teachers

have the responsibility of making it funnier. There are different tools to improve pupils’

speaking, listening comprehension, vocabulary and grammar skills and music is one of

the best ways to make learning fun.

Nevertheless, apart from motivating my pupils and helping them to enjoy the

process of English learning, I want to achieve the next aims with my musical activities:

1. To teach English through songs. Songs will help learners to become familiar

with English sounds and their pronunciation.

2. To develop children’s memory and concentration through rhythms and

musicality.

3. To develop children’s physical co-ordination and development by performing

the actions of a song, they can turn around, clap their hands… (Total Physical

Response).

4. To learn chunks or meaningful phrases instead of isolated words.

5. To make the English language seem less daunting.

6. To get an enjoyable atmosphere instead of the one caused by the use of

traditional teaching methods.

7. To decide on the songs that can be used and the songs that can be played,

taking into account both students age and the English language skill level of the class.

8. To determine what we want to teach, to remember chunks of language which

they can then use when speaking or in writing.

9. To choose a suitable song. The lyrics must be in conversation clear.

10. To socialize with songs in English, for the reason that students can

participate in a group and express their feelings.

11. To enlarge cognitive learning, to became to make automatic to produce

language rapidly.

All these goals are interrelated in the sense that they look for the same final

purpose: to make children enjoy learning English and to make the quality of education

better. When teaching English as a second language, you have to be very creative so as

to keep pupils’ interest and motivation.


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4.3. The choice of method

As I had always thought and I have confirmed after having experienced my

internship, children memorize and assimilate better lexical and grammatical structures

which would be really difficult to digest in other contexts, when they listen to them in

songs: for example, body parts, week days, jobs, expressions related to the weather or to

one’s personal life and emotions…This is easier when you learn it as you sing!

The best way to learn a second language, English in this case, is total linguistic

immersion. Children need to get involved with this language to understand the main

ideas and be able to follow the explanations through gestures, images, synonyms…

When organising an English class, it is important to distiguish between syllabus

and method, or methodology, since “There has been a tendency historically to equate

methodology with method” (Nunan 1991: 3). As David Nunan points out,

“Traditionally, a distinction has been drawn between syllabus and methodology: the

former concerning itself with the selection and grading of linguistic and experiential

content, the latter with the selection and sequencing of learning tasks and activities. In

other words, syllabus design is concerned with what, why and when; methodology is

concerned with how” (1991: 2).

As I have already explained in the introduction to this essay, the syllabus for the

teaching of English in Primary school, that is to say, the “what, why and when”, is

established by the “Real Decreto 1513/2006, de 7 de diciembre, por el que se establecen

las enseñanzas mínimas de la Educación primaria” and developped by the “Decreto

4/2011, de 28 de enero, por el que se establece el Currículo de la Educación Primaria en

la Comunidad Autónoma de La Rioja”. This means that the English teacher has very

little choice with regard to the syllabus. However, he or she can choose the method or

methods which best suit their pupils. Thus, as Jack C. Richards points out, the goal of

many language teachers is to find the right method” (1987: 11).

Firstly, then, it is necessary to explain that a method refers to the overall plan for

the proper presentation of language material, a way of proceeding or doing something.

There are different groups depending on the focus. Secondly, it is necessary to decide

on the method or methods that will best suit the development of my project. In this

sense, the book Inglés. Complementos de formación disciplinar. Theory and Practice in

English Language Teaching (2011), coordinated by Susan House, has been especially

useful. From all the different possibilities that the book offers, and taking into account


22

that the clue to success is to be capable of extracting the best or most appropriate parts

of each one of them, there are four methods that have called my attention especially: the

“Direct method”, the “Audio-lingual method”, the “Silent way” and “Total Physical

Response”.

The first method I will be using is the direct method which is also sometimes

called “natural method”. Webster’s New English Dictionary provides the following

definition: “Direct Method is a method of teaching a foreign language, especially a

modern language, through conversations, discussion, and reading in the language itself,

without the use of the pupil’s language, without translation and without the study of

formal grammar. The words are taught by pointing to objects or pictures or by

performing actions” (in Fries 1945: 7).

Revising the history of English language teaching methodology, Sonsoles

Sánchez-Reyes points out that the direct method “was an attempt to set up conditions

that imitate mother tongue acquisition by a total immersion technique” (in House 2011:

31). Sánchez-Reyes further explains that “In the direct method, students learn how to

think in the target language without involving L1 in the language learning process.

There is a direct connection between concepts and the language to be learned” (in

House 2011: 31; emphasis in the original). This method rejects the written word in the

early learning stages.

For these reasons, from the direct method I will take the idea that English as a

second language has to be taught only in English, that is to say, using only the second

language in class, complemented with teaching resources such as flashcards, pictures or

pantomime, above all. These resources are essential for the learning of vocabulary, they

make language learning easier and it is fun because children learn vocabulary without

the necessity of a dictionary or something written, so, they improve their oral skills

which is what we want, especially in the lower stages.

The second method I will be using is the audio-lingual method or “aural-oral

method”. According to Sánchez-Reyes, With the audiolingual method, students learn the foreign language through extensive

repetition of a variety of drills so as to project the linguistic patterns of the language into

their minds to form a habit. In audiolingualism there is no explicit grammar instruction: the

teacher presents the correct model of a decontextualised sentence (usually in the language

lab), introducing new words for the students to sample in the same structure, and the

students repeat it until they can use it spontaneously in error-free utterances with the correct


23

pronunciation. (in House 2011: 32; emphasis in the original)

Since the audio-lingual method consists on the repetition of linguistic patterns

with the purpose of creating a linguistic habit in pupils’ minds, it is a very useful

method when teaching English from songs. The teacher presents the correct pattern of a

sentence and pupils will have to repeat it, first, until they are capable of introducing

some variations. Pupils will learn different grammar structures, idioms and expressions

from each song. Listening to each song once and again pupils will memorize structures

and words and will be capable of repeating them automatically. Thus, routine,

reiteration and imitation are key elements here.

The third method I will be using is called the “Silent Way”, a pedagogical

approach created by the Egyptian mathematician Caleb Gattegno. This method “aimed

to develop human values, self-awareness and empathy, sensitivity to feelings and

emotions, and student involvement in their own learning” (House 2011: 33). In this

method, the use of the mother tongue is not allowed, either. The teacher concentrates on

what the students say and how they are saying it, drawing their attention to the

differences in pronunciation and the flow of words and encouraging them to correct

their own mistakes and that of their classmates. Songs are a very useful tool to learn the

pronunciation of individual words, rhythmical patterns and even accentual variation.

This method also emphasises the autonomy of the learner and encourages pupils to have

an active role not only in class but also at home by means of simple exercises based on

the songs used in class which they can carry out on their own and with other family

members.

Finally, I will also be using another method which is called Total Physical

Response, in which lessons are organised around grammar, especially verbs. This

method emphasises the importance of listening to acquire a new language and does not

force pupils to speak in the early stages of the learning process. “Total Physical

Response (TPR) is a language teaching method built around the coordination of speech

and action; it attempts to teach language through physical (motor) activity (…) A

method that is undemanding in terms of linguistic production and that involves

gamelike movements, reduces learner stress (…) and creates a positive mood in the

learner, which facilitates learning” (Richards & Rodgers 2001: 73). This method is

especially useful to develop pupils’ self-confidence and to reduce their stress and offers

the possibility of moving around while learning, through the coordination of linguistic


24

skills and physical action.

Summing up, my teaching method will be based on the following ideas: using

the second language as the primary communicative tool with pupils; using gestures and

mimic to help understand new vocabulary; using routines, imitation and repetition to

make grammatical structures automatic in the pupils; and encouraging pupils to have an

active role in the activities, not only during the class but also once they are at home with

their families.

4.4. Songs and activities

It has already been made clear that this project has to be carried out taking into

account the three stages in which Primary education is divided:

First stage: pupils aged 6 to 8.

Second stage: pupils aged 8 to 10.

Third stage: pupils aged 10 to 12.

I have decided to make this distinction because students have different cognitive

features depending on their age-group, and I am convinced that it is essential to make a

differentiation in the choice of songs, the activities and the teaching method used in

each of them. Thus, Harley et al. have pointed out that “In studies of immersion

language learning, younger children (7-8 years) seem to pay more attention to sound

and prosody (the music of an utterance), whereas older children (12-14 years) are more

attentive to cues of word order” (1995:10).

I want to guide my essay towards a practice with children that will have as a

purpose to use mainly songs as a vehicle to make pupils feel closer to English. The use

of a song in each stage will require different sessions, in which children will be

encouraged to enjoy learning English and will show no fear, concern, embarrassment or

rejection of this subject.

My project will be based on routines (hello and bye songs), vocabulary songs (to

learn new vocabulary with each song), and grammatical songs (to learn different

structures like questions, answers and other linguistic structures.

4.4.1. Stage 1: Songs and activities for pupils aged 6-8

Young children are usually already familiar with rhymes and songs in their first

language. Using them in English lessons provides a link between home and school, and

helps to create a secure environment for learning. For very young learners (aged 6 to 8),

using songs that are repetitive and easy to understand helps them with pronunciation,


25

vocabulary and grammar. They understand mostly from what they receive through their

senses, that is to say, through sight, hearing or touch and from interaction rather than

from explanation. “Children are naturally curious and active. They eagerly explore their

environment and interact with people who help them to construct their understanding of

the world they live in. An important way in which they do this is through physical

activity and experiencing things at first hand” (Moon 2000: 7). They have a low

concentration span, so, a wide variety of activities is needed to keep their attention.

In this first stage, English songs will be mainly used to set the frame for the

English class, regardless of the fact that pupils will also learn from these songs. “Hello”

songs will be used at the beginning of the class and “Bye-bye” songs will be used at the

end of the class.

4.4.1.1. Hello Song: activities

“It’s time for English”

“It’s time for English,

clap your hands.

It’s time for English,

turn around.

It’s time for English,

one, two, three.

Stop! Look! And listen to me!”1

The first activity is the song’s presentation. The teacher uses the Direct method,

and, with pantomime, he or she represents or symbolizes the different actions described

in the song while the pupils listen to it. In order to help students understand what they

hear, flashcards with images representing the actions sung will be stuck on the

blackboard. Flashcards will not have any word, just images because, at this stage, I want

to lay more emphasis on sound and meaning than on writing. (See Appendix 1)

When the pupils have listened to the song and seen the teacher’s example as to

the movements, they listen to the song again, and now, they stand up, sing and dance

with the teacher. This is a Total Physical Response activity, considering that children

combine the use of language with physical movement.

These two activities will be repeated all through the term as the starting point of

1 The lyrics of the song are included in the teacher’s book: Find Out 1, cd1, track 9.


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each English lesson.

4.4.1.2. Bye-bye Song: activities

“It Is Time to Say Good-Bye”

(Tune: “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain”)

Clap your hands.

stomp your feet.

It is time to say good-bye to all my friends.


It is time to say good-bye,

Give a smile and wink your eye.


Good bye, friends.

Yee haw!2

We follow the same steps as with the hello song. The teacher uses pantomime

and shows the rest of the class how they could sing and dance this song at the end of

each class of the term. Flashcards can help to make the memorization of the actions

easier. They will be stuck on the board during the whole term. (See Appendix 2)

After the song presentation, the pupils stand up and repeat what the teacher has

done, imitating him or her. Children become familiar with English pronunciation and

accent at the same time as they enjoy and share a good moment with their classmates.

Furthermore, some days, we can try to do something different. For example:

a) the teacher can point a finger at the flashcards and the students make the

appropriate gesture and tell the sentence that corresponds to the picture in the song; or

b) one pupil goes up to the board instead of the teacher and he or she becomes

the example to imitate that day;

c) some other days, we can also sing the song without listening to it first; in this

way, we can confirm that pupils really know the lyrics. Through direct observation, the

teacher can make an assessment about the internalization of the songs.

With the hello song and bye-bye song routines, the following aims are achieved:

1. Pupils become familiar with English sounds and their pronunciation.

2. Children’s memory and concentration is developed through rhythm and music.

2 The lyrics of the bye-bye song have been taken from www.songsforteaching.com.


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3. Children’s physical co-ordination is developed.

4. Chunks or meaningful phrases, instead of isolated words, are learnt.

5. English is perceived as less daunting.

6. An enjoyable atmosphere is created.

10. Children express their feelings in English and socialize in a group.

Thus, on the one hand, pupils automatically associate the song with English. The

song helps them change their mind from other subjects that have nothing to do with

English and are ready to start the lesson of the day in a happy mood. In only a few

minutes, the teacher creates a perfect atmosphere to teach English. Likewise, “Ending

the class with this warm, simple song is a great way to send students off with

confidence and positive feelings” (www.supersimplelearning.com).

On the other hand, both songs “It’s time for English” and “It Is Time to Say

Good-Bye” help pupils to learn the meaning and the correct pronunciation of some

basic words and expressions like “It’s time for…” and to become familiar with the use

of imperatives in English.

Thus, both hello songs and bye songs will be present during the whole year,

although the actual songs can be changed from term to term as both a sign of novelty

and a means of introducing new vocabulary and expressions. I have included different

examples of hello songs in Appendix 3 and different examples of bye songs in

Appendix 4. The activities I have proposed for the two examples chosen can equally be

applied to any of the songs in appendixes 3 and 4.

4.4.2. Stage 2: Songs and activities for pupils aged 8 to 10

Children aged 8 to 10 are no longer young children but they are not still pre-

teenagers. They need to feel good about themselves. Their intellectual development

derives from their motivation and achievements. They want to feel that they are useful

in class, at school, in their families. They need to feel they belong to a group. What is

more, it is important for them to catch up with the goals they are proposed.

Pupils aged 8 to 10 have some knowledge of English and can work with real

songs. Yet, they do not have not as much knowledge as they will have at the end of this

second stage, when they will probably be capable of deciding on the real songs they

want to work with. For this reason, I think that the English class with these young

learners has to be a mixture of the two systems I am proposing in my project, that of


28

very young learners in Stage 1 (which has been presented in the previous section) and

that of pre-teenagers in Stage 3 (which will be presented in the next section).

In Stage 2, the English class will then not only be framed by a “Hello” song and

a “Bye-bye” song; songs will also be a significant tool to teach part of the contents of

the syllabus. To do so, I have thought of using a topic that will be the common ground

of all the sessions. The topic will be “Holidays” and we will pay special attention to the

different places we can go to and the things we can see all over the world.

This main theme, “Holidays”, will be taught by means of songs that are included

in the original soundtracks of very well-known Disney films. I have chosen this source,

Disney films, because I believe that children aged 8-10 still like cartoons and because

the songs in those films are not as childish as those selected for Stage 1 but rather have

a more mature message children appreciate because they speak about places,

experiences or desires from a more mature point of view.

Within each of the six terms in Stage 2, we will be dedicating one week out of

four to the teaching of English by means of songs3. Since the curriculum establishes

three hours a week for the teaching of English as a second language (Lengua

extranjera), the unit “Holidays” will be composed of six sixty-minute sessions. I will

now show what I intend to do in each of those six sessions.

4.4.2.1. Session 1: The rain forest.

I think that speaking is one of the skills pupils are less gifted at. For this reason,

we will begin the class asking pupils to speak about different places where they would

wish to go in the future and/or places where they have already been in the past. To

begin with, they can speak about any place they want, with complete freedom, but then

the teacher will guide their students to the place he or she wants them to go to in this

session: the rain forest.

The song selected for this purpose is “I Wanna Be Like You”, from the film The

Jungle Book. Here are the lyrics of the song:

“I Wanna Be Like You”

Now I’m the king of the swingers, whoa,

the jungle V.I.P.

3 Lessons in which songs become the primary tool to teach English will be alternated with other more traditional lessons during each term.


29

I’ve reached the top and had to stop

And that’s what’s botherin’ me.

I wanna be a man, Man Cub,

And stroll right into town

And be just like the other men

I’m tired of monkeyin’ around!

Oh, ooh-be-doo

I wanna be like you

I wanna walk like you

Talk like you, too

Wee-bee-dee-bee-dee-boo

You’ll see it’s true

An ape like me

Can learn to be

human too.

(Gee, cousin Louie

You’re doin’ real good

Now here’s your part of the deal, cuz

Lay the secret on me of man’s red fire

But I don’t know how to make fire.)

Now don’t try to kid me, Man Cub,

I made a deal with you

What I desire is man’s red fire

To make my dream come true.

Give me the secret, Man Cub,

Come on, clue me what to do

Give me the power of man’s red flower

So I can be like you.

You!

I wanna be like you

I wanna talk like you

Walk like you, too


30

You'll see it’s true

Someone like me

Can learn to be

Like someone like me

Can learn to be

Like someone like you

Can learn to be

Like someone like me!4

Using this song and its lyrics as main material, I propose two different sets of

activities meant to a) teach pupils to use the grammatical structure “to want + to +

infinitive” and b) teach them new vocabulary.

a) The grammatical structure: “to want + to + infinitive”

Activity 1: First of all, the teacher explains this English structure to the class. He

or she presents some examples:

I want to work as a teacher.

I want to travel far away.

I want to eat pasta…

While the teacher says the sentences he uses pantomime. Then he or she

explains that another way of saying the sentences in a more colloquial way is using

“wanna” instead of “want to”.

Activity 2: Then, the teacher asks the students to think about some other

examples, offering them any help they might need to build new sentences.

Activity 3: When the teacher thinks that everyone in the class has understood

this grammatical construction and is capable of using it, he or she plays the song for the

first time. He or she will use the video that presents the sequence of the film in which

the song is sung (www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9cWkUhZ8n4). The lyrics will not be

provided yet.

Activity 4: The teacher asks pupils to find out whether the grammatical structure

they have studied can be heard in the song. Some pupils may be capable of repeating

some of the sentences that include the grammatical structure.

b) Vocabulary

4 See the sequence from the film with subtitles in www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEEPaYD5KZE.


31

Activity 5: At this point, the teacher plays the song a second time. Now, the

video shows the lyrics and the students are encouraged to read the words as they listen

to the song.

Activity 6: The teacher stops the song after every single sentence is produced

and asks the class about its meaning. If they do not know the answer, the teacher

explains them the meaning with the help of gestures and images, but never uses the

mother tongue.

Activity 7: If there is still time, the teacher and the pupils can speak about the

animals that live in the jungle and they can answer some question as, for example,

which of them is their favorite…

The materials needed in this session are: projector, digital screen or photocopies,

video with and without lyrics (or cassette).

In this session, the following aims will be achieved: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11.

4.4.2.2. Session 2: The marine world.

In the second session, the teacher will take their pupils on a voyage to the

bottom of the sea using the song “Under the Sea”, from the film The Little Mermaid.

Here are the lyrics of the song:

“Under The Sea”

The seaweed is always greener

In somebody else’s lake

You dream about going up there

But that is a big mistake

Just look at the world around you

Right here on the ocean floor

Such wonderful things surround you

What more is you looking for?

Under the sea! Under the sea!

Darlin’ it’s better, down where it’s wetter

Take it from me!

Up on the shore they work all day

Out in the sun, they slave away

While we devoting full time to floating

Under the sea!


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Down here, all the fish is happy

As off through the waves they roll

The fish on the land ain’t happy

They sad ‘cause they in their bowl

But fish in the bowl is lucky

They in for a worser fate

One day when the boss gets hungry

(Guess who’s gon’ be on the plate)


Nobody beat us, fry us and eat us,

In fricassee!

We what the land folks love to cook

Under the sea we off the hook

We got no troubles, life is the bubbles

Under the sea!

Under the sea!

Since life is sweet here, we got the beat here, naturally!

Even the sturgeon and the ray

They get the urge and start to play

We got the spirit, you got to hear it

Under the sea!

The newt play the flute, the carp play the harp

The plaice play the bass, and they soundin’ sharp

The bass play the brass, the chub play the tub

The fluke is the duke of soul!

(Yeah)

The ray he can play, the lings on the strings

The trout rockin’ out, the black fish she sings

The smelt and the sprat, they know where it’s at

And oh that blowfish blow!


When the sardine begin the beguine

It’s music to me!


33

What do they got? A lot of sand!

We got a hot crustacean band!

Each little clam here know how to jam here

Under the sea!

Each little slug here, cutting a rug here

Under the sea!

Each little snail here, know how to wail here

That’s why it’s hotter under the water

Ya we in luck here, down in the muck here

Under the sea!5

The teacher introduces the song to the class while the children follow it in their

photocopies6. He or she plays the song a second and a third time. Then, the teacher

reads the whole text aloud, with the students reading the text simultaneously, following

his lead. In this way, each student in the class has an opportunity to pronounce the

sentences under the protection of all the other students, and with the teacher’s voice as a

guide (imitation).

At this point, the teacher asks about the vocabulary of the song. He or she has

prepared some flashcards with real images, not cartoons, of those nouns that appear in

sentences whose meaning cannot be explained by means of gestures (See Appendix 5).

The meaning of other sentences can be explained with gestures, for example: “the fish

on the land ain’t happy, they sad’ cause they in their bowl”. First, the teacher gives

some time for the children to express themselves. He or she wants their students to have

the opportunity to speak aloud. Students must talk. Then, the teacher introduces the

flashcards and asks his or her students which word do they think corresponds to the

image in the flashcard; for example, he or she shows a brass and asks: what do you

think is it? Students must find the name of the object.

To put an end to the activity, every student writes a personal anecdote related to

the sea, the beach, or some experience with the marine world, using at least five words

of the song. It must be something brief; they can read it aloud to the rest of the class,

while the teacher controls both the pronunciation and the composition. When four or

5 www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2RfNZsnuj4

6 This activity is a personal version of Mr. Prior’s class (see Peck 1988: 30-31).


34

five students have finished reading, the teacher can explain some common mistakes

present in the compositions.

The materials needed for this session are: photocopies with the lyrics, flashcards,

digital screen, projector or cassette, and the video.

In this session, the following aims will be achieved: 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11.

4.4.2.3. Session 3: Africa.

In the third session, the teacher will introduce pupils to a new continent, Africa,

with the help of the song “The Circle of Life”, from the film The Lion King. Here are

the lyrics of the song:

“The circle of life”

From the day we arrived on the planet

And blinking, step into the sun

There's more to see than can ever be seen

More to do than can ever be done

There's far too much to take in here

More to find than can ever be found

But the sun rolling high

Through the sapphire sky

Keeps great and small on the endless round

It's the Circle of Life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope

Through faith and love

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the Circle

The Circle of Life

It's the Circle of Life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope

Through faith and love

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding


35

In the Circle

The Circle of Life7

The activities I propose to carry out with this song are related to three of the

different skills in the process of language learning: speaking, listening, writing. Besides

I also include an activity that focuses on the grammatical construction “there’s more to

+ verb than” and another one that emphasizes the importance of pronouncing words

correctly.

Activity 1: Speaking activity: This lesson starts with the following question:

What do you know about Africa? With this activity, we are going to speak not only

about Africa, but also about the five continents. We need a map, and the students could

say whatever they know about them. For this, the teacher has prepared a powerpoint

with real images that he or she will discuss with the children. (See Appendix 6)

Activity 2: Listening and writing activity. Once the first activity has come to an

end, the teacher plays the video of the song, without lyrics, twice if necessary. Then, the

teacher shares out the photocopies with the lyrics of the song. The pupils are asked to

fill in some gaps in the lyrics with prepositions, articles or particular expressions (to

arrive on, to step into, to take in…). To do so, they have to read the lyrics first and to

listen to the song once more. When they have finished, the teacher checks the answers

by playing the song one last time. Then, he or she checks possible mistakes and explians

any doubt. (See Appendix 7)

Activity 3: Grammar. With regard to grammar, we are going to work the

following expressions: from the day (from the day we arrive on the planet) and the

structure: there’s more to + verb than (there’s more to see than can ever be seen). The

teacher writes them down on the board. Children think about different examples of this

same constructions, changing some words.

Activity 4: Pronunciation. With this song, we also practice the pronunciation of

some words like: circle, through and endless. First, the teacher pronounces each word

and then children imitate the pronunciation. The teacher can ask pupils to listen

attentively to these words in the song and then to repeat them either individually or as a

group.

7 www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zLx_JtcQVI


36

The materials needed for this session are: power point, photocopies with gaps,

the song (caste, digital screen…).

In this session, the following aims will be achieved: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11.

4.4.2.4. Session 4: The desert.

In the fourth session, pupils will travel along the desert with Aladdin and the

song “A Whole New World”, from the film Aladdin. Here are the lyrics of the song:

“A Whole New World”

I can show you the world

Shining, shimmering, splendid

Tell me, princess, now when did

You last let your heart decide?

I can open your eyes

Take you wonder by wonder

Over, sideways and under

On a magic carpet ride

A whole new world

A new fantastic point of view

No one to tell us no or where to go

Or say we're only dreaming

A whole new world

A dazzling place I never knew

But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear

That now I'm in a whole new world with you

Now I'm in a whole new world with you

Unbelievable sights

Indescribable feeling

Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling

Through an endless diamond sky

A whole new world

Don't you dare close your eyes

A hundred thousand things to see


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(Hold your breath, it gets better)

I'm like a shooting star

I've come so far

I can't go back to where I used to be

A whole new world

Every turn a surprise

With new horizons to pursue

Every moment red-letter

I'll chase them anywhere

There's time to spare

Let me share this whole new world with you

A whole new world

That's where we'll be

A thrilling chase

A wondrous place

For you and me8

First of all, the teacher hands out the photocopies with the lyrics of the song

among the students9. The pupils do a reading exercise, concentrating on the words and

their pronunciation. They can read the lyrics twice if they want to.

Students may not understand the meaning of some of the words, for example:

shining, shimmering, splendid, wonder, and so on. Pupils, who know them, helped by

the teacher, can try to explain their meaning to the rest of the class using gestures and/or

synonyms. The language used in the class will always be English.

Once the vocabulary has been understood, we listen to the song once, using the

video if possible.

After that, we speak about the images in the video, about the magic carpet, and

about the genie in the lamp. The teacher formulates the following questions:

a) Where would you go if you had a magic carpet?

b) What would you wish if you had three desires?

8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDnOSk_ea6c

9 If there is a projector in the class, photocopies are not necessary. In this way, we can save paper.


38

Children write their answers in a piece of paper and hand it to the teacher. Then,

the teacher reads some of the answers aloud and the rest of the class has to guess whose

answer it is. At the end of the class, the teacher picks up all the answers and takes them

home to correct their mistakes.

The materials needed to carry out this activity is: photocopies with the lyrics or a

projector, the song.

In this session, the following aims will be achieved: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11.

4.4.2.5. Session 5: The mountains.

In the fifth session, pupils will experience life in the mountains with the song

“Colours of the Wind”, from the film Pocahontas. Here are the lyrics of the song:

“Colours of the Wind”

You think I'm an ignorant savage

And you've been so many places

I guess it must be so

But still I cannot see

If the savage one is me

How can there be so much that you don't know?

You don't know ...

You think you own whatever land you land on

The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim

But I know every rock and tree and creature

Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people

Are the people who look and think like you

But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger

You'll learn things you never knew you never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon

Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?

Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest

Come taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth


39

Come roll in all the riches all around you

And for once, never wonder what they're worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers

The heron and the otter are my friends

And we are all connected to each other

In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

How high will the sycamore grow?

If you cut it down, then you'll never know

And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon

For whether we are white or copper skinned

We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains

We need to paint with all the colors of the wind

You can own the Earth and still

All you'll own is Earth until

You can paint with all the colors of the wind10

In this case, as it is the last Disney song about “Holidays” we are going to listen

to, the students will create a small theatre with gestures, using Total Physical Response

Method. Pupils will listen to the song and will watch the video twice. If they do not

understand some words, they can try to guess from the context, first, or ask the teacher.

In pairs, they will be given some time to decide on the actions they are going to

perform. They can imitate the animals, the mountains, a scene of the film… At the end

of the class, each pair will perform their chosen action in front of the class with the help

of the music. If a sixty-minute lesson is not enough, the next class can also be used to

watch all the pairs perform.

To assess this activity, the teacher will take into account the range of vocabulary

used, the correctness of grammatical constructions and of pronunciation, as well as,

originality.

For this activity the only material needed is the video.

In this session, the following aims will be achieved: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11.

10 www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4vkq2ztxSw


40

4.4.2.6. Session 6: Review.

The purpose of the last lesson of the unit “Holidays” is to make a review about

the contents studied in class during these weeks. First of all, we are going to listen to the

five songs so that pupils remember vocabulary, expressions, gestures, issues talked

about in class and so on.

The second step is to assess our students’ knowledge of vocabulary. To do so the

teacher suggests them to play the wonderful and famous game called hangman. One

student goes up to the board and thinks of one of the words related to the topic under

assessment. He/she writes on the board the same number of lines as that of the letters

that the word has. The rest of students must provide for the missing letters to discover

the words. If the letter proposed is not in the word, the student who is next to the board

will draw a different part of the hangman. We can repeat this game with lots of words.

The final exercise consists of writing about a place where they want to go. They

must use some expressions of the songs. If they do not finish the composition in class,

they will have it as homework. The next day, some students will be asked to read their

compositions aloud for the rest of the class. The teacher will carry out a global

assessment of the concepts that have been learnt in the different sessions. He/she will

use an evaluation grid, that he can use every day if he/she thinks it necessary. (See

Appendix 8)

4.4.3. Stage 3: Songs and activities for pupils aged 10 to 12

For late young learners or pre-teenagers, aged 10 to 12, it is useful to practice

with modern fashionable songs to improve their English skills. This is absolutely one of

the best ways to keep pre-teenagers’ attention. With them many different ways of

teaching may be used. They have a longer attention span but they are still children, and

they usually take learning seriously. To develop social, motor and intellectual skills is

very relevant for them, so, the activities we plan must fulfill these requirements.

This stage allows the teacher an endless amount of possibilities. On the one

hand, at this age our students have a good linguistic basis: in the lower stages they have

learnt grammar, vocabulary and they also have a developed their oral and listening

comprehension skills. We have to make the most of this fact and to use all of them up to

the limit.

On the other hand, children are in a difficult period of their lives. They are

somewhere in between childhood and adolescence, so, to get their attention and to know


41

in a correct way the songs and the associated exercises is essential to keep their interest

in English, which is usually lost as they grow up.

In this stage, I am going to use real songs, that is to say, pop/rock songs, instead

of infantile songs. Children at this age have some specific features: they do not like

cartoons or childish songs. They are pre-teenagers and they listen to popular music very

frequently; they start to have idols and I think that using these resources is a good way

to create a personal motivation in each one of them.

In this way, we have different options to do in class:

a) First, pupils listen to the song without the lyrics. They can explain what they

have understood with their own words. Then they are given the handouts with the lyrics

so that they can check their answers. They listen to the song again and repeat the same

oral activity to complete any missing data.

b) The teacher can also make photocopies with pre-/while/post-listening

activities, such as:

a. Brainstorming. Speak about any issue that comes to mind when listening to the

title of the song.

b. Fill in the gaps exercises.

c. Questions with multiple choice answers.

d. Write about the plot of the song.

e. Students can invent another verse for the song.

f. Pupils can be asked to make a performance based on any aspect of the plot of the

song.

It is necessary to take into account that, at this age, boys and girls have very

different preferences with regard to music. Girls love pop music, whereas boys find pop

music absolutely disgusting and usually prefer hard rock. This explains why I have

chosen the three following songs to work with pupils in class: girls will probably love

Selena Gomez’s “Who Says”; boys will probably find Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” much

more interesting; and perhaps all of them may be attracted by Avril Lavigne’s “Alice”,

one of the tracks in the original soundtrack of Tim Burton’s film Alice in Wonderland.

4.4.3.1. Pop music: Selena Gomez.

Selena Gomez is a very popular actress and singer among girls aged 10-16. She

is one of the main characters in the Disney Channel television series The Wizards of

Waverley Place. I have chosen to work with Selena Gomez’s song “Who Says” for two


42

main reasons: the first one is the meaning of the song, its plot and message; the second

one is its grammatical structures. Here are the lyrics of the song:

“Who Says”

I wouldn't wanna be anybody else

You made me insecure

You told me I wasn't good enough

But who are you to judge

When you’re a diamond in the rough

I'm sure you got some things

That you'd like to change about yourself

But when it comes to me

I wouldn't wanna be anybody else

(Nannanananananananna)2x

I’m no beauty queen I’m just beautiful me

(Nananananananananannan)2x

You've got every right to a beautiful life,

Come on!

Who says who says you’re not perfect

Who says you’re not worth it

Who says you’re the only one that's hurting

Trust me that’s the price of beauty

Who says you’re not pretty

Who says you’re not beautiful

Who says

It's such a funny thing

How nothing’s funny when it’s you

You tell them what you mean

But they keep wiping out the truth

It’s like a work of art

That never gets to see the light

Keep you beneath the stars

Won’t let you touch the sky.

(Nannanananananananna)2x


43

Cause I’m no beauty queen I’m just beautiful me

(Nananananananananannan)2x

You’ve got every right to a beautiful life,

Come on!







Who says







Who says

Regarding the meaning of the song: this song has a beautiful message, which is

enhanced by the images in the video clip: who are the people to judge the others? (“But

who are you to judge”). Mainly, this song talks about beauty and its stereotypes, the

problems of both being fantastic and not being fantastic when people are judged

according to society’s beauty standards. The activity thought for this song is to make

our students think about the meaning of the lyrics and to talk about the importance of

being at ease with oneself, about having a strong personality and about not being carried

along by the opinions of others.

Regarding grammar, I think that the most important structure here is “who says”.

In the first part of the activity, we will be talking about pupils’ ideal of beauty and so

on. So in this second activity, pupils will have to read and write. Using the main verse

in the song (“Who says, who says you’re not perfect, who says you’re not worth it, who

says you’re the only one that's hurting, trust me that’s the price of beauty, who says

you’re not pretty, who says you’re not beautiful, who says”), children will have to try

and write a similar verse with their own words; for example: who say’s you’re not


44

friendly… They can change the adjectives but they have to maintain the same

grammatical structure. At the end of the class, they can read aloud, or even sing, their

new version of the song.

The aims that will be achieved in this lesson are: 1, 2, 4, 7, 11.

4.4.3.2. Rock: Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi is a rock band that is very appreciated by boys aged 10 to 16. I have

chosen to work with the song “It’s My Life” because it represents the rebel inside each

of our pupils at this period of their lives. Here are the lyrics of the song:

“It’s My Life”

This ain't a song for the broken-hearted

No silent prayer for the faith-departed

I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd

You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud

It's my life, it's now or never

I ain't gonna live forever

I just want to live while I'm alive

It's my life

My heart is like the open highway

Like Frankie said I did it my way

I just wanna live while I'm alive

It's my life

This is for the ones who stood their ground

It's for Tommy and Gina who never backed down

Tomorrow's getting harder, make no mistake

Luck, it ain't enough, you've got to make your own breaks

It's my life, it's now or never

I ain't gonna live forever

I just want to live while I'm alive.

The activity that I propose for this song is intended to improve the group’s work.

The teacher divides the class in five groups of five students each one, more or less.

Every single group is responsible of a paragraph of the song. Each group has an English

dictionary (or two), not an English-Spanish one, but an English dictionary since we only

work in English. Each group will have between twenty and thirty minutes to find out the


45

meaning of their paragraph. In the remaining thirty minutes each group explains the

meaning of their paragraph to their classmates speaking in English and using gestures or

actions if necessary. The aims of the activity will be achieved if at the end of the class

everybody understands the meaning of the whole song.

The aims that will be achieved in this lesson are: 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 11.

4.4.3.3. Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland: Avril Lavigne.

The film Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton has been a very great success

among pre-teenagers. The aesthetics of the film and its main characters, Johny Deep,

among others, are probably the basic causes for this. I have chosen to work with the

song “Alice” performed by another rebel like Avril Lavigne, because I think that the

film and the song will be equally attractive for boys and girls. Here are the lyrics of the

song:

“Alice”

Tripping out, spinning around

I'm underground, I fell down

Yeah I fell down

I'm freaking out where am I now?

Upside down and I can't stop it now

PRE-CHORUS

Can't stop me now

Oooh I, I'll get by

I, I'll survive

CHORUS

When the world's crashing down

When I fall and hit the ground

I will turn myself around

Don't you try to stop me

I, I won't cry

I found myself in wonderland

Get back on my feet again

Is this real? Is this pretend?

I'll take a stand until the end

PRE-CHORUS


46

I, I'll get by

I, I'll survive

CHORUS





I, I won't cry

I, I'll get by

I, I'll survive





I, I won't cry

Avril Lavigne’s song is especially interesting in terms of verb tenses. Thus, we

can use this activity as a review of verb tenses once they have been explained in the

course of the stage, making something usually boring, funny.

Reading the lyrics of this song we can observe that there are loads of different

verb tenses. The exercise will consist on handing out the photocopies with the lyrics to

the pupils. However, the lyrics will be incomplete and pupils will have to fill in the gaps

using the appropriate tense of the verb that will be given in brackets (see Appendix 9).

Students will explain to the rest of the class why they have chosen one verb tense

instead of another (we can have a brief dialogue) and, finally, we will listen to the song

once more so that students can check their answers. After that, the teacher answers any

question or doubt pupils may have.

The aims that will be achieved in this lesson are: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10.

4.4.3.4. Pupils’ choice.

Although different activities have been proposed for pupils of this age-group, I

also want these pupils to feel that they are the main characters in their learning process.

That is why another interesting option is to give students the freedom to choose

the song or songs they want to work with. They will have to explain why they have

chosen that song and which are the activities they think could be done with it in class.


47

Depending on the maturity of the pupils and on their language skills, they will

even be allowed to prepare a class on their own. Personally, I believe that this option is

very practical and rewarding. The teacher should prepare two or three songs as

examples, and then, for the rest of the course, it would be the students who will prepare

the classes. This would allow them to share their tastes with regard to music with the

rest of their classmates. Becoming teachers for one day would enhance their self-

esteem, because they not only like being the center of attention in class but also being in

charge and having the knowledge that they are going to share with their classmates.


48


49

5. CONCLUSIONS

Having completed this essay, I believe that I have read enough books, articles

and websites related to the topic to be capable of coming to some conclusions about this

interesting subject.

I have had to make a choice of what I thought most important in terms of

theories and teaching methods, and I have pointed out the advantages of using songs to

teach a second language and the possible applications they will have in the English

classroom.

Now, I want to highlight the most pertinent ideas or conclusions I have reached.

On the one hand, songs and music, rhythm and musicality, are powerful tools in

class to improve the memorization and the study of a new language, but they must be

accompanied by regular lessons, either alternating the use of songs with other activities

in the same session, or alternating the use of songs with other activities in separate

sessions. Therefore, we should not just listen to the songs in class; songs should become

an instrument to practice the four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Song-

based activities should also be dedicated to teaching vocabulary, grammatical structures

and pronunciation, while simultaneously arousing pupils’ interest in the study of

English as a second language.

Another technique might be to use songs in class only for special occasions,

above all, in the highest stages. For example, we can listen to a song at the end of a unit,

or when it is someone’s birthday and the pupil is allowed to bring his or her favourite

song to class. In this way, our students can see the use of songs as something positive

that they can learn both in class and at home, where they can continue working with

songs.

In addition, we must keep in mind that the song’s choice is extremely

significant, so a lot of time should be invested in deciding on the songs we should use.

Summarizing Griffee’s words, when choosing a song, we have to take into

consideration: the age of our students, the language level of the students, their musical

interest, as well as, what is the purpose of the teacher using songs and the support the

song requires to be used successfully (1992: 4).

In relation to Griffee, I think that it is necessary to add the idea that inside each

stage (two years each one), there are differences between a class and another one, and


50

between a level and another, each boy or girl is different. Although the teacher could

make adaptations, I believe that the activities I have proposed are affordable enough for

everyone. These exercises can make English easier to learn. Songs can be used to

prepare fill-in-the-gaps activities, write down simple compositions and even carry out

review exercises. They are also of great help for pupils who have more difficulties with

English: these pupils can work in pairs, or they can be given extra time and slightly

different handouts adapted to their necessities, (for example, the teacher can underline

the most important words or expressions that are going to be used during the class, etc.).

Finally, although I have taken into account as many elements as possible in

order to propose all the song-based activities presented, it will only be when I manage

to put them into practice in a real classroom that I will really know if they are successful

and if the aims intended are really achieved. I am sure that the activities will have to be

reformulated once I receive the pupils’ feedback. Nevertheless, I am positive about the

fact that the inclusion of songs in English lessons is a vehicle of motivation at school.

Music and songs increase the efficiency and improve students’ training when they are

learning a new language.


51

6. REFERENCES

Aladdin, “A Whole New World” <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kl4hJ4j48s>

(Accessed 1 June 2013).

Bon Jovi, J. “It’s my Life” <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2u5uUu3DE>

(Accessed 1 July 2013).

Cameron, L. 2001. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

Collins, W. Andrew, ed. 1984. Development During Middle Childhood: The Years from

Six to Twelve. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

eHow contributor. “How to Use Songs when Teaching English as a Second

Language”.<http://www.ehow.com/how_5182054_use-teaching-english-second-

language.html> (Accessed 18 June 2013).

Farrug, D. 2008. “How Music Helps Language Learning”. Language Study Suite

101.com.

Feldman, J. “Songs for Teaching. Using Songs to Promote Teaching”.

<http://www.songsforteaching.com/drjean/goodbye.htm> (Accessed 8 June).

Fries, C. 1945. Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language. Michigan:

University of Michigan Press.

Gardner, H. “Which learners like songs”.

<http://www.hltmag.co.uk/apr09/less01.htm#C1> (Accessed 28 May 2013).

Gardner, R. C. 1985. Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The Role of

Attitudes and Motivation. London: Edward Arnold.

Gomez, S. “Who Says” <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDRm__OUe4M>


Griffee, D.T. 1992. Songs in Action. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall International.

Harley, B., Howard, J., and Hart, D. 1995. “Second Language processing at different

ages: Do younger learners pay more attention to prosodic cues than sentence

structure?” Language Learning 45, I: 43-71.

House, Susan. (coord.). 2011. Inglés. Complementos de formación disciplinar. Theory

and Practice in English Language Teaching. Barcelona: Editorial Graó.

John, E., Rice, T. and Twillie, C. “Circle of Life” Lyrics.

<http://www.lionking.org/lyrics/OMPS/CircleOfLife.html> (Accessed 1 June 2013).


52

Lake, R. 2003. “Enhancing Acquisition through Music”. Journal of the Imagination for

Language Learning (VII)

Lavigne, A. “Alice” <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI4m-l2yRZA> (Accessed 6

June 2013).

LyricsMania. “AvrilLavigne”.

<http://www.lyricsmania.com/alice_lyrics_avril_lavigne.html> (Accessed 6 June

2013).

LyricsMania. “JonBonJovi”. <http://www.lyricsmania.com/its-my-life-lyrics-

jon_bon_jovi.html> (Accessed 1 July 2013).

LyricsMania. “SelenaGomez”.

<http://www.lyricsmania.com/who_says_lyrics_selena_gomez.html> (Accessed 4

June 2013).

Mols, Hans. “Using Songs in the English Classroom”.

<http://www.hltmag.co.uk/apr09/less01.htm#C1> (Accessed 18 June 2013)

Moon, J. 2000. Children Learning English. Hong Kong: Macmillan Heinemen.

Murphey, T. 1992. Music and Song. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Numan, D. 1991. Language Teaching Methodology. A textbook for teachers.

Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall International English Language Teaching.

Ormerod, M. 2007. Find Out 1. Oxford: Mcmillan.

Pocahontas, “Colors of the Wind” <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkV-of_eN2w>


Peck, A. 1988. Language Teachers at Work. A description of Methods. Hertfordshire:

Prentice Hall International English Language Teaching.

Richards, J. 1987. “Beyond methods: alternative approaches to instructional design in

language teaching”. Prospect, 3 (1): 11-30.

Richards J. C. and T. S. Rogers. 2001. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rost, M. 1991. Listening in action. Activities for developing listening in language

teaching. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall International English Language Teaching.

Steel, E. “How to Use Songs to Promote Learning English”.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5218264_use-songs-promote-learning-english.html



53

Tefltunes.com. 2010. “Why Use Songs In ELT?

<http://tefltunes.com/whyusesongs.aspx> (Accessed 20 June 2013).

Thomas, J. 1984. “Cross-cultural discourse as ‘unequal encounter’: towards a pragmatic

analysis”. Applied linguistics 5/3: 226-35.

Super Simple Learning “Bye Bye Goodbye”

<http://supersimplelearning.com/songs/original-series/three/bye-bye-goodbye/>


The Jungle Book. “I Wanna Be Like You”.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV2GZF8rKT4> (Accessed 1 June 2013).

The Lion King, “The Circle of Life”.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwSKkKrUzUk> (Accessed 1 June 2013).

The Little Mermaid, “Under the Sea”

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgA2xo0HYrE> (Accessed 1 June 2013).

WaltDisney. “A Whole New World”. Aladdin. <http://www.metrolyrics.com/a-whole-

new-world-lyrics-aladdin.html> (Accessed 1 June 2013).

WaltDisney. “Colors of the Wind”. Pocahontas.

<http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/classicdisney/colorsofthewind.htm> (Accessed 1

June 2013).

WaltDisney. “I Wanna Be Like You”. The Jungle Book.

<http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/classicdisney/iwannabelikeyou.htm> (Accessed 1

June 2013).

WaltDisney. “Under the sea”. The Little Mermaid.

<http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/classicdisney/underthesea.htm> (Accessed 1 June

2013).

APPENDIXES


57

APPENDIX 1

These are the flashcards that I will use as a visual help to sing and learn the

“Hello” song “It’s Time for English”:

Flashcard 1

(It’s time for English)

Flashcard 2

Clap your hands)


58

Flashcard 3

(Turn Around)

Flashcard 4

One, two, three)


59

Flashcard 5

Stop)

Flashcard 6

(Look)


60

Flashcard 7

(Listen to me)


61

APPENDIX 2

These are the flashcards that I will use as a visual help to sing and learn the

“Bye-bye” song “It’s Time to Say Good-bye”:

Flashcard 1

(Clap your hands)

Flashcard 2

Stomp your feet)


62

Flashcard 3

(It’s time

Flashcard 4

to say goodbye)


63

Flashcard 5

(Give a smile

Flashcard 6

and wink your eye)


64

Flashcard 7

(Yee haw!)


65

APPENDIX 3

In this appendix four examples of “Hello” songs can be found. Apart from the

lyrics of each song, I have also included, in parenthesis and italics, the different gestures

that may be carried out with the pupils in class as part of the learning process.

“I Like You”

(Tune: “Skip to My Lou”)

I like you, there’s no doubt about it. (Point to self and then to a friend.)

I like you, there’s no doubt about it.

I like you, there’s no doubt about it.

You are my good friend.

You like me, there’s no doubt about it. (Point to a friend and then to self.)

You like me, there’s no doubt about it.

You like me, there’s no doubt about it.

You are my good friend.

“Hello, Neighbor!”

(Tune: “Good Night, Ladies”)

Hello, neighbor. (Wave to partner.)

What do you say? (Give high five.)

It’s going to be a (Slap thighs, clap hands)

Happy day. (Slap hands in the air with partner’s hands.)

Greet your neighbor. (Shake hands.)

Boogie on down. (Wiggle hips.)

Give a bump, (Bump hips.)

And turn around. (Wave hands in the air and turn around.)

“Shake a Hand”

Everybody shake a hand, (Walk around the room and shake hands.)

shake a hand, shake a hand.

Everybody shake a hand

and walk around the room.


66

Everybody give high five, (Walk around the room giving high fives.)

give high five, give high five.

Everybody give high five


Everybody smile and wink, (Smile and wink at friends as you walk around.)

smile and wink, smile and wink.

Everybody smile and wink


Everybody give a hug, (Hug friends.)

give a hug, give a hug.

Everybody give a hug

then sit down in your seat.


67

“Rise and Shine”

Use this song to start your day in a positive way.

Rise and shine, (Bend down, then rise and put arms in air.)

And welcome to school today. (Clap to the beat.)


And welcome to school today. (Clap.)


And welcome to school today. (Clap.)

We’re so glad you’re here! (Shake hands.)

A little louder... (Sing loud.)

A little softer... (Sing soft.)

Whisper version...(Whisper words.)


68

APPENDIX 4

In this appendix three examples of “Bye-bye” songs can be found. Apart from

the lyrics of each song, I have also included, in parenthesis and italics, the different

gestures that may be carried out with the pupils in class as part of the learning process.

The first song “May There Always Be Sunshine” is to be sung in sign language,

combining thus the direct method with Total Physical Response. The song is taken from

the album Keep on Singing and Dancing by Dr. Jean Feldman. In the album cover there

is a link to a powerpoint that may also be used in class some days.

“May There Always Be Sunshine”

(Tune: “Stuball Was a Racehorse”)

May there always be sunshine. (Hold up index finger and circle around.)

May there always be blue skies. (Hands over head.)

May there always be children. (Palms going down like stair steps.)

May there always be you. (Circle index finger then point to children.)

May there always be stories. (Index fingers and thumbs make circles.)

May there always be music. (Pretend to strum arm.)

May there always be teachers. (Pull knowledge from head.)

To care for you. (Make letter “k” with fingers.)

May there always be sunshine. (Make sunshine circle in the air and wiggle fingers.)

May there always be blue skies. (Hands over head.)

May you always feel special, (Stick up index finger like a candle.)

Because you are you! (Point to children.)


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The second song “Back Pack Boogie” is especially useful when the English

class is the last class of the day. Children have more fun when they sing the song while

actually doing their backpacks and getting ready to go home.

“Back Pack Boogie”

Check September 2009 Activities for a downloadable book.

Get your back pack and clean out your desk

Throw all the trash away and take home your best.

Put your books and pencils away.

We’re finished with school for today.

Look on the floor, and what do you see?

Put all the scraps in the trash can, please.

Push in your chair and take a second or two

To see what else you should do.

Chorus:

Do the back pack boogie, it’s the dance that’s cool.

The back pack boogie when it’s time to leave school.

The back pack boogie, you know what to do.

The back pack boogie!

Get your back packs and lunchboxes, too.

Don’t forget if you have homework to do.

Clean up the room, make it tidy and bright.

I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?

Did you wear a coat or sweater today?

Get everything you brought together, O.K.?

It’s time to go, say good-bye to your friends.

The school day has come to an end.

The third song “Good-by Friends” is especially suitable when pupils are learning

animal names.

“Good-bye Friends!”

See you later, alligator!

After a while, crocodile!


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In an hour, sunflower!

Maybe two, kangaroo!

Gotta go, buffalo!

Adios, hippos!

Chow, chow, brown cow!

See you soon, baboon!

Adieu, cockatoo!

Better swish, jellyfish.

Chop chop, lollipop.

Gotta run, skeleton!

Bye-bye, butterfly!

Better shake, rattlesnake.

Good-bye, my good friends!


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APPENDIX 5

“Under the Sea”

Flashcard 1

Seaweed)

Flashcard 2

(Bubbles)


72

Flashcard 3

Harp)

Flashcard 4

Bass)


73

Flashcard 5

Brass)

Flashcard 6

(Tub)


74

APPENDIX 6

In this appendix, I present the different slides of the powerpoint that will be used

in the session dedicated to Africa.


75


76


77


78

APPENDIX 7

Listen to the song and fill in the gaps in the lyrics of the song “The Circle of Life” with

the appropriate preposition, article or expression.

_____ the day we arrive _____ the planet

And blinking, step _____ the sun

There's more _____ see _____ can ever be seen

More _____ do _____ can ever be done

There's far _____ much to take _____ here

More _____ find _____ can ever be found

But _____ sun rolling high

_____ the sapphire sky

Keeps great and small _____ the endless round

It's the Circle _____ Life

And it moves us _____

_____ despair and hope

_____ faith and love

Till we find _____ place

_____ the path unwinding

_____ the Circle

The Circle _____ Life


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APPENDIX 8

Evaluation grid.

STUDENT’S NAME LISTENING SPEAKING

pronunciation

vocabulary

grammar

WRITING

vocabulary

grammar

cohesion

READING

pronunciation

fluency


80

APPENDIX 9

Complete the lyrics of the song “Alice” by Avril Levigne with the correct form of the

verb in brackets:

__________________ out, __________________ around (trip/spin)

I __________________ underground, I __________________ down (be/fell)

Yeah I __________________ down (fell)

I __________________ out where __________________ now? (freak/be)

Upside down and I can't __________________ it now (stop)

PRE-CHORUS

Can't __________________ me now (stop)

Oooh I, I __________________ by (get)

I, I __________________ (survive)

CHORUS

When the world __________________ down (crash)

When I __________________ and __________________ the ground (fall/hit)

I __________________ myself around (turn)

you __________________ to __________________ me (try/stop)

I, I __________________ (cry)

I __________________ myself in wonderland (find)

__________________ on my feet again (get back)

this real? __________________ this pretend? (be/be)

I __________________ a stand until the end (take)

PRE-CHORUS

I, __________________ by (get)

I, __________________ (survive)

CHORUS





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you __________________ to __________________ me (try/stop)

I, I __________________ (cry)

I, __________________ by (get)

I, __________________ (survive)




you __________________ to __________________ me (try/stop)

I, I __________________ (cry)

I, __________________ by (get)

I, __________________ (survive)


82

WEBPAGES USED FOR THE IMAGES IN THE APPENDIXES

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<http://aquimero.blogspot.com.es/2012/06/los-discursos-que-no-fueron.html>



83

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