Handouts: Songs with Adults

Using music and songs doesn't just have to be with kids and doesn't just have to be filling in gaps. Here are some ideas to help you use music and songs in the classroom with your adult classes.

Using Songs for Classroom management

Songs can be a good way to help build confidence during speaking activities. Play some background music to help students 'hide' in the noise.

Songs can be a way of getting attention, play music when you want students to speak to each other stop it when you want them to stop.

Songs can be a way to time activities, you have the whole of this song... or half of this song to complete the activity.

Using Songs to create interest

If you have a reading or listening about a subject ask students to brainstorm songs about that subject.

Songs with girls names in the title
Songs about crime

etc

Using Wordle.net with songs.

Create a word cloud with the lyrics from a song, ask the student to guess the title of the song from the words, or guess what the song could be about. Play the song and see if they are correct.

Create a word cloud with lyrics from 2 songs, play the song you want to focus on and ask students to tick the words they hear. MAybe give one word cloud between two so they are ticking in pairs.

Ask students to make word clouds at home with the lyrics of their favourite songs, they bring them in and put them around the room, other students have to guess the songs.

Using songs in class.

Chop the lines of the song up, ask students to put the lines in the correct order - give them a few minutes before you play the song to try and work it out first.

Alternatively put the lines on the desk jumbled up, play the song and get the students to grab the lines when they here them. At the end of the song see who has the most lines.

Ask students to sing the song in rounds, out them into three groups, get group 1 to sing the first to lines and carry on with the rest of the song. Group 2 start at the beginning once group 1 has finished line 2, group three start at the beginning when group 2 reach the end of the second line.

Songs to provoke reactions and discussion.

Tune in, tune out, turn off.

Play some songs and ask students to think about how they would react to them if they were on the radio. Would they tune in - listen carefully, tune out - leave it as background music, turn off.