Using Popular Music

To TEACH ENGLISH

By Ruth Wickham, Brighton Education Training Fellow, IPGKDRI

Choose a song: Make sure it is suitable (socially). Make sure you know it well. Make sure it is something the

students will like reasonably well. Make sure it contains useful

language and teaching points. Make sure you have a clear copy to

play.

Teaching a Song:

First, talk about the title.

Then just listen (don’t look at the words)Don’t worry if you don’t hear all of the words.Try to work out the missing words on the sheet.

Listen again and fill in the words.OK – let’s try it ...

First, talk about the title

.

Walking in the Sunshine

Then ...

... just listenAnd don’t worry if you don’t hear all of the

words.

Try to fill in the gapsWalking in the sunshine, sing a little ______________ song

Put a ________ upon your face as if there's nothing _____________.

Think about a _____________ time had a long time ago,

Think about forgetting about your worries and your ______________,

Walking In The ______________, sing a little sunshine song.

La la la la la dee oh, ___________ the weather be rain or snow,

Pretending can make it ________________,

A snowy ____________, a green and grassy ________________.

Listen and fill in the gaps

Walking in the sunshine, sing a little ______________ song

Put a ________ upon your face as if there's nothing _____________.

Think about a _____________ time had a long time ago,

Think about forgetting about your worries and your ______________,

Walking In The ______________, sing a little sunshine song.

La la la la la dee oh, ___________ the weather be rain or snow,

Pretending can make it ________________,

A snowy ____________, a green and grassy ________________.

Check the answersWalking in the sunshine, sing a little sunshine

song,Put a smile upon your face as if there's nothing

wrong.

Think about a good time had a long time ago,Think about forgetting about your worries and

your woes,

Walking in the sunshine, sing a little sunshine song.

La la la la la dee oh, Whether the weather be rain or snow,

Pretending can make it real,A snowy pasture, a green and grassy field.

Play again and everyone sing along.

Add instruments

Add movement

Have fun

Purple People Eater

Discuss the title ...

Work-sheet ideas:

1. Try to put the lines in the right order:

a) I commenced a-shakin' and I said "ooh-eee"

b) Well I saw the thing comin' out of the sky

c) It looks like a purple eater to me

d) It had the one long horn, one big eye

Work-sheet ideas:

1. Listen and put the lines in the right order:

a) I commenced a-shakin' and I said "ooh-eee"

b) Well I saw the thing comin' out of the sky

c) It looks like a purple eater to me

d) It had the one long horn, one big eye

Now listen

Work-sheet ideas:2. Try to fill in the gaps:

It was a one-______, one-horned, flyin' ________ people eater

(One-eyed, one-________, flyin' purple people eater)

A one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people _________

Sure looks ___________ to me (One eye?)

Work-sheet ideas:2. Try to fill in the gaps:

It was a one-______, one-horned, flyin' ________ people eater

(One-eyed, one-________, flyin' purple people eater)

A one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people _________

Sure looks ___________ to me (One eye?)

Now listen

Work-sheet ideas:3. Give the meaning of the underlined

words and phrases:

Well he came down to earth and he lit in a tree

I said Mr. Purple People Eater, don't eat me

I heard him say in a voice so gruff I wouldn't eat you cuz you're so tough

:

Work-sheet ideas:3. Now listen with better understanding:

Well he came down to earth and he lit in a tree

I said Mr. Purple People Eater, don't eat me

I heard him say in a voice so gruff I wouldn't eat you cuz you're so tough

:Now listen

Work-sheet ideas:4. Listen carefully and remove the extra words:

I said to Mr. Purple People Eater, what's your best line?

He said that it's eatin' purple and pink people and I know it sure is fine

But that's not the real reason that I came to land here

I wanna get a cool job in a rock and roll music band.

listen

Work-sheet ideas:5. Try to choose the right word:

And then he swam/swung from the tree and he lit on the ground

He started to rock/look, really rockin' around/a sound It was a crazy ditty/pretty with a swingin' tune Sing a boop boop aboopa lopa lum bam boom And then he went on his say/way, and then what do ya know I heard/saw him last night on a TV show/below He was knowing/blowing it out, a'really knockin' em

dead/head Playin' rock and roll music through the horn/hole in his head

Work-sheet ideas:5. Listen and choose the right word:

And then he swam/swung from the tree and he lit on the ground

He started to rock/look, really rockin' around/a sound It was a crazy ditty/pretty with a swingin' tune Sing a boop boop aboopa lopa lum bam boom And then he went on his say/way, and then what do ya know I heard/saw him last night on a TV show/below He was knowing/blowing it out, a'really knockin' em

dead/head Playin' rock and roll music through the horn/hole in his head

Now listen

Possible teaching points:Word order for multiple adjectives and

nouns.Pronunciation of ‘-ing’ words: flyin’,

eatin’, rockin’, swingin’, knockin’, playin’.

Other slang: gonna, wanna, ya, undergrowed, cuz.

Pronunciation of non-words (boop-boop)Rhyming words.Verbs in the past tense.

A few more songs to try:

I WAN

T CAN

DY

What do you think this song will be about?

Tough girl who’s I know a sweet but _______________________________________

She's so fine, she can't be beat.

Everything I desire that she’s got _______________________________________

Sets the summer sun on fire.I want candy (x4)

I want Candy – put the words in the right order

I Turn to You

When the world is darker/harder than I can understand.

When nothing turns out the way I manned/planned.

When the sky turns grey and there's no end in sight.

When I can't sleep through the only/lonely night.

I Turn to You – choose the right word

Reach

When the people leave you feeling blueYou can rely on me, I will be there for youWhen it seems, all your friends and dreamsAre a million miles away, I will comfort you

We've got to all work togetherGood friends, there for one otherNever ever forget thisI've got you and you've got money, so

Reach:– one word in each line is incorrect

Dixie Road

I would pick and we would sing to the rhythm of that front porch _______The moonlight was the __________ that we sharedI found new notes on that old guitar, she believed I could be a ______She told me that she wanted to be fair

Dixie Road – fill in the gaps

Contact:

Ruth Wickham: ruth.wickham@gmail.com

Website: http://songsandpoetryforesl.weebly.com