Using Songs in Class – Paulo Torres

Choosing and preparing a song for a class activity may be a hard task. Here are some tips on how to select and prepare a song activity, not necessarily in the order presented.
 

• Songs have to be appropriate to the level of proficiency of students and intelligible;
• Take into account how old students are;
• Classic songs are usually good choices;
• Lyrics which bring up taboo subjects and/or have swear words should be avoided;
• Music videos are very attractive;
• Avoid songs which are long or have long introductions;
• Songs which have lots of replays may be boring;
• The activity should have a pre, during and post framework;
• Whenever possible, prepare activities which do not need a worksheet;
• Cultural aspects, if any, should be mentioned/discussed;
• Different kinds of activities can be prepared, not only fill-in-the-blank ones;
• Listen to the song and read the lyrics simultaneously to check if they match before preparing the activity. If they do not match, find another source;
• After you have chosen the audio file and/or the music video you want to use to prepare the activity, the same source should be used in class to work on it. By doing so, you avoid mismatches;
• Always have a purpose in mind.