Workshop on using songs in the secondary classroom

1. Workshop on using songs in the secondary classroom Language Learning Support Section January 22nd 2008

2. to promote the use of Language Arts in teaching English. to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills for using language arts texts and activities in their lessons to enable them to benefit from each others’ experiences by encouraging sharing among schools. There are currently 61 members from 27 schools. All members are from secondary schools supported by the Language Learning Support Section. Why? Who? Language Arts Network Why?

3. Workshops and sharing sessions relevant to Language Arts: Two-part workshop on poetry Workshop on songs Sharing on using TV advertisements for teaching and student performance (June 2008) Use the form in your pack The information is useful for our planning! What? What? How to join?

4. Activity OneBingo Game - Instructions • You will listen to 6 songs • When the music is playing, you make new friends • When the music stops, you talk to one new friend and fill in one bingo box Make more friends and Share ideas

5. Activity 2: Understanding the Features of Poems and Songs 5 mins Match the list of terms used in discussing poems and songswith the definitions

6. Terms used in Discussing Poems and Songs Glossary assonanceThe repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by differing consonant sounds. geek e.g. I’m a little boy with glasses, the one they call a geek, A little girl who never smiles ‘cos I got braces on my teeth. [from “Don’t Laugh at Me” by Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin] teeth

7. imagery Use of words to create mental pictures or vivid sensory experiences for the reader. Most images are visual, but imagery may also appeal to the senses of smell, hearing, taste, or touch. Such images can be created by using figures of speech like metaphors, similes onomatopoeia, personification, etc. e.g. Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean Higher than any bird ever flew Longer than there’ve been stars up in the heavens I’ve been in love with you. [from “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg] e.g. Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean Higher than any bird ever flew Longer than there’ve been stars up in the heavens I’ve been in love with you. [from “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg]

8. Activity 3:Analysing a Song ‘Don’t Laugh at Me’ Written by Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin Sung by Peter, Paul and Mary

9. Complete the Analysis Form 10 mins

10. Understanding Meaning Bullying / Discrimination -- Different victims of bullying pleading with the bullies to stop bullying them We should respect people who are different from us because we are all equal Victims of bullying -- a little boy with glasses, a little girl with braces on her teeth, a kid being excluded on the playground, a single teenage mother, the beggar on the corner, the fat, the thin, the short, the tall, the deaf, the blind Serious, sad

11. Activity 4B: Using songs in English teaching Work in groups and match the activities with their teaching purposes Teaching activities & their focuses 10 minutes

12. Any activities for teaching with texts can be used with songs. Using songs in English teaching

13. Why these activities? • There are many different ways of exploiting a song. • There are many different ways of exploiting a song. • There’s more to using a song than what’s • in the lyrics.

14. Using songs in English teaching Identifying assonance Pronunciation Phonics  Spelling

15. Identifying the speakers Critical thinking skills Using songs in English teaching Task 3

16. Using songs in English teaching Fluency & correct phrasing Singing along for enjoyment Listening

17. Vocabulary skills Word association, background knowledge, dictionary, thesaurus Using songs in English teaching Meaning & pronunciation of the word Study skills e.g. research Culture of other countries

18. Using songs in English teaching Before listening • Making predictions from the song title / words taken from lyrics • Sequencing jumbled lines • Guessing missing words in gapped lyrics • Correcting ‘misheard’ words in lyrics

19. Using songs in English teaching While listening • Completing the gaps in lyrics • Correcting ‘misheard’ words • Sorting out jumbled lyrics • Ticking pictures of what they hear • Sequencing pictures/words • Answering T/F questions • Matching half-sentences

20. Using songs in English teaching After listening • Listening again and singing along • Focusing on vocabulary/language patterns/literary elements, etc. • Acting out/doing a role play • Discussion/presentation • Writing a review/responses to song • Retelling/rewriting/summarising the story • Conducting research on the background of song/songwriter/singer, etc.

21. “Que Sera Sera” Experience Sharing Session • The school: Stewards Pooi Tun Secondary School • Level: S.1 • Module: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow • Guest speaker: Ms. Joanna Leung, Panel Head

22. Topic: Future, Dreams Message: We don’t need to worry too much about the future as it is not ours to see. Voices: 4 voices Mood: Cheerful, lively 3 Verses Refrain Visual image: rainbow Rhyme Repetition of structure Introduction to the song Meaning Language & Structure

23. Qué Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) Pre-listening task: • Show pictures of some very well-known people when they were young. Ask students to guess who they are. Do you think they knew how famous they would become when they were small?

24. Listen to the song: Understand the song: Voices

25. Study the poetic device Understand the message Make self-reflection

26. Speaking task: • Fast-forwarding your life • Imagine that you are now 30 years old. Think about what you and your life will be like at this age. • Play the role of yourself as a 30-year-old person and introduce yourself in 1 minute.

27. Why is the song used in this module? • Modular Design: • Theme: • Wonderful things – Yesterday, Today, • Tomorrow • a) Yesterday: Old buildings • b) Today: Famous / successful • people • c) Tomorrow: Dreams and plans • Tasks: • A letter to the Chief Executive • Interviewing people • b) Profile writing • Motivate learning interest • Cultivate positive attitudes • 3 tenses covered • Talks about future & dreams • Develop extension activities

28. Did students like the song? • Good melody • Enjoy singing the song • Easy to understand the words • Can understand the meaning behind the song under teacher’s guidance • The pre-listening task can draw students’ attention successfully

29. Understand the message • Provide choices for No.7 • Class discussion on No.8: • Guide students to think about the questions together • Encourage students to give different answers to the questions • Choose the most sensible answer to the question. • Positive value and attitude education • Think independently for No.9

30. Who’s talking? (voices) Work out one or two verses with students Guide students to think about the questions Repetition Students can find out the repeated lyrics Encourage discussion for the key message of the repeated lyrics. Understand the poetic devices

31. Less able students: Interested in sharing their family plans More creative ideas More able students: Focus a lot on sharing their future career Feel shy to talk about their family planning or lovers Oral Presentation My family & Friends My Job

32. Adaptations • The mind-map could widen students’ ideas • Good for them to do planning • There were too many points and the presentation is not focused • Students did not do enough to elaborate their ideas • Questions were given to prompt the students give elaboration Suggestions: • Provide an example to demonstrate how to elaborate ideas • Ask students to focus on 1 or 2 bubbles only

33. Extension activities • My future dream • sharing ideas about their future • Mr Donald Tsang • a reading task on one of the famous people from the pre-reading • Interviewing a teacher • from reading to speaking • develop students’ questioning skills • Profile writing • writing activity based on the interview

34. My Future Dream • Speaking skills • Pair work • Form questions using “Will you have / be” • Note-taking skills

35. Reading Task:Mr. Donald Tsang • Good timing - Chief Executive Election (current issue) • Students would like to know more about Donald Tsang • Fill in Tsang Yam-Kuen’s profile

36. Interview a teacher • Teachers appreciated their performance • The interviews were conducted smoothly and systematically Suggestions: • Less able students – Class interview • More able students – Group interview

37. Facilitating factors • Choose the right song • Good planning • Good collaboration among team members • Flexibility at implementation stage

38. Practical Session

39. 10 minutes Instructions • Read the analysis of the song assigned to your group . • Complete Parts A & B. • Choose ONEteaching objective from Part B and design an activity for your target students.

40. 1 Screen 2 8 8 minutes 7 3 6 4 5 Instructions • Form a NEW group according to the NUMBER on your label. • In the new group, tell each other the activity you designed on your song earlier.

41. Pre-listening Widen students’ perspectives about love Love can be sweet, bitter and painful Love needs patience, mutual trust, support and care While-listening Have a general idea about the song Who’s speaking? What is the song about? Suggested activities: My Heart will Go on Post-listening • Guide students to understand the main theme of the song • Interviewing the elderly Rose • Writing a song review

42. Pre-listening Objectives: Developing listening skills: Making predictions about the song Task: Reading a poster about the song While-listening Objectives: Developing reading skills: Understanding the main idea of each verse Task: Drawing pictures to show understanding Suggested activities: Jamaica Farewell Post-listening Objectives: • Developing writing skills: Understanding the use of different senses in writing descriptions Pre-task: • Identifying details from the lyrics that use different senses in describing the place Task • Rewriting the lyrics or writing a description of H.K. using senses

43. Hints for choosing songs • Can you hear the words? • Will students like it? • Is the level of difficulty suitable? • Is there any useful language content? • Is the content suitable and relevant to students? • Will it produce a response? • Does the language/content fit your teaching purpose and/or theme? • What can you do before, during and after listening? • Warning! Check carefully for unsuitable language and content!

44. Useful Resources • Websites • lyrics • www.metrolyrics.com • www.lyrics007.com • www.lyricsfreak.com • video • www.youtube.com • music download • www.music.download.com • worksheets and lesson ideas • www.musicalenglishlessons.org • www.isabelperez.com/songs.htm • www.esl-galaxy.com/music.htm • www.songsforteaching.com (written for teaching purposes) • http://www.eslprintables.com/printable.asp?id=14955 • http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/listentry/using_songs.shtml (British council - ideas for tasks)

45. Useful Resources • Books • Music and Song (Oxford English Resource Books for Teachers) by Tim Murphey: OUP • Heinemann Hits (photocopiable) by K Ludlow and P Reilly: Macmillan Education • Singing Grammar (photocopiable) by Mark Hancock: Cambridge ELT