![]() ![]() This song isn’t just for beginners, either. Three times should be enough for them to fill in most if not all of the blanks.Īs a follow-up activity, ask students to write a paragraph on why friends are important to them, or a paragraph that describes a good friend. Then have students fill in the blanks as they listen. Using the lyrics to the song, blank out every fifth word. Have them talk about their friends and family in groups of around three students each.įor this song, try using a cloze activity. Its simple melody and articulated lyrics stress the importance of working together, just like your students need to do on a daily basis.īefore you play the song, ask your students to talk about a person who helps them feel better on a rough day. No one can get through life without friends, and that’s doubly true for your beginning ESL students, who will love this song. “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers may be a classic, but it still has relevance today. I just might have a problem that you’d understand Let each person take a few minutes to share their collage with the class.Ĭall on me, brother, when you need a hand Then give it a third listen so students can double check before going over the lyrics together.Īs a follow-up activity, have students brainstorm things that make them happy, and then make a collage with those words and ideas. Ask students to arrange the lines in the correct order as they listen. Give students a copy of the lyrics cut into single lines and shuffled. The second time through, however, challenge them to a lyrics shuffle. The first time you play it, let students simply listen to the song. ![]() Depending on where you’re teaching English, this may or may not be an issue for your students. Then cue it up for the class.īefore hitting “play,” though, take a minute to point out that McFerrin does have an accent. Though it’s been around the sound waves for a while, it still makes a great motivational song for ESL students, particularly beginners, since the words are clearly articulated and the music isn’t distracting.īefore introducing this song to your class, start with a discussion question: What makes you happy? Encourage students to share, especially if they have any particular music that gives them a boost. I think almost everyone is familiar with “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin. Without further ado, let’s get motivated! 1. Be sure to check the lyrics for anything that might not make sense (for example, you can’t get the message of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” if you don’t understand that she’s rich). Second, music is a part of today’s culture, and that means that many songs will have cultural elements that are unfamiliar to your students. Give your students a head start by making sure they’ll understand all the words that they hear. There’s no need to throw new words into the mix. ![]() Listening to a song for language purposes is challenging enough. In fact, if you play an upbeat song, but then only focus on something like irregular verbs, it might backfire on you and demotivate your students.īecause of that, it’s a good idea to review any unfamiliar vocabulary with your class before listening to the song. ![]() Sure, they all contain potential lessons on grammar, sentence structure or vocabulary, but that’s not the main focus here. When you use these songs in class, keep a couple of things in mind.įirst of all, the main reason I’ve chosen these songs is that they’re motivational. (Download) 6 Highly Motivational Songs for Sluggish Students in English Class This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy. Whether you’re teaching beginners or advanced students, there are benefits to pressing “play” today-or any time you or your students need a boost! That’s why we’ve put together this playlist of motivational songs in English that you can play for your ESL students. It affects us on a deep level, connects with us in ways that nothing else does. Febru6 Highly Motivational Songs for Sluggish Students in English Classĭo you ever feel sluggish and unmotivated when you teach? Do your students?Įven if it’s not ideal, it’s completely normal for all of us to feel low on the motivation scale every now and then.īut if you’re lacking the motivation to teach your English students, just imagine how that will affect their motivation to learn.įor those times when you and your students need a good pick-me-up, there’s nothing like a rousing, motivational song to get everyone’s brains moving. ![]()
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