Why use songs with young learners?

 Why use songs with young learners?

• Children like songs.
• Songs can be integrated into language learning – listening, singing and doing activities around the songs.
• In many cultures songs are used to introduce or practise mother tongue with young children, so this is a medium that children are very comfortable with.
• Songs are memorable and often include a lot of repetition that helps to make the language itself memorable.
• Songs contain chunks of language that children can remember and use.
• Because songs must be sung at a reasonably fast speed, they encourage natural phonological features like linking and weak forms.
• Children will be actively involved in their learning, even at a very young age, rather than passively learning.
• Children have energy and want to make noise. Songs will channel these natural inclinations positively.
• Parents will enjoy hearing their children singing in English.
• Singing is a happy and stress-free activity that will add to a positive classroom learning environment.

What songs should teachers choose for the classroom?

Choose songs that:

• Contain simple, easily understood lyrics.
• Link with a topic or vocabulary that you are studying in class.
• Are repetitive.
• Children can easily do actions to (to help emphasize meaning) .

Where can I find songs on onestopenglish?

Look below for a selection of individual songs and lessons using songs. Don't forget, too, that if you're looking for song videos, we have two great series.

• M-Tunes is an old onestopenglish favourite: a set of 60 stand-alone song videos with interactive games.
• The magic cat is a new set of eight animated song videos that tell the story of Puzzleberry the magic cat and children Tom and Jess, and is accompanied by a host of worksheets for you to use with your students.