Teaching with Songs: Lewis Capaldi [a Lesson Plan for English Language Teaching]

Description:

This song-based activity lesson plan for English language teaching features the song Hold Me While You Wait by Lewis Capaldi and its lyric video. Students talk about hugging and relationships and compare photographs (Cambridge English: First and First for Schools), speculate about the meaning of a song, guess words from lyrics, watch a lyric video, and rewrite the chorus of a song.

Language level: B1+ B2 
Learner type: All ages
Skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing
Topic: Hugs and relationships
Language: Vocabulary related to relationships, contrasting, comparing, speculating
Materials: Youtube video, worksheets and mp3 file
Duration: 1 hour - 1h 30 min
Downloadable materials:  instructions; Photograph worksheet; Chorus worksheet; 
song mp3

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION FOR THIS POST, MODIFIED FOR TEACHING WITH ZOOM FEATURES:

PART 1 – Warm-up and Photographs

Step 1.

Start by writing “ Why do people hug?” on the board. Get some answers and write them on the board. Also ask your students if they like hugging and being hugged or not and why.

Step 2.

Hand out the photograph worksheet and In pairs, students look at the eight pictures showing people hugging in different situations, talk about each photo saying why people are hugging in those situations, and also which photo they like best and why. Give them some time for the task (about 2, 3 min) then, have the pairs share their ideas with the whole class

Royalty free pictures from pixabay.com

Note: In part two of the speaking paper (paper 4) of the Cambridge English: First and First for Schools according to the handbook “(…) candidates are given the opportunity to speak for 1 minute without interruption. Each candidate is asked to compare two colour photographs, and to make a further comment about them in response to a task that is read out by the interlocutor. A prompt is given to the candidates in the form of a direct question; this is written above the photographs. Candidates are expected to point out similarities and differences between the photographs and then move on to deal with the question, answering it with reference to both photographs.”

It might be a good idea to teach/review some useful language for contrasting, comparing, speculating, before your students do the next step.

Step 3

Tell students that they are going to practice speaking for 1 min about a pair of photographs (speaking part 2). Have the pairs decide who is Student A and Student B. Explain that all pairs will be doing the exercise at the same time, and that you are going to be the examiner and give the instructions for the task and also keep track of the time for them. While student A is speaking, Student B must not interrupt and only pay attention in order to comment afterwards.

Review the useful expressions in the worksheet and ask students to give you example sentences with them.

Comparing: In the same way,  Similarly, Likewise,  Also 
Contrasting: By contrast, On the other hand, However, Whereas,  While
Speculating: I guess, I imagine, I suppose, Perhaps, Possibly, Look(s) like, 
Seem(s) like, Might

Step 4

After your students are ready (divided into student A and Studend B), read out the instructions for student A:

(Candidate A), it’s your turn first. Here are your photographs. They show people hugging in different situations. I’d like you to compare the photographs, and say why they are hugging in these situations. All right? (Keep track of 1 min while your students do the task – when the time is over say: THANK YOU).

Have the students who were not speaking (student B) to comment on their partner’s performance, whether they compared and contrasted the two pictures, answered the question, used varied expressions etc.

Step 5

Now it’s student B’s turn. After your students are ready, read out the instructions for student B:

(Candidate B),Now it’s your turn. Here are your photographs. They show people who are hugging other people in different situations. I’d like you to compare the photographs, and say How they are feeling in these situations All right? (Keep track of 1 min while your students do the task – when the time is over say: THANK YOU).

Have the students who were not speaking (student A) comment on their partner’s performance, whether they compared and contrasted the two pictures, answered the question, used varied expressions etc.

Step 6

Optionally, you can have students swap roles and do the exercise again, if you have time.

PART 2 – Lyric Video

Step 7

Tell students that you are going to work with a song by Lewis Capaldi titled Hold Me While You Wait. Write the title on the board.

Divide students into small groups and ask them to come up with ideas for what the song is about based on the title and write them down on a sheet of paper. After a while, have the groups share their ideas. Example: We think it’s a song about someone who is …

Step 8

Keep students in their groups from the previous step and tell them they are going to watch the lyric video of the song and check if any of their ideas was right. But before watching it, they are going to choose five words from the group below, which they think will be in the song lyrics (write them on the board)

BELIEVE – GIRL – HATE – HOLD – HUG – KISS – LIES – TIME – TRUTH – WASTE

Step 9

Have the groups decide which words they’re choosing and write them on their sheets. Have one student from each group explain their choice of words.

Then, play the video and check. The group with more right words wins!

Answers: the song is about a guy who knows his girlfriend is going to break up 
with him, so he is asking her to hold him while she waits (for someone better
 to appear) and leave him
Words in the song: time - truth - hold - waste - believe

PART 3 – Rewriting the Lyrics

Step 10

Hand out the chorus worksheet (one for each pair of students).

Tell your students they are going to change the words in the chorus in order to change the song into a happy one.

Give them some time for the task. (about 10 min)

If it fits your class profile, you can have students sing the new lyrics to class! It’s sure to be fun!

This song-based lesson plan is sure to spice up your classes! However, would you like to think, feel and act more creatively on your own to be able to turn ANY song you want into an engaging lesson plan?
HERE are TIME-SAVING ideas that do the heavy work so you can focus on the most important: INSPIRING and MOTIVATING YOUR STUDENTS to learn CREATIVELY!