TEACHING English WITH SONG PIECES 3!

SONG PIECES is back! By using various short song extracts, it injects variety and liveliness to English language teaching classes. It generates student interaction and collaboration to identify specific things in the lyrics, in a light and fun way.

SONG PIECES is fast-paced, and its variety provides extra energy and fun at any moment the teacher needs:
Review, warm-up, extra grammar practice, or as a simple reward activity

Description:
In this ELT song-based activity, students work in teams and listen to 7
 different short song extracts, and have to identify different grammar
 structures and vocabulary in each one.
Language level: all levels
Learner type: All ages
Skills: listening and writing
Topic: varied
Language and grammar: comparative, prepositions, numbers, uncountable nouns, parts of the body, months, frequency adverbs
Duration: 20 - 30 minutes
Downloadable materials:  instructions; Song Extracts (mp3 files)

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Divide students into pairs or trios, and tell them they are going to listen to various extracts of songs and in each one, they have to listen to different things and write them down on a blank sheet of paper.

Step 2. Before playing each extract, say what you want the students to listen to and make sure they know it. In order to do that ask them if they can give you examples of the words they must listen to.

Step 3. Tell them they have 3 chances to try to get the right word. Then, play the first extract 3 times and they write down the answer for number 1.

Step 4. Check what the teams wrote down and assign points. (1 for each right word, if there is more than 1 word in the recording)

Step 5. Repeat steps 2, 3, 4 for the next song extracts. The team with more points, in the end, is the winner!

Things to be found in each song extract:
Song 1: comparative   (answer: better)
Song 2: prepositions (answer: in/ from/ under)
Song 3: number (answer:one thousand - 1000)
Song 4: uncountable noun (answer water)
Song 5: part of the body (answer: hands)
Song 6: month (answer: December)
Song 7: frequency adverb (answer: always)

List of songs (+ lyrics key) featured in this original ELT Activity:

Song 01 - Before you go - Lewis Capaldi (COMPARATIVE)
Before you go / Was there something I could've said to make your heart beat BETTER?
If only I'd have known you had a storm to weather /So, before you go /Was there something I could've said to make it all stop hurting?
It kills me how your mind could make you feel so worthless / So,

Song 02 - bruises - Lewis Capaldi  (PREPOSITIONS)
There must be something IN the water /Cause everyday it's getting colder
And if only I could hold you / You'd keep my head FROM going UNDER
There must be something in the water /Cause everyday it's getting colder
And if only I could hold you / You'd keep my head from going under

Song 03 - White mercedes - charlie XCX (NUMBER)
But won't swallow my pride / You know I've got a suit of armor on
You'll never see me cry / I hate the silence /That's why the music's always loud / So many problems, I try to drown them out
1000 bottles, collecting souvenirs / You know it's so hard to admit it
But the only good inside of me is you / I take all of these blue and yellow pills
But nothing seems to last like you / You're chasing after something that you'll never catch

Song 04 - everything I wanted - Billie Eilish (UNCOUNTABLE NOUN)
I tried to scream / But my head was under WATER /They called me weak / Like I'm not just somebody's daughter
Could've been a nightmare / But it felt like they were right there /And it feels like yesterday was a year ago / But I don't wanna let anybody know
'Cause everybody wants something from me now / And I don't wanna let 'em down

Song 05: Used to love - Martin Garrix & Dean Lewis (PART OF THE BODY)
And into the dawn I do my best to try and find / Some sleep but you still keep me up
We used to hold HANDS, now I dance alone / We had Springsteen playing so loud
We danced in the dark till it felt like home /With you home was anywhere /But you will never be left behind / Give me a moment, I need just a little more time
If I could I would have made things right / But we can't go back to the way that we used to love

Song 06 - Loneliest time of year - Mabel (MONTH)
Sorry I'm not so merry / But I feel like this yearly /Christmas time isn't my vibe / Brings no joy into my life
Watch the snow as it's falling / And I don't feel a damn thing /Only darken the tree lights / Just another DECEMBER night
Sleigh bells ringing / Still I feel sad / It'll have you thinking /Of all the things / That you don't have / But I know
If I'm feeling lonely / I can't be the only one

Song 07 - Lose you to love me - Selena Gomez (FREQUENCY ADVERB)
And I let it burn /You got off on the hurtin' /When it wasn't yours, yeah / We'd ALWAYS go into it blindly
I needed to lose you to find me / This dancing was killing me softly /I needed to hate you to love me, yeah / To love, love, yeah
To love, love, yeah / To love, yeah /I needed to lose you to love me, yeah /To love, love, yeah / To love, love, yeah / To love, yeah

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!