Engage Your English Language Students with Songs: A Step-by-Step Guide

Start the year on a high note by introducing a song-based lesson plan in your classroom! Featuring the captivating music video “Nothing to Declare” by MGMT, this lesson is designed to engage your students and encourage active participation. Watch your students overcome challenges and thrive in speaking with confidence. Ready to transform your teaching methods? Dive in and see the difference!

Inspiring Engagement: Where Every Hand is Raised in English Lessons

Quick Lesson Overview:

This step-by-step lesson plan for English Language Teaching (ELT) utilizes the song “Nothing to Declare” by MGMT. Students will discuss overcoming obstacles, analyze photos, and draw parallels to the song’s themes. They will also read narratives with missing words, guess the missing words, listen to confirm answers, and collaborate in groups to achieve the correct answers in a friendly competition.

Note: This lesson plan is designed for online teaching but can be adapted for face-to-face instruction.

Language level: B1+ B2
Learner type: All ages
Skills: speaking, reading, listening, writing
Topic: Overcoming personal challenges
Grammar: Verb tenses
Materials: Genially presentation, worksheet.pdf/ editable pdf worksheet
Duration: about 1 hour

Downloadable materials: instructions.pdf, worksheet.pdf; editable pdf worksheet

Check Out The Video Tutorial For This ESL Song Lesson

How to Teach English with This ESL Song Lesson Plan: Instructions

Step 1 (5 min)

Begin with the Genially presentation link. Slide 1. Ask students, “What types of challenges do people often need to overcome?” Encourage them to share and explain their thoughts.

Step 2 (5 min)

Slide 2. People overcoming challenges in different situations (photos) Have several students describe the pictures.

Ask: What obstacles are they overcoming? How do you overcome challenges in your life?

Note. You can use this slide to have some extra practice for Cambridge English: First and First Fors Schools Speaking Paper part 2, by having students choose 2 pictures and compare them.

Step 3 (7 min)

Slide 3. Students read about 4 people talking about their challenges.

Each text has a word missing. In pairs (breakout rooms), have students come up with a word that fits the gaps and also answer the question: What do these stories have in common?

Step 4 (5 min)

The pairs share their ideas. Do not give the answers, just have a mini discussion and ask other students if they agree or disagree and why.

Step 5 (3 min)

Slide 4. Play the audio for students to check. Students listen to the 4 people and check their answers. Ask them, “ Which person’s story did you like best? Why?”

See answers and tapescript in the instructions.pdf.

Step 6 (7 min)

Lyrics Worksheet. Grammar correction: verb tenses. Individually, have students correct the 6 errors in the verb tenses. GIve them some time to do it, but do not correct it now.

Note. There is a normal pdf worksheet and also an editable pdf worksheet your students can download and complete the exercise by typing directly on it. See the links in the description.

Step 7 (7 min)

Group Competition. Divide students into small groups (breakout rooms) to compare their answers and come to a final conclusion about the right corrections. Have students choose a captain to send you the answers via check box in the next step.

Step 8 (5 min)

As the captains send you the groups’ answers, award points to each right one. (but do not tell them who won yet!). Ask students if they recognize the song and/or singer.

Play the song for students to check. The group with more points is the winner!

Step 9 (5 min)

Ask student what they think the music video for the song could be like. Have them speculate based on the lyrics and everything they’ve discussed so far.

Step 10 (5 – 7min)

Play the music video for them to check their ideas.

The music video is sure to catch their attention and I’m sure you can use the questions below to end the class on a high note capturing their impressions and thoughts:

Ask some or all of the questions below.

• “Was the video like what you thought it would be? What was the same or different?”
• “How did the story in the video help you understand the song better?”
• “What did you feel when you watched the girl’s story in the video?”
• “How did the video make you think differently about people with disabilities?”
• “Which part of the video did you remember most, and why did it stand out to you?”

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