CLASSIFICATION OF SONGS (TOPIC 17)

1. Action songs

Action songs and rhymes were used before the arrival of TPR. Since then, they have become more
popular because of well-documented research that shows them to be very effective. The idea is that
if our pupils can move and do what is said matching words to the actions, language is learnt more
deeply.

Skipping, dipping, counting and finger rhymes can all be considered action songs.

2. Traditional songs

In this section we shall include any song that belongs to popular culture, is quite well known and
extended among English speaking children and therefore constitute a precious authentic material for
the classroom; proverbs, superstitions, rhyming, tongue twisters, riddles, nursery rhymes,
lullabies… are counted among traditional songs.

3. Pop songs

Pop songs give our studies a big sense of achievement and bad to a will to exhibit their English
outside the classroom, to friends and relatives. Another good reason is that songs show English in
real use. Some teachers may argue that most pop songs bring many problems since they are not
specially prepared for the ESL class. That may be true, but there it is the teacher's mission to choose
a song which suits the needs and level of their class.

3.1. Selected by the teacher:

The teacher criteria to select pop song may fit certain grammar points or some topic of the syllabus
i.e. “Let it be” for the present or “Imagine” for war and peace.

There are two main sources where we can find appealing songs for our students: background tracks
of famous films and gingles from Ads of TV shows.

3.2. Selected by the student:

Another idea is to let our students select the songs they want to work with. This has the following
advantages:
• When our pupils select the materials, the topic holds greater importance
• It gives our pupils more responsibility
• It reduces our time of preparation
• It breaks the barrier between pupils and teacher.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Brewster, Jean & Gail, Ellis with Dennis Girard “The primary English teachers' guide”
London: Penguin Books, 2002
• Murphy, Tim “Music & Song” Oxford OUP 1992.