Hello, all.
 
I'm wondering how many of you use music in the classroom?  I use it quite a bit and have been approached about putting the ways that it can be used into a text for teachers.  
 
Specifically, I was wondering what songs you use and for what purposes?  
 
For example, here are some ways that I use music.  (Keep in mind that at this time, all of my students are Mexican or Central/South American).
 
I play selections from Grupo Limite Instrumental (cumbia-sounding dance music)  during classroom games where I can stop the music to indicate a change of group or activity.
 
I play jazz during group discussions.
 
"Music for Reading" (classical) during silent reading times.
 
Yahoo Music Videos for cultural comparisons and contrasts (both macro and micro cultures in the US)
 
Karaoke for various purposes.... for example (and all purposes stated can be adjusted depending...most songs can be used for a vareity of linguistic and sociocultural purposes). 

"Deeper than the Holler" (Randy Travis) for comparatives.
"Dream" (The Everly Brothers?) for adverbial clauses
"Hey Good Lookin" (Hank Williams) for reduction of word-terminal [t] + word-intial [y] reducing to [ch]
"What a Beautiful World" (Satchmo) for colors and simple present tense with "I"
"How You Live" (Point of Grace) for imperatives
"He Stopped Loving Her Today" (George Jones) for pronouns
"Does He Love You" (Reba McIntire) for questions with "does"
 
Anyway, these are just a few I use, and how they are presented varies.....Sometimes I have students just listen and try to get the gist of the song. Somtimes I show the video (the student reaction to the end of the "Does He Love You" video is worth it, plus it opens up a dialog with students about acceptable and unacceptable ways to handle conflicts (cheating) in marriage).  Sometimes I provide lyrics with key words deleted and have students listen and fill in.  This summer session, I did a whole class (4 hours) on the Ballad of Sam Bass (reading, video from Discovery channel, song, writing) when we were studying about Austin (there's a road in Round Rock called Sam Bass and one of the students asked who he was...I had no idea so we found out together.  Yes, my written lesson plan went out the window, but it was worth it.  It turned out to be a group-effort webquest and by the end of the day we were singing the song.)
 
I also get requests from students...They surprise me every time with the songs that they WANT to learn....The BeeGees "How Deep Is Your Love"; "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (Stevie Wonder) and, my favorite request of all time, Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much"  - really non-standard grammar and a great opportunity to talk about appropriate use of register.
 
SO ...I'd love to hear what other ways people are using music, and what songs / kind of songs you may be presenting and the "why and how".
 
Thanks a lot for your input.
 
Grace and Peace!
Glenda Lynn Rose, PhD


ESL Instructor
Austin Learning Academy
(512) 841-4777 - classroom
(512) 789-5131 - mobile
 
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