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Songs can be very helpful provided the selected are focused to what is intended to be taught and it's at the level of the students. Songs can be used to teach vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation or even a particular topic. All the teacher has to do is to carefully examine what he/she wants his/her lesson to be. First, the language level of the students will determine which song(s) to use in the classroom. Songs that are most appropriate for young learners might not interest advanced learners. In effect, young learners will better learn through repetitive lyrics while advanced students would be fine with first lyrics. Furthermore the age of the students will also be base to choose suitable songs for students, songs that are up to their level and can better be understood will make the classroom active and fun for example, record pop and rock songs will be great for learners. More so, it is advisable to choose a song that is acceptable where you work. We are in a global world with different countries having varied cultures so teaching using a song that doesn’t violate their culture will lead to a successful lesson. The audios and their sensibilities must be taken into consideration. In addition , the resources to be used to teach a song in the classroom are also fundamental. Modern technology has made teaching easier and more convenient nowadays, classrooms are equipped with computers, projectors and smart boards with internet services. So this will facilitate the teaching of a song as it will be easier to access any song you want to teach. Nevertheless if there isn’t any of these resources available in the classroom, it wont be a bad idea to use some traditional resources like mp3s,CDs or even record players in teaching the song. It is also advisable for teachers to learn the lyrics of the song in advance. This will enable flexibility in that the teacher will easily switch from using either a smart board with internet connection or an mp3 to his normal voice in case the electronic devices malfunctions. Last but not the least, methodology used in teaching the song can't be left out. This will determine how well the students will understand or digest the lesson. Songs are meant for relative entertainment, comfort and enjoyment. All these qualities will be realized depending on how the teacher plays to teach what is intended in his/her song. So teachers should try as much as possible to make teaching using a song to be fun. Below are a few suggested steps to follow when teaching a song. 1. Listen to the song; Students should first listen to the song without the lyrics. If the song has a video , then it would be better to listen to it while watching the video so that it will heighten their interest and also give them a clue on what the content of the lesson will be about. 2. Comprehensive question; After listening to the song the first time, ask student some questions about the title of the song. 3. Listen to the song again; Student should listen to the song again but this time with the lyrics. Right after they are done listening to it, they can go back and highlight unfamiliar words they came across. The teacher should discuss the meaning of the words after they are done. The teacher can also ask some comprehensive questions about the song and do some activities like matching pictures to related pictures or doing a quiz. 4. Focus on a particular tense; Every song is focused to a particular verb tense so teachers should enable students comprehend their tense of focus in the song. 5. Creativity; Last but not the least, teachers can wrap up or conclude the lesson by introducing a creative activity. The teacher can let students write a verse of the lyrics either individually or in small groups. While maintaining the mood and style in the original song. Teaching using song can lead to successful lesson depending on how well the teacher understands his students, what they need, the resources available and how he/she intends to pass his/her message through.
