Music for the teaching of english1

Songs, chants, rhymes with VYLs

At early ages, learning of a foreign language has in common too much things with the acquisition of the tongue language. The child is displayed to the oral language of a meaningful form that he goes acquiring little by little.

Songs and chants are included in the oral comprehension and production. This kind of text motivate to the children, they help to create a pleasant environment for learning and they have too many repetitions, what facilitate the comprehension and memory by means of visual material, sound effects, mimicry and illustrative actions by means of teacher. Children imitate theses actions and gestures, pointing drawing, doing representations, etc.

Regarding to oral production, it’s create situations where children produce new words in English language, for example participating in the songs and chants. The production is at a words level (red, yes, one) and at a level of commons expressions (Thank you, Here you are, Merry Christmas, etc.).

Songs, which are shown to children, have intend to practise the waves, and others that propose activities of TPR (Total Physical Response), in which children accompany the songs physically with gestures and movements of a funny way.

Furthermore, songs are an essential component in these classes because through which it structure the lessons. There are songs that can be repeated each day, others that appear in each unit and others which are specific for the topic that is treated. They emphasize in the pronunciation and reinforce the key words.

Finally, songs and chants can serve like link of communication between the classroom and the home. Children can be encouraged by parents to sing songs that learned with the teacher.

Regarding what this subject treat, now we are going to focus in songs of some primary books and the activities that we can to produce with them.

Firstly, we are going to extract songs and chants of the book “Animal Island”, which has like objective to familiarize to children with the English language, using an appropriated method for their age. This book tells the history of two children, Katy and Tom, who travel rounds an island doing friends of the animals.

The first unit is named “Number trees” and in this subject we can find the chant “One, two, three, four, five…” and the song “I’m Harry Hippo”.

Regarding to the chant “One, two, three, four, five…” first we have to practise with children the numbers by means of charts and when children listened the chant they have to try raise the correct number of fingers.

Adult: One, two.Chorus: One, two.Adult: One, two, three.Chorus: One, two, three.Adult: One, two, three, four.Chorus: One, two, three, four.Adult: One, two, three, four, five!Chorus: One, two, three, four, five!Adult: Five number trees!Chorus: Five number trees!Katy: Now say it like me

One, two. One, two, three. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four, five! Five number trees!

Regarding to the song “I’m Harry Hippo…” we have to teach to children some movements before to listen the song like for example:

I´m (the teacher point himself) Harry Hippo (the teacher is moved heavy and slowly ) Lindy Lion (the teacher has to scratch the air) Micky Monkey (the teacher is scratched the head like a

monkey) Polly Parrot (the teacher moves the arms like wings) I´m your friend (the teacher simulate that he give the hand to

someone)

 SONG

 Harry: I’m Harry Hippo. Hippo, hippo.

I’m Harry Hippo and I’m your friend.Lindy: I’m Lindy Lion. Lion, lion.

I’m Lindy Lion and I’m your friend.Micky: I’m Micky Monkey. Monkey, monkey.

I’m Micky Monkey and I´m your friend.Polly: I’m Polly Parrot. Parrot, parrot.

I’m Polly Parrot and I´m your friend.

The second unit is named “Polly’s colours”, which is linked with the colours. Here, we can find the chant “Red, yellow, blue, pink, green…” and the song “In the classroom…”

Before to listen the chant we have to practise each one of the colours, by means of charts or colouring in the blackboard with chalks of colours. Children have to repeat with the teacher all colours. For do an activity more funny the teacher has to change the tone, say so quickly and change the volume of the voice, for what children imitate to the teacher.

With regard to the song “In the classroom” before to listen him, the teacher must teach some movements for what children carry out when listen the song, like for example: 

In the classroom (the teacher looks around and makes a roomy gesture that covered the classroom.

Sit down (the teacher must sit down) Look at me (children look to the teacher faithfully. Get your pencil (the teacher takes a pencil) Get your book (the teacher takes a book)

 SONG

Parrot: In the classroom, in the classroom. Now sit down and look at me.

In the classroom, in the classroom. Polly Parrot, look at me! In the classroom, in the classroom. Get your pencil, get your book. In the classroom, in the classroom. Polly Parrot, get your book!

Other song for practise the colours is “Three little parrots, pink, green, blue…” For practise before to listen the song we have to get some charts and show to children in the next order: pink, green, blue, yellow and red.

The third unit is named “Micky´s family, which is related with the family, and in this unit there is a chant “Mum, dad, sister, brother, baby…” and there is a song “Who is wearing orange today…?” too.

In the chant we are going to practise the vocabulary of the family with the children. We can use charts with pictures of a family and show to the children for what repeat.

In the song “Who is wearing orange today…? firstly the teacher has to present the song. Hereafter, the teacher puts the cassette and asks to the children that repeat with him. Furthermore, the teacher has to teach some movements for what realise when come back to listen, like these:

Who (lift the eyebrows and extend the hands with gesture of question)

Is wearing (touch the clothes) Red/blue etc. (point the charts of colours) Today (the teacher writes the date in the blackboard and point

it)

SONG 

Adult: Who is wearing orange today?Orange today? Orange today?Who is wearing orange today?Who? Who? Who?

 Who is wearing purple today?Purple today? Purple today?Who is wearing purple today?Who? Who? Who?

 Who is wearing blue today?Blue today? Blue today?Who is wearing blue today?Who? Who? Who?

One additional idea about this song would be to put the song and ask to the children that they dance when the song is hearing. When a verse finishes stop the cassette and say to the children that wearing something of the colour that is mentioned. Now, the teacher places to the children in circle and put the song and he is going to go marking the rhythm and pointing each child. When the music stop, the teacher will ask to this pupil if he wears something of the colour that is mentioned and the pupil hast to answer Yes or No.

Everybody knows that in Christmas there are many songs and at school children learn some songs of Christmas. So, we are going to present the song called “I’m Father Christmas…” But firstly, the teacher has to explain the meaning of some words like Father Christmas, beard, sack, etc. As well, we are going to use the mime for explain the meaning of big, fat, asleep, open the door and creep. The movements that we are going to use in the mime are:

  I’m Father Christmas (the teacher points himself) Big (open the eyes) Fat (clap in the stomach) Here is my beard (carees an imagine beard) Here is my sack (the teacher do like if he brought a sack) The children (the teacher points to the pupils) Asleep (put the hands together and simulate to sleep) I open the door (the teacher simulate to open the door) I creep (the teacher go out on tiptoes in silence)

SONG  Father Christmas: I’m Father Christmas

Big and fat.Ho, ho, ho.Hee, hee, hee.Here is my beardAnd hear is my sackHo, ho, ho.Hee, hee, hee.When the childrenAre asleep,Ho, ho, ho.Hee, hee, hee.I open the doorAnd in I creep.Ho, ho, ho.Hee, hee, hee.

Furthermore, there are some Rhymes, which are very interesting. One of them is the rhyme called “Easter rabbit…”, and we can practise some movements and the body’s parts. Firstly, the teacher puts the rhyme to the pupils and secondly the teacher has to teach all the movements.

RHYME  

Easter rabbit’s ears (to put the hands like the ears)Are big and brown (to move the hands up and down)His little white tail (to put the hand in the

back)Is soft and round. (to move the hand)He wiggles his nose, (to move the nose)His mouth is small, (to point the mouth)And when he jumps, (to jump)He’s very tall! (to stretch the arms upwards)His legs are brown, (to give some claps in the knees)His eyes are pink, (to point the eyes)He looks at me, (to open much the eyes)…And gives a wink! (to wink an eye)

Munford, H. Y Wagner, B., Bertie Bear Inglés en Infantil. Cyprus: Burlington Books, 2000.

Jamieson K., Hello Teddy. Guía Didáctica. 1ª Ed., Hong Kong: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Blair A. Y Cadwallader J., Animal Island. 1ª Ed., Spain: Oxford University Press, 1998.