Children's Songs
This part will mention about songs used in the EFL classroom for higher primary children to lower secondary students. Teachers can use songs in class to motivate students to learn English through songs. Dale T. Griffee (1992) indicated that "Songs" means pieces of music that have words. By music is meant instrumental music. Songs have elements in common with speech and poetry but songs are a unique form. Songs and speech are both vocally made, linguistically meaningful with melody. Both songs and poetry can be put to music and listened to. However, songs are different from speech or poetry. Songs communicate less information than poetry but sound so simple while poetry is more complicated. It is easy to use songs for listeners to react and express feeling and emotion since we participate in.
Songs and musics are useful in the language classroom. Teachers should be aware of classroom atmosphere, language input, cultural input, text, supplements, teaching and student interest as Griffee also mentioned.
Students can be relaxed with songs which make them feel secure while doing the task the teacher assigns. They are exposed to the rhythms of language as found in many textbooks. Therefore, songs can incorporate modern and living language in the classroom. Moreover songs reflect culture such as some European Christmas carols which reveal the history and the geography of Europe. The teacher can also use songs to develop a special course different from general texts and should consider the age of students, their interests, the time of day and their language level.
The followings songs from many web sites can be used for children from grade 5 to grade 9 EFL students. Teachers can add activities to have students practice language with songs such as vocabulary extension, four-skill development and discussion.
http://www.poppyfields.net/poppy/songs/
The Farmer in the Dell
The farmer in
the dell,
The farmer in the dell
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The farmer in the dell
The farmer takes a wife,
The farmer takes a wife
Hi, ho the derry-o,
the farmer takes a wife
The wife takes a child...
The child takes a nurse...
The nurse takes a dog...
The dog takes a cat...
The cat takes a rat...
The rat takes the cheese...
The cheese stands alone...
http://members.tripod.com/~ESL4Kids/songs/farmer.html
Twinkle,
Twinkle, Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Twinkle, Twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
http://members.tripod.com/~ESL4Kids/songs/twinkle.html
Puff, the Magic Dragon
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff
And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff, oh
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
Together they would travel on boat with
billowed sail
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail
Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came
Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name, oh
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
A dragon lives forever, but not so little
boys
Painted wings and giants's rings make way for other toys.
One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more
And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave
So, Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave, oh
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
By Peter Yarrow and Leonard
Tipton On Peter, Paul & Mary's MOVING, IN CONCERT, and 10 YEARS.
Copyright © 1963 Pepamar Music
http://www.poppyfields.net/poppy/songs/puff.html
