“What we learn with pleasure we never forget.”
Alfred Mercier
I guess the key message is this quote - learning can be enjoyable in every way for both teacher and child, and it should be. When our children are engaged and invested in their learning and are truly having ‘fun’, that’s a big part of how learning “sticks.” As teachers, we are in a perfect position to make our learning environments and experiences that we provide for our children highly enjoyable and deeply memorable. This is why our curriculum works; because we focus on making it stick and giving children experiences and opportunities that they will never forget.
Sing and Learn English!
The best learning happens when we have fun. During our lessons we are learning English through the songs that our small students like. It is very important to choose music that they like! The best songs for learning English are:
• not too long
• not too fast (easy to sing along)
• in everyday English (not too many new or difficult words)
• clear (you can easily hear all the words).
Learning tips for 5–12 year olds:
• Teachers choose songs with lots of rhyming words and rhythms that repeat. This makes it easier for children to learn new words and start singing along.
• Students could also try singing along to nursery rhymes. They can practice lots of different vocabulary. For example: numbers (‘Ten in the bed’), animals (‘Old MacDonald had a farm’), colours (‘What’s your favourite colour?’), food (Do you like ice cream?), weather (‘What’s the weather, what’s the weather like today?’), vehicles (‘The wheels on the bus’), left and right (‘You put your right mitten in’), actions (‘If you’re happy and you know it’), materials (‘This is the way we lay the bricks’).
• Younger students listen to a song and repeat an action for each line or verse. Actions can help children to understand and remember new words. Dancing increases memory, concentration and understanding at all ages.
Learning tip for 13–18 year olds
For teenagers, learning through songs is a great opportunity to combine their interests and learning the language. If a child is interested in a song, they will be determined to understand it. Let’s remind students that pop songs sometimes use informal, everyday language. It’s important to understand that English is used differently in different situations.
Some children find it hard to speak English because they are shy or lack confidence. Singing with other students can help. Even if the students are not musical, they try to be enthusiastic. Students have a fun when we dance and sing songs on our lessons.
Singing helps improve the pronunciation in English. Any chance to hear English is helpful. You can put on background music during mealtimes, playtimes or when you’re travellingHave a fun!☺
