Self Image

Age: Teens & Adults

Focus: Reflection & Discussion

The activty proposed here has been designed for the song "UNPRETTY" by TLC. First, students in pairs take some minutes to describe themselves physically. After that, they discuss whether their self-description was positive or negative. They watch the TV commercial for Dove called "Real Beauty Sketches" and tell their peers what impression the video made on them. After that, they listen to the song and identify 10 mistakes. Finally, they engage into a discussion about  how people see themselves. 

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Rules

Age: Children
Focus: Commands


On the first week, students are introduced to the classroom rules. After practicing the commands by doing some written activities and oral practice through flashcards and powerpoint slides, I play the song "RULES FOR THE CLASSROOM", which I found in YouTube. Guess what... It's very cute and catchy.

The City I Love

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Talking about places
Ultimate Goal: Writing

The activity below has been designed for a lesson in which students learn vocabulary used to talk about a place ( BREATHTAKING, SEASONED TRAVELER, OVERRUN WITH TOURISTS, WANDER OFF THE BEATEN PATH, IN YOUR FACE, ISOLATED, REMOTE, HUSTLE AND BUSTLE, etc...) After practicing the vocabulary, students brainstormed words related to New York. Then, they shared the words they came up with and listened to the song "A HEART IN NEW YORK" by Paul Simon. After listening to the song, students engaged into a discussion about the uniqueness of the city. Finally, they were encouraged to write a short poem or a paragraph about a city they enjoy going to and then shared their pieces of writing with their peers.

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Teenagehood

Age: Teens

In our teenagehood, we usually don't want to conform. It is a time of doubts, questioning and anger. The activities below give students the opportunity to share with their peers what they expect from the future. They will also be able to practice the grammar point - future forms (Will, Going to, Present Continuous, Future Continuous and Future Perfect. Finally, they can also write about it. It is up to the teacher what to focus on. Here are three possible ways to work on the song "THE ANTHEM" by Good Charlotte.

1) Grammar Focus: Future Forms
2) Reflection & Discussion
3) Writing

Men X Women

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Reflection & Discussion

The activity below has been designed for the song "WOMAN IN CHAINS" by Tears for Fears. There is a vocabulary presentation with words and expressions from the lyrics and a fill-in-the-blank activity. In the end, students debate about the meaning of the song and watch an interview with the author, who explains what he meant. Students then engage into a discussion about whether they agree with the author or not. 

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Tell + O + Infinitive

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Infinitives / Adjectives for Personality

The activity below has been designed for the song "DON'T TELL ME" by Madonna, which shows a little bit of the singer's personality, as in all her songs. Teachers here can explore that by engaging students into a discussion about their own personality as well. Also, the song has the affirmative and negative forms of infinitive verbs. (Remember that you don't necessarily have to focus on both aspects of the song. In case of time constrains, choose one and adapt the worksheet accordingly.)

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School Items

Age: Children
Focus: School Items


The song below has the tune of "YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE" . I sing it with my little ones to practice the vocabulary learned, which is school items. Initially, I write the words on the board in the sequence they appear in the song and elicit the lyrics from them. Eventually, they memorize it and don't need the words anymore. The cool thing about this song is that the items don't necessarily have to be in the order suggested here. 

Activity - Downloadable