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Songs and chants are indispensable teaching tools. They provide learners with language models to imitate. They also give students the opportunity to improve pronunciation by vocalizing the language. Music also creates a fun and relaxed class atmosphere, making learning more enjoyable and motivating for students.

There are over 80 songs and chants in Gogo Loves English New Edition. The Teacher's Books provide activities for them all. These activities reinforce vocabulary and grammar patterns. Let's look at some examples of activities that work well with music:

• Have students personalize the songs and chants by rewriting the lyrics, making new verses and substituting people's names. With these activities, students are able to use structures they have learned in a creative way. For example, in the song "Do you want a basketball?" (Student's Book 3, Unit 6), the whole class can sing Does (Student 1's name) want a (basketball)? Student 1 answers truthfully Yes, I do!/No, I don't! to the music. Go around the class, giving each student a chance to answer a question.
• Have students create and perform a music video for a song or chant. By doing this, students will bring the song to life and be able to examine its meaning and content more closely.
• Give students objects to hold up whenever they hear the object mentioned in a song. This enables students to demonstrate they understand the meaning of the lyrics. For example, in the song "Do you have a fork?" (Student's Book 2, Unit 11), students sing Do you have a (fork)? The student with the corresponding item replies Yes, I have a (fork)., while holding up an actual fork.
• Have students sing a song/chant while walking or skipping around the classroom. Then stop the music and have students perform a dialog with the person nearest to them. This is a great way for getting students to talk to each other in English. If you want to introduce an element of competition into the activity, stop the music and call out Freeze! The students must stand still immediately. The first student to move is "it" and he/she can choose a partner. Then the pair can perform a dialog or answer a question from the rest of the students. For example, if the rest of the students ask How are you?, the pair replies I'm fine, thank you.

Using these kinds of activities can help students acquire language and have fun along the way! Students will enjoy listening, singing, chanting and carrying out the activities. They will surprise themselves when they are able to use newly acquired language freely and with confidence.

For more suggestions on using music in class, take a look at the Musical activities in our Activity bank. Also, if you have any other ideas that you would like to share, we'd love to hear from you. Please send them to us via our Guestbook.