Lonnie's Vibrante Blog

WHAT ARE THE BEST SONGS FOR TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES?

I strongly advocate the use of music in the foreign language classroom (See my previous blog post) not only because it is so fun and engaging, but also because music is so very effective. However, not all music works for all levels. For example, songs that are:

Mariachi musicians like those on "Mariachi y Más" 

•  too hard (very difficult vocab)
•  sung too fast for the level
•  have nasty, street or too dialectical vocabulary
•  incorrect grammar
•  nasty or otherwise inappropriate (drugs, crime…) content
•  nonsensical
•  just plain bad

… will probably not help your students learn much. Using the right kind of music and at the right time and level helps music work its magic much more easily.

There are some music snobs that insist that only “real” songs be played in their classroom. I LOVE using authentic music in my class, but at the lower levels it is harder to find music that fits all my criteria. The general sequence and criteria of the types of music I suggest for optimum usage are:

1. Simple rhymes, rhythmic “ditties” or mini chants. They are very easy, fun, and they help at the very beginning lower the affective filter, help with pronunciation, pre-teach (incidentally or purposely) grammar and simple word order.

Musical Echoing

Some good mini-chants or snappy sayings can be found in various languages. Click below:

Spanish Snappy Sayings

French Snappy Sayings

Italian Snappy Sayings

2. Simple children’s songs (check for nonsense or surprisingly difficult words)

3. Musical chants that teach or review elements of your lesson (grammar, vocabulary, other content)

      Some unique musical chants in various languages can be found by clicking on the links below:

       

 Musical Arabic

 Gesang, Rhythmen und Reime ( in packets)

Canti, Ritmi e Rime

Cantos, Ritmos y Rimas

Cantiques, Rythmes et Rimes (in packets)

4. Educational songs made up to teach something. Many people, mostly teachers, make up cute and appropriate songs. Listen to them before you buy. I have heard many that are bad, forced translations of English songs, very amateurishly recorded, sung by children (which doesn’t work well for older students although children’s songs sung by adults do), sometimes even with horrible accents.

Italian musician like those
on Canti, Ritmi e Rime

5. Popular or traditional songs that accent something by its constant repetition or perhaps weird yet cool way of expressing it. Sorting through all of the songs out there in the Spanish, French, Italian, German world can be daunting task  but worth it if you find the right good and powerful song.

6. At upper levels (4 or AP) I go more for culture, beauty and especially songs that represent the country’s heart and soul. I don’t mind using older, classic songs that EVERY ONE, no matter the age form that country knows and loves.

Andean musicians from "Gira musical
por el mundo hispánico"

7. Sometimes songs without words can also be played for their mood altering qualities (calming, exciting, danceable) or used to discuss the many musical genres available in the country or even the typical instruments used.

Two very cultural and lovely collections of traditional music with good extension exercises and readings are:

Mariachi y Más (7 song Bundle and Book)

Mariachi y Más (16 songs book and MP3)

Gira Musical Por el Mundo Hispánico

Read also:

How to  Effectively Use Music in the Spanish, French, Italian, ESL(and other Foreign Languages) Classroom...

Click to see more of Lonnie Dai Zovi's products