Is there anyone who hasn´t seen the "Sound of music" and whished to be like Marija von Trapp (J. Andrews)?! The most beautiful example of education with a touch of heart! Aaaaaaaaaah! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eaGxLZrLuk

I simply love music! I am a singer, choir conductor and a song writer so you can understand my adoration towards music in my classroom! I expect you are all familiar with how important it is to expose learners to authentic English.

The most important affective, cognitive and linguistic reasons for using songs in elt are that music has a positive effect on us and it creates a positive attitude in regard to learning. It simply makes us feel good! :) By all the repetition involved in the process of singing (because songs are repetitive and consistent) it develops automaticity and provides numerous examples of genuine communicational situations when to use a specific target utterance which is being learned. Not to mention that recognizing words which are sung is quite difficult, so they practice their comprehension skills to a larger extent than listening to spoken language.

1. On this site you can find songs I like using for particular grammar structures and various topics- http://tefltunes.com/themesongs.aspx .  

Here you can download free mp3 – http://www.dreamenglish.com/freedownload

Another site with lovely songs http://www.songsforteaching.com/esleflesol.htm , downloading is not free but there is a player so who has an internet connection in class can play them nevertheless.

2. However, I don´t like always imposing my own preferences on pupils so very often I tell them to propose a song they like or even to find a song on Youtube (I often give clues on topics) and when they provide me a title I prepare different materials with exercises and related questions, make worksheets with gapped lyrics and bring it to class.

When they work something they have chosen themselves they are much more eager! :)