When teaching very young learners in Germany, I would have them listen to and sing English songs during each class. I created playlists for the children and would let the parents know where to get the CDs or download the mp3s so the children could listen to the songs at home. I noticed the children singing the songs while coloring if I played the English songs in the background. This showed me that the children were memorizing the lyrics and indeed learning the vocabulary. Get your young learners to practice English by teaching them English songs and chants. The websites below provide you with the words, hand gestures, and tips for helping your young language learners practice English by singing. For more ideas and resources, check out our webinar recording, Learning and Teaching English with Songs.
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Recommended Websites and Apps
- Bus Songs – Find the lyrics, listen to the audio, and watch the YouTube video of famous children’s songs.
- The Teacher’s Guide Children’s Songs – Download the lyrics as PDFs, watch the videos, and listen to the midis.
- Kididdles – Find the lyrics and download the midis of various children’s songs.
- Free Kids Music – Download a PDF of lyrics and chords for traditional children’s songs. Also, listen to the audio.
- Teaching English Games – Find games, videos, tips, and hand movements for songs created for young language learners.
- Freddiesville – Find a list of songs for young language learners with the audio and learning objectives.
- Cullen’s ABCs – Free video lessons for children to learn English through fingerplays, chants, and songs.
- ESL-Lounge – Find a list of songs with the grammar each song teaches.
- Children’s Music Archive – Find lyrics, sing-along suggestions, coloring sheets, and activities for children’s songs in this extensive database. Click on the letter to browse through the database. Icons next to the title indicate PDF, iTunes links, or activities available for each song.
- ManyThings – Young language learners can sing along to English songs with video, podcast, or teleprompter options.
- FunSongs – Songs made specifically for young language learners with accompanying gestures. Find free videos with lyrics and movements on the YouTube channel. The app is $0.99, and the site requires a subscription.
