Why I use songs to teach English to my primary students

“When teachers see students enjoying singing and dancing, teachers can feel the passionate energy from students and that’s what I enjoy.”

My name is Jenny Kim, and I was born in Korea, but my family immigrated to Canada when I was a teenager. That is where I had my chance to learn English. As someone who had a hard time learning English as a second language, I’ve always wanted to return to Korea and teach English to students. So, after graduating and receiving my TESOL qualification, I came back to Korea and started teaching. I learned that being able to speak English and being able to teach English are different.  More importantly, it is critical to understand the learners first and guide them to accept and absorb English naturally.

It is gratifying to watch students grow and change over the course.  To have a fun lesson, teachers need to research and explore new ideas for teaching.  Teachers also get inspired by students.  Students, especially young learners have amazing ideas and they all learn in different ways. So, it is my greatest pleasure to learn and grow as a teacher together with the students.

When I see them performing happily and confidently, I feel proud of them and have a great sense of accomplishment. Take a look at my students performing the ‘Lunch Song‘!

What’s the secret to an effective learning environment?

Reading Avenue Academy focuses on storybook reading as well as grammar and reading comprehension.  We provide a friendly learning environment that fosters an interactive and hands-on approach to learning English.

Also, for the students who started to learn English for the first time, we teach from scratch such as the alphabet and phonics systematically.

Here is our secret:

1. Interest is the power to go forward. We use fun storybooks and songs to spark students’ interest.
2. Knowledge is important. Students can borrow books from our library so that they can gain general knowledge from reading many books.
3. We provide a natural learning environment. Instead of just studying English in traditional ways, we provide opportunities to be naturally exposed to English by discussing, playing games, and doing projects.

5 tips for teaching with songs

Practice makes perfect.

1. We choose a song with a proper speed and cheerful melody.
2. We give out the lyrics to the students so they can practice at home.
3. We play the song during break time or whenever it’s possible.
4. After they get used to the song, we practice dance moves along with the music.
5. Set up a concept to make it more fun. Combine with dress-up and thematic background. You can also discuss with the students to make them feel like they are part of it.

Get more tips for teaching with songs in your class with Happy Notes!