Musical Podcasts for ESL students

ESL students, like most students enjoy technology and being able to manipulate it themselves. A great way to have students be independant workers while working on their accents is to use music and mocking. The website , Manythings, contains and endless resource of songs for students to try out. They click on a podcast of a song, and they listen to a native sing it first, then they are to try to imitate it. Whats great is Manythings includes additional notes and more links to YouTube podcasts for students who want to explore and demonstrate their 'casaul reasoning'.

I thought this was a funny title for the selection of songs. I guess all Americans sit around campfires and sing ! I actually love this image of Americans. Though some of us city dwellers have less experience with this sort of thing, so we can learn along with our students.

MP3 Files to Help You Learn Songs in EnglishLearn to sing folk songs, campfire songs and group-singing songs that native English speakers sing.

The Current MP3: Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)
Listen in pop-up window: Pop-up Window
Download (Right-click or option-click the link):Download MP3 File

Students can re-write lyrics on chart paper and create a 'song lyric' wall. Now would be an awesome time to have them contrast and compare this song to one of their favorite Reggaton jams!

The Lyrics
Daisy, Daisy,Give me you answer true.I'm half-crazy

All for the love of you.It won't be a stylish marriage.

I can't afford a carriage.

But you'll look sweet upon the seatOf a bicycle built for two.

Here are some extra notes with a Google link!

Notes
"Daisy" is a woman's name.

This song was written by Harry Dacre in 1892.
Some people sing "do" as the last word of the second line instead of "true."
Most people only know the chorus of this tune. However, if you want to learn the complete song, search bicycle built for two daisy on Google.com.

Though I am not muscially trained in the formal sense, I do know most beginner intermediate ELLs get confused with this type of 'extra' language. I have seen many iambic tetrameter lessons go wrong because its 'info overload'...But if one would like to give a mini lesson on chords ,here it is

Key of G Chords (3 beats on each chord):

G G G G7

C C G G

D7 D7 G Em

A7 A7 D7 D7

D7 D7 G G

G C G G G

D7 G D7

G

G G

Click here----> Manythings to find more and more song related podcasts for ESL

or here----->http://www.manythings.org/songs/