Music in the ESL Classroom by Stephen Cloak

Video Overview & Insights

We all seem to agree that almost everyone likes music, so why is music in the classroom often constrained to one listening task per unit (typically at the very end of it) in a typical course book? Stephen doesn't like it and believes that because music can stimulate strong feelings, it should be taken advantage of and used to enrich the language learning experience. He demonstrated how modern technology allows us to go beyond simple gap-fill activities, and how to encourage language learners to use songs for their language practice outside of the classroom. He also showed us how music might enhance writing.

Stephen is doing a postgrad in education and teaches with SEDA College, Dublin.