Creativity / Critical Thinking / 4Cs Workshop (80 mins)
Beyond the Lyrics Gap Fill: Low-Preparation, High-Participation Activities Using Songs in Class
The use of music in language classes has long been connected to increased motivation and engagement, enhanced intercultural awareness, and improved learning outcomes for students (Talada, 2015). Language teachers are thus often keen to incorporate songs into their lessons, but the challenge can be determining the best way to do so (Bos, 2019). Although “Gap Fill” listening exercises are perfectly valid, they are often overused, as teachers may be time-poor, or unaware of what could be done with a song in the language classroom. In this workshop, we explore a variety of song-based activities, with a focus on three areas: improving language skills, building community, and stimulating creativity. This immersive workshop is conducted in line with principles of experiential learning (Kolb, 2015), with opportunities for participants to experience practical ideas, then reflect on how they can implement these in both the physical and virtual classroom.
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Vicki Bos is a teacher development specialist with over 25 years' experience in the TESOL sector, working as a teacher and teacher trainer in Australia, Japan, Macau, Brazil, and Chile. She is passionate about teaching English through music and song, action research, and language assessment. During her time at the University of Queensland, Vicki founded and conducted the award-winning international student choir, The ICTE-UQ Chorus, and co-ordinated the Raise Your Voice Choir Festival for international students. She is currently the Director of Teaching in Harmony.