Sing Your English!

Sometimes English feels difficult, right? Sometimes English is just too much work!

But how about music?

Music lifts our spirits. Music puts a bounce in our steps. Music gives us energy, hope, and joy.

If you like music, try learning English in songs.

Check out

1. http://www.pandora.com/ This is an amazing and FREE website. You can click on different genres - that means different kinds of music - such as blues, hip-hop, latin, rock, pop, world, etc. If you click on "family" and then on "toddler" you'll find songs are easy to sing along to. You can also create your own radio stations. Put in the name of a singer or song you like. Pandora will give you more songs or singers like that one. Frank Sinatra is a good singer to sing along to. He sings nice and slow. You might also like Elvis Presley or Pete Seeger.

2. http://www.danzanes.com/ Dan Zanes makes music for everyone - young, old and in between. His website has the lyrics (the words) to most of the songs he sings. Most of his songs are in English. Some are in Spanish. He also has the chords to his songs if you like to play the guitar or another instrument. He believes in the power of music and thinks people should make and sing music - not just listen to it.

3. http://www.laurieberkner.com/ makes music for kids. Kid music is very good for ESL students because the tunes and the lyrics (the music and the words) are usually pretty easy to follow and sing along to. If you click on the "music" tab on her website, you can find the lyrics for her songs.

When we sing songs we remember words in a different way - different and stronger.

Try it yourself. Try to learn new vocabulary without music. Then try with a song. Which was easier?

By the way, do you know how many staff members at San Mateo Adult School - teachers, administrators, administrative assistants, etc. can play a musical instrument? I was going to have a contest to see who could figure out the correct number - but then I realized, I don't know the correct number, myself! So many staff members here at SMAS are musical. Fred, Toshio, David Doneff, Patricia Brown, the list is long and goes on and on - a very good thing for all of us.

How about you? Do you like to sing or play an instrument?