Songs in the efl classroom

Match the rhyming words.

The teacher asks learners to match words that rhyme (usually at the end of lines). Most of the words must be present in the song, but not necessarily. This is an ideal preparation for an ordering or “inserting the missing lines” activity.

For example, let us consider the song by Green Day, which is called Basket Case.
Do you have the time

To listen to me whine

About nothing and everything

All at once

I am one of those

Melodramatic fools

Neurotic to the bone

No doubt about it

Sometimes I give myself the creeps

Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me

It all keeps adding up

I think I’m cracking up

Am I just paranoid?

Or I’m just stoned

I went to a shrink

To analyze my dreams

She says it’s lack of sex

That’s bringing me down

I went to a whore

He said my life’s a bore

So quit my whining cause

It’s bringing her down

Sometimes I give myself the creeps

Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me

It all keeps adding up

I think I’m cracking up

Am I just paranoid?

Uh,yuh,yuh,ya (x2)

TASK: Match rhyming words from Column A to Column B. Some words are in the song, other are not.
A B
WHORE TOES
CREEPS CRACKING
THOSE BORE
ADDING TOOLS
DREAMS WHINE
GIVE TRICKS
FOOLS CREEPS
WINE LIVE

Once learners haved achieved to match the rhyming words, the teacher might get them order the lines of the song or to complete the missing lines as a Listening activity.

5.