Text books, lessons and themes focusing on careers are very common in ESL learning. Language learning goes hand in hand with jobs and professions because it usually accompanies a learner’s new culture and country, immigration and emigration.
Materials for New Vocabulary in ESL Lessons
New vocabulary can be taught in many ways through printed texts, dialog role play, written practice, drama exercises, essay writing and repetition drills. Pop songs with words describing trade, work, employment and occupations are available but not necessarily on the tip of the tongue when needed. This list, therefore, can be of help to teachers looking for good material.
Age Suitable Songs for ESL Learning
In general, many songs about work are not for children so this list suggests songs for adult ESL classes or older teenage levels. Teachers should always read through texts of songs to ensure that the material is suitable for age and culture groups to ascertain whether the lyrics are compatible with the student demographic.
Pop Songs with Lyrics about Jobs
Some of these songs are simple and fun, while others are more complex, deep and would demand discussion and explanation.
- The Boxer – Paul Simon
- Guitar Man – Bread
- Eleanor Rigby – Beatles
- Rocket man – Elton John
- Lovely Rita – Beatles
- Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
- Taxman – Beatles
- Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
- Doctor Doctor – The Who
- Fortune Teller – The Rolling Stones
- The Dirty Jobs – The Who
- Matchmaker, matchmaker – from Fiddler on the Roof (the Musical)
- Feed the Birds – from Mary Poppins
- I Write the Songs – Barry Manilow
It is simple to find the lyrics to songs by typing in song titles using any Internet search engine. Sites such as
Songlyrics.com
Azlyrics.com
Metrolyrics.com are only some of the names.
Pop and rock songs encourage students to sing, listen and read without stress. Songs help with memorization, pronunciation through mimicry of the lyrics, and use of English via the media of music.
Writing Songs for ESL Lessons
A creative class can be asked to write the words of a song (a poem, essentially) and share the results with the other students. A musically creative class can try to write their own new lyrics to suit the music of one of the chosen songs.
Once a theme is chosen or a syllabus includes a given topic, songs can be found on the Internet and used to enhance the lessons. It may take some time to get a list compiled, but just as the list above can be kept and added to for a “job” theme, an alternative list to suit another theme can also be gathered and kept for easy future access.
Lucille Lever - Creative teaching ideas can be incorporated into any kind of lesson. As a teacher of ESL and creative drama for more than 30 years, in a ...
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