Simile

In fact, similes can be fun.

Now, it's time to listen to "Everything at once" by Lenka. You are going to enjoy listening and singing this amazing song.

Learn English with songs

Hi everyone!

I have just found an amazing page to recommend our students. It's a resource that offers English songs and activities related to them. An awesome resource for summer time!

Learning past singing

Hi everyone! 
I always try to make my lessons funny and I think that
the videos below are worthy and useful for working on past simple and 

having fun at the same time.

Watch them and tell me what is your opinion.

An easy Christmas song for young students

Hi there,

the post today is about a Christmas song for young children. It's "I'm a Little Snowman!". It's an easy song to learn to describe a snowman and to teach the vocabulary the song shows related to the famous character. Also, it helps to teach parts of the body vocabulary to young learners. It uses simple words (eyes, hat, scarf, buttons and nose) and is done at a pace young children can follow and sing along, too!

Summertime with Lana Del Rey

Hi you all!

to celebrate summertime, click on the image below and you will open the lyrics training page. There, you have a song about that topic. 
Remember to choose the beginner level.
If you think that this is too easy for you, try a harder one.
You can repeat the missing word by clicking on the BACK BUTTON. If you don't understand the word, just jump the word with the TAB BUTTON and the web page will write the missing word for you.

Enjoy your summer listening to English songs!

How to improve listening and writing skills

"We are the world" is a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in 1985. If you click here, you will visit the Lyrics training webpage where you can practise listening and writing. Start on BEGINNER level. You will find the lyrics with some gaps where you have to type the words that are missing.

You can press the BACKSPACE button to listen to the last sentence again. After that, you will have to type it correctly !

Otherwise, If you want to jump the gap, press the TAP BUTTON and you will have the solution. Hope you like the song and the activity!

Lyrics training

Hi everyone!
If you are a follower of this site, you know that I am a lyricstraining lover. If you are not familiar with it, I would say that it is a site with easy access for children. It's a gap-fill exercise which can be motivaing for them in a flash giving different levels of difficulties. They can use it to learn and practice their English.

I have chosen lyricstraining web page today to celebrate the transition between winter and summer with a song that I love.

 Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here....
   

Click on BEGINNER. You can press the BACKSPACE button to listen to the last sentence again and type it correctly !

Welcome Autumn

Autumn is easily my favorite time of the year.
Fall is such a wonderful time of year, isn't it? 
Although we are still enjoying a summer weather, some leaves are turning into warm colours. The weather is getting cooler, but it is still fun to play outdoors. 
Today I want to share "Autumn leaves" by Eric Clapton with all of you. 
This is one of my favourite songs. I'm sure your parents, teachers, friends and everybody who loves jazz, will like it.

A game & song for these days

This is a super simple, super fun colors song for kids. They can play it at home or when they travel by car. It's a great way to pass the time and talk about all of the things they see around them. They can look for the coloured objects with their family as they drive through the countryside. 

Spring is in the air

Hi everyone!
Spring is a beautiful season, isn't it?
 I started my day introducing some vocabulary related with the season (clothes, weather, flowers and colours).
Then, children worked in pairs and shared five words for each category:  
1. spring activities
2. Spring clothing
3. Spring weather
4. Spring birthdays
5. Spring flowers and animals
6. Spring colours


After that, I introduced the song below. Children had never listened to it but some of them knew who the Beatles were.
We could talk about the season that the song talks.
Finally, we ended the session filling some gaps with some of the words we had introduced at the beginning of the lesson.
It has been an excellent and grateful time not only for students but also for me.


Cheers!

Non stop! Sharing with you.

Songs are a great way to learn English and Lyrics Training is a good way to learn through songs! 

You can choose from three levels and complete the text as you listen or just use it for karaoke - it's up to you! 
Click on the picture below and listen to "The greatest gift" 

Click on BEGINNER. 

You will find the lyrics with some gaps where you have to type the words that are missing.

You can press the BACKSPACE button to listen to the last sentence again 

and type it correctly !

Otherwise, If you want to jump the gap, press the TAP BUTTON. 

A good song for October

This is an old song that tells the story of meeting a new friend at the beginning of a school year. Through its lyrics, it is able to remind childhood.

This is a stop motion that Alison Work made for her interactive media class in high school. Congratulations Alison!

Having fun!

Hi you all!

This is an amazing song for checking numbers until 10 with very young children.

Hope you like it! It has a very cool animation.

What a great job Super Simple songs. Thank you for sharing!

Sing and spell !

Hi you all.
I've got a song stuck in my head. It drives me crazy because a voice inside me is singing all the day!
So, I want to share it in this page.

 You will review not only vocabulary about the weather but also how to spell the main words.
Don't worry because we will sing all together in our lessons.
We will hear, see, say and do! The best recipe to learn for a long time.

Resources for young children

Another publication about oral resources for young children.
They are fun and helpful.
Enjoy them and don't hesitate to contact me if you require additional information.
Cheers!

Ending the school year

Hi everybody. 
The end of the school year is coming and 6th graders are near to close their classrooms because most of them, they will go to their special camp for ending their walk in the school!

I don't want to feel sad for that farewell. For that reason, I am ready to finish my English lessons with this cool song:

"Happy" by Pharrell Williams. 

I love this one because it makes me feel very, very happy and move my skeleton ;D

Enjoy your weekend!

Listening and writing activity

Songs are a great way to learn English and Lyrics Training is a good way to learn through songs! 

You can choose from three levels and fill in the gaps as you listen to or just use it for karaoke - it's up to you! 
Click on the picture below and listen to Bobby McFerrin.

 

Click on BEGINNER. You can press the BACKSPACE button to listen to the last sentence again and type it correctly !

Otherwise, If you want to jump the gap, just press the Tab button and the web will write the correct word.

Powerful music!

What’s up everybody??

This week I have another awesome, fun lesson for you with some popular new music: The hit song 7 Years by Lukas Graham.

When you first listen to this song (or if you’ve heard it before), you might be thinking, understanding this native English is really difficult! But guess what? It’s not native English!

That’s right, Lukas Graham is an English learner just like you, and just goes to show you how powerful music is for English fluency! That’s why today, we’ll be using his kick-ass song, 7 Years, to learn some great English vocabulary, expressions, slang, and even pronunciation!

Are you ready? Then let’s jump in, aww yeah!

Lyrics:

(Vocabulary in blue, pronunciation in red, cultural notes + grammar in green)

Once I was seven years old my mama told me
Go make yourself some friends or you’ll be lonely
Once I was seven years old

It was a big big world, but we thought we were bigger
Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker
By eleven smoking herb and drinking burning liquor
Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure

Once I was eleven years old my daddy told me
Go get yourself a wife or you’ll be lonely
Once I was eleven years old

I always had that dream like my daddy before me
So I started writing songs, I started writing stories
Something about that glory, just always seemed to bore me
‘Cause only those I really love will ever really know me

Once I was 20 years old, my story got told
Before the morning sun, when life was lonely
Once I was 20 years old

I only see my goals, I don’t believe in failure
‘Cause I know the smallest voices, they can make it major
I got my boys with me at least those in favor
And if we don’t meet before I leave, I hope I’ll see you later

Once I was 20 years old, my story got told
I was writing about everything, I saw before me
Once I was 20 years old

Soon we’ll be 30 years old, our songs have been sold
We’ve traveled around the world and we’re still roaming
Soon we’ll be 30 years old

I’m still learning about life
My woman brought children for me
So I can sing them all my songs
And I can tell them stories
Most of my boys are with me
Some are still out seeking glory
And some I had to leave behind
My brother I’m still sorry

Soon I’ll be 60 years old, my daddy got 61
Remember life and then your life becomes a better one
I made the man so happy when I wrote a letter once
I hope my children come and visit, once or twice a month

Soon I’ll be 60 years old, will I think the world is cold
Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me
Soon I’ll be 60 years old
Soon I’ll be 60 years old, will I think the world is cold
Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me
Soon I’ll be 60 years old

Once I was seven years old, my mama told me
Go make yourself some friends or you’ll be lonely
Once I was seven years old

Notes:

Vocabulary + Expressions

Push (someone) to the limit – To make someone use their full capacity or capabilities (Ex: Running the marathon pushed him to his limit, but he was successful!)

Smoking herb – Smoking marijuana

Liquor – Alcohol

Make a steady figure – to make a reliable income

Glory – High honor gained from a notable achievement

Make it major – To be very successful, often famous

My boys – 1. A way to talk about your close (male) friends. 2. One’s sons (Ex.1 I’m going to a party with my boys, Ex.2 My boys are 4 and 8 years old)

Be in favor – To support a decision or cause

Everything I saw before me – Everything that I saw happening in front of me

Roam – To move about or travel aimlessly

My woman – My wife (This phrase could be seen as offensive in English, especially to feminists)

Leave (someone) behind – To abandon someone

The man – I believe that here Lukas Graham is referring to his father. We use the expression my/the old man to refer to our dad

Pronunciation

Lukas Graham is Danish, and if you hear him speak, you might notice a typicalScandinavian accent. However, you would never know this when he sings as he sounds British or American. He pronunces some sounds in a British way (like the r’s), and other sounds like an American. So I would highly recommend using this song to improve your pronunciation whether you’re learning British or American English.

Singing is an excellent way to improve your pronunciation, as it helps you learn the rhythm and flow of the language. Much of the pronunciation indicated is connected speech, or how native speakers shrink and link words together. Music that is rhythmic and rap are great for learning to implement this (like 7 years).

Once I – one-sai

Pushing each other – pushin’ ee-chuther

Drinking burning liquor – drinkin’ burnin’ lih-ka

Get yourself – geh-chor self

Started writing – Star-did wry-hin (Writing has a stop T)

About that glory – abouh thah glow-ree (Two more examples of stop T’s)

Just always – Jus-tall weez

Twenty – tweh-nee

Those in favor – tho-zin fay-vuh

Make it major – may-kit may-ja

And if we – ah-nif we

Later – lay-da

Thirty – Thur-dee (NOTE: Easy trick to not confuse 30 and 13–30 has a flap T  sound, similar to D, 13 has a regular t sound)

Songs have been – song-zuv been

Traveled around – travel duh-round

I can – ai-kin (Pronunciation of can in English)

Most of – mos-tuv

Sixty – six-dee

Had to – had-tuh

My brother – ma-bruh-tha

Better – beh-da

Made the man – may-thuh man

Wrote a letter once – ro-duh leh-dur wuns (Two more examples of flap T’s)

Will I – Wih-lai

Lot of – lodda

Grammar + Cultural Notes

I was 7 years old – Remember in English that we use the verb to beto talk about someone’s age (Ex. How old are you? I am 21 years old. I was 16 years old when I learned to drive a car. I will be 40 years old next year)

By eleven – In English, it is common to leave off the “years old” when talking about age (Ex. My son is 12. He died at 90. You will be 52 by the time she graduates high school.)

Smoking herb – 1. With verbs that end with –ing we often omit the g sound, so smoking becomes smokin’. 2. Herb’s pronunciation differs in American and British English: American – urb, British – hurb 

My daddy got 61 – Here you’ll see a grammatical error, where the verb to be isn’t used with age. This is not because Lukas Graham is not a native speaker, but rather it is colloquial (albeit incorrect) to use got with age. Even native speakers DON’T always use correct grammar, so don't feel bad if you make mistakes.

Make Learning FUN

When learning another language, motivation is a HUGE key to success, and making the process fun is one of the best ways to stay motivated. So if you enjoyed this article, I highly recommend you check out some of our other fun lessons (links below), AND our popular course, Fluent with Friends, which makes learning fun and powerful with the TV show Friends (which has been scientifically proven to be one of the best resources for learning English).

Another awesome way to stay motivated is by surrounding yourself with people who support your learning, and making friends with whom you can practice your English. 

Enjoy this lesson and want more like it? Have any clips or songs you’d like me to break down? 

What makes you carefree?

The tittle of this song "Catch and release" it means more or less "comprehend and let go of" or "learn and share" in my particular case.

Each time I listen to it, my feeling is amazing and so overwhelming that I have to press replay.

Nice song for teaching in our English lessons and find out what are happy places for children and what makes them carefree.

All the best!

Daily songs for very young children

The morning



Open your eyes,
shake your head,
look at the sun,
make the bed.
Drink your juice,
brush your teeth, 
go to school,
wave to me.



Rock, scissors, paper

The senses song

The food train chant