Music+Movement=Meaning
Like many teachers, especially language teachers, I have enjoyed using music in my classroom and in my lessons. Gesturing or "signing" a song is a wonderful way to get students connected to the meaning of the song, not just the words and the music.
Songs are literature. Songs are poetry. Songs are filled with incredible images and images are EXACTLY what we are trying to generate in the mind of the students with the language.
My favorite song from childhood, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, is a perfect example of Music+Movement=Meaning. Early in my career I was blessed to teach an elementary program and the kindergarten children there taught me a second version to the song: The Itsy Bitsy Monkey . It goes like this:
The Itsy Bitsy Monkey (put one fist on top of another "building" upwards)
climbed up the coconut tree (continue "building" with fists)
down came a coconut (raise one fist in the air and shake it)
and hit him on the knee, (bring fist down to touch your knee)
out came his mom (hands on hips, wiggle 'em if ya got 'em)
and kissed away the pain (Kiss hand and touch knee)
and the Itsy Bitsy Monkey went up the tree again (fist over fist again)
Great song. Great story. And even in the past tense.
Take a lesson from this song....the gestures tell the story...there isn't a need to gesture EVERY word. That is usually too difficult, unless the song is really slow.
Just like TPR and gesturing, sometimes I choreograph the gestures, sometimes the students help. Sometimes they choreograph as an assignment if a group is really excited about it.
Do I test the gestures? Sometimes I ask them to "show me" a word or phrase, or several in succession to see if they are with me. But no, I don't test the gestures. They are a conduit to comprehensibility. But I do stop and check to make sure that they know what the gestures and the phrases MEAN. It's deceptively easy for kids to follow the class and not really have a clue what the words/phrases/gestures refer to, so I need to stop and check comprehension other ways as well.
Eres Tú is one of my favorites....looking forward to a new group falling in love with the song (and the gestures!!) today!!
with love,
Laurie
Songs are literature. Songs are poetry. Songs are filled with incredible images and images are EXACTLY what we are trying to generate in the mind of the students with the language.
My favorite song from childhood, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, is a perfect example of Music+Movement=Meaning. Early in my career I was blessed to teach an elementary program and the kindergarten children there taught me a second version to the song: The Itsy Bitsy Monkey . It goes like this:
The Itsy Bitsy Monkey (put one fist on top of another "building" upwards)
climbed up the coconut tree (continue "building" with fists)
down came a coconut (raise one fist in the air and shake it)
and hit him on the knee, (bring fist down to touch your knee)
out came his mom (hands on hips, wiggle 'em if ya got 'em)
and kissed away the pain (Kiss hand and touch knee)
and the Itsy Bitsy Monkey went up the tree again (fist over fist again)
Great song. Great story. And even in the past tense.
Take a lesson from this song....the gestures tell the story...there isn't a need to gesture EVERY word. That is usually too difficult, unless the song is really slow.
Just like TPR and gesturing, sometimes I choreograph the gestures, sometimes the students help. Sometimes they choreograph as an assignment if a group is really excited about it.
Do I test the gestures? Sometimes I ask them to "show me" a word or phrase, or several in succession to see if they are with me. But no, I don't test the gestures. They are a conduit to comprehensibility. But I do stop and check to make sure that they know what the gestures and the phrases MEAN. It's deceptively easy for kids to follow the class and not really have a clue what the words/phrases/gestures refer to, so I need to stop and check comprehension other ways as well.
Eres Tú is one of my favorites....looking forward to a new group falling in love with the song (and the gestures!!) today!!
with love,
Laurie
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