Three Listening Activities Using Songs

Activity 1: Order the Lyrics

Materials Needed: A recording of a song, copies of the song lyrics cut into strips (find lyrics for free at AZlyrics.com).

1. Put the learners into small groups. Give each group a copy of the lyrics cut into strips.
2. Give the learners a few minutes to read through the lyrics. (To simplify the activity, use only one verse or the chorus, or give each group a different verse and the chorus.)
3. Play the song. As the learners listen, they work together to put the lyrics into the correct order. You may need to play the song several times.
4. Check the lyrics as a class, or have the groups switch tables and check each other’s lyrics as you play the song again.
5. If your class likes to sing, end the activity with a sing-along!

Variation: Give each learner one line from the song, and have the learners physically line themselves up in the order that their line appears in the song.

Activity 2: Listen for It!

Materials Needed: A recording of a song, a list of words that appear in the song.

1. Dictate the list of words that appear in the song in random order. Add one or two words to the list that are not in the song. (Do not tell the learners which words they are.)
2. Play the song for the class. As they listen, the learners check off the words that they hear. You may need to play the song several times.
3. At the end of the activity, have the learners share which word(s) they did not check off.

Activity 3: What’s Wrong?

Materials Needed: A recording of a song, copies of the song lyrics with wrong words inserted into the song (find lyrics for free at AZlyrics.com). For example: What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong:

I see trees of brown, red daisies too
I see them grow for me and you
And I think to myself what a great world

1. Pass out the copies of the song lyrics. Explain that some of the words on the handout have been changed.
2. Have the learners read through the lyrics and predict which words are incorrect.
3. Play the song. As the learners listen, they cross out the words that are wrong. You may need to play the song several times.
4. Play the song again, and have learners write the correct words above the crossed out words.
5. Check the answers as a whole class.