#ILILC2 Cheap and Cheerful Songwriting by Stuart Gorse

@gorsey
www.youtube.com/mrgorse

By far one of my favourite sessions at ILILC, Stuart asked us ‘Why use songs?’
The answer is primarily for a change of focus for students and for a change of atmosphere.Nowadays it is very easy to make exercises such as gap fills and reordering using software such as Taskmagic. Stuart adds that you need to go with the instincts of the students and teacher.
The end result can then be uploaded to YouTube Stuart uses www.dicodesrimes.com for rhyming words and suggests that we and/or the pupils make up lyrics, even if ridiculous, to a familiar tune in English.
Others are now catching on to the popularity of this idea with Arsenal, for example, running their Double Club competition in advance of the Olympics. As Stuart pointed out, it is a catchy tune with an attractive prize and very topical - a winning combination!
Other ideas included taking a short story by Guy de Maupassant and then make up a song to Hotel California; The Ramones and El Pueblo Song about their town; using the Muppet Show theme tune to answer the question "¿Qué tal?" with ‘Fenomenal do do de do da’; Mamma Mia for the topic of Daily Routine; and Green Day Good Riddance for “My personal favourite.. of all time” video on Youtube channel

This was a hilarious yet insightful glimpse into the world of songwriting with Modern Languages as well as a taster of just how enjoyable it must be to be a pupil in Mr Gorse's classroom. I'll leave you with this gem..