Teaching speaking and listening through chants, rhymes and songs
Teaching speaking and listening through chants, rhymes and songs
21 October 2025, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, AEDT, Online
Summary
In this lively and hands-on session, Barbara showcased the power of rhythm, rhyme and repetition in supporting newly arrived EAL students to develop oral language skills. She began by highlighting the many benefits of chants and rhymes for building confidence, fluency and clarity in spoken English.
Participants experienced how simple vocabulary and sentence chants—set to a steady four-beat rhythm—can be easily adapted to any classroom topic. Through engaging demonstrations, Barbara illustrated how these playful, yet purposeful routines help students internalise language patterns, expand their vocabulary and enjoy the process of learning English.
Teachers also learned how to create their own chants linked to classroom content, reinforcing key language structures and connecting oral language to literacy in meaningful, memorable ways.
Everyone left inspired and equipped with practical, low-prep ideas they could use straight away—confident that even without musical experience, they can bring the joy of rhythm and rhyme into their classrooms.
Recording
This session was not recorded.
Resources
