Music Club: A Fun ESL Lesson to Explore Taste in Music with free printable PDF
Music Club
Music Club
Music is a universal language that connects people across cultures, and discussing our musical preferences can be a great way to practice English. In this Music Club lesson, students will have the chance to explore their favorite artists, genres, and musical experiences while practicing fluency and expanding their vocabulary. Whether they’re into pop, rock, classical, or something in between, this activity will allow them to express their opinions, learn new words, and even share their music passions with others.
Objective:
The goal of this lesson is to encourage students to talk about their musical tastes, favorite artists, and musical experiences in English. They will use a set of questions and flashcards to stimulate conversation, practice new vocabulary, and build fluency.
Materials:
- Question sheet: A list of questions designed to prompt conversation about music.
- Flashcards: Cards that contain music-related words, genres, or concepts. These will be used in a team-based game to encourage further discussion.
Procedure:
1. Warm-up Discussion: Start the class by working through the questions with the students. These questions are designed to get them thinking about their personal musical tastes and experiences. You can ask the questions one by one and encourage students to answer in detail. Here are the main questions:
- What kind of music do you listen to? Why do you like this kind of music?
- Who is your favourite artist/musician?
- Which musicians/bands do you admire?
- In your opinion, who is the greatest artist of all time? (dead or alive)
- Do you play an instrument?
- Do you go to concerts?
- How often do you go?
- What was the best concert you have ever been to?
- What was the worst?
- Who would you most like to see in concert?
- What are the ingredients for a good, successful concert?
- Are concert tickets overpriced?
- What is the best venue for concerts?
As students answer these questions, you can ask follow-up questions to get them to elaborate and use new vocabulary. For example, “What makes a concert special for you?” or “What kind of music do you think is best for a road trip?”
2. Flashcard Game: Now, it’s time to get the students involved in a fun, interactive game using the flashcards. Divide the class into two teams. Each flashcard will contain a music-related word or concept (e.g., a music genre, an instrument, or a famous artist). The goal is for the students to explain what’s on the flashcard to their teammates without directly saying the word.
For example, if the flashcard says “guitar,” the student can say, “This is a stringed instrument that you play with your hands and it’s used in rock bands.” The other team will try to guess the word.
If time allows, switch the teams so that everyone has a chance to explain and guess. This part of the lesson helps students practice describing things and using music-related vocabulary in context.
3. Continuing the Discussion: After the flashcard game, continue the discussion with the following questions:
- Do you buy music magazines?
- Do you buy CDs and if so, how often do you buy them?
- Do you have a discman/personal stereo/mini-disc player/Hifi?
- Do you listen to music in the car? What kind?
- Does the music you listen to while driving influence the way you drive?
- What radio station do you usually tune into?
- What is the worst song on the radio at the moment and what makes it so awful?
- What do you think of MTV?
- Do you like the programmes?
- Do you have a favourite VJ?
- Is it addictive?
Ask students to share their opinions, and encourage them to use new vocabulary they may have learned from the flashcard game. You can also get them to compare their preferences, like “I like listening to pop music while driving. How about you?”
4. Closing Activity: To wrap up the lesson, ask students to think about the following question:
- Imagine you are writing a song – what would it be about?
This activity allows students to get creative with their language skills while reflecting on the different themes and topics that music can express. Encourage them to describe their imaginary song in detail, including the genre, mood, and instruments they would use.
Vocabulary Expansion:
Throughout the lesson, be sure to introduce new vocabulary related to music. Some key terms students might encounter include:
- Concert: A live performance of music.
- Artist/Musician: A person who creates and performs music.
- Album: A collection of songs by an artist, usually released together.
- Genre: A category of music, such as rock, pop, classical, or jazz.
- Instrument: A tool used to create music (e.g., guitar, piano, drums).
- Fanbase: A group of people who are loyal supporters of a particular artist or band.
- Hit song: A song that is very popular and widely listened to.
- Band: A group of musicians who play together.
By the end of the lesson, students will have improved their fluency in discussing music and expressing their opinions on their favorite artists, concerts, and music-related experiences. The flashcard game will help them build confidence in using vocabulary and communicating effectively in English.
Don’t forget to download your worksheet and flashcards to keep the conversation going in your next ESL class!
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