Quote:
Originally Posted by Burning Down
I love the song "Puff the Magic Dragon." Always have!
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Hi Burning Down,
Yes, isn't "Puff" a lovely song?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Liljagare
Astrid Lindgrens music will always be popular here in Sweden (such as Idas Sommarvisa Youtube Idas Sommarvisa (With Video)) and I really like everything she ever wrote but I really like using English music in my classes for ESL purposes (when I am working with older kids but I use alot with the younger kids as well). To me, songs like "Sweet Child of Mine" by GNR or "Africa" by Toto are valuable in learning and the kids find it more fun to work with these type of tunes.
What childrens songs do I hate? There is a techno version of childrens tunes sung by Peaches (they sang "Rosa Helikopter" YouTube - Rosa Helikopter - Peaches ) that we have in our school that kids really seem to like that I don't like at all. In fact I have had to beg them to please change the song at times (there are only so many times one can hear the techno version of "Imse Vimse Spindel" aka Itsy Bitsy Spider) But what can I say  . |
That is a very pretty, old-fashioned sounding children's song (video) with the little girl and boy in the meadow, Liljagare. Heh heh, "Rosa Helikopter" is quite catchy, and check out those little kids' dance moves! I can see why your students would love it ... and why it could drive you nuts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by toretorden
Argh, rosa helikopter 
[About the meaning of the Norwegian Knudsen and Ludvigsen children's song] That was unexpectedly hard to explain. Let's see, it's about make believing that you're gonna play a show and you're practicing in front of the mirror. You can use jam for makeup and an old ham becomes a guitar.
I agree that songs may have great learning potential. Still, I don't think I learned much from norwegian children songs when I was a kid but I undoubtedly learned a lot of english from listening to The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd and other sorts of records we had lying around the house when I was a kid. So much of the popular music being in foreign language (mainly english) makes that a very good source of learning. |
The meaning of that Norwegian children's song you posted is quite wacky and original, Toretorden!
I hadn't thought of the value of songs for teaching children foreign languages, but that's a good point you make...especially since many early songs by the Beatles, for example, have quite simple lyrics. When I took German (in high school) we listened to Nena's "99 Luft Balloons" in the original German, which I love to this day (both the song and the language)! (I know it is not folk music, but I include it here anyway
YouTube - Nena 99 Luft Balloons).