This workshop will introduce students to basic singing and music classroom teaching techniques. Many of the ideas and principals underpinning the practice are fundamental to the British Council’s World Voice project.
Singing is generally acknowledged around the world as an uplifting and joyful activity that can bring benefit and pleasure both to those who sing and to those who listen. Its value is also widely appreciated in an educational context. It is a core activity in any good music education programme; through singing pupils learn the elements of music, musical skills, how to phrase musically and how to be expressive.
There is now an increasing awareness of the broader benefits of singing in education. There are many research programmes that confirm the effectiveness of singing teaching techniques in supporting the teaching and learning of language (cf Ludke and Fereira ‘Memory and Cognition’ January 2014, Volume 42, Issue 1 pp 41–52)and subjects right across the curriculum (see the CUREE evaluation of the English ‘Sing Up’ programme: www.singup.org/news-local-events/news-article/view/888-we-love-a-little-research-dont-you/).
Singing is also widely recognized as a valuable activity in the promotion of inclusion (cf ‘Frontiers in Psychology’ 29 July 2014 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00803).
These workshops will be practical. The best way to learn is to do. Expect to sing, move and enjoy yourself! If you think you can’t sing, think again! Many of your future pupils will think that they can’t do Mathematics or Languages, but you will expect them to try!
You will learn a range of techniques, including:
- how to teach simple physical and vocal warm-ups
- how to use movement and singing
- how to teach a simple song
- how to use singing in language lessons
- how to use singing across the curriculum
- how to promote inclusion with singing
