Reading Through Song

Today I had the privilege of visiting a Spanish class hard at work.  The teacher wanted to incorporate purposeful reading in her lesson, so she decided to use lyrics as the reading vehicle for the learning.  The protocol is below: 

Lyrics for Learning  (Reading, Discussion, Collaboration) 

Description: This reading protocol assists foreign language students' comprehension in a fun and meaningful way.     

Application: Use this protocol in most courses, most especially in foreign language.
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Process: Select a song that has an appropriate video that reinforces prior learning.  Place students into groups of four or five and hand each student  a copy of the selected lyrics. Tell students to read them once silently, then aloud, each student within the group, reciting a stanza or two. Remind them not to translate at this time.  Ask each group to compile a list of the top five key words they do not know. Post them on the board.   Define words with little or no reference to the song and direct them to predict, on the back of the lyrics paper, what the lyrics mean.  At the proper time, insert questions such as What is the general theme of the song? What seems to be the problem?  What may happen next?   Show music video and provide debrief time, acknowledging successes as well as tweaking gaps in comprehension.   
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​Reference and/or for more information: 
Lyrics for Learning
Rappold, T. (2018) Lyrics for Learning.  Cross Creek Early College. 
Fulbright Summer in Peru. http://www.peruculturelessons.com