Bringing Popular Culture into the Classroom: Innovative Strategies for Teaching English
Popular culture comprises all kinds of media that are consumed by people worldwide, from movies and TV shows to music and social media. The global spread of popular culture has made it an excellent tool for teaching English, an international language that is spoken by over a billion people.
Innovative strategies that use popular culture can help teachers create a more engaging and authentic learning environment for their students. In this blog post, we explore some of the most effective ways to bring popular culture into the classroom.
Using TV Shows and Movies to Teach English
TV shows and movies are excellent resources for learning English, as they offer a wide range of accents, vocabulary, and idioms. Teachers can use clips or entire episodes of popular shows to teach listening, speaking, and comprehension skills.
For instance, use Friends to teach idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. The show could be used to teach students essential phrases like “I’m swamped right now,” or “That’s a bummer.” Similarly, using Game of Thrones, a tv series with complex dialogue, can help students learn more advanced vocabulary and grammar.
Using Music to Teach English
Music is a fantastic tool for teaching English, as it appeals to students across all age groups and cultural backgrounds. Teachers can use songs to teach vocabulary, grammar, and even pronunciation.
For instance, teachers can use songs to teach phrasal verbs and idioms. For example, the song “Beat It” by Michael Jackson could be used to teach the idiom “Beat it,” which means “go away.”
Moreover, teachers can ask students to learn the lyrics and sing along. This can help improve speaking and rhythm, and even bring about a lot of fun.
Using Social Media to Teach English
Social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can revolutionize how teachers teach English to their students. These sites offer a wealth of content that is both engaging and relevant to students’ lives.
For example, teachers could monitor hashtags like #Englishtips or #LearnEnglish to find tips and resources for teaching English. The teachers could also create classroom accounts and posts critical points or tips related to grammar or vocabulary.
In addition, teachers could use social media to encourage students to communicate in English, such as assigning written or spoken assignments through these platforms.
Conclusion
As we can see, bringing popular culture into the classroom can help teachers create a fun and engaging learning environment for their students. To do so effectively, teachers must choose the right media and materials that align with their course objectives and students’ interests.
By tapping into popular culture, teachers can help make English learning more accessible and enjoyable for students, and perhaps even spark their passion for learning.
