Supported by: Government of Indonesia (GoI) and Islamic Development Bank (idb)

Using Songs for Teenage and Adult Learners 
Songs can be used as warmers to prepare students for further learning. Songs can also be 
used for the main activities in the lesson. 
Using Songs as Warmers
 
Songs can be used before we start our lesson. This song function as a warmer, that is, to prepare 
student for the next activities. The following is among the examples of activities in using songs as 
warmers. 
Activity 1: Stop and find
(adapted from Murphy, 1992) 
1. Choose some up-to-date lively, rhythmic music. 
2. Tell students you are going to play some music and they should walk around the room in different 
directions in time to the music. They must not speak.
3. Tell them that when you stop the music you will give them an instruction and they should follow 
the instruction as quickly as possible.
4. Play the music and pause every 5 to 20 seconds. 
Some possible instructions
 
Write the word silence on a piece of paper.
 
Walk to the door. 
 
Put your right hand on your left foot. 
 
Water the flower 
 
Jump three times 
 
Drive a car 
Possible Variations 
You can choose the song the content of which relates to your topic of the lesson. 
Instead of asking the students to repeat the instructions, you can ask them to do the instruction, for 
example, ‘stand up,’ ‘count one up to ten,’ ‘write 5 words starting with w,’ and so on. The kinds of 
instructions you give to your students should be in the students’ level of ability. 
Instead of asking the students to repeat the instructions, you can ask them to tell the class about their 
holiday experience, past experience, stories, houses, and so on, related to the previous class activities. 
 
 
What do you think about the activity? Can you apply it in your classroom? 
When can you use this kind of activity and for what topic?

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