Teaching English through songs

Today I taught Classes 310 and 314 the song "The End of the World."  We were reviewing English questions and wh- noun clauses.  This beautiful song contains both patterns. 

The following is the handout I gave.

The End of the World

Skeeter Davis

Why does the sun go on __________?

Why does the  ________ rush to shore?

Don't they know it's the end of the world,

‘Cause you don't ________ me anymore?

Why do the birds go on ____________?

Why do the _________ glow above?

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

It ended when I _________ your love.

I wake up in the morning and I wonder 
Why everything's the same as it was.
I can't understand, no I can't understand 
How life goes on the way it does.
 

Why does my heart go on________?

Why do these _______ of mine cry?

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

It ended when you said ___________.

First, I sang, stopped at the missing word,and asked the students to give me the word. This part is interesting. And they did quite a good job. Then we sang along with the CD. I asked them to pay attention to the underlined sentences while they were singing.

If we had had more time, I would have had them do the transformation practice--adding "I can't understand" or "I don't know" before each quesiton. For example, I can't understand why the sun goes on shining.

After the singing, I asked them, "It's a beautiful song, isn't it?" They answered, "Yes." So they practiced how to answer a tag question, also a grammar point we reviewed today.

Then I told them my purpose of teaching songs is to let them feel the beauty of English. I believe once they are enchanted by the beauty of English, they can't stop learning. To me, the affective domain plays the most important part in one's learning.