This Music Unit from SuperEnglishESL.com takes ESL students on a journey through the world of music, exploring different genres, famous musicians, musical instruments, and even the process of creating an album. Students will improve their reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and speaking skills while engaging in interactive discussions, role-plays, and games.
Each lesson is designed for 1:1 online classes, small group instruction, or traditional ESL classrooms, making it a versatile addition to any ESL teacher’s toolkit. Students will gain a better understanding of how music influences culture, history, and personal expression while reinforcing key language skills through structured and interactive activities.
Students explore how different music genres have evolved over time and influenced one another. From pop and hip-hop to rock, they will learn about the history of popular music and how it continues to change.
✔️ Warm-up: “Articulate” game – describe and guess words
✔️ Reading & Discussion: How different music genres evolve over time
✔️ Vocabulary Focus: evolve, influence, element, ghetto
✔️ Grammar & Sentence Structures: Using “to + verb” (infinitives) with thinking and feeling verbs (e.g., “I like to listen to music.”)
✔️ Pronunciation/Phonics: “Ch” words with a hard “K” sound (e.g., chaos, character, chorus)
✔️ Interactive Elements: Role-play a dialogue about favorite music genres
✔️ Real-Life Applications: Discuss how music trends change with culture and technology
This lesson gives students an inside look into the lives of famous musicians—from touring and recording albums to balancing fame and personal life.
✔️ Warm-up: “Guess Who or What?” – riddles related to music
✔️ Reading & Discussion: The daily life of a musician, from concerts to studio work
✔️ Vocabulary Focus: album, entertainer, unique, lyrics
✔️ Grammar & Sentence Structures: Infinitives (e.g., “She hopes to perform on a big stage.”)
✔️ Pronunciation/Phonics: “Ch” words with a hard “K” sound (e.g., scheme, character, orchestra)
✔️ Interactive Elements: Debate: Would you want to be a famous musician?
✔️ Real-Life Applications: Understanding the challenges and rewards of being a musician
Students discover the different types of musical instruments, their origins, and how they are used in cultures worldwide.
✔️ Warm-up: “Which One is Different?” – comparing musical instruments
✔️ Reading & Discussion: The history and significance of musical instruments
✔️ Vocabulary Focus: musical instrument, horn, rattle, creative
✔️ Grammar & Sentence Structures: Infinitives used for intentions (e.g., “I want to learn to play the piano.”)
✔️ Pronunciation/Phonics: “Ch” words with a hard “K” sound (e.g., ache, chaos, monarch)
✔️ Interactive Elements: Role-play a conversation about learning an instrument
✔️ Real-Life Applications: Encouraging students to explore different musical instruments
Students learn how music is recorded, edited, and released, including how artists market their music to fans.
✔️ Warm-up: “Guess the Word” – music-related riddles
✔️ Reading & Discussion: The four phases of making an album: recording, editing, mixing, and marketing
✔️ Vocabulary Focus: record, studio, edit, market
✔️ Grammar & Sentence Structures: Infinitives after adjectives (e.g., “He is excited to release his album.”)
✔️ Pronunciation/Phonics: “Ch” words with a hard “K” sound (e.g., technology, mechanic, scheme)
✔️ Interactive Elements: Role-play a conversation about producing an album
✔️ Real-Life Applications: Understanding the effort behind creating and selling music
This lesson reviews key vocabulary and grammar from the unit while introducing students to the famous Woodstock music festival.
✔️ Warm-up: Hangman – review key vocabulary
✔️ Assessment Tasks:
✔️ Reading & Discussion: The history and cultural impact of the Woodstock festival
✔️ Interactive Elements: Role-play a conversation about attending a music festival
✔️ Real-Life Applications: Discussing modern music festivals and their impact
✅ ESL learners at A2+ – B1 levels (pre-intermediate to intermediate)
✅ Kids and Teens in online 1:1 lessons, small groups, or traditional classrooms
✅ Teachers looking for structured, engaging, and interactive lessons on music and culture
📄 Lesson previews & worksheets
🎲 Games & vocabulary activities
📚 Reading passages & discussion questions
🔊 Pronunciation & sentence-building exercises
📌 Encourage students to share their favorite songs and discuss why they like them
📌 Use real-world music examples (current pop songs, famous bands) to engage students
📌 Have students create a playlist of different genres and present it to the class
📌 Organize a mini-music festival where students perform, present, or discuss music