Teacher Discussion Forums

Hello everyone,

The school year has just started but I'm thinking of doing a musical with my students at the end of the year. I haven't been an ESL teacher for long and I want to get some feedback from those of you who have done musicals with their students (grade 6). Any advice would be most welcome. Thanks in advance.

Do you mean to learn scripts and songs that form a story that has already been done somewhere? or to create your own? of just have students singing? I have done all three. It is a lot of work but a lot of fun too. You need to start soon to learn the songs if you are learning an already produced musical. You can use the songs to teach English grammar and point out differences from normal conversation and so on. You have the students make a storyboard of the musical and the various positions that they will have to assume and decide which is best. This will help you decide on the props you will need, the stage directions and the scenery and they can get to work on those. It is fun to do auditions for the various parts and then put the rest in the chorus. Try to chose a production with a lot of roles and interesting chorus work so the chorus doesn't get bored.
If you are creating your own, you have to create a story and then find songs to fit. A super amount of work and then do all of the above.
If you just want a song contest choose a strong group and get them to practice a song and then demonstrate so that other groups know the standards you want. Costumes add to the fun. It if fun to have a competition as well so they are working for a prize. You can recruit judges from the local community and set up a criteria for them to check off with points for each section. The students practice in small groups on their own until the dress rehersal where you can suggest enhancements that will make their act better. This also brings up the performance standard on the actual performance day because the other groups have seen the competition and will try to improve their act. Dancing, acting out songs, and so on is encouraged.
Parents, other classes, teachers and so on can be invited to the last performance and you can video tape them as an example for next year's students who will do it better.