Teachers working with young learners in primary schools recognise that songs, rhymes, games and stories facilitate teaching and learning. These practices are also highly applicable when it comes to language learning.

Songs and rhymes offer excellent opportunities to focus on and teach crucial linguistic elements such as correct pronunciation, stress, intonation and rhythm as well as vocabulary. It is also a fact that many of these songs, rhymes and stories share common elements across cultural borders. A lot of children’s songs exist in many different languages, and the same is true for music-based games, stories and fairy tales. By including new songs and games from more distant countries, and by focusing on the search for similarities, the teacher might succeed not only in teaching languages but also in creating an atmosphere of acceptance and a sense of belonging for all children, including those with a different cultural or social background than the majority.

This resource, therefore, encourages teachers to reflect on the functioning of languages, techniques utilised to teach vocabulary, and ways to enhance students’ listening and pronunciation skills. On a broader level, practitioners also are exposed to cultural and social diversity in language classes as a beneficial aspect for classrooms and schools. Consequently, the application of these activities with young learners will not only assist them in developing language skills, but will also make them more open-minded and curious towards other languages and cultures.

A training unit developed within the Pestalozzi Programme.

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To cite this resource:  Tveit, T.  (2012). Children’s culture as an educational resource - using songs and rhymes, games and stories in multicultural classrooms. In Council of Europe Pestalozzi Programme Training Units.