English as a Singing Language

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you had a million dollars? In order to think about this, or write or talk about it in English, you need to use an unreal conditional. For example, if we had a million dollars, we would spend all our time working on the podcast! In Season 3, Episode 12, we focus on the unreal conditionals in the song, “If I had a Million Dollars,” by the Canadian group, Barenaked Ladies. They would do lots of funny things. Take a listen to the episode to find out exactly what they would do and how you can use the unreal conditional in English!🎶Have fun, and…just keep singing!🎶⁠Official YouTube Video⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.

International Women’s Day is celebrated all over the world on March 8th. Ece and Heather host an annual party with their friends, and this year, they are adding another song to their playlist for the party - Kelly Clarkson’s 2011 hit song, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” This song has a great message, and it also contains a lot of comparative adjectives. Maybe you were strong last year, but this year you are even stronger! Check out Season 3, Episode 11 wherever you listen to podcasts.🎶Have fun, and…just keep singing!🎶Official YouTube Video⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.

It’s the middle of winter, and Heather is m-m-m-miserable in the cold. We get together for a cup of hot chocolate to fight the gloomy winter weather, and we end up talking about the 1966 Simon & Garfunkel song, “A Hazy Shade of Winter.” There’s a famous 1987 cover of the song by the Bangles, and we love them both. Both versions of the song are great for practicing fluency and thought groups. What’s a thought group? Tune in to this episode and find out! 🎶Have fun, and…just keep singing!🎶 ⁠Official YouTube Video⁠ the Simon & Garfunkel Song Official YouTube Video of The Bangles Cover ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.

It’s a new year, and a new beginning. For the first episode of 2025, we have chosen Taylor Swift’s 2017 song, “New Year’s Day” from her album, Reputation. It’s important to have people in your life that you can count on. It’s easy to find friends to celebrate and have fun with. The people who are truly your friends, however, will be there to clean up the mess after the party. That’s the message of this song. There are also useful vocabulary words and some interesting idioms, too! Join us for a new song in the new year! And it’s a Taylor Swift song! 🎶Have fun, and…just keep singing!🎶 Official YouTube Video ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.

It’s hard to believe, but this is the final episode of “English as a Singing Language” in 2024! In this episode of the podcast, we’re hanging out in a coffee shop, discussing the ups and downs of the past year. This naturally leads to a discussion about past tense verbs in the Beatles 1965 song, “Yesterday.” Check out this episode for some fun grammar and interesting conversation. 🎶Until 2025, have fun and…just keep singing!🎶 ⁠⁠Official YouTube Video⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. Families gather together to eat a traditional meal and appreciate the good things in their lives. We’ve got another funny novelty song for this episode, Carrie Underwood’s 2021 single, “Stretchy Pants.” This song not only celebrates the “big traditional meal” part of Thanksgiving, but it’s also stuffed full of useful vocabulary, interesting grammar, and reduced pronunciation. We’re always thankful for all of the listeners who join us for each episode of the podcast. We hope you enjoy this episode! ⁠Official YouTube Video⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.

Halloween is celebrated on October 31st in the United States. People dress up in costumes, attend parties, and carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. On Halloween night, children go door-to-door to ask for candy from their neighbors saying, “Trick or Treat!” In this eerie episode, we’re using a funny novelty song from the 1960s to practice the [æ] vowel sound vs. the [e] vowel sound in the pronunciation of the letter A. We also discuss some of the interesting vocabulary words associated with Halloween. Join us for a spooky, silly, holiday episode.  Official YouTube Video ⁠⁠⁠ For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.

There’s an important election coming up in the United States, and Heather and Ece are on their way to their polling place to cast their votes. On the way there, they discuss the 1985 Tears for Fears song, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” The song has useful vocabulary and interesting figurative language, and it also includes a discussion about power and people who “want to rule the world.” Join us for a timeless 1980’s song that is just as relevant now as it was then. Official YouTube Video  ⁠ For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.

In each season, we like to include a traditional song that is good for language learners of all ages. For Season 3, Episode 4, we’ve chosen a song we remember from our own childhoods, “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.” This song is silly and funny and since it repeats each verse, it’s great language practice. We’ve also recorded ourselves singing the version of the song included in the lyrics on the podcast website. Have fun trying to sing along!! Official YouTube Video Links:  The Learning Station 2005 Judy Collins on The Muppet Show 1977 Burl Ives 1952 For more content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Singing Languages website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @singinglanguages.