“Sound Pile” is a simply activity–so small and easy and quick that it’s practically a crime.

Play the audio file. Students will hear 10 sounds, more or less piled on top of each other, within the space of about 12-16 seconds. You might hear a bat squeaking, doors slamming, cows mooing, a child laughing.

In pairs or groups students will attempt identify and write down as many of the sounds as possible. Make it a competition. See which group can correctly identify the most sounds. Play the file several times. And give students a lot of leeway in their answers.
The beauty is that students will hear all sorts of things that are NOT in the sound pile. Or they will interpret sounds wrong. This is great, because they will write these things down, thus creating more language practice and stepping stones into real conversation: You heard what?

Below you’ll find audios for 2 different Sound Piles, and for each there are audio of two different speeds.

Answers to Sound Pile 1: kiss, coining spinning and coming to a stop, person whistling (an eerie tune!) dog barking, drink being poured, applause, motorbikes rumbling, train crossing bells, crow cawing, someone sawing wood

Answers to Sound Pile 2: tennis ball hit with racquet, elephant trumpeting, harp, siren wailing, churchbells, rifle shot, alarming clock ringing, women (Kevin’s mum) screaming, birds singing, toilet flushing

Sound Pile 1 [ 0:16 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (879)

Sound Pile 1, slower [ 0:22 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (504)

Sound Pile 2 [ 0:12 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (390)

Sound Pile 2, slower [ 0:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (375)

Here’s the procedure for this fun activity…

1. Understand the Language of Sound
Hand out the list of the 25 sounds (see below). Give students a few minutes to look it over. One easy way to proceed is to ask students to produce the sounds described, as best as they can. What is the sound of a chair creaking, of a crowd applauding, of glass breaking, etc.?
2. Bingo Card
Next each student will draw a Bingo card on a piece of paper. The card is always a square. It can have 3 rows by 3 columns, 4X4, or 5X5. I recommend 4 X 4 (for sixteen total squares) for intermediate groups. Here’s a sample:

Now each student will choose sounds from the list of 25. (Again, the activity is adjustable; if a teacher thinks 25 sounds are too many, he/she need only list—and play—the first 10 or 12.) Each student can place any of the 25 sounds in any of the squares. Each square should have a different sound. (The sounds need not be written exactly as typed; students can abbreviate).

4. Listen
Now play the entire list of 25 sounds. When students hear the sound corresponding to what they have written in a square, they can mark that square with an X. (Sometimes students will be unsure about sounds; that’s okay. They can be discussed and reviewed later).

5. The Winner
State the goal. The first student who Xs out an entire row, whether up, down, or diagonal, yells, “Bingo!” Ask the student to read back the sound descriptions to make sure all the sounds have been played.

6. Another Winner
Because we want to play more, let’s find a second winner. If the first winner’s line was ACROSS, ask for an UP/DOWN or DIAGONAL winner. The first students to complete a complete line of these will shout Bingo too.

7. One More Winner
Our last winner will be the first to Black out his whole card. The first person to write an X over all his sounds will call out “Bingo.”

The 25 Sounds
The mp3 audios below have 25 sounds on them. “Sound Effect Bingo 1″ has the same sounds as “Sound Effect Bingo 2″ but they are in a different order. That is so that you can do the activity 2 times with the same group.

Sound Effect Bingo 1 [ 3:09 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1972)

Sound Effect Bingo 2 [ 3:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1823)

My friend Steve tells about a strange incident. But before trying the gap-fill listening activity, make sure you know these 6 vocab items:

honk, horn, paws, pesky, run across, steering wheel

When we go (1) __________ every year, we (2) __________ a lot of (3) __________ animals. There’re a lot of (4) __________ and raccoons and (5) __________ . So what I do is I hide the dog food–we take our dog there–in the (6) __________ . So one year I put the dog food in the truck and I went to sleep, and in the middle of the night I (7) __________ the horn of the truck going on and off, and I finally (8) __________ , and I (9) __________ my flashlight in the truck. And there’s a raccoon with his (10) __________ on the (11) __________, eating the dog food and honking the (12) __________ , and I … I would’ve been (13) __________ but I was (14) __________ so I just went back to sleep. Yeah, he was (15) __________ the horn, he was honking the horn, standing up, with his hands on the steering wheel, honking the horn. Yeah.Answers: (1) camping, (2) run across, (3) pesky, (4) bears, (5) squirrels, (6) truck, (7) heard, (8) wake up (9) shine, (10) paws, (11) steering wheel, (12) horn, (13) mad, (14) entertained, (15) honking

Steve's Raccoon Story, natural speed [ 1:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (942)

Steve's Raccoon Story, slower [ 1:25 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (549)

When people have to refuse to do something that you want them to do, they will use a modal or auxiliary verb.

That’s because modals are used to express the attitude of the speaker at that particular moment. Think of it. “I might.” “I can’t.” “I would if I could.” Modals are key to mastering the nuances of English. (Actually, in the first example from the song, the singer is going to use modal verbs to make an excuse to do something–rather than avoid something.)

These songs help you analyze modality further.

lame excuse = a bad excuse, or one that’s difficult to believe

Modal/auxiliary verbs in English often work in pairs. Think of…

I can but I won’t | I should but I can’t.

I shouldn’t but I will | I would but I can’t.

I can and I will.

In this song, we get lame excuses using multiple modal verbs.

Provide students with the fill-in-the-blank activity (below) before listening to the song. See if they can find pairs of modal verbs that will work. Give them these to choose from:

can, could, will, should, had better (or just “better”), would rather, supposed to

Note: negative forms are needed sometimes.

1.  “These cookies are wonderful, Bill.   I __________ have another but I __________.”

2.  “It __________ be better if we __________ take things slow.  So call me in September. Listen, I gotta go!”

3.  I know I __________ visit I really want to.  But I __________ go to the library, I’ve got a book overdue

4.  I __________ if I __________ , but I __________ . I’m busy all day. I’m __________ visit my aunt.

 vocalists:  Steve, Kristin, and Phil Venuti
After the listening task, ask students to imagine the scene or scenario in which the speakers might say these things. Perhaps they can write a paragraph leading up to each of these excuses.

Complete Lyric
1.  “These cookies are wonderful, Bill. I shouldn’t have another but I will.”

2. “It might be better if we could take things slow So call me in September. Listen, I gotta go!”

3. “I know I should visit I really want to. But I better go to the library, I’ve got a book overdue.”

4.  “I would if I could, but I can’t.  I’m busy all day—I’m supposed to visit my aunt. But I don’t have an aunt.  She’s dead.”

The Lame-excuse Brush-off Song [ 0:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (5466)

Would you like to have your audios on this site? Take a look at the categories. That’s the kind of stuff I can use.

Songs and Poems
I welcome songs and poems, composed by students of English. In the case of poems submitted, I may I may write music to it, creating a song activity. Keep in mind that songs at English Teachers Everywhere are very short (10 to 90 seconds), so lyrics should be correspondingly mini.

Little Stories
Record yourself telling a little story, about something unusual that happened to you or that you heard about. It should be two minutes or less. If you are not a native English speaker, no problem. All the better. See Little Stories for samples.

Other Voices
Send me a brief bio of you on audio. See Other Voices for examples.

Anything
So, really, anything you see on this site–jokes, culture stuff, holiday stuff, I will put up if it is a useful language learning text.

Sending Audio
First contact me and tell me what you have. I hope that it’s audio–a file in mp3, WAV, or aif format. The recording quality doesn’t have to be perfect. A little noise is okay.
you know how to record yourself digitally, you can submit a joke, a comedy sketch, a Little Story, or an Other Voices interview.

If you know how to record yourself digitally, you can submit a joke, a comedy sketch, a Little Story, or an Other Voices interview.

I would especially like to receive brief audio bios from English teachers or students around the world. I will then, if possible, edit the audio and put it in the “Other Voices” section.

I would also like to receive poems from English students around the world. I may make a song out of the poem, like I did with Teenage Years, and post the song and poem on the site.

In short, anything that fits the categories on this site I will consider putting up.

There’s no pay, just fame.

First contact me, and tell me what your submission is, and, how large the audio file is. Note, that the majority of tthe audio files on this site are 1 minute or less. Think small.

Here is a brief little song–only one sentence–featuring the words of the American poet John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892).

Step 1: Play the song and ask learners to write down the 17 words that make up the lyric.

For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been’…

Step 2: Nice use of a modal verb in the past, John. But really, are these the saddest words?

Let’s compare… modally. Put students in pairs or groups and ask them to try out the following words as a replacement for “might.” Offer students these other verbal possibilities:

could, couldn’t, shouldn’t, was supposed to, was not supposed to

“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It ________ have been …”

Each has a different meaning. The differences are often just nuances. But that’s how you understand the way these modal verbs work.

Finally, re-evaluate. Which of the modal verbs in that sentence is really the saddest in your opinion?

It Might Have Been - the Possibility Songs [ 0:37 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3542)

FEELTA (The Far Eastern English Language Teachers Association), based in Vladivostok, is the only teachers association in the entire world with its own theme song. I am very proud to be a lifetime member.

You can play also play or download the movie/slideshow version. It features music, lyrics, and photos.

Feelta Theme Song [ 1:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (384)

Feelta Theme Movie [ 1:55 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (964)

“The Antioxidant Song” (0:30) lists the top 10 foods that contain the most antioxidants–cancer-fighting properties according to a recent study in Oslo, Norway. These top ten are not listed in any particular order.

This song features the fabulous singing voice of Christy McWilson. (Christy also sings “This is Just to Say” on this web site).

Talking Questions:
1. What patterns do you notice in this list of foods?
2. How often do you eat each of these foods?
3. Are there any of these foods you’ve never tried, or just tried once?
4. What foods in your country or region are considered really good for the health?

The violin riffs were played by efiddler (www.efiddler.com)

Here’s the list/lyrics:
Blackberries, strawberries, artichoke hearts, cranberries, ground cloves
Rasberries, blueberries, walnuts, pecans, brewed coffee
You heard right, coffee.

The Antioxidant Song [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (696)

Here’s a short little poem by William Carlos Williams that I set to music. It’s sung by Christy McWilson. Play it and ask students to write down what they hear. They should get the whole poem down in a few listenings.

Here’s the Original William Carlos Williams poem:

This is Just to Say
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Follow-up: Use this poem as a model. It’s really a kind of apology, although I’m not sure if the speaker in the poem really feels very sorry.

Below is the basic layout of the poem–only the specifics have been eliminated. Students should supply their own. They can create a similar admission of guilt. Like, “I have eaten the birthday cake..”and so cold

This is just to say
I have … that …
and which …..
Forgive me ….

And here’s a new poem generated with the model:

This is just to say
I have ridden
the bicycle
that you bought
only yesterday

and which
you wanted to ride
yourself
for the first time

Forgive me
the ride was so smooth
and the seat so soft

This is Just to Say [ 0:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (262)

“Little Lit” category provides short bits of English literature. There are poems set to music, tidbits of famous lit, recited poems, and (in the future), little fictions even. This way you can give students language practice while introducing them to literature.

As always, these audios are short–short enough to be done as dictations.