Engaging English Lessons: Learning Through Sanremo!

Teaching English to intermediate learners can be both exciting and rewarding, especially when incorporating culturally relevant topics. One great way to engage students is by designing lessons around events they are familiar with. For this lesson, I focus on Sanremo, Italy’s iconic music festival. The lesson integrates discussion, vocabulary, grammar, and reproduction activities to help students develop their language skills effectively.

💬 Lesson Introduction: Engaging Discussion

I begin the lesson by asking students about their thoughts on Sanremo. Have they watched it before? What are their favorite performances or songs? 🎶 This interactive discussion encourages students to express their opinions in English while building confidence in speaking. For those unfamiliar with the festival, I provide a brief overview of its history and significance in Italy’s cultural landscape. 🇮🇹

📖 Vocabulary Expansion: Words Related to Spectacle and Entertainment

Next, we explore key vocabulary related to Sanremo, focusing on words connected to performances, music, and entertainment. Here are some essential terms and their explanations:

• 🎭 Stage – The platform where artists perform.
• 🔦 Spotlight – A strong light used to highlight performers.
• 👏 Audience – The people watching a show.
• 🎼 Lyrics – The words of a song.
• 🎵 Melody – The musical tune of a song.
• 👏 Applause – The clapping sound from the audience.
• 🎤 Host – The person who presents the show.
• 🏆 Contestant – Someone competing in a competition.
• 🔁 Encore – A repeated performance due to audience demand.
• 🎻 Orchestra – A large group of musicians playing together.
• 🎙 Microphone – A device that amplifies a singer’s voice.
• 🎶 Chorus – The repeated part of a song, often the most memorable.
• 🌟 Star – A famous performer or celebrity.
• 🎬 Backstage – The area behind the stage where performers prepare.
• 🎤 Duet – A song performed by two singers.
• 📺 Broadcast – The transmission of the event on TV or online.
• 🎼 Composer – The person who writes the music for a song.
• 🎵 Harmony – The combination of different musical notes that sound pleasing together.
• 🎭 Performance – The act of entertaining an audience.
• 🎧 Soundcheck – A test before the show to ensure the audio equipment is working properly.

To reinforce these words, students match them with definitions and use them in sentences about Sanremo.

📚 Grammar Focus: Past Tenses for Describing Events

Since Sanremo is an annual event with a rich history, the grammar focus is on past tenses. I introduce the past simple and past continuous, explaining their rules with examples:

• ✅ Past Simple (for completed actions): “Mahmood won the Sanremo Festival in 2019.”
• ⏳ Past Continuous (for background actions): “While the singer was performing, the audience was cheering.”

Students then practice by describing a past Sanremo event, using both tenses correctly.

🎶 Reproduction: Engaging Activities for Deeper Learning

To make the lesson more interactive, I suggest activities that allow students to apply what they’ve learned:

1. 🎧 Listening and Translation – Students choose a Sanremo-winning song, listen to it, and translate parts of the lyrics into English.
2. ✍️ Creative Writing – They write a short review of a past Sanremo performance using the vocabulary and past tenses.
3. 💬 Group Discussion – In pairs, students discuss their favorite festival moments and share their thoughts with the class.
4. 🎭 Role-Playing – Some students act as hosts, while others take on the role of contestants or audience members to recreate a mini-Sanremo event in class.

🎉 Conclusion: Learning Through Culture

This lesson not only enhances students' English skills but also connects language learning with cultural appreciation. By discussing Sanremo, expanding their vocabulary, mastering past tenses, and engaging in fun activities, students develop confidence and fluency in English while exploring a beloved Italian tradition. 🇮🇹✨

I always aim to create lessons that are interactive, relevant, and enjoyable. What do you think of this approach? Have you ever incorporated music festivals into your language lessons? 🎶

Image source: Wikipedia