Have you ever…? – Halloween song

• Play games to practise verb conjugation before you introduce the song. These could be memory card games or board races.
• Do irregular verb aerobics. Choose 3 positions, e.g., hands on head, hands on hips, touching toes. Say the three forms of each verb and perform an action for each one. For example:

see = hands on head   saw = hands on hips   seen = touching toes

meet = hands on head    met = hands on hips    met = hands on hips

cast = hands on head    cast = hands on head    cast = hands on head

When the verb form is different, you move to the next position. If the verb form is the same, you don’t change position. Gradually get faster and/or get the students to play teacher.

• Elicit halloween vocabulary and play ‘Never have I ever’ For example, you say ‘Have you ever watched a zombie film?’, and the students who haven’t seen a zombie film, stand up and say, ‘I have never seen a zombie film’. Make it easier for lower levels by getting them to say ‘Never’ rather than the whole sentence.
• Cut up the complete lyrics handout into strips, sing the song and have the students put them in order.
• After the students have invented their own verses, have them teach their verses to each other. They can choose their three favourites to sing altogether as a class, or even as a class performance.