Teaching would be a cookie-cutter profession if all students learned the same. Teach the same lesson plan to several different classes, and you will soon find this to be a fact. Teachers of English as a Second Language have the unique burden of bridging cultural gaps while meeting educational standards. While traditional teaching methods may work for some, others may turn to less conventional methods to help their students gain academic success. Incorporating dance in the ESL classroom may encourage students to be more open with each other, the teacher and the overall learning process due to their increased confidence.

Play a variety of music that requires different styles of dance. Introduce dance as being integral to all cultures. Teach about how dance has evolved in America and introduce related vocabulary words.

Play popular songs that have dance instructions incorporated in them, and teach students the lyrics. There are several musical genres, especially country music, that have songs where the lyrics also serve as instructions to the accompanying dance moves. The lyrics will serve as a source for new vocabulary words.

Ask students to bring in dance music performed in their native languages, along with the lyrics. Have students translate the lyrics into English during class time.

Play age-appropriate, education-focused songs repetitiously, and allow students to freestyle dance while these songs are playing. Especially for younger children, there are various songs that teach colors, days of the week, rhyming, basic vocabulary and grammar usage. They will learn the lyrics and the lessons behind the songs the more often they hear them.

Watch dance performances, and have students practice writing reviews in English.

Invite students to dance in front of their classmates, and have them write about how the experience made them feel.

Discuss different types of dances, dance origins or themes surrounding dance. Students can do written or oral exercises displaying what they have learned.

Assign single dance and group dance days. This will encourage students to work together and exercise their verbal communication skills.

Create dances based on stories that you have read in the classroom or have required students to read for homework.

Assign journal writing as a regular homework activity. Students can write about their feelings and attitudes about improvements in their dancing or the overall classroom-based dancing experience.