A Landmark Year for FunSongs!

Charles Goodger presents a FunSongs Choir at a
national Telethon event in Bologna 15th December.

FunSongs English Weeks

2007 turned out to be an important year in the development of FunSongs. As well as successful shows including an unforgettable Naples tour in May, the seven weeks of FunSongs English weeks summer camps in June in Rome, Valle d'Aosta, Bologna and Zola Predosa with over 500 young learners will be remembered as a triumphant learning experience for us all.

FunSongs Madrid Launch

In January Andrew Tyree from Los Angeles took over from Australian David Crisante as the main FunSongs actor working together with Emelie Loeb. David went to London to do a course in journalism. He is now working for ABC TV in Sydney. After completing his stint as a FunSongs actor and FunSongs English Weeks Team Leader (Dino Pack), Andrew moved to Madrid. He is there now working to promote FunSongs shows in the Spanish capital.

FunSongs Labs

FunSongs Labs started in October 2008 in the wake of the interest generated by the FunSongs English Weeks summer camps in Zola Predosa and Bologna. Specially trained FunSongs teachers hold 10-lesson cycles of FunSongs lessons to small groups (never more than 6) of young learners in their homes. In December the following mother-tongue teachers held FunSongs Labs in Bologna and Zola Predosa: Ashleigh Arnott, Krissy Fischer, Edward Calcott, Costa Latsos, Natasha Hannoun, Valentina D'Errico, Beata Lenkiewicz and Emelie Loeb.

C.A.I.L.

As Charles Goodger gets ready to leave Italy to concentrate on writing new action songs and promote FunSongs shows and events in North-Eastern Europe, Emelie Loeb and Valentina D'Errico, together with Michele Chieffo will soon be running C.A.I.L. - the new Cultural Association for Interactive Learning. CAIL will be responsible for promoting and managing FunSongs events and courses in Italy.
Look out for the CAIL website scheduled to go live by the end of January 2008.

FunSongs Christmas Shows!

On Thursday 22nd November FunSongs inaugurated the first Christmas shows of the season at Scuola Primaria Padre Marella in Bologna. Teachers at the school decided to book the show a month before Christmas in order to allow themselves enough time in class to work on the "I Love Christmas" worksheets available on the FunSongs website.

FunSongs training workshop in Reggio Emilia

The same day Charles Goodger, Emelie Loeb and Valentina D'Errico conducted a teacher training workshop for 60 teachers in Reggio Emilia. Organized by Prof.ssa Carla Bazzini of the Local Teacher Authority, the event gave teachers their first experience of the FunSongs approach.

FunSongs European Union Show in Milan

FunSongs teachers and performers Emelie Loeb
and Krissy Fischer

On Saturday 17th November we performed a FunSongs European Union show at Istituto Cardarelli Massuau in Milan for primary school and middle school students. As well as the children, many parents came too, invited by Prof. Mauro Verde. This was Krissy's first show.

FunSongs at Feltrinelli International in Florence

Shop window of Feltrinelli, Via Cavour , Florence

The FunSongs CD "Action Songs for Learning English" ISBN 0954396316 is the glue that has held our relationship with prestigious Italian bookstore chain Feltrinelli together since 2004.

On Saturday 27th October Emelie and Charles took a train down to Florence from Bologna to present the "FunSongs Approach". Given the modest but steady sales the CD generates for them, Feltrenelli are happy with the product which they sell in their branches in Milan, Padua, Bologna, Rome, Naples and of course Florence.

Halloween and Autumn Shows

Emelie and Costa teaching "On Halloween" in Budrione (MO)

The hundreds of children who have participated in our shows these last few weeks have been celebrating Halloween and the season of Autumn through song, dance, movement and of course, English. It is always a pleasure to return to schools that know us and appreciate our method and material. The video clip shows Emelie and Costa, (our new FunSongs actor from Sydney who is also an opera singer) leading the children in a collective performance of On Halloween.

FunSongs Labs

Andrew Tyree helping kids to be creative in English

FunSongs Labs is a new project we are developing after the success of our FunSongs English Weeks summer camps. Families form small groups of 4 to 5 children and once a week for ten weeks FunSongs provides a trained English teacher. He or she holds the lessons at home. The scheme is currently limited to Bologna and the surrounding area. For further details, please contact the FunSongs Italy office to ask for an application form.

New developments as the School Year starts

Robin Hood's Band by Charles Goodger
Collective performance during a FunSongs Show

As always the month of October is a busy time for FunSongs. As well as organizing the many bookings for FunSongs Shows, the Italy office in Zola Predosa is also coordinating a new project entitled "FunSongs Labs". These are English lessons for small groups of children based on the FunSongs Approach.

September 2007 - multilingual FunSongs!

Charles Goodger and Andrew Tyree present the
FunSongs method to kids in a Madrid school

After a season working for FunSongs Italy, Californian actor and teacher Andrew Tyree (tel. 0034 665 11 53 86) is now based in Madrid. He is working to interest schools and teachers in the validity and effectiveness of the FunSongs Approach. Andrew and his staff in Madrid are now available to bring the magic and joy of FunSongs language-learning action songs to Spain.

A seguito dell'ultimo anno scolastico lavorando per la FunSongs Italy, l'attore e insegnante californiano Andrew Tyree (tel. 0034 665 11 53 86) ora vive a Madrid. Si sta impegnando per interessare le scuole e gli insegnanti della capitale nella validità e efficacia dell'Approccio FunSongs. Andrew e la sua équipe sono pronti a presentare la magia e la gioia delle canzoni animate didattiche FunSongs ai bambini spagnoli.

Después de trabajar para FunSongs Italy, ahora el actor y profesor californiano Andrew Tyree (tel. 0034 665 11 53 86) vive en Madrid. El objetivo de Andrew, que habla perfectamente el castellano, es de interesar las escuelas y los profesores de la ciudad en la validez y la eficacia del Enfoque FunSongs. Andrew y su personal en Madrid están disponibles a traer la magia y la alegría de las canciones de FunSongs a los alumnos españoles.

FEWs June 2007 - unforgettable events

Kids performing an action song at FunSongs
English weeks Show in Zola Predosa

This June FunSongs organized six weeks of FEWs - FunSongs English Weeks - in four different locations. In Rome, Chatillon (Valle d'Aosta), Zola Predosa and Bologna.

Thanks to its staff of mother-tongue teachers and team leaders, the events were much appreciated. The format of each FunSongs English Week is based on a series of themes. Participating students are placed in teams, each of which works collectively to develop a particular theme.

This summer there were three teams: The Dino Pack and their special classroom "The Saurus Cave". The Dip Pack's project was the Age of Dinosaurs; the Water Drops in their classroom "Behind the Waterfall" - climate change, ecology and water conservation and the Space Monsters in their classroom "Starship Command" - astronomy and the solar system.

At the end of each FEW, the children exhibted their arts and crafts and performed their action. Som videos of these performances can be viewed on the FunSongs channel at http://www.youtube.com/.

Given the success and interest in these innovative events, FunSongs is planning to offer FunSongs English Weeks to schools during the school year. Teachers interested in hosting a FunSongs English Weeks are invited to contact the FunSongs Office.

FunSongs English Weeks 2007!

Kids enjoying a FunSongs Monster show at
IC Berlinguer, Secondigliano, Naples

These last two months have beeen, to say the least, busy for FunSongs. The Naples Tour in May came after several intense days of meetings and presentations in Madrid where actor and teacher Andrew Tyree will be managing FunSongs Espana from September 2007. There was much interest in the FunSongs Approach both from the British Council School and several state schools participating in the "bilinguismo" project.

Charles Goodger and his team have been getting ready for FunSongs English Weeks, opportunities for young learners to immerse themselves in the English language through our particular blend of music, rhyme, rhythm and mime. This year FunSongs will be coordinating FEWs in Rome, Chatillon near Aosta, Zola Predosa and Bologna.

FunSongs launches in Spain

Actor and teacher Andrew Tyree from Los Angeles
after a FunSongs Quiz Show in Ferrara

FunSongs is getting ready to launch its first franchise. Although FunSongs CDs and books have been sold around the world since the organization's foundation in 1998, FunSongs Shows and Quiz Shows have been limited to Italy where Charles Goodger, author of the songs and shows lives. However next month Charles Goodger and Andrew Tyree who has been performing FunSongs Shows with great success since January 2007 will be flying to Madrid to conduct market research in the Spanish capital. Andrew speaks fluent Spanish and is looking forward to the challenge. He hopes to start promoting and performing shows in Madrid from the start of the next school year.

FunSongs English Weeks 2007

Children playing during last summer's
FunSongs English Weeks in Zola Predosa (BO)

From Monday 11th June through Friday 22nd June FunSongs will be coordinating four FunSongs English Weeks - summer camps for primary school children in which participants learn English using the FunSongs approach. There will be a FEW in Rome, one in Chatillon near Aosta, another in Bologna and finally one again in Zola Predosa. FunSongs hopes to be able to host several hundred children and will be hiring over twenty part-time English teachers. For further details look at www.italian.funsongs.co.uk/english weeks or contact FunSongs direct.

FunSongs Seminar in Bergamo

Teachers learning "The Monster March" at a CRT
Lingue Conference, Bergamo 22 February 2007

More than 200 teachers attended a training seminar organized by Bergamo's Centro Risorse Territoriali last 22 February. After a brief presentation by Ispettrice Giovanna Barzanò, Charles Goodger and Emelie Loeb involved participants in a number of song-based TPR techniques. Teachers were also given free material to use in class.

New FunSongs Shows in March

This month sees the launch of two new FunSongs shows for Primary and Prima Media classes: The Dino Show, which showcases aspects of prehistory and the new FunSongs Water show, scheduled for March 30th in Calderino near Bologna. This workshop is based on ecological themes including water conservation and climate change. Downloadable work sheets related to both songs will soon be available on the

FunSongs Quiz Shows - a full immersion experience

The Sala Magna at IC Cassino set up for a Quiz Show

February 2007 stood out for the many Quiz Shows presented in several Italian regions. Charles Goodger, and his team travelled to Bologna, Cassino, Rome, Scandicci and Ferrara to involve hundreds of Scuola Media and High School students in the FunSongs Civiltà Quiz Show. From the highly positive comments received from teachers on the FunSongs feedback form on the www.funsongsshow.com website, we are confident the format we use with revolving spokespeople is the most interactive possible.


Charles Goodger with School Head Venturini at the
start of aQuiz Show at IC Cassino February 2007

The Quiz show is a competition between two teams - the boys and the girls. Both teams represented by a spokesperson, compete to win points based on questions drawn from six categories: Food, People, Places, Sports Hobbies and Games, School University and Work and The Animal World. For further details, visit the FunSongs Quiz Show website.

New action song on climate change

Alessandro Macchiavelli recording "Water is
Everything" 23 January 2007

FunSongs is proud to announce the arrival of a new action song to add to its growing repertoire. "Water is Everything", written by Charles Goodger presents and teaches vocabulary related to the broad themes of water conservation, respect for the natural environment and climate change. Like all FunSongs action songs, "Water is Everything" which teachers will soon be able to hear on the FunSongs website, can be used as the starting point of a new project together with teachers of other subjects - specially natural science and geography.

FunSongs in 2007

Kids displaying their Time Travellers poster

Action songs are always a great way to start a new teaching module. This photo shows a class of children proudly displaying a poster based on the song "Words for Time, Time for Words".
You can hear the full version by clicking here .