I use chants quite a bit as warm ups, and I find they also work well with older students who are a bit shy to sing. They are also great for practicing vocabulary in rhythm without worrying about melody. How do you use chants?
Songs are good in every way, you can also emphasize a grammar point using a right song... I love popular songs about every aspect of life... They're quite catching and sure to provoke positive responses.
My professor is my great model in TEFL. She uses chants a lot in her teaching. I found that it’s very helpful especially for raw beginner students. I teach 5th graders now and I shared some of the DreamEnglish’ chants to other teachers in my school and the students love them more :P . It’s easier for the students to learn to say some words when they use chant in their learning (and songs too). It’s great.