This is a good an excuse as any to listen to a good song, and, at the same time, be reminded of the suffering the great nation had to endure earlier this year.
Why not use this video as a springboard for a class discussion on natural disasters, for example?
When Sir Ken Robinson speaks, one usually listens. He's a wonderful storyteller, a great speaker. He has no need for notes, merely relying on his memory, his experience, his passion. And, he's funny. Talking about passion is his passion. Recently, in March, to be exact, he spoke in Conway Hall, London; he spoke about finding our purpose in life. So, when I found out that Vimeo has published a video of his sermon, I rushed straight in. As usual, he spoke with his typical wit, recounting story after story. Even though it's 50 minutes, I can assure it'll be well spent.
I've always loved this song (written by Jagger/Richards, and released on the Stones' Let It Bleed album towards the end of 1969), and, as you probably already know, I'm very fond of Playing for Change, too. They are good enough reasons for me to link it here in this blog.
But how can we use it in our lessons, you might ask. Well, think about it and tell me!
I can think of numerous ideas - I'll just give you a few clues.
Before you even start playing the song, look at the title, 'Playing for Change'. What is change? What does playing for change mean? What does this organisation stand for? How did it start?
Then, the title of the song, 'Gimme shelter'. What's 'gimme'? What's shelter? What collocations can you think of? What do you think the song is about?
There is also the caption: It is in the shelter of each other that the people live
Have you heard of it? It's an Irish proverb. What do you think the 'shelter' here refers to? Why the definite article in 'the people'?
Finally, make sure they know what 'sign up' and 'mailing list' are.
So, even before you play the song, there's enough material for a whole lesson, depending on your class.
So, you've played the song; you've rocked the building, the DOS has come to see what's going on..., now what do you do?
Where were the musicians from? Can you name the country and nationality? How many instruments appeared in the video? How many can you name? Webquest: find out the names of those you don't know. Which instrument did you like best? Which performer? Which singer?
Diagnose the lyrics. Focus on phrases such as:
a storm is threat'ning my very life today
I'm gonna fade away
It's such a shot away
the whole of the third verse
The whole song is very metaphoric. Elicit interpretation. Elicit more examples. Get them to write more verses in groups. Choose the best.
You can tag the dog, but can you wag the question? Watch these two hilarious videos, and my question may become a little clearer. Reading Idioms Part 12 may also help.
UK version:
US version:
The main issue, as you've probably noticed, is that of question tags (in both versions). In the US version, one of the girls constantly mixes up idioms - this is difficult to understand if you don't know the idioms to begin with!
Either or both of these videos can be used with intermediate level upwards (even up to non-native teacher level) - you know your students, you judge. What I'd normally do is to play the video once. Hand out the script. Play the video again. Then, ask them to find and correct the mistakes. Check and explain. Later, discuss the making and correction of mistakes. Are they afraid/embarrassed to make mistakes? Do they feel people might laugh at them? Do they like being corrected by their teachers/peers? What are their most common errors? Why do they keep making them even though they realise it? Elicit methods from the class of 'tricks' they use to help them remember.
A quick explanation on question tags
We add these at the end of sentences to confirm what we are saying; it's like saying, 'Do you agree?' or 'Don't you think so?'. They're the equivalent of, for example, n'est-ce pas? in French and verdad? in Spanish.
The tag comprises of an auxiliary verb (or the verb 'be') and a pronoun:
We've met before, haven't we?
She's really gorgeous, isn't she?
Usually, a positive tag follows a negative sentence, and a negative tag follows a positive sentence:
You don't know where I can find a locksmith, do you?
You were supposed to be here at five o'clock, weren't you?
Notice that the tag agrees with the verb in the preceding sentence:
She won't do it, will she? (modal auxiliary 'will')
They were singing really well, weren't they? (past continuous with the past form of 'be' as a tag)
The verb 'have' sometimes causes confusion. As you may know, the British usually use 'have got' to talk about possession:
Janet's got a really stunning voice.
We can only use the verb 'have' as a tag in this case.
Janet's got a really stunning voice, hasn't she?
However, if we use 'have' as the main verb, both 'have' and 'do' are acceptable as tags:
Janet has a really stunning voice, hasn't she?
Janet has a really stunning voice, doesn't she?
Note the tag we usually use with 'I am':
I'm clever, aren't I?
Or you may hear
I'm clever, ain't I? (non-standard)
SCRIPT (UK VERSION)
Hi! Are we all on the same English course?
Oh yeah, how's it going?
Not bad, but sometimes I have trouble with grammar, isn't it?
Really?
Sometimes I spot on and other times I don't, aren't they?
I'm all right with my grammar; my problem is spilling.
Can't spill to save my loaf!
I have to rely on my spill chock on my compluter!
Well, don't worry about it too much.
I'm sure you'll be treated with a lot of understanding and COMPASSION!
All right!
I've got problems with my spilling not my herring!
She's got trouble with her punctuation, isn't it?
Yeah, sorry.
I sometimes put an explanation mark at the end by MISTAKE!
It's all right for you lot; I've got a very small vocabulary.
What's that like?
It's all right for you lot; I've got a very small vocabulary.
Sometimes I have trouble with my emphaasis.
Your emphaasis?
Yes. In variious different parts of my senteences.
In my job that can cause a lot of awkwordness.
What do you do?
I'm a speech theraapist.
A speech therapist who can't spike prifferly!
I'm surprised your boss hasn't sucked you!
It's all right for you lot; I've got a very small vocabulary.
Can I make a suurgestion?
Why don't you purchaase a dictionary? You'll save yourself a lot of embarraasment.
I know! We could all try studying together, isn't it?
How doesn't next week sounds?
GOOD IDEA!
It's all right for you lot...
SHUT UP!
SCRIPT (US VERSION)
Hey! Aren't we all on the same English course?
Oh yeah, how's it going?
Er, not bad, except that I sometimes have trouble with my grammar, isn't it?
I mean sometimes I perfect but other times I don't, won't they?
You see, I'm all right with my grammar; my problem is spelling.
I can't spell to save my loaf!
Yeah?
Yeah, I have to rely on my spell chock on my compluter!
Well, you know, look at it this way. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't eat it, too. You know what I'm saying?
No, no, not really.
Er...I think that she sometimes has trouble mixing metaphors, aren't she?
Yeah.
Sorry, guys. I'm always crying over spilt chickens before they're hatched.
It's all right for you all; I've got a very small vocabulary.
What's that like?
It's all right for you all; I've got a very small vocabulary.
That's ok. I have problems with my emphaasis.
Your emphaasis?
Yes. My emphaasis. On different parts of the sentances.
In my job that can cause a lot of awkwordness.
What do you do?
I'm a speech theraapist.
A peach therapist that can't spike prifferly!
I'm surprised your boss hasn't sucked you!
It's all right for you all; I've got a very small vocabulary.
Can I make a suurgestion?
Why don't you purchaase a dictionery? You'll save yourself a lot of embarraasment.
I'll tell you what. Why doesn't we all try studying together, isn't it?
How does next week sound, didn't we?
Brave idea!
Fabuulous!
Yeah, You give 'em an inch, it's worth two in the bush.
Macmillan has just released its mobile Sounds App for the Android market. It was previously only available for the Apple market. You can download the Android version from here.
Please share your opinions if you have used this app.
If you've got an Apple or Android phone, you might like this pronunciation application from Macmillan, based on Adrian Underhill's chart. I haven't got such a phone, I'm afraid, so I haven't been able to test it. If you have managed to test this application, please make your opinions known to us by commenting below.
Updated 26/04/2011: It has just been brought to my attention that the application is only available for iPhones at the moment. I suspect it's to judge the demand, so, the more people who download it, the quicker will it be made available for Android phones, too - that is my guess!
Note: Last updated on 24 April 2011 to add phrasal verbs and vocabulary questions to the quiz.
Watch this interview with Nicky Hockly during the IATEFL 2011 Brighton conference. First, just watch and listen. Then, click on the image above, and review all the questions. Watch the video again, but, this time, attempt to answer all the questions.
Teachers: if you would like to use this activity for your students, you can ask them to enter your email address. This way, all their results will be sent to you, and you can evaluate them.
Ted Talks has a speaker with a difference - he isn't going to speak!
Don't worry - it isn't a silent video, lol.
Jackson Browne is one of my favourite singer-songwriters, and he has written many powerful songs in his long career, this one here being no exception. What I would like you to do first is to watch and listen to the song, and try to understand as much as possible.
Then, watch it a second time; this time, scroll further down and follow the lyrics.
When you've finished, think about the message Jackson Browne is trying to put across. Comment below by clicking on the pencil icon.
Sliding through the shimmering surface between two worlds Standing at the centre of time as it uncurls Cutting through a veil of illusion Moving beyond past conclusions Wondering if all my doubt and confusion will clear
If I could be anywhere, If I could be anywhere If I could be anywhere right now, I would want to be here
Searching for the future among the things we're throwing away Trying to see the world through the junk we produce every day They say nothing lasts forever, But all the plastic ever made is still here No amount of closing our eyes will make it disappear
If I could be anywhere, If I could be anywhere If I could be anywhere in history, I would want to be here
The Romans, the Spanish, the British, the Dutch American exceptionalism, so out of touch The folly of empire, repeating its course Imposing its will and ruling by force On and on through time
But the world can’t take it, very much longer We're not gonna make it, unless we're smarter and stronger The world is gonna shake itself free of our greed somehow
If I could be anywhere, If I could be anywhere in time If I could be anywhere and change things, it would have to be now.
They say nothing lasts forever, but all the plastic ever made is still here No amount of closing our eyes will make it disappear
And the world can’t take it, very much longer It's not gonna make it, ‘less we're smarter and stronger The world is gonna shake itself free of our greed somehow
And the world can’t take it, that you can see If the oceans don’t make it, neither will we The world is gonna shake itself all the way free somehow
If I could be anywhere, If I could be anywhere in time If I could be anywhere and change the outcome, it would have to be now.
In We Are The Champions, I wrote about several ideas you could do with songs in the classroom, so if you'd missed it, you ought to take a look now.
Warm-up
Play the video, freeze it when Paul McCartney can be seen. Ask if anyone knows him, what they know: the group he belonged to, the instrument he plays, the period the song was written, etc.
Gap-fill
Play the video once, asking them to listen and, at the same time, watch the images carefully. Then, ask them what images they remember seeing, and if the images suggested anything to them.
Before playing a second time, get them to try the gap-fill activity, without asking for help. Remind them that each time they ask for help (?) or a hint, they lose points.
Phrasal Verbs
Once the gap-fill activity has been successfully completed, explain these phrasal verbs to them (after asking them to guess first):
blow out
turn away
turn on
wake up
get out
look up
As most phrasal verbs have multiple meanings, it's best to stick to what they mean in the context of the song, in order not to overly confuse the students.
blow out: the 'blow' here means to break into pieces and the 'out' gives a sense of outward direction.
The gas explosion blew out all the windows of the house.
There may be no need to draw attention to the graphic imagery of 'he blew his mind out', but you could perhaps ask how he could have done this (answer: by shooting himself). However, if you want to go deeper, John could have been cheeky with his typical double entendre, and meant that the driver was stoned out of his head!
turn away: although 'turn away' is a phrasal verb meaning to refuse to allow someone into a place, here it isn't used as a phrasal verb as such. 'Away' is used as an adverb meaning towards a different direction.
'A crowd of people turned away' meaning if they were looking at the screen, they stopped looking at it by looking at a different direction.
turn on: mmm...this is a tricky one as one of the meanings has a sexual connotation, even a drug-related one perhaps. What was John thinking of when he wrote it? Depending on the age group of your students, you may wish to explain that it means 'getting someone interested in something'.
wake up: wake or wake up means to stop sleeping.
get out: to get out of bed is to leave the bed, especially after sleeping.
look up: As in 'turn away', the 'up' is used as an adverb to mean towards a higher direction.
'And looking up, I noticed I was late': remembering that he's gone downstairs to have a cup (of tea, probably) (you could also ask them about rooms in the house - he'd obviously went down to the kitchen from his bedroom upstairs), he could be looking back up the stairs, but more likely, he was looking up at a clock on the wall, and saw that he was late.
Analysis and interpretation
One could write a doctorate on this song, really! There are many aspects that can be discussed depending on the level and the age group of your students. You can analyse each line and draw multitudes of hidden layers behind John's irony and sarcasm. You can talk about subjects such as urban life, suicide, drug abuse, fame, politics, and so on. Whether he meant it intentionally or not, there is so much to be read behind John's words (and you could guess which were John's words and which were Paul's).
To put it in a nutshell, discuss the lyrics in class. Ask them for their personal interpretation (or work in groups). Compare interpretations. As homework, set a group webquest - ask them to find out interesting things about the song and prepare a presentation (leave the choice to them: could be PowerPoint, Prezi, Glogster, Vocaroo, Wallwisher, well, whatever tickles their fancy!)
You can also ask them to add another verse based on a piece of news they have read in the newspapers or heard on the TV.
I have also prepared a short quiz, testing rhymes, synonyms, antonyms and phrasal verbs. If you ask your students to enter your email, their results will be sent to you. Alternatively, if you make sure they enter valid references (such as class/school), ask me, and I'll forward their attempts to you.
A lot of teachers who use songs for ELT restrict themselves to a gap-fill activity plus a singalong, but there are, however, many other activities you could do besides those, some of which I've set out below, and I also created a quiz incorporating some of them.
Due to copyright problems, I'm not allowed to embed the video here, but click on the video image, and then, again, where it says 'Watch on YouTube", and it will bring you to the video in YouTube.
(Note: I just tried it again, and it played the video here without any problem. I won't remove the above warning just in case you get the copyright message.)
Watch the video once. Then, click on the second image to start the interactive cloze activity. Play the video a second time, and while it's playing, try to fill in the missing gaps.
When you've completed that, have a go at the quiz - just click on the third image below to start. Only the email is obligatory, but if you don't wish to enter yours, just give a fictitious one, e.g. a@a.com.
If you provide an email, the quiz robot automatically sends you your results, along with the correct answers.
Ideas for using songs in the classroom for teachers:
Speaking: Play the first few seconds of the song (without the video image). This is a famous song, so chances are that a fair few of the students will know it. Ask them. Ask them what they know: the group, the names of the band members, the song title, how often they have heard the song, where they have heard it, what it means to them, what they think the writer was writing about, etc.
Depending on the level of your students, this song could lead to all sorts of interesting discussions, such as AIDS, struggling artistes, bullying, sports in general, football in particular, success and failure, etc.
Fill-in-the-gap: If you're doing this as an offline activity, have them guess the missing words before they listen to the song.
Jumbled sentences: Cut up the lyrics into strips of phrases, and ask them to put them in the right sequence. Or, you can jumble the words of a bar and they correct them. You can just write the words on the board, or you can prepare a word cloud. Click here to see an example.
Synonyms/Opposites: Ask the meaning and/or opposites for: pay, do, bad, made, come, end, loser, bring, fortune, go, pleasure.
Idioms: This song is great for idioms:
pay one's dues: to earn a given right or position through hard work, long-term experience, or suffering kick sand in someone's face: to be mean, to insult, to criticise, to bully take a bow: to say of someone after they have achieved something special not a bed of roses (usually negative): not easy, not pleasant or good, rough
Rhyming words: Select a word, e.g., 'call', and ask them to think of words which rhyme with it. You can set up a group competition, if you want.
As an extension of the above activity, ask them to invent another verse to add to the song.
The Khan Academy happened almost by accident. It all started when its creator, Salman Khan, made a video tutorial for his cousins. You can find out what happened after that by watching this video. Khan, quite rightly, received a long standing ovation, and I must admit I haven't been so thrilled about education since Sir Ken Robinson's talk.
Khan's proposal, which wasn't his really, but was started by some of his early followers, is simply to reverse the teaching process. Use video as self-instruction at home, and bring what used to be homework into the classroom, where teachers spend more time with individual students, rather than explaining theories to 30 children. Khan's approach would also work well for students who want to supplement their learning while taking online courses.
The idea is, indeed, very exciting, especially for those of us who have been propagating the use of technology in teaching. It has been tested in some schools, and the result have been very encouraging.
Watch the video, and tell us what you feel. Spread the word - tweet this, post it on Facebook, etc.
By now you must have heard about the triple catastrophe that hit Japan: earthquake (measured at 9.0 on the Richter scale, it was the biggest to have hit Japan), giant tsunamis, and nuclear crisis. There are, obviously, numerous websites where you can get up-to-date accurate information, but here are some of my favourite from which you can find useful resources to help you prepare a lesson on the disaster, or simply to get the latest news.
The BBC is always a useful place to find news, in-depth analysis, Q&A, etc. You can get live video & text coverage here.
To understand how tsunamis occur, they have an animated explanation from 2004 here.
The New York Times have incredible images here and interactive before & after images here. More before & after images can be seen at ABC News, too. CNN offers high resolution images of the aftermath here.
NPR does a comprehensive study on the Fukushima nuclear reactors crisis here.
To get an idea of the scale of the earthquakes from which Japan has been suffering, take a look at this interactive map.
Rather than inundate you with countless websites, which will only serve to confuse more than educate, I have just recommended these. Spare a thought for all the people in Japan, dead or alive. If you can, help them by clicking on the image below.
For more organizations involved in the donation process, see this list.
Thanks to David Deubelbeiss for bringing this truly inspiring award-winning documentary to our attention. It's really heartwarming to see that there are teachers like Toshiro Kanamori who attach as much importance to human values as academic knowledge.
What about you? Have you got any similar experiences to share with us? Comment below, please, by clicking on the pencil icon.
Much has been said about the differences between American and British English, so much so that any EFL course, from Andorra to Auckland, will dedicate at least one lesson to this topic. One can be forgiven to think that these are the only two significant versions that exist. Of course, we know that this is not true, and besides, what is British English? Someone from Dorset doesn't quite speak like someone from Aberdeen, or Swansea, and I'm not just talking about accents.
All versions of English are valid, and the more variety that one is exposed to, the better it is. There is a trend in countries where English is not widely spoken to insist on "native" teachers for an EFL post, and this is rather unfair to the "non-native" teachers. As a lot of them will attest, "native" teachers aren't necessarily better than them.
They also recently teamed up with Professor Elemental to produce the hilarious Canadian vs British English rap battle. You can watch it below, and also download the script (you'll probably need it!) from here. If you haven't heard of the eccentric Professor Elemental (real name: Paul Alborough), check out his site: http://www.professorelemental.com
You can also watch the US vs UK English challenge with Hugh Laurie and Ellen DeGeneres after Professor Elemental's. It's quite funny, too.
So, what's your English? Are you a "non-native" teacher teaching English in your own or a foreign country? Whether you are one or otherwise, I would love to hear your opinions. If you're a student, your opinions would be most treasured, too.
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