While not so popular these days, Auld Lang Syne has a lot of history to it. If you look up the word “nostalgic” and, if there was an mp3 song to describe the feeling, you would listen to some version of this song. This is an old Scottish poem by Robert Burns, a very famous poet. This song may not be the best song for learning modern English, but it will serve anyone well in a cultural sense for better understanding English-speaking societies.
In any case, you will impress your American friends at every party if you offer to close with reciting the words or singing this song. Unless they are very young, you will reach some heart-strings and develop a great bond with whomever you sing it with. Watch for the appropriate times to change facial expressions and particularly use winks, touching and smiles. Remember that English is a full body language and true communicating takes more than just words.
P.S. here is their website link
Worksheet link (choose your native language from spread sheet)
Alive by AvalonOctober 20th, 2010
Alive is the second “worship” song we are using for Karaoke ESL. Many worship songs are truly “Love” songs that are directed to a person’s God. Avalon (the name of the group) is considered contemporary musical style. I guess I would call them a “Pop” style. They are Christian but this song does not name the God they are seeing to. This will allow many of you to use and enjoy this song without compomising your faith paradigm. If you are under 18, I still think you should show the lyrics to your parent or spiritual leader to obtain their guidance.
We have talked, in class, about techniques to build your skills in spoken English. One of the key techniques is passion. Emotionaly engaging with any subject can enhance your learning. For the spiritually minded this takes that enhancement another step further. Engaging the spiritual part of your being in your English learning can both super-charge your learning . And, at the same time, build your spirit. I hope you like this song, see you in class.
P.S. here is their website link
Worksheet link (choose your native language from spread sheet)
I’d Like To Teach The World To SingOctober 19th, 2010
Karaoke ESL theme song!
This song speaks to me on many levels. I think that is is a great allegory for what we are trying to do with Karaoke ESL. We wish to use song to break down barriers for allowing the right brain to be empowered with spoken English. Song has a magical ability to short circuit the left brain filters and controlling mannerisms. This allows the right brain to become involved in the process of speaking.
It is also a great pop song from the 60′s. Coke-a-cola used this song in a very famous advertising campaign. It speaks to all generations and tugs at the heart strings for peace and understanding. I hope you find this song useful in your English but also in re-connecting with an emotional part of ourselves to seek the kind of world we can best live in.
Worksheet link (choose your native language from spread sheet)
Mr Tambourine ManOctober 18th, 2010
Play a song for me?
Why Mr. Tambourine Man is A Modern Classic The most obvious and popular interpretation of Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man is that the song is about drugs. This makes sense, as it was against the law to write songs about drugs in the 1960s when ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ was composed. The metaphors are simple: ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ is the drug-dealer. “Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship…” is asking the drug-dealer for the drugs, and then the lyrics go on to describe the physical effects on the body after consuming hallucinogens: “My senses have been stripped My hands can’t feel to grip My toes too numb to step. . .”
I think that over analyzing the song is a waste of time. This is truly a poetic masterpiece by a modern master of poetic narrative. This song helped a generation experience the transcending and interpretive power in song after they left their religious moorings during a revolutionary period in music and culture. This song is almost entirely allegory and metaphor. Focus on word-for-word translation not the meaning during your practice. The meaning will be uniquely individual (for you) and come with time.
Worksheet link (choose your native language from spread sheet)
Blowin’ in the WindOctober 18th, 2010
Wikipedia article: “Blowin’ in the Wind” is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Although it has been described as aprotest song, it poses a series of questions about peace, war, and freedom. The refrain “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind” has been described as “impenetrably ambiguous: either the answer is so obvious it is right in your face, or the answer is as intangible as the wind”.[1]
In 1999, the song was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, it was ranked #14 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
Worksheet link (choose your native language from spread sheet)
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