Category Archives: Music

You’d better stop…

In the Computer Room, Lesson Plan: Pre-Intermediate, Listening, Music, , ,

I angrily whispered to one of my new students.
Stop is the title of a song by Jamelia (I have to confess that although I had often  heard the song I didn’t have a clue about the singer)… anyway .. the idea for this post comes from this change of career I’m experiencing. I must admit that I’m not used to teaching teenagers;  well, you can hardly call them teens as some of my students are about 12.
In a week at a high school I’ve accumulated more anecdotes than in my whole life teaching adults.
Apart from the innocent “Teacher: Do I have to draw a title?”,” Can I go to the toilet? or What-d’ye -call-him said I was an idiot”, you have the not -so -innocent teens who try to challenge the teacher’s authority to show the other classmates the extent of the power of their arrogance and bad manners. It ‘s to one of these students that ,on the second day of my new experience at a high school, I had to say in a very low voice loaded with venom…. You’d better stop!! The amazing thing is that she … because a “she” she was…. Stopped!!. It must’ve been the tone of my voice that led her to think that I wasn’t one to be played with. Anyway, too bad!
Another anecdote but on the funny side of the story is when I asked my 12-year- students to stand up, mingle and do a communicative activity and one of the shiest students in class came up to me and whispered.. “Teacher! V…. has pinched my breast!!”” What?” I asked absolutely astonished! “Yes, teacher !He has just done the same to me ! “cried another. I looked at the so called V… and he blushed and answered that he wanted to feel if they were stuffed with cotton … Gosh!! What a mightmare! What do you think? Will I survive my students ?
Anyway , this and the reference in a reading text to Jamelia gave the idea of using this song a more serious classes where they’d appreciate the structure You’d beter+ infitive, which , as you know, in used to give very strong advice. Enjoy this beautiful song and if you want to do a “fill in the blanks” exercise ( elementary/pre-intermediate students) click on the button

Just when I needed you more

General, Music

This is part of the lyrics of a song by Dolly Parton and it has never been truer.

Photopeach, the tool I have been using to create  the role-play videos has decided to take a one-or-two -day maintenance break  , just now. I  can’t believe it!!

This is what they say on their website so hopefully tomorrow it will be working again

Meanwhile, you can enjoy the  Dolly Parton’s song the title of this post makes reference to

Sade: pure magic

General, Music

I had to choose a singer, it would undoubtedly be her. I absolutely love this woman! The beautiful sweet Sade /ʃɑːˈdeɪ /is the lead vocalist of the English group, Sade, and I’ve been addicted to her music ever since I heard her song  Smooth Operator back in 1984. I’ve got lots of favourite songs but two of my favourites are “By your side“ and “Is it a crime? “

My love is wider, wider than Victoria Lake
My love is taller, taller than the Empire State

Now, after 10 years in retirement  she’s just released her new album “Soldiers of Love” and she’s as good as ever but  I want   to  show you  what made me fall in love with her music. I was very young when I watched the music video of The Sweetest Taboo but I was mesmerized by her beauty, her elegance and her incredible voice.I’m convinced that Sade’s music  will be in my life for ever.

This song is probably not her best one but I think it very well shows the essence of Sade and what made me fall in love with the sound of her music.

Word of the Day : Damn

Music, Word of the Day, ,

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” is a line from the 1939 film Gone with the Wind. It was spoken by Clark Gable, as Rhett Butler, in his last words to Scarlett O’Hara.

At home I was never allowed to use bad language or swearwords, not that my father didn’t use them more often than necessary but I swear to God I’ve never ever heard my mother utter a single rude word. My parents were brought up in the traditional way, which meant going to church on Sundays and even though my father then changed his mind about the Sunday ritual, my mother is still quite devoted to most church rites. I guess being educated at  a nun’s school ’til the age of 18 has a lot to say in this matter.

So as I said not a single taboo word was ever allowed at home although as you can imagine everything forbidden was used and overused when we thought we weren’t heard and also in the midst of some angry arguments among my siblings and me. Among the words we couldn’t use was the word ” Damn”and although we knew that it could only be used  in church ,by priests when preaching ( it is used in religious contexts to mean “To condemn to hell”) we liked to tease our parents by saying it as often as we could pretending we didn’t know it was popularly used as a cuss word.

Although it still maintains the religious connotations, the word Damn is used, nowadays, to express anger, annoyance, disgust…etc . Look at the word being used in context:
No, damn it, you wait a minute!
God damn it, the man said he’d write, so why doesn’t he send me a letter?
That car isn’t worth a damn ( worthless)
What is the Government doing to reduce global warming? Damn all (nothing at all)
Damn it all! (expressions of anger, annoyance or impatience)
I don’t give a damn about what they say ( I don’t care)

Now if you’re in the mood for more Damn, watch this video where  Beyoncé plays the role of a gorgeous housewife who can’t understand why her husband doesn’t love her:

�
Why don’t you love me?
Tell me, baby, why don’t you love me
When I make me so damn easy to love?
Why don’t you need me?
Tell me, baby, why don’t you need me
When I make me so damn easy to need?

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