Listening

This is a beautiful song by Tracy Chapman. Before you listen, read the lyrics as if they were a story and see if you can guess which word goes in each gap. Then listen to check your answers. Can you summarise the story in this song? What do you think the message of the song is?

Cellophane: A see-through material used to wrap food.

We all sometimes feel like we need more attention, but this character from Chicago feels completely invisible! Read through the lyrics to the song and see if you can guess which word goes in each gap, then listen and check your answers. Do you relate to the singer, or do you think he is just complaining about nothing?

This is a very old, very famous song which has been performed by many renowned artists, including the following, Frank Sinatra! Before you listen, read through the lyrics and try to decide what the song is about. Is it happy or sad? Is it romantic? Then listen and complete the gaps with the missing words.

Lesson by Caroline Devane

I recently posted a lesson based on a poem by Sarah Kay, which was presented at a Ted conference. Here is another Ted lecture, which looks at the role of creativity in schools. Listen to the first five or so minutes of the talk and answer the questions below true or false.

What is your opinion? Do you think there should be more creativity in the school curriculum or do you think we need to continue to focus on maths, science and English?

Let us know.

Lesson by Caroline Devane

This is my favourite poem by the wonderful slam poet Sarah Kay. It is rich in vocabulary and full of beautiful imagery and I really wanted to share it with all of you. Due to the length of the poem, this lesson may take you a bit longer than usual, but I think it’s worth it! On the link, the poem is in the first four minutes. After that, Sarah gives an inspiring lecture which is also worth listening to. So listen to the poem and complete the gaps with the missing words. Then let us know your opinions and also if you have a favourite poem…

Christmas is coming, my favourite time of year! Here’s a song by the wonderful Michael Buble to get you in the Christmas spirit. Listen to the song and complete the gaps with the missing words. Merry Christmas!

This is a beautiful song by the extremely successful band, Coldplay. In this song, you should be able to guess which word fits into the gap without listening. Try to guess first and then listen to see if you were right!

I kind of like this song...but don't tell anyone! Why? Because it's a guilty pleasure, something we like even though we know we shouldn't. A guilty pleasure will usually cause your friends to laugh at you and remind you of how silly you are constantly. Listen to this song by young boy-band One Direction (oh the shame) and fill the gaps with the missing words. Then let me know your guilty pleasures, if you dare!

Lesson by Caroline Devane

This song describes the difficulty of finding yourself single after an important relationship. Do you usually read through the lyrics and guess which words fit the gaps before you listen to the song? I’d like you to try that today, you may be surprised at how well you can understand the context! As always, please let me know if you have any requests for songs or artists in the future!

Misty Copeland is a ballerina who is currently dancing for American Ballet Theatre (ABT). I was lucky to see her perform with the company earlier this year and witnessed her wonderful stage presence and beautiful dancing. I found this interview with her and think it is worth listening to, even if you are not interested in the dance world! Misty has overcome many obstacles to become a successful dancer and her story is very inspiring. Listen to the interview and then try and answer the true or false questions below. Are there any other professional or aspiring dancers out there?