Listening

Jessie J isn't known for her ballads, but this is one of my favourite songs of hers. I think it is about a woman at the end of a relationship, who is trying to find a way to cope. Listen to the song and then complete the gaps with the words listed below. Do you know any other songs by Jessie J? Which is your favourite?

Lesson by Caroline

Here is another Ted lecture and a lesson that will help you live longer, be more successful and feel as if you’ve eaten lots of chocolate without the calories! Listen to the lecture and see if you can answer the questions below true or false. I recommend you listen at least twice and listen carefully, as the man giving the talk, Ron Gutman, speaks quite quickly! Excellent English practice and hopefully a lesson that will stay with you for a while!

Whitney Houston is famous for a number of classic songs, including this duet with her mother, Cissy Houston.

Tragically, she recently passed away at the age of 48. This song is about the difficulty of relationships and the heartbreak of letting someone go.

Read through the lyrics first and try to guess which word fits in each gap, then listen and check your answers.

What is your favourite Whitney song? Let us know.

Taylor Swift won two awards at the Grammy's recently and seems to be getting more and more famous by the day. This song is well known for appearing in the recent Twilight movie and is about a very sad break up. Read through the lyrics first and guess what word goes in each gap. Then listen to the song and check your answers.

This song is about what we learn from our relationships with others and how these relationships change the person we are. It is from the successful musical, Wicked. Listen to the song and complete the gaps with the correct word.

Note: please tell me if there is a singer, band, or song that you would like a lesson on. I’m always looking for new ideas!

Lesson by Caroline Devane

A transcript is a written representation of a conversation or speech. They can be very useful to read as they allow you time to understand, whilst mirroring true conversation. Here is a transcript of a famous interview between Michael Parkinson and actress Meg Ryan.

Read through the transcript and answer the questions below true or false. If, after you have read you would like to watch the conversation in there is a link below the transcript!

Interview Transcript

Parkinson (Interviewer): You said once that acting was not in your nature.

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