(Sorry this week's blog is late...I've been battling a bug this week, and just haven't quite been able to keep up!)
This year, I'm thinking of trying something different with a different (higher-level) class. I've compiled a list of 10 songs about consumerism. Their assignment would be to analyze the song and discuss its critique of consumerism. But I'm definitely open to suggestion--about different songs, different approaches to the assignment, etc. So feel free to make suggestions!
And here, for your educational thinking, as well as your viewing and listening pleasure, are the 10 songs I've thought of so far. (Lyrics for all songs are available at musixmatch.)
References:
Duran, C. [Charlie Duran] (2013.06.04). Jonathan Richman - Rockin' Shopping Center [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb0KcCIsGkE
Lorde. (2013.05.12). Lorde - Royals [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFasFq4GJYM
Alexm799. (2009.03.15). The Clash - Lost in the Supermarket [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsrEAWcAvRg
DaveClark5Hits. (2009.11.24). Rolling Stones: "Satisfaction!" [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoxRFOr_sQ0
Chaine de DiapoRetro. (2012.03.10). Janis Joplin-Mercedes Benz(original) [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qev-i9-VKlY
DivisionIsTheNWO. (2010.08.20). BILLY BRAGG - The Busy Girl Buys Beauty (lyric-italiano) [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45m98bGBoy8
AllModConsTheJam's channel. (2011.11.24). The Jam - Shopping [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXnX1AKUqXU
laurynhillvevo. (2013.10.04). Ms. Lauryn Hill - Consumerism (Pseudo Video) [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFPhKf_dg7g
emimusic. (2009.02.28). The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74
billyjoelVEVO. (2013.04.09). Billy Joel - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) (Audio) [video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJtL8vWNZ4o
Musixmatch - The world's largest lyrics catalog. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.musixmatch.com/
Michael,
ReplyDeleteYour lessons sound interesting and relevant. They provide opportunities for your students to make meaning from real life ads and media. Do you find this form of project based inquiry more valuable for ESL adult learners than lecture style instruction?
Lindsay
Hey, Lindsay...
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I would say MORE valuable, but definitely JUST AS valuable, to be sure. I find that there are some areas (grammar, especially) which still work best (for me, anyway) as "teacher-led". But I also do several projects like this, which also seem to work extremely well. I really TRY as hard as I can to make things real, relevant, authentic, and meaningful as possible.
Just yesterday (Saturday), I showed my (lower level) class a clip of Louis Armstrong performing "What A Wonderful World". ("Music" was the "theme" of this week's unit in the textbook.) One of the students said, "Do you think it's really a wonderful world?" We ended up having a 15-20 minute discussion about that (and I have students from some places where there is ongoing conflict, incredible poverty and hardship, and so on). It was amazing...and they really stretched their English skills!