Korean Job Discussion Forums

[marlow]

I am doing some teacher training with middle school English teachers. I asked them what kind of music they would like to study, if any. They requested current pop songs that they can later use in their own classes.

I don't want to use crappy pop music, and my personal listening collection is hardly up to date.

What is good current music that female middle school teachers would enjoy listening to? It must be simple and clear enough for them to later teach to their own students.

[marlow]

Please help me.

I have no clue about current pop songs, or even current music.

I could check the charts, but searching out the entire spectrum of current music for ESL appropriate songs could take months.

My music taste centers around classic rock, alternative, and folk. I'm tempted to take the high road and play what I like, with the assumption that any rational person can't dislike what I play, but that might not fly so well.

[tzechuk]

May be you dont need current pop music. May be Frank Sinitra or ABBA or the Beatles will do. Everyone knows those and they are actually quite popular here...

[FUBAR]

The next chapter in our school's English Textbook is Popular Western Music. Today I suggested that next week we do an English song. So far both classes have suggested Westlife "Uptown girl"

Not exactly my favorite type of music. However, if that's what they want to learn, it's not a big problem for me.

[some waygug-in]

One of my middle school students is an Avril Lavigne fan, so I've used a lot of her songs in my classes. Not everyone likes it however, but she does seem quite popular with some students.
I've also used The Back street Boys ( I hated every minute of it, but the students seemed to like it)
Quite a few have asked me to get 'N Sync. But I still haven't.

I bought her latest tape and use songs from it from time to time. The tape jacket has the lyrics on it, so it's handy.


I also bought a collection of the top pop songs from last year with various artists. Some are useful, some are too suggestive to use in class, but I've used over half of them. I also have used the Beatles, the Police, Sting, and a collection of '70s hit songs. These are OK for some of the older students, but the middle schoolers like something that's popular now.


Anyway, I hope this is helpful.

Cheers

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I'm thinking of trying Queen with my kids. They know the chorus to 'We are the Champions' and it's mostly quite clear. One hint with songs: don't pick anything too fast.

[No L]

I did Cloze Exercises for Britney Spears ("Lucky"), Norah Jones ("Don't Know Why", "Come Away With Me"), Westlife ("Unbreakable"), Sarah McLachlan ("Sweet Surrender"), Robbie Williams ("Something Stupid"). Britney Spears was liked best by the girls; they didn't like Norah Jones. Westlife was favoured by the boys and the rest were okay. PM me if you want any of the worksheets.

[R. S. Refugee]

Speaking mostly from a position of imagination rather than experience teaching Koreans, I would suggest using only a tiny bit of the latest pop schlock just so they'll know that you're not a dinosaur, and then moving on to good music that passes the test of time.

Music where the lyrics aren't too fast, where the enuciation is clear, and that tells a story in mostly standard, grammatical English (that's what they're paying to learn, right?). OK, now get all of your sneering out of the way in advance and I'll list some from several genres.

1. The Beatles
2. Frank Sinatra
3. Bing Crosby
4. John Denver (I assisted in an ESL class with students from many countries last fall, and the instructor would often hand out sheets with lyrics to a song like "West Virginia" and the students sang along enthusiastically with the boom box. Having them singing at the end of the class is a good way to end on an upbeat.)
5. Any genre that you particularly like that meets these criteria and where the lyrics are in mostly grammatical English.

There is probably some modern pop stuff that meets these criteria, but since I'm more of a folky/bluegrasser I don't really follow modern pop and don't know anything in that genre to recommend.

[crazylemongirl]

The kids really get into the older stuff. Last year I taught jingle bell rock for christmas and they thought it was great.

Here are some specific songs that I've used

What a wonderful world (good for teaching words that go together)
Video killed the radio star (good tie in for lessons on technology so the boys really enjoy it)
Sk8er boi
Heard it through the grapevine (good tie in for slang and friendships) the boys seemed to like the temptations version rather than newer ones.
Santa Claus is coming to town. (my boys seemed to prefer the mariah carey version!)

Some others that I would use.
If not for you bob dylan
Be-Bop-A-Lula Gene Vincent (nice and repetitive)
Two of us the beatles (good for pronouns)
My girl the temptations
Brown eyed girl

I think older music from the 50s and 60s tends to work best. No naughty words, catchy tunes, repetitive and the enounciation tends to be clearer than popular music from today. Also the kids actually seem to enjoy it.

If you can stomach teaching them then this is the land of the sappy ballads.

[R. S. Refugee]

I be thinkin' that Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues would give them a lot of insight into American culture in its imperial age.


Johnny's in the basement
Mixing up the medicine
I'm on the pavement
Thinking about the government
The man in the trench coat
Badge out, laid off
Says he's got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off
Look out kid
It's somethin' you did
God knows when
But you're doin' it again
You better duck down the alley way
Lookin' for a new friend
The man in the coon-skin cap
In the big pen
Wants eleven dollar bills
You only got ten

Maggie comes fleet foot
Face full of black soot
Talkin' that the heat put
Plants in the bed but
The phone's tapped anyway
Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early May
Orders from the D. A.
Look out kid
Don't matter what you did
Walk on your tip toes
Don't try "No Doz"
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows

Get sick, get well
Hang around a ink well
Ring bell, hard to tell
If anything is goin' to sell
Try hard, get barred
Get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail
Look out kid
You're gonna get hit
But users, cheaters
Six-time losers
Hang around the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin' for a new fool
Don't follow leaders
Watch the parkin' meters

Ah get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance, learn to dance
Get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don't steal, don't lift
Twenty years of schoolin'
And they put you on the day shift
Look out kid
They keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole
Light yourself a candle
Don't wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don't wanna be a bum
You better chew gum
The pump don't work
'Cause the vandals took the handles