Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Qinella]

I would like to make a music compilation CD accompanied by the lyrics printed out for my three middle school classes, but have almost no idea what they like to listen to. First, some detail: there are two classes of all girls in first year middle school, and one class of all boys in M2. I spoke with the girls, and they told me they like Backstreet Boys, NSync, and Sweetbox (?). I'm sure I can find some good songs from those groups for them to enjoy, but would the guys also enjoy it? Should I make separate CDs for each class?

Can anyone suggest some more pop groups? I've never listened to pop music, so the only stuff I know about is what I've heard mentioned by people. Maybe.. Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Pink? Doesn't Lindsey Lohan sing now? I wonder if the students would be into that stuff.

Also, would classic rock songs be totally out of the question? I was thinking along the lines of Beatles, old Elton John, Queen, some of the more catchy, radio type stuff with easy English in it.

I don't want to make a CD they're gonna end up tossing in the trash. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Q~

[ilovebdt]

You might want to look here for some ideas
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http://www.isabelperez.com/songs.htm

[Qinella]

Great link, thanks!

[crazylemongirl]

I taught my 3rd years we're not going to take it by twisted sister. They really liked that.

[ilovebdt]

P.s I did YMCA with my classes last week, they loved that. If you want I can send you a copy of the exercises I did with the song. PM if u do.

Ilovebdt

[Qinella]

[ajuma]

Drop into the noribang nearest your school and see what songs they have.

[crazylemongirl]

[Zenpickle]

I've had surprising success with They Might Be Giants.

There's also a little known Danish bubble gum pop group called Toy Box that my students have gotten hooked on. It's music that is just stupidly fun.

[Qinella]

[jazblanc77]

AC/DC works a charm for me.

[Rteacher]

On my second hogwan job I came across an internet reference to "edutainment" songs and games for pretty much all ages. I paid like thirty bucks including shipping, but the cassette tape with classic oldies (about half Beatle songs) along with "song cloze" exercises has been more than worth it. "Let It Be" and "Yesterday" are very popular in Korea. I've found that Korean students were also very much into Carpenters songs (maybe because Karen was anorexic...) probably because they're sung slowly, clearly and emotionally. Also included are "Bus Stop", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "California Dreamin'" , "House of the Rising Sun" , "Daydream Believer" "Here Comes the Sun" and a bunch of other songs (all by original artists - and I think done legally) I think the package was put together by an Aussie EFL teacher mostly experienced teaching in Japan, but it's very adaptable for Korea. Their website - last I checked - is www.eslgames.com/edutainment/

[Qinella]

[Ekuboko]

I will be making a compilation CD for my middle school girls soon as part of a reward prize (year-long thing). I am steering clear of all the boppy popular US/Brit stuff, as I know they can find and do already have it themselves.

So... because they would otherwise never be exposed to it, I'm going to take a selection of music from my own country instead(even though I am loathe to do that) - a mixture of pop, ballads, rap, house, rock, R&B... most of which I like, some of which I don't like - but I think most of the recipients will like!

P.S. Some of my girls sing NKOTB sometimes - the first time I heard them go "Oh-oh oh oh-oh...the right stuff" in class, I just about died! I felt so old saying, 'I liked that song when I was your age!' So if you go back to the 80's and 90's, I reckon you'd find some stuff they take to.

[Rteacher]

I teach at a technical high school now, and it's mostly boys (about 70%) but everybody seems to love "Let It Be" and "Yesterday" and the Carpenters "Yesterday Once More" (every "sha-la-la-la every wo-wo-wo--wo still shines...") Most of the girls also like "California Dreamin'" and "Hey Jude" and "Bus Stop". A couple were really into the Monkees "Daydream Believer" and "Bus Stop". The only ones that I like that some of the girls complained about was "The Long and Winding Road" (too boring) and "House of the Rising Sun" (too scary-or something...)

When I've had access to a DVD player I've had very good response to Paul McCartney's U.S.A. Concert tour (2002) and I compare it to the Beatles first visit to the U.S. (black and white) DVD. (Everyone seems captivated by the young Beatles enthusiasm, humor and talent and they have learned to connect Paul with "Yesterday" and "Let It Be") Carpenters "Close to You" DVD and Simon and Garfunkles' Concert in Central Park (version with English subtitles) have some good highlights I show now and then...On Fourth of July I rocked some classes with Bruce's "Born in the U.S.A." off his greatest hits DVD (which unfortunately doesn't have captions) Frankly, the music helps keep the mood mellow - I tend to angrily yell a lot when rudely ignored - and I try to at least finish classes with music to end on a cool note...To get off the subject a little bit, I've also found that buying a slide whistle and playing it instead of yelling at students to be quiet has helped me control large classes more effectively. (With my slide whistle, I even got to jam with the popular high school hard rock band at a recent festival...When they started playing an instrumental version of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" I quickly ran to a computer, downloaded the lyrics and got to sing the rousing lead vocal - gaining a lot of good will from cheering students - Even the principal (who'd been reluctant to hire me because of my age) gave me a big smiling thumbs up and said I was a "very good singer"...