Monday, August 25, 2014

Mixtape

         This is a listening lesson plan.The idea has emerged spontaneously,  as a suggestion from a creative colleague (Lilia Ezzedine) on facebook .
  To think of a lesson plan , while we were rejoicing listening to Passenger's song Let her go, for the first time.This is a teacher's job. The teacher thinks of every opportunity in terms of teaching/ learning. That was months ago. I didn't forget that I promised her to think of a creative way to teach songs, not the ordinary way. I hope she and other teacher find this suggestion a different one, though I doubt it, because many would suggest this is nothing new. It's true I combined many techniques into one lesson, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. We should wait and implement it in our classrooms and evaluate to what extent this suggestion worked, in terms of time management and the learners' readiness to compare two songs themes and tones.
 What's new? It's new (I think) because it is mixing two songs at once. The teacher is not going to teach one song, but two songs. The lyrics of the two songs are cut into strips and the learners are asked to order the lyrics and stick the strips on a separate blank paper.
     While listening, the learners put in order the lyrics. Afterwards, the learners enjoy the songs by focusing more on the meaning, or the message conveyed, the mood of the songs, the tones and the feelings of the singers. All of this is put into practice by comparing and contrasting the two songs' themes and the singers' feelings. Thus, learners enjoy listening to music, and recycle the comparison and contrast linkers.
     Here is the lesson plan of the two songs! Let her go, by Passenger and You're beautiful, by James Blunt.
Hope you like the idea of the mixing up of two songs. I am sure there are some points, I did not take into consideration and you think they are the bottom line of listening as a crucial skill. Let me hear of you, if you have suggestions. I'd be more than grateful.
Happy reading Wonderful teachers!