Для многих учащихся подросткового возраста песни современных английских или американских групп представляют особый интерес, поэтому одним из видов деятельности на уроках служит работа с песней. Часто это сводится к чтению слов песни, их переводу на родной язык и записи нескольких новых слов в тетрадь, прослушиванию песни и совместному исполнению под фонограмму. Но этим ограничиваться не стоит. Можно придумать серию упражнений на понимание содержания песни, согласованию слов и выражений (matching), лексико-грамматические упражнения, а также упражнения на говорение с использованием слов песни и фантазии учащихся. Такого рода задания внесут разнообразие в урок, а также будут направлены на повышение мотивации учащихся в изучении английского языка.
Представляется целесообразным использование песен на всех этапах и уровнях овладения иностранным языком. Можно предложить следующий список песен для использования на уроках:
- Для начинающих: The Alphabet Song; All together, Now! (the Beatles), “Brother John”, etc.
- Для продолжающих: Yesterday; Yellow Submarine (the Beatles); I’m Sailing (R. Stewart); Numb (Linkin Park); Love Me, Tender (Elvis Prestley); Hotel California (Eagles); Money, Money; I Have a Dream (ABBA); My Heart Will Go On (S. Dion); Bring Me To Life (Evanescence); Frozen (Madonna); etc.
Также используются традиционные, народные песни, в том числе посвящённые английским праздникам Halloween, Christmas, St.Valentine’s Day.
Ниже приводятся упражнения к 2 английским песням Numb (Linkin Park); Yellow Submarine (the Beatles).
EXERCISES TO THE SONG NUMB (LINKIN PARK)
NUMB
I’m tired of being what you want me to be,
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface.
Don’t know what you’re expecting of me.
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes.
(Caught in the undertone, caught in the undertone)
I’ve become so numb I can’t feel you there.
I’ve become so tired, so much more aware.
I’m becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you.
Can’t you see that you’re smothering me,
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control.
Cause everything that you thought I would be,
Has fallen apart right in front of you.
(Caught in the undertone, just caught in the undertone)
And every second I waste is more than I can take.
I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there.
I’ve become so tired so much more aware.
I’m becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you.
And I know I may end up failing, too.
But I know you were just like me
With someone disappointed in you.
I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there.
I’ve become so tired so much more aware.
I’m becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you.
I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there.
Is everything what you want me to be.
I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there
Is everything what you want me to be.
Exercise 1: What is the song about? Choose the right variant:
1. A) The boy feels energetic.
B) The boy feels tired.
2. A) The boy wants to be himself.
B) The boy wants to be like another person.
3. A) The girl wants the boy to go away.
B) The girl wants the boy to be with her.
VOCABULARY WORK
Exercise 2: Match a word and its translation.
| 1) numb | a) душить |
| 2) faithless | b) провалиться, стать неудачником |
| 3) smother | c) разочаровать |
| 4) fail | d) оцепеневший |
| 5) waste | e) разуверившийся |
| 6) disappoint | f) тратить |
Exercise 3: Match a line in A with a line in B. Then use these expressions in the sentences of your own.
| A | B |
| 1) to lose | a) up |
| 2) under | b) tightly |
| 3) hold | c) pressure |
| 4) fell | d) control |
| 5) waste | e) a step |
| 6) end | f) apart |
| 7) take | g) a second |
Example: 1) Alice lost control over the situation and began to cry.
SPEAKING
Exercise 4: Make up a story about the relationship between a boy and a girl, using this song. Tell it to the partner. Compare your stories. Which story is more exciting and interesting?
Key:
Ex.1: 1. B; 2. A; 3. B.
Ex.2: 1) d; 2) e; 3) a; 4) b; 5) f; 6) c
Ex.3: 1) d; 2) c; 3) b; 4) f; 5) g; 6) a; 7) e
EXERCISES TO THE SONG YELLOW SUBMARINE (BY THE BEATLES)
Comprehension Check
Exercise 1: Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with a word you hear:
Yellow Submarine
In the town where I was _________ (1)
_________ (2) a man who ___________(3) to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines.
So we __________ (4) on to the sun
Till we __________ (5) the sea of green.
And we lived beneath the ____________ (6)
In our yellow submarine.
We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine.
We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine.
And our friends are all aboard,
Many more of them live ____________ (7).
And the band ______________ (8) to play…
We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine.
We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine.
And we live a life of _____________ (9),
Everyone of us has all we need,
Sky of __________ (10) and sea of ____________ (11)
In our yellow submarine.
Key: 1) born; 2) lived; 3) sailed; 4) sailed; 5) found; 6) waves; 7) next door; 8) begins; 9) ease; 10) blue; 11) green.
Exercise 2: What is the song about? Tick the topics mentioned in the song:
- traveling;
- environment problems;
- sea;
- water pollution;
- undersea world;
- life of a sailor;
- modern art;
- music.
Key: a; c; f; h
Speaking and writing.
Exercise 3: Choose one topic from Ex.2 and make a list of questions you will ask your partner. Then work in pairs and practice the dialogues.
Vocabulary and Grammar Work
Exercise 4: Put the verbs in the correct tense form:
A sailor who (live) in Boston (sail) to the sea one summer day. The weather (be) good, hot and sunny. While he (sail), he (see) many ships passing by. Suddenly he (see) a small fishing boat with two young men. They (cry):”Help us, please!” -”What’s the matter?” – asked the sailor. “We (get) lost. Where are we?”–they asked him. So the sailor (answer): “Well, my friends, (not; worry). You (be) now almost fifty km from the sea shore. It’s not so far, really.”
Key: lives/lived; sailed; was; was sailing; saw; saw; were crying; got; answered; don’t worry; are
Exercise 5: Use the song and your imagination to complete the story in writing:
A man called ____________ lived in __________. He worked as a ______________.
So one day he invited ________________ to a ________________. He was wearing _____, ____________, _________ and________. “Let’s sail to the far-away countries”, he made a suggestion. “Where to?” asked one of the men. “To ____________”, was the answer. They decided to set off on _______________ at__________________ in a _________.
On the ____________ day of their journey they saw a ________________. So they…