LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHERS/ HOME TASK ACTIVITY FOR STUDENTS :) Enjoy! MUSIC TO AID STUDIES!

BRANDI CARLILE - DOWNPOUR:

VERB TENSE / METAPHOR AND SIMILIES :

What is a metaphor?

What is a similie?

Can you provide me with any good examples?


Listening:

⦁ Listen to the song and then write down as much as you heard.

⦁ What tenses did you hear?

⦁ Was the singer clear enough to understand well?


__________________________________________

Now listen again and read the lyrics as you listen – you can sing along for practice!

Listen closely for these parts of pronunciation:

Elision (losing sounds)
Linking (adding or joining sounds between words)
Assimilation (changing sounds)

__________________________________________

LYRICS:

I'm like the rain in a downpour
I wash away what you long for
And I wave goodbye with the sun in my eyes
But I wish I could be there tonight

I'm like the wind in the canyon
I'm there then I'm gone in a second
And you're growing older in peace where you're at
I wish I could be there for that
But I've moved on like a rolling stone
In a crowded room I'm alone

And I'm like the rain in a downpour
And I wash away what you long for
I wave goodbye with the sun in my eyes
I wish I could be there tonight, oh, oh, yeah

You're like the tide in the deep blue
'Cause you're always there when I need you
And when you need someone to carry you through
I'm gonna be there for you, I'm gonna be there for you

Post listening comprehension:

Let's discuss elision and linking / assimilation - Can you provide me with some examples? Look at the text for further help!

What was the reason for the song? What did the singer mention/main idea?

⦁ What do you think the song is about? Read the comments below, aloud - then decide what you think!


General Comment -
This is a song about missing home and wanting everyone to know what regardless, there is still a part of you that is there when you are gone.

General Comment -
I think its a reflective song about death and dying.

General Comment -
I just saw her in concert and she said she wrote it for her parents' 25th anniversary because she wasn't going to be able to be there for the celebration. She actually ended up being able to make it. She sang the song for a couple who requested it because it was their anniversary. Very sweet!



EXERCISE: Metaphors and similies:

Listen again and add in the words:

I'm ___________ the wind in the canyon
I'm there then I'm ________________
And you're growing older in peace ___________
I wish I could be there for that
But I've moved on __________________
In a crowded room __________________


You're like the ______________________
'Cause you're always there when I need you
And when you need someone to ______________





NOW LET’S LOOK AT THE VOCABULARY:


Specific Meangings

Here are some specific WORD DEFINITIONS from the song:


But I've moved on - phrasal verb -  go or cause to leave somewhere.

Like a rolling stone - similie - to move quickly in a direction - to leave.

I'm like the rain in a downpour
I wash away what you long for - To literally take away/eliminate the wishes /desires of someone - like rain that has the ability to wash clean the earth.

I'm like the wind in the canyon
I'm there when I'm gone in a second - similie - the wind is unseen, sometimes heard - so her coming and going is so swift / sudden - she compares it to the wind.

You're like the tide in the deep blue - Another similie - Tides vary on timescales ranging from hours to years due to numerous influences. So this would mean that her parents/ the person of whom she sings - comes and goes as the gravitational pull desires ( the singer is the gravitational pull. She calls - like the moon, and they are there.)

And when you need someone to carry you through - idiomatic/ metaphorical meaning - carry someone through (something) - to make it possible for someone to deal successfully with a difficult or unpleasant situation





LISTENING AGAIN! :

Listen again and complete the sentences.

________the rain in a downpour
____________what you long for
And I wave goodbye with the sun in my eyes
But I wish I could be there tonight

_____________in the canyon
I'm there then I'm gone in a second
And you're growing older in peace where you're at
_____________there for that
But ____________on like a rolling stone
In a crowded room I'm alone

And _____________in a downpour
And I wash away what you long for
I wave goodbye with the sun in my eyes
_______________there tonight, oh, oh, yeah

You're __________in the deep blue
'Cause you're always there when I need you
And when you need someone _________________
I'm gonna be there for you, I'm gonna be there for you.

__________________________________


Rounding off and discussion:

What have you learnt from todays lesson? Can you give me some examples of similies from the song?

____________________________________

Learn articles like a jedi !!!!!!!!! ( A,AN and THE) - A Brief summary! :)

ARTICLES – THAT TICKLE IN YOUR THROAT

What on earth is an article? Well – it is a type of Adjective , it modifies a noun – telling us a little more about it!

In English, we only have three articles: the, a, and an, whereas in German there are four, which are declined ( all the ways nouns can change their form to reflect their role in the sentence: subject, object, etc. ) according to number, case, and gender!!!! There are no definite or indefinite articles in  the Russian language (such as the, a, an in English). The sense of a noun is determined from the context in which it appears

Articles are used in specific instances in English.

If indefinite articles are a proverbial pain in the butt, the wonderful news is that you don't need a lot of grammatical jargon to understand how to use these little words. All you need are ears, a brain and a tongue... OH - and a cup of coffee!

In English, a and an are indefinite articles, which means that they don't refer to anything specific. We use them before singular nouns! We also place them before an adjective modifying a singular noun.

I would like a pear.

In the sentence above we find the article "a." It shows us that the speaker does not want a specific pear He can have any pear.

I would like an orange.

In the sentence above we find the article "an". It shows us that the speaker does not need a specific orange.He can have any orange.

 

Which one should I use?!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, let’s see. It's about listening to the SOUND OF THE FIRST LETTER OF THE WORD AFTER THE ARTICLE. The  guideline for indefinite article usage is as follows:

We will always use  a before nouns (or adjectives) that start with a consonant sound.

We will always use an before nouns (or adjectives) that start with a vowel sound.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

May I have a cup of coffee?
(The noun cup starts with a consonant sound, so a must be used.)

May I have a hot cup of coffee?
(Now we have the word – hot in front of coffee, BUT BUT BUT hot still starts with a consonant sound, so we use ‘’a’’ .)

That's an orange sheep!

(The word after the article is ‘’orange’’ and that word starts with a vowel sound – so we use the indefinite article ‘’an’’.)

Read the sentence aloud and listen to the sound of the letter ‘’o’’ in orange – it is a vowel sound ( VOWELS = AEIOU.)  So we now know – it is always about the sound they make (a consonant or a vowel, of course! ). 

Lets take a look at another example:

I have a lesson in an hour!

Wait... but ‘’hour’’ starts with a consonant! Why have we used ‘’an’’?

Well- read it aloud! 

‘’hour’’ has a silent letter ‘’h’’ – so we hear a vowel sound! ( It is always about the SOUND of the preceding word.)

Regardless of whether the first letter is actually a consonant, we must use an. ( IT IS ALL ABOUT THE SOUND OF THE WORD AFTER THE ARTICLE!)

How about this example:

A University.

Wait! That is a vowel and you used ‘’a’ before the word, ‘’University.’’

Well – read it aloud! 

‘’University’’ starts with a CONSONANT sound – YOO- NEE- VER- CITY. ( It is always about the SOUND of the preceding word.)

Regardless of whether the first letter is actually a vowel, we must use a. ( IT IS ALL ABOUT THE SOUND OF THE WORD AFTER THE ARTICLE!)

Some more crazy examples:

A university (Alas! The yoo sound made by a vowel in this word! )

A European (again we can clearly hear the y sound.)

The definite article (the)

There is only one definite article in the English language,  PHEW! This means we do not have to worry too much about listening to the sound of the preceding word!

The is used in front of singular or plural nouns and adjectives to refer to something with which both the speaker/writer and listener/reader are familiar.

"Definite" means "clear, obvious, known to both speakers."

The definite article tells us that the noun is specific. The speaker talks about a particular (or known) thing.

If you introduce a word with a or an, you may use the anytime AFTER that,  because the introduction has made both the speaker and the listener/ reader familiar with the word.

Let’s take a look at an example:

I bought a scooter last year. I rode the scooter when I arrived home and decided to park the scooter when I was finished.

After the first sentence – you are now familiar with the scooter – you know about it, that I bought it – so we can then use the indefinite articles after that.

A literary hero gone silent - bless her soul : Some food for thought : Maya Angelou

                              

It has always struck me - how fragile life can be - yet, we are persistently and inevitably reminded of our fallibility and ultimate demise. Sometimes, when losses are unbearably  painful,we have to learn how to merge with the fullness of grief - the living with a memory - however dissonant or melodiously perfect. We learn constantly - constant gardeners of destiny and acceptance. We can learn from it all, accepting how life unfolds and truly LIVING as we learn. I hope you live, learn and love.

Today I am grateful for the poets, teachers and the artists who taught me how to truly see the world , to source from it the true meaning of ''being''.

Feast your eyes on some quotes, in memory of Maya Angelou - whose words will echo throughout eternity. 

Big love - Teacher B


“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” 
― Oscar Wilde

1. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

2. “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

3. “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

4. “Nothing will work unless you do.”

5. “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”

6.

7. “Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence, neither speed up nor slow down, add to nor diminish it is an imponderably valuable gift.”

8. “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.”

9. “You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated.”

10. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

Music for Vocabulary- Full Steam- David Grey and Annie Lennox

                       Good day world of wonder and perennial splendour!

I trust that the day has met you with a smile? I have been delving into some music of late, and have decided it a matter of course to share a favourite song of mine,with you- so as to help you on the journey to fluency. 

We all know that vocabulary acquisition is a never-ending road- so, why not try learning more with music as a medium?

A sturdy arsenal of vocabulary is a necessary commodity. Learning both positive and positively awful vocabulary is essential.

Namaste

Teacher B

VOCABULARY LIST:

Valhalla- Mythology -The hall in which Odin received the souls of slain heroes. ( Heaven.)

Forlorn- alone/unhappy/ not cared for.

Adrift- If a person is adrift, they do not have a clear purpose in life

Bullied-  to hurt or frighten someone who is smaller or less powerful than you

Suckered-to persuade someone to do something by deceiving them

Pimp- a man who controls prostitutes, especially by finding customers for them, and takes some of the money that they earn

Patronized/ to patronize someone-to speak to or behave towards someone as if they are stupid or not important

Tawdry-looking bright and attractive but in fact cheap and of low quality

wringing hands-to hold something tightly with both hands and twist it by turning your hands in opposite directions

cursing-to swear/expletives- to say rude words in anger.i.e. shit

Idiomatic meanings:

It breaks my heart - it makes me sad

Each turn of the wheel/the wheel turns/the wheel is turning - something that you say which means a process is starting to happen/something is happening

We have dreamed about it - we have wanted this/ deep desire

Golden age - A period of great peace, prosperity, and happiness.

All our lives we've dreamed about it

Just to find that it was never real

This sure ain't no great Valhalla

Coming closer each turn of the wheel

Forlorn, adrift on seas of beige

In this our Golden Age

Even in our darkest hour

Never thought that it could get so bad

Bullied, suckered, pimped and patronised

Every day your tawdry little lives

So loose your head

And step within

The silence deafening

Now you saw it coming

And I saw it coming

We all saw it coming

But we still bought it

Now you saw it coming

And I saw it coming but still

Running full steam ahead

In and out of consciousness

It breaks my heart to see you like this

Crying, wringing hands and cursing fate

Always so little far too late

It's 3am I'm wide awake

There's still one call to make

Now you saw it coming

And I saw it coming

We all saw it coming

But we still bought it

Now you saw it coming

And I saw it coming

We all saw it coming

But we still bought it

Now you saw it coming

And I saw it coming

But still running full steam

Now you saw it coming

And I saw it coming but still

Running full steam

Now you

And I

We all saw it coming

But we still bought it

Now you

And I

We all saw it coming

But we still bought it 

Words To Describe Wine- courtesy of the British Columbia Amateur Winemakers Association (BCAWA)

                             Do you work in the hospitality Industry?

          How do you buy or sell wine when you don’t know what it tastes like? 

Here are a few ways to describe wines- feel free to contact me for phrasing!

These words are not a tight standard, as many terms describe similar concepts and, some times, wine tasters give a different meaning to the same word.

Acetic Describes a sour, vinegary odour referred to as volatile acidity, too much of which will make the wine undrinkable.

Acid The sharp, tart effect of the green fruit of young wine on both the nose and tongue.

Aroma The perfume of fresh fruit. It diminishes with fermentation and disappears with age to be replaced by the "bouquet."

Astringent The rough, puckery taste sensation caused by an excess of tannin in especially young red wines. It diminishes with age in the bottle.

Baked Quality of red wine made in a very hot climate from very ripe grapes.

Balanced Having all natural elements in good harmony.

Beery The odour of stale beer from a white wine that is over the hill -- usually in old Moselles.

Big Full of body and flavour, high degree of alcohol, colour, and acidity.

Bitter Self-descriptive. Sign of ill-health caused by inferior treatment such as excessive stalks during crushing or even metal contamination.

Black currants The slight smell and taste of black currants often found in Bordeaux wines.

Body The weight and substance of the wine in the mouth; actually a degree of viscosity largely dependent on the percentage of alcohol and sugar content.

Bouquet The fragrance a mature wine gives off once it is opened. It develops the two aspects of the olfactory sensations -- aroma and bouquet.

Breed Having the character, type, and qualities of its origin.

Brilliant Bright and sparkling in appearance so that one can see the light through the wine. Opposite of dull and cloudy.

Broad Full-bodied but lacking in acidity and therefore also lacking in finesse.

Character Positive and distinctive taste characteristics giving definition to a wine.

Clean A well-constructed wine with no offensive smells or tastes.

Clear Transparent and luminous appearance. Any sediment rests on the bottom of the bottle.

Cloudy Unsound condition of hazy, dull-looking wine. Not to be confused with the condition of a recently shaken old wine whose deposit hasn't yet settled.

Cloying Too much sweetness and too little acidity.

Coarse Rough texture; little breed or elegance.

Common Adequate but quite ordinary.

Corky Disagreeable odour and flat taste of rotten cork due to a defective cork in the bottle.

Depth Rich, lasting flavour.

Dry Completely lacking sweetness. Should not be confused with bitterness or sourness.

Dull See Cloudy.

Earthy What the French call Goût de terroir. The peculiar taste that the soil of certain vineyards gives to their wine. Disagreeable when too noticeable.

Elegant Well balanced, with finesse and breed.

Fat Full-bodied but flabby, which in white wines is often due to too much residual sugar. When applied to red wines, it means softness and maturity.

Finesse The breed and class that distinguish a great wine.

Finish The taste that the wine leaves at the end, either pleasant or unpleasant.

Flabby Too soft, almost limp, without structure.

Flowery The flowerlike bouquet that is as appealing to the nose as the fragrance of blossoms, as for example, in a fine Moselle.

Foxy A pronounced flavour found in wines made from native American grapes; the same smell as in grape jelly.

Fruity The aroma and flavour of fresh grapes found in fine young wines. It diminishes with age.

Full Having body and colour, often applied to wines that are high in alcohol, sugar, and extracts.

Geranium Smelling of geraniums, an indication that the wine is faulty.

Grapy The strong flavour that certain grape varieties, such as the Muscat, impart to certain wines.

Green Harsh and unripe with an unbalanced acidity that causes disagreeable odour and a raw taste.

Hard Tannic without softness or charm. It can mellow with age.

Harsh Excessively hard and astringent. It can become softer with age.

Insipid Lacking in character and acidity; dull.

Light Lacking in body, colour, or alcohol, but pleasant and agreeable.

Lively Usually young and fruity acidity and a little carbon dioxide.

Long Leaving a persistent flavour that lingers in the mouth, Sign of quality.

Luscious Juicy and soft, filling the mouth without a trace of dry aftertaste. 

Usually attributed to sweet wine well balanced with acidity.

Maderized Flat, oxidized smell and taste reminiscent of Madeira. Term is applied to wines that have passed their prime and have acquired a brown tinge.

Mellow Softened with proper age.

Metallic The unpleasantly bitter taste a white wine can acquire from improper treatment that did not eliminate traces of the copper that was used to spray the vines.

Musty Disagreeable odour and stale flavour caused by storage in dirty casks of cellars; mouldy.

Noble Superior and distinguished; not only possessing the right credentials but also having an impressive stature of its own.

Oxidized Having lost its freshness cause by contact with air.

Peppery The aromatic smell of certain young red wines from hot climates.

Pétillant Effervescent with an natural light sparkle.

Piquant Dry and crispy acid, prickling the palate with its tartness.

Powerful Usually applied to robust red wines of great substance, such as a Châteauneauf-du-Pape, or to white wines with full, assertive bouquet, such as a big white Burgundy.

Ripe Full; tasting of ripe fruit, without a trace of greenness.

Rounded Well balanced and complete.

Séve The sap of a great wine; the concentrated aromatic savour of a luscious and ripe sweet white wine of inherent quality.

Sharp Excessive acidity, a defect usually found in white wines.

Short Leaving no flavour in the mouth after the initial impact.

Smoky Self-descriptive for the particular bouquet of certain Loire wine, such as Pouilly-Fumé, made from the Sauvignon grape.

Smooth Of a silky texture that leaves no gritty, rough sensation on the palate.

Soft Suggest a mellow wine, usually low in acidity, and tannin.

Sound Healthy, well balanced, clean-tasting.

Sour Like vinegar; wine that is spoiled and unfit to drink.

Spicy Definite aroma and flavour of spice arising from certain grape varieties (Gewürztraminer). The aroma is richer and more pronounced than what we call "fruity"

Spritzig A pleasant, lively acidity and effervescence noticeable only to the tongue and not to the eye and mostly found in young wines.

Sulphury Disagreeable odour reminiscent of rotten eggs. If the smell does not disappear after the wine is poured, it is an indication that the wine is faulty.

Sweet Having a high content of residual sugar either from the grape itself or as the product of arrested fermentation.

Tannic The mouth-puckering taste of young red wines particularly from Bordeaux. Too much tannin makes the wine hard and unyielding but also preserves it longer. Aging in the bottle diminishes the tannin and softens the wine.

Tart Sharp, with excessive acidity and tannin. In the case of a young red wine, this may be an element necessary for its development.

Thin Lacking body and alcohol. It is too watery to be called light, and will not improve with age.

Velvety A mellow red wine and a smooth, silky texture that will leave no acidity on the palate.

Vigorous Healthy, lively, firm, and youthful. Opposite of insipid and flabby.

Watery Thin and small without body or character.

Woody Odour and flavour of oak due to long storage in the cask. Often found in Spanish and Australian wines.

Yeasty Smelling of yeast in fresh bread. Sign that the wine is undergoing a second fermentation, possibly because it was bottled too early, and is therefore faulty.

Copyright © 2002 British Columbia Amateur Winemakers Association (BCAWA)