An Integrated Technical-Cultural-Linguistic Experience in Modern Music History
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Drawing by Fergal Kavanagh An Integrated Technical-Cultural-Linguistic Experience in Modern Music History By Prof. Giulio Cestari This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2013 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Giulio Cestari, Dalmine (BG) The Beatles - An integrated technical-cultural- linguistic experience in Modern Music History Note: This project, with six lessons, is based on a CLIL project written by Prof. Giulio Cestari for a course at Cà Foscari University in Venice. You can download the original paper on www.tuneintoenglish.com. Map: 1. Pre-Reading Brainstorming, video showing, questions, scrambled notices, translation 2. Reading Questions, final exam type questions 3. Lyric analysis Reading, discussion 4. Music Analysis 1 Listening, discussion 5. Music Analysis 2 Listening, discussion 6. Foreign School Partnership Music-technical research, research/production on music and society An introduction to the context, premises and the general reasons of this work. The idea, as a teacher, of creating a usable product, linking many subjects with English language learning experience has, for some time, been possible to achieve in a classroom environment. The L2 teacher sometimes uses musical production (singing) to involve and motivate students. Often, however, the musical production (as a group, generally speaking) is followed by a mere translation or a short song/author contextualization. Nothing else! In our present society, where even one musical hit – or the recalling of it – is so quick, it is not easy to recognise the value of a new musical melody or how it may have conditioned or reflected social development. Quite simply these songs become part of a fashion, or a personal or group history. But, above all, it is often unrecognised that beyond every great marketing success there may be – taking note! – a poetic, human existential, technical-musical value. Apart from the “greats” of music history and world literature, there are some authors who, with their “simplicity”, have produced and left a trace of their own life experience, giving examples of writing and compositions which we as teachers can use to involve students. The experience presented here calls for this initial element of sharing between active teachers together with the new important idea of acculturating and learning: all learning experiences are in the English language, as stipulated by the guidelines of the Italian school reform. It is easy to spontaneously fall into the trap that this work contains the same old activities from a fan of the English band. Not true! I have never loved The Beatles, although I have appreciated some of their songs which …amused me. The rest is a product of curiosity for language and culture. This work does not therefore set out to be a celebration of the The Beatles but the fulfilment of a request fed by a spirit of sharing, integrating and experimentation which still enlightens my teaching. As it is my strong belief that my duties as a foreign language teacher (not working at a musical high school!) are to provide and support the knowledge of language as an expression and tool for the foreign culture, I guess that The Beatles as a subject matter is an appropriate opportunity to ensure that integrated learning is a strong educational experience. Above all I hope that any project work, like the one suggested here could be, from a teacher’s and student’s point of view, the concrete example of a small effort aimed to make the scholastic experience in its objectives more realistic and interesting, more functional and even .. beautiful. Teacher’s guide This teaching activity in integrated learning is targeted at the 5 th year students of a Liceo Musicale (musical high school) with an English language level of B2.2. This means students have no difficulties in any abilities in L2, so that they can be work exclusively in the foreign language. The students also have concrete knowledge and abilities in specialized subjects as their school references. In fact this module is designed for the second term when an effective target has already been reached by the students in, for example, the history of music, musical techniques and genres. Reading and writing activities are suggested at the opening of the CLIL experience; speaking and listening at the end in order to be more effective due to the integration in the international partnership which closes the module proposal. All activities require the speaking of only English by operators and students. This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2013 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Giulio Cestari, Dalmine (BG) The choice of songs. All songs have been selected based on the techni-musical needs, while maintaining a subject matter (topic) which helps the L2 teacher in literary paths. In fact all the songs contain social-existential topics and are a true representation of man’s sociality in a modern setting. Operators . The operators (teachers) are divided into active and passive ones. The former are those who work with students in all direct and blended teaching live experiences. They are the students’ direct interlocutors, providing them with literature and instructions and sharing processes and results with them. Moreover these teachers may have shared/share such project topics modules in their own school year project plan, or in more integrated learning experiences. For example, the L2 teacher could share some of the lyrics contained here with his/her L1 literature colleague, suggesting an existentialism activity: comparing some of The Beatles’ songs to some L1 and foreign poets (e.g. in Italian: Foscolo, Leopardi…) Regarding the direct teaching activity, the presence of two teachers is often expected with the whole class group, although the present school managing rules do not allow such an active suggestion. This is however expected because of the will to give students a precise idea of an effective L2 communicative work, also between teachers, as a true example of an international context operating system; and, furthermore, because of the correct targeting for this work towards the concrete idea that there are not any one single sectored learning experience but complete aims and truly shared learning operating suggestions. Moreover the involvement of a supervisor teacher is expected (not a foreign language teacher but with L2 abilities at B2/C1) to observe and evaluate. He/she will be always be present with teachers. The passive operators are those teachers who contribute, behind the scenes, to the activities of planning, observation, testing, and evaluation. They are teachers of technical subjects who work as experts with specific knowledge and abilities in music. Moreover they might/may have provided/provide modules on some of the subject topics of this work in the annual planning of their own subject. The “passive” teachers provide, by their own contribution, a completion of the whole-learning value for the experience from a technical point of view not only in the traditional direct learning activity, but also in the blended one. It is also expected that they will participate in activities as observers/auditors. PLANNING The planning activity takes place in the presence of all teachers (active and passive ones). It is based on the sharing of aims and targets (general and individual ones), contents (The Beatles’ songs, lyrical themes and styles, elements and techniques of musical writing, playing, and recording); propositions (listening, reading, written and oral production, musical production, music playing, performing); procedures (direct, online, group, or individual operating proposals); tools (methodical and ongoing observation, teaching activities video-shots, recording studio, instructions for acoustic and electronic musical instruments); evaluation. OBSERVATION The observation is suggested as an instrument for testing and evaluation and is operated by a third teacher as opposed to those involved in the direct activities. The observer-teacher may even be present for some activities – e,g. writing down students individual actions and reactions – or can plan and prepare tools for video shooting. This recording technique is expected for each activity and allows the collection of materials for the evaluation of experience in both linguistic and psycho-social levels. EVALUATION An L2 entry/exit test is not expected as the students’ abilities are established on high result levels, and because this project plan is expected to focus on cultural and technological subjects. It must not however be forgotten that this plan is meant as a new way to give students new motivation and to confirm their abilities in L2. Abilities and expertise displayed by each student and interactive group will be considered during each single activity, with corresponding evaluation tools. Tests about developed contents, a questionnaire for psycho-social analysis (language studying motivation, individual perception of the own expertise, self-esteem) will be submitted. The evaluation test will maintain features as a “ unicum” referring to the different school subjects involved and will allow the measuring/evaluation of learning/involvement with regards to the whole project plan and not just to the single school subject. Prof. Giulio Cestari, [email protected] This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2013 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Giulio Cestari, Dalmine (BG) The Beatles - An integrated technical-cultural- linguistic experience in Modern Music History Module Technical Layout ORIGINAL PROJECT TITLE “Picture yourself in a boat on a river” AIMS To foster the use of L2 as a cultural expression and tool. GENERAL OBJECTIVES - To developing the acquisition of specific L2 expertise in specializing school subjects. - To open the school to multi-linguistic competences to train European citizens. - To give a vehicle to cultural and musical contents in the English language. - To improve L2 fluency in the technical-musical area.