Saturday, November 19, 2011

Karaoke -for FLT purposes

karaoke


A student suggested we could either agree to drop by Pub Dainzu or book this multi-purpose joint for a karaoke session. I've been giving it some thought and concluded it might well be one of the coolest and most unforgettable experiences in our course if properly tackled.

Karaoke involves READING, LISTENING and SPEAKING skills; besides, it connects directly with EOI syllabus' objectives of fostering autonomous learners and long-life education, that is, your willingness to keep studing a foreign language after you have obtained your certificate with appealing and effective activities like this one. Moreover, a GRAMMAR and PHONOLOGICAL test based on lyrics chosen would be a requirement -prior to the fun and merry- with the usual 65 % passing mark as a pre-condition to the singing and dancing.

This is the way to proceed:

1. The class delegate or any other student will collect the entrance fee from a minimum of 15 students per class and keep those funds until further notice,

2. Students will organize themselves in groups and select a number of songs from this collection, they will provide the trainer with a list of groups, components and titles selected.

3. We will pick up one song from group and trainer will create a GRAMMAR exam with the lyrics by erasing rhymes and some of the words -just like in our coursebook section Use of English.

4. if students pass that exam, they will still have to pass the test of a short and general rehearsal in our classroom. If group participation, performance and motivation respond to everybody's expectations, we will then:

5. book Pub Dainzu on a Monday and Tuesday, of December or any other month, from 16:00 to 21:15 and have our classes there including the one-hour session of conversational assistant. Then finally, we would devote the remaining one hour and a half to singing and dancing. Singing and screaming compulsory; choreography, attire and nudity optional -just kidding.

So there you are, my part of the job organizing the event is done so far, now it is up to you guys. I really think this is a fantastic opportunity for everybody to improve their linguistic skills, not only merely pronunciation but also entonation and connected speach. Furthermore, some of you have excellent speaking skills but your voice is too low; a karaoke session should do the trick to turn up your volume and build up your confidence. Not to mention the fact that screaming is psychologically liberating.

Entrance fee right now is 12 E per person for a group of 15 to 25 people and it includes two drinks. We could cut it down if other classes joined us.


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Hi Mingo,

It's me again. I've a proposal to do for English class or at least for English's classmates.

After your advice of trying to speak a little of English every day, I started to try to memorize some English songs that I like, and when I drive or I walk the dog I go singing that I remember. I love to sing, and I also like karaoke, I know it doesn't sound glamorous but I like it :) Then, I tought could be a good experience to go to a karaoke with the classmates and sing English songs, because it's a fanny and motivating way to memorize and speak some sentences.

There is a karaoke in Manresa. Yesterday I called there and I spoke with the manager, he told me that there are two possibilities:

a) Go there after dinner (it's openned on Thursday and Friday also), it's free entrance, we can take some drink and sing.

b) If we are enough people they would close the local for us (on Thursday and maybe Friday), we can negociate the timetable (they can open at time that we prefer), then we can use the local as a rented place, just for us, so we could bring ourself some pizzas or sandwichs or nothing, and negociate a price for drinks ar the local renting, they told me it's not expensive if we are around 40 or more. It's just a possibity.

I don't know what do you think about that, maybe is difficult to carry on, but would be fanny. Even, I've thought it could be a good idea to extend the proposal to other groups of eoi, English groups or not, could be a nice expereience to make a multilingual karaoke, actually you can check the song list and you will find songs in all languages. You can find attached the list of English songs, the karaoke's manager print it for me. And clicking on this link you can check all songs  http://www.dainzu.es/forum/viewforum.php?id=5
Knowing the songs that we will find there everyone could choose which they want to sing and prepare a little bit at home before go there. I could also ask to the karaoke's manager the list for German, French and Italian songs.

Well, take a look if you want and let me know what do dou think about that.

Have a nice weekend.

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