Thursday, November 27, 2008

A Change is Gonna Come



This is modern version of the song, "A Change is Gonna Come", performed by the American singer, Seal. It is from his new album, Soul. Another American, Sam Cook, wrote this song in the sixties. According to Wikipedia, Cook was moved by Bob Dylan"s song, "Blowin' in the Wind", because of Dylan's empathy for Racism. In the same year, 1963, Cook wrote this song on a bus after attending a sit-in demonstration. Unfortunately, Sam Cook died the following year, but his song continues to grow in popularity.

In this song from the sixties, Cook wishes for change. There have been a lot of changes since the sixties. Do you think things would be easier for Cook in 2008? What are some changes you like and some changes you don't like? Give some examples of change and explain why you like or don't like these changes. You may give your opinion or add to ideas started by another person.



Gonna = going to
Blowin = Blowing
sixties = 1961 to 1969

Cultural Notes:
1. Bob Dylan is a singer/song writer who was popular in the sixties. He expressed the thoughts of a lot of young Americans that wanted freedom and peace.
2. Sit-ins were popular in the sixties. Many people would meet at a specific location. They would all sit on the ground to show they were unhappy with their government's decisions. For example, many young people did not believe in the Vietnam war. They were peaceful demonstrations, but sometimes the police ended them by arresting some of the demonstrators.
3. Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that you can use to look up information. You can find it on the Internet at www.wikipedia.org

Thursday, November 20, 2008

"TH" Sound

Who has trouble?

Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese

How to make the /th/ sound?

Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth. Air moves between the tongue and the top teeth.

Do you want a tip?

Practice in front of the mirror. Make sure your tongue goes pass your teeth. Remember to keep your tongue flat and don't let it hide behind your teeth.

Would you like to watch some videos to help you?


Video 1: Watch what your tongue must do.



Video 2: Listen and practice the /th/ sound with Jennifer.



Video 3: Listen and practice the other /th/ sound with Jennifer.



Finally, would you like to add some rhythm with these poems?

Practice the voiced /th/ with these poems. My mother was a teacher and the poems come from her collection. Poems work best if you
stress the main words. The first poem shows the words to stress.

Try this one.

This is my
mother, this is my father,
This is my
sister, and this is my brother.
Father, mother, sister, brother
Hand in hand with one another.

Try another poem.

My father doesn't want a cat and neither does my mother,
But Cook does and so do I and so does baby brother.
Mother said, "You have a dog". Father asked us whether
We really thought a cat and dog could live so close together.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Improv Everywhere

Improv Everywhere has done over 70 events over at least 6 years. Their agents or actors create spontaneous events in public places. Each time the event is video taped. The videos are fun to watch. The events are planned and the actors know what to do. However, their audience is the people around them. They do not choose to be the audience, so often they are not sure what is going on.

In September, Improv Everywhere did an event in Toronto. Participants met at Riverdale Farm with their MP3 Players. Using their headphones, the people followed instructions. Earlier Improv Everywhere organized another event in Toronto where people rode the TTC subway without their pants. I saw it in the newspaper about a year ago. The participants looked like everyday commuters. Some were reading, others were talking quietly, but all had no pants or skirts. It made me laugh as I was riding the subway when I saw the photograph.

The most popular video was done at Grand Central Station, New York City. The News station, ABC's Nightline showed this video to their television viewers. Another popular video is the food court video which takes place in a mall in Los Angeles, California.

I have downloaded three Improv Everywhere videos for you to view. Look at the three videos. Which one is your favourite? Why? Write your answer in the comment section. You may also wish to comment on other people's answers.




The Mp3 Experiment Toronto from ImprovEverywhere on Vimeo.




Food Court Musical from ImprovEverywhere on Vimeo.




Frozen Grand Central from ImprovEverywhere on Vimeo.