The sound of music

Dear fellow English teachers,

Here´s a complete Lesson Plan you can use with your B2-level students. Today´s topic is “The sound of music”. Enjoy!

Pre-listening/reading questions:

1. What kind of music is your favorite?
2. Can you sing well? Do you sometimes sing in the shower?
3. How often do you listen to music? Do you usually listen to the news or music when driving?

Click the link below to listen to the dialogue “You used to have a jukebox here, didn´t you?”

SCROLL DOWN FOR DIALOGUE SCRIPT

Dialogue Comprehension

1. Roy and Dave are at this snack bar for the first time. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
2. The waitress doesn´t have a clue what happened to the jukebox. True ___ False ___ I don´t know _
3. Roy and Dave are not well-known musicians yet. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
4. The waitress thinks light rock sucks. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
5. Roy and Dave live near Jameson Ave. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___

Find words or expressions in the dialogue with the following similar meanings:

a. Repaired ________________
b. Something that a person or place typically has or does ________________
c. In fact ______________
d. Put out; made available for people to buy ________________
e. Watch you _______________
f. A machine that plays music when you put a coin in it ______________
g. Not working properly _________________
h. Asked for food or drink _________________
i. Appear; go _________________
j. Advantages; benefits _________________
k. What can I bring you _________________
l. Regular customers ______________

Fill in the blanks below with a word or expression highlighted in the dialogue:

1. “Mr. Davidson has worn a thick moustache for as long as I can remember. I guess that´s one of his _________________” Larry told Hank.
2. “Karl and Tracy ____________ very late at the party last night. We all thought they weren´t coming anymore.” Richard told a friend.
3. “We had to take the stairs since the elevator was ____________________.” Liza told Nick.
4. “Has the printer been ____________ yet?” Dave asked a coworker.
5. “Would you like to ____________ now?” the waitress asked Mr. Seymour.

Discussion & Conversation 1

1. Can you play any musical instrument?
2. Do you have a favorite band or singer? If so, what is it and why?
3. Does loud music annoy you at all?
4. Can music make you feel relaxed?
5. Do you know anyone who loves classical music? If so, what is this person like?

Music – Additional Vocabulary & Expressions

Play it by ear: deal with things as they happen, without following a plan “We had to play it by ear as we didn´t have time to prepare for the meeting.” said Brian to a coworker.

Soundtrack: the music that is played during a movie or TV program “What I liked most about that movie was the soundtrack. It´s really very good.”, said Rachel to a friend.

Live music: music sung and played by real musicians “I´d rather go to a pub with live music. It´s a lot more fun.” Betty told Nina.

Music to someone´s ears: something you are pleased to hear about “When they mentioned that Susan was coming, it was music to Joey´s ears.”

Face the music: experience criticism or punishment for something you have done “He´s been stealing money from his employer for so long! I guess it´s time for him to face the music now.”, Howard told David.

Blow the whistle on: report someone´s wrongdoing “If you keep showing up late to work  I´ll just have to blow the whistle on you. You´re setting a bad example to your coworkers.”, Mrs. Sullivan told William.

Ring a bell: remind someone of something; seem familiar “The name you mentioned rings a bell, but I just can´t remember where I´ve heard it.”, Pete told Carol.

Fill in the sentences or short dialogues below with words or expressions presented in Additional Vocabulary & Expressions:

1. “I wish there were more people willing to ______________________ on lawbreakers.” said Sean to a friend.
2. Bill: What´s your schedule like tomorrow? Ryan: I don´t really have a set schedule. I guess I´ll have to ________________.”

3. “I´d much rather listen to ______________ than recorded music.” Jake told Frank.
4. Seth: What are we having for dinner tonight honey? Wilma: Your favorite, fettuccine Alfredo.  Seth: Really? That´s ______________________________!

5. Philip: Does the name Rupert _________________?  Jesse: Uh, yeah, I remember meeting a guy named Rupert a long time ago.

 Discussion & Conversation 2

1. How important is music to you?
2. Can you focus on other things while listening to music?
3. Have you ever attended a rock concert? If so, what was the experience like?
4. How can music affect people in your opinion? Can music make someone happy or sad?
5. Is there any kind of music that you dislike or hate?

 Choose the alternative that best explains the meaning of the words in bold in the sentences below.

1. If something is music to your ears …

a. You are pleased to hear about it       b. It makes you dance       c. You can listen to it clearly       d. It makes you sing

2. “Does the company offer any perks to its employees?” Derek asked Clive.

a. bribes       b. accommodation       c. kickbacks       d. benefits beyond salary

3. If something rings a bell …

a. it makes you laugh       b. it reminds you of something       c. it distracts you       d. it plays background music

4. To blow the whistle on someone is …

a. to wake someone up by playing music       b. to report someone´s overall performance       c. to get someone´s attention by whistling       d. to report someone´s wrongdoing

5. Everyone was surprised when Kim showed up unexpectedly.

a. threw up       b. left in a hurry       c. appeared       d. took off

Complete the sentences below with your own words.

1. They ordered …………………………………………………………………………….
2. ………………………………………. fixed ………………………………………………
3. Check out …………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………… is out of order.
5. ………………………………. show up …………………………………………………..

Discussion & Conversation 3  

1. Have you ever tried singing karaoke? If so, what was the experience like?
2. Do you prefer to listen to songs in English or in your own language?
3. How has your musical taste changed over the years?
4. Do you enjoy watching music videos? How often do you do that?
5. How important are the lyrics of a song in your opinion? Are they more important than the melody?

Dialogue script: You used to have a jukebox here, didn´t you?

Waitress: Hi, what can I get you guys?
Roy: Oh, thanks! We´ve already ordered.
Waitress: Have you? Good!
Dave: Let me ask you something. You used to have a jukebox here, didn´t you?
Waitress: We did. I mean, we still do, it´s out of order so we needed to have it fixed. It should be back here in a few days.
Dave: I see. It´s good to know you´re keeping it here.
Waitress: Oh, yeah, all our patrons love it. It´s actually one of our trademarks, along with the decoration.
Roy: Yeah, the decoration here is quite unique. It makes for a great atmosphere.
Waitress: Thanks! (laughing) I guess it´s one of the perks of working here. You mentioned the jukebox, so do you like music?
Dave: I love it. As a matter of fact we´re musicians.
Waitress: Are you? What kind of music do you play?
Dave: I guess you can call it light rock. We´ve just released our first CD.
Waitress: Sounds interesting! Do you guys play somewhere?
Dave: We do. At the Fulton Place. It´s on Jameson Ave. downtown.
Waitress: I know where that is. Actually one of my best friends lives near there. I guess I´ll go check you out sometime.
Roy: Oh, thanks! We play on Thursday and Saturday nights there.
Waitress: What time do you usually start?
Roy: Around nine.
Waitress: Great! I might show up next Saturday. I like light rock and country music.
Roy: Please do! And don´t forget to bring your friends!

Source: LET´S TALK ABOUT IT! – The Ultimate ELT Conversation Book by José Roberto A. Igreja

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