One of the ways to get exposure to a foreign language and hear different accents is to listen to music. I think its also a good way to build vocabulary (and if you stick to a certain genre like pop or rock, you will hear a lot of the same words and phrases in multiple contexts). Listening to music where you don't understand all the words is usually also more enjoyable than trying to understand text that has just as many new words. Keeping this in mind, I'm putting up links (from YouTube) to songs by Dido, a pop singer with not a very strong American or British accent, but with very clear enunciation. I'm also including lyrics that you can read while you listen (although it may be an interesting challenge to follow the songs without lyrics too).
Let me know if this is something that you find useful and I would be happy to find more songs and put them up with their lyrics. Sometimes I provide some clarification of words or phrases in brackets (like this) but if there are any questions, please do post them here.
Enjoy.
__________________________________________________________
Dido- Life for Rent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x96IK7xHkbs&feature=channel
Lyrics:
I haven't ever really found a place that I call home
I never stick around quite long enough to make it
I apologize that once again I'm not in love
But it's not as if I mind that your heart ain't exactly breaking
It's just a thought, only a thought
But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
'Cos (because) nothing I have is truly mine
I've always thought
that I would love to live by the sea
To travel the world alone
and live my life more simply
I have no idea what's happened to that dream
That there's really nothing left here to stop me
It's just a thought, only a thought
But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
'Cos (because) nothing I have is truly mine
While my heart is a shield and I won't let it down
While I am so afraid to fail so I won't even try
Well how can I say I'm alive
If my life is for rent...
~~~~
And the next song:
Dido- Thank you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thqK24LJR3o
Lyrics:
My tea's gone cold, I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all
the morning rain clouds up my window and I can't see at all
And even if I could it'd all be gray, but your picture on my wall
it reminds me that it's not so bad
it's not so bad
I drank too much last night, got bills to pay
my head just feels in pain
I missed the bus and there'll (there will) be hell today
I'm late for work again
and even if I'm there, they'll (they will) all imply that I might not last the
day
and then you call me and it's not so bad
it's not so bad and
I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life
Push the door, I'm home at last and I'm soaking through and
through (completely wet)
then you handed me a towel and all I see is you
and even if my house falls down now, I wouldn't have a clue
because you're near me and
I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Externalizing Conversations
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article5252125.ece
I just came across this article called "Putting Pain into Perspective." Researchers have found that people who suffer from chronic, recurring pain experienced more pain when looking at the painful body part through binoculars or a magnifying glass. When they saw the part bigger, the brain actually thought the swelling was greater and so there was also more pain. On the other hand, when people saw the same body part through the wrong side of the binoculars, far away and detached, their brains got a sort of new perspective, where the problem seemed further away and not so big.
When I read this, I thought about externalizing conversations because it does two things:
1. Make the problem external
and also 2. move the problem a certain distance away from the self.
You all already know it works, but I guess here's some more proof that even physical pain is linked in some ways to perspective and if you think a problem is a bit further away, it becomes a little smaller and more manageable.
I just came across this article called "Putting Pain into Perspective." Researchers have found that people who suffer from chronic, recurring pain experienced more pain when looking at the painful body part through binoculars or a magnifying glass. When they saw the part bigger, the brain actually thought the swelling was greater and so there was also more pain. On the other hand, when people saw the same body part through the wrong side of the binoculars, far away and detached, their brains got a sort of new perspective, where the problem seemed further away and not so big.
When I read this, I thought about externalizing conversations because it does two things:
1. Make the problem external
and also 2. move the problem a certain distance away from the self.
You all already know it works, but I guess here's some more proof that even physical pain is linked in some ways to perspective and if you think a problem is a bit further away, it becomes a little smaller and more manageable.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Shona wants to come in July
Dear colleagues!
I've got email from Shona Russell. She can come and teach in Moscow in July 4-5th, just before the conference in Brighton.
I'm ready to try to organize her workshop again. She is a brilliant teacher and on of the most experienced narrative practitioners in the world.
Can you suggest themes for our future workshop? What are you interested to learn? What branches of narrative work with people were not represented enough in Moscow?
Another option: Shona can come together with Rob Hall. You can read all about him on www.narrativepratices.com.au
Are you interested in workshop addressing the topic of violence?
Cheers,
Natasha
I've got email from Shona Russell. She can come and teach in Moscow in July 4-5th, just before the conference in Brighton.
I'm ready to try to organize her workshop again. She is a brilliant teacher and on of the most experienced narrative practitioners in the world.
Can you suggest themes for our future workshop? What are you interested to learn? What branches of narrative work with people were not represented enough in Moscow?
Another option: Shona can come together with Rob Hall. You can read all about him on www.narrativepratices.com.au
Are you interested in workshop addressing the topic of violence?
Cheers,
Natasha
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The One-Minute Writer
I just came across this blog: http://oneminutewriter.blogspot.com/
The main idea is to get people to spend at least one minute, everyday, writing something (preferably creative writing). There is a new prompt every day, and you can read the prompt and comment on the post by spending one minute responding to it. Its not a bad way to make writing practice a part of your daily life- although I'm sure at least some of you spend far more than just a minute per day on writing. But maybe if one of these days you want to make a post and don't know what to write about, you can use this website to find an interesting topic.
Today's prompt is:
Listen
Listen. Write about what you hear, right now.
If you have a minute, give it a try.
The main idea is to get people to spend at least one minute, everyday, writing something (preferably creative writing). There is a new prompt every day, and you can read the prompt and comment on the post by spending one minute responding to it. Its not a bad way to make writing practice a part of your daily life- although I'm sure at least some of you spend far more than just a minute per day on writing. But maybe if one of these days you want to make a post and don't know what to write about, you can use this website to find an interesting topic.
Today's prompt is:
Listen
Listen. Write about what you hear, right now.
If you have a minute, give it a try.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Welcome to the blog. Keep posting!
Hello! This is a blog for and about a group of Narrative Practitioners in Moscow. Post your thoughts here. If you come across an interesting article or movie and want to write a review, this is the place to do it. Maybe you traveled somewhere and really enjoyed the experience- let others know about it here. Perhaps you found an interesting podcast or video that helps explain some English grammar point or pronunciation. This is the place to tell each other about that too. Want to get feedback on an article or workshop abstract before you submit it for a conference? Use your peers as a sounding board here. In short: anything and everything is fair game, as long as it's in English :)
Note: Instead of having different blogs for each group that wants to give blogging a try, I have decided to allow all Narrative Practitioners working with me to access this one blog. Thus, we have several levels of English language skills among the future posters. I believe that this will be helpful in learning from our peers. If anyone has a problem with that, send me an e-mail and we could discuss it and perhaps set up different blogs per group after all.
Note: Instead of having different blogs for each group that wants to give blogging a try, I have decided to allow all Narrative Practitioners working with me to access this one blog. Thus, we have several levels of English language skills among the future posters. I believe that this will be helpful in learning from our peers. If anyone has a problem with that, send me an e-mail and we could discuss it and perhaps set up different blogs per group after all.
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