|
Bartosz Niedźwiecki
Konspekt lekcji Nothing compares to Sinead
(a reading and Irish culture lesson)Lever: pre-intermediate, intermediate Aims:
- to practise reading skills
- to practise speakins skills
- to meet some facts about Irish pop cultur
1. Points to discuss before reading.
Famous musicians and bands from Ireland:
a) Ask students to list some of them
b) Ask students to say which of them do you like
2. Ask students to read the text. Tell them to underline any vocabulary they do not know.
3. Translate the vocabulary or let them translate it themselves if they have dictionaries.
4. Ask the students to do the True/False exercise.
Correct answers:
1. F, 2. T, 3. F, 4. T, 5. T, 6. F, 7. F, 8. F, 9. T, 10. F
5. Ask one student to sum up what was read about the singer.
6. Homework: Write a short (100-150 words) text about your favourite singer or band.
The text and questions for students:
Nothing compares to Sinead
In January 1990, Sinead O'Connor reached No 1 in the British Singles Charts with a ballad written by Prince, an American popstar: 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. The stunning video that accompanied this record earned her three prestigious American MTV (Music Television) awards. Since then her rise to fame in America has made her almost as big a star as Madonna and Janet Jackson. So who is this tiny woman, with her unorthodox hairstyle and magnificent eyes? Born in Dublin in 1966 to middle-class parents, Sinead (an Irish name pronounced Shin-aid) had an unhappy and disrupted school life. Her vocal talents were discovered by a member of the band In Tua Nua when she sang at a teacher's wedding. She left school to sing with them. In 1985 Sinead moved to London after signing a contract with Ensign Records. During the next year she sang on a film soundtrack which was composed and performed by a guitarist with the band U2. Her first step up the ladder of success was made in 1987 when her single 'Mandinka' reached No 17 in the charts. This was quickly followed by a highly successful album entitled The Lion and the Cobra which she wrote and produced herself. Its impact was so great in the US that it was later nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Female Vocalist category. Sinead gained a substantial youth following and also a reputation for being controversial and outspoken. Her distinctive shaved head became something of a trademark. 'I actually like looking like this" she said, 'I think it makes me look beautiful.' Sinead spent most of 1989 recording and producing her second album I do not want what, haven't got, a combination of soft musical strains and hard-hitting emotional poetry. This album, which included the hit 'Nothing Compares 2 U" ensured her rise in status from pop figure to serious musician. Nothing Compares 2 U' (originally written for a Minneapolis group named The Family) may not have become a worldwide hit if it had not been released with a promotional film. The emotional video shows Sinead crying real tears; she had just split up with her boyfriend. It affected the American public so deeply that a million copies of the record were sold in a month. The record became one of the fastest selling solo singles of all time. The song also went to No 1 in Britain, and the album has now sold six million copies worldwide. That year Sinead also made her acting debut in the film Hush-A-Bye-Babywhich was premiered at the Dublin Film Festival in February 1990. In the film she plays a 15-year-old schoolgirl whose close friend becomes pregnant. The film explores the consequences for the pregnant girl and her family and friends who live in a Catholic community in Northern Ireland.
Sinead wrote, produced and performed all the music for the film. During 1990 she also did a lot of touring. In October she received the accolade of being invited to sing at the Amnesty International Benefit Concert in Santiago, Chile, alongside Sting and New Kids on the Block. She was also asked to sing the duet 'Don't give up' with Peter Gabriel. She said that this visit to Chile was one of the most important experiences of her life; it impressed upon her the strength of women. 'I couldn't believe what the women had been through there. The torture, the attempts to break their spirit. Now I feel like I'm made out of bricks. I will never be the same again' she said. The concert coincided with the release of the album Red Hot and Blue the proceeds of which are being donated to AIDS charities. This album is a compilation of classic songs by the American song writer Cole Porter performed by contemporary musicians. Sinead sings ‘You do something to me'. Now with her four-year-old son, Jake, she is spending half her time in Los Angeles, half in London. Sinead O'Connor has become a cult figure at the age of 24! With her rough-smooth voice and rough-smooth image, she looks set to remain a controversial star throughout the 1990s. Questions
Say if the following sentences are true or false according to the text. 1. A ballad ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ was written by Sinead O’Connor.
2. Sinead sang at a teacher’s wedding.
3. Sinead O’Connor moved to London after she had finished the school.
4. Sinead had a music project with the guitarist of U2.
5. The hit ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ was included on the second album of Sinead.
6. A million copies of the this album has sold worldwide.
7. She played a pregnant schoolgirl in a film.
8. She sang at an Amnesty International concert in Dublin.
9. She sang a song by Cole Porter on compilation album.
10. She is spending half her time with her son.
|
(0 głos)