Welcome to Learning English Through Pop Music Spring

Welcome to Learning English Through Pop Music Spring 2017!

Professor Lori Rottenberg Ø Email lrottenb@gmu. edu Ø B. A. Creative Writing Ø M. A. Linguistics and Teaching ESL Ø Taught ESL at VT, Georgetown, and GMU Ø 20 years as professional writer and editor, continue to publish poetry Ø Visiting poet for Arlington Public Schools since 2007 Ø Singer and former college DJ

Introductions Ø Your name Ø Your OCS Level Ø Who are your favorite English-speaking pop artists?

Why Study Pop Music? With a partner, discuss: Ø What kinds of things do you think you will learn by studying American pop music? Ø Do you listen to any American music on your i. Pod? What groups? Ø What do you like or dislike about American music?

What You Can Learn from Music Culture: Ø Ideas about what stories and whose stories should be told Ø Ideas about men and women’s roles Ø Ideas about how to love Ø Ideas about the individual’s role in society Ø Ideas about how to live

What You Can Learn from Music Language: Ø Pronunciation, rhythm, rhymes—how people really speak Ø Grammar—including “street talk” (nonstandard grammar) Ø Idioms, slang, curse words

Goals of the Class Ø Improve listening skills Ø Improve pronunciation Ø Improve reading, writing, and grammar Ø Improve cultural knowledge Ø Improve musical knowledge

Syllabus Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Course Description Course Objectives Course Expectations Course Materials Course Requirements Grading Important Dates Online Resources Honor Code and Disabilities

Course Requirements Ø Active daily participation Ø Song analysis homework Ø Quizzes (vocabulary and song features) Ø Presentations Ø Final exam

Remember… Ø You must get at least an 80% to pass this class! Ø Even electives count towards your GPA! Ø 5 or more absences equal an automatic NG.

Sources of Popular Music Billboard Top 40: https: //www. billboard. com/biz/charts/mainstrea m-40 Ø Sirius XM Channel 15 The Pulse (Top 40), Channel 56 The Highway (Country), Channel 47 The Heat (R&B): http: //www. siriusxm. com/channellineup/ Ø Pandora: http: //www. pandora. com/ Ø FM Radio: http: //www. cision. com/us/2012/08/top-10 washington-d-c-radio-stations/ Ø

Time to start! Meghan Trainor: • Born in 1993 in Massachusetts to a musical family • Writes most of her own songs • Famous for promoting healthy body image for women • Breakthrough hit was “All About That Bass” Ø “Me, Too” https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=q. DRORgo. Zx. ZU Ø

I’m looking forward to a great semester!