Here are some excerpts from different songs. For each excerpt, there are two things to do: Guess the missing word or words. Tell who the song is from.
Archives
Country roads, take me home…
“Take Me Home, Country Roads”, also known simply as “Take Me Home” or “Country Roads”, is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver about West Virginia. The song has a special place as an iconic symbol of West Virginia, which it describes as “Almost Heaven”. In March 2014, it became one … Continue Reading
What is one of the most beautiful pieces of music you’ve ever heard?
The Talking Point series provides an opportunity to discuss things in English, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. They say it is the universal language of mankind. They say without it, life would be a mistake. They say where words fail, it speaks. Let’s talk about music…
Understanding “I wasn’t expecting that!”
Here is a romantic song that you may like. Let’s listen to it once just to enjoy it, and a second time, more carefully, to try and understand it better. You can then test your listening comprehension with the interactive quiz in the English Gym below.
A quizzical smile
This is the first post with an experimental format that I am calling “The Russian Dolls”. The text is revealed step by step as you engage with it and answer some questions… This post is about Adele, James Bond, and more…
Time of my life
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton met them for a debate, a few days ago.
Le P’tit Quinquin, the lullaby of the children of the north
It was my friend Brigitte who first told me about “Le P’tit Quinquin” many years ago. We were coming back from a walk. After doing a tour of Lille citadel, we passed by Quai du Wault and walked through Foch Dutilleul Square, and at the end of the square, where it joins Nationale Street, there … Continue Reading
From Greenwich Village to Harlem
I didn’t know Nat King Cole! We went to Harlem to listen jazz. Walking in the street, we found beautiful paintings on the walls. In a small Museum, there was in the hall a word from Muhammad Ali “Me, we”. We stopped in a café. A black women began to speak to us in French! … Continue Reading
Young at heart
Here is an old Sinatra song about life and hope and being young at heart, a good tonic to start the days and the weeks with.