1. Welcome to Learning English Through Pop Music Spring 2017!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11. Sources of Popular Music
Billboard Top 40:
Sirius XM Channel 15 The Pulse (Top 40), Channel 56 The Highway (Country), Channel 47 The Heat (R&B):
Pandora:
FM Radio:

12. 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”
“Me,Too”

13. I’m looking forward to a great semester!