ENGLISH IN THE SONG LYRICS OF OUR YOUTH
̶PhDr. Kateřina Tomková, Ph.D.
̶Lecturer at Department of English and American Studies both at the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of
Education; Owner of the TomCat Playgroup; Lifelong pop music enthusiast
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WELCOME on
St Nicholas Day!
̶Thank you for your interest in English pop-song lyrics and for getting here through the snow

INTRO OF LECTURER,
PURPOSE & DISCLAIMER
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̶Bringing back memories
̶Having fun
̶Experiencing ‘moments of enlightment’
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̶Please don’t blame me if your favourite song is not included
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PATTERNS
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̶PRONUNCIATION
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̶GRAMMAR
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̶VOCABULARY
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̶PHRASES, PHRASAL VERBS, COLLOCATIONS
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PRONUNCIATION PATTERNS
̶In pop-music: British or American English? – Why?
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̶Segmental rather than suprasegmental pronunciation unless it is rap or hip hop
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̶Quick pronunciation only intelligible thanks to rhythm:
̶You’re the one that I want
̶Grease
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̶Features of coherent speech: assimilation (miss you, kiss you, Monsieur le Maire)
̶Les Miserables
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PRONUNCIATION PATTERNS
̶* Place names: Kansas, Massachussetts, Michigan; Missouri, Tucson,
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     Az.
̶* Proper names: Beelzebub
̶                           Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
̶Who would have blushed in a song by the Smiths? The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
(Official Music Video) - YouTube
̶                                    ‘What she asked of me at the end of the day
̶                                    … … … … … … … … would have blushed…’
̶                                     Caligula
̶Whose deadly toy does Sting want to save his son from in his song ‘Russians’?
̶Sting - Russians - YouTube
̶                                   … … … … … … … … … … ... …’s
̶                                     Oppenheimer
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PRONUNCIATION PATTERNS
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̶Odyssey, Odysseus, Ulysses
̶Sean
̶Graham
̶Ralph, Ralph Fiennes
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GRAMMAR PATTERNS
̶Repetitive action/thought process: I keep thinking about you
̶Present perfect tense: I’ve been waiting for a girl like you
̶Future tense: … and I always will;
̶Will you still love me when I‘m no longer young and beautiful?
̶1st conditional: When I‘m 64
̶2nd conditional: If I could turn back time; If I were you
̶3rd conditional: I should have learnt to play the guitar
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GRAMMAR PATTERNS
̶Translate into Czech:
̶Question tags: You don‘t really care for music, do you?
̶Infinitive of purpose: Born to be alive
̶Emphasis: Love, love me do
̶Pronouns: I need somebody, not just anybody
̶… ne jen tak kohokoliv
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Colloquial GRAMMAR PATTERNS
̶Double negative: I can’t get no satisfaction
̶Karaoke - Saturday Night Live - YouTube
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̶Wanna = want to
̶Gonna = going to
̶Gotta = got to = have to = must
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UNEXPECTED VOCABULARY
̶Basic crops: ječmen, žito
̶                         barley, rye
̶Machinery: buchar
̶                       sledgehammer
̶Behavior, human qualities: nedůsledný
̶                                                inconsistent
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Sledgehammer - Wikipedia

LEXICAL PATTERNS:
Words, Collocations, Situational phrases
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̶What is the English for:
-Hromy a blesky
̶     Dean Reed & Václav Neckář: Thunder And Lightning
̶Je z něj šplhoun
̶Everly Brothers: Well he’s the teacher’s pet now
̶Hrát si na maminku a tatínka
̶Tammy Wynette: I Don’t Wanna Play House
̶Můžem to vyřešit
̶Beatles: We Can Work It Out
•
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LEXICAL PATTERNS: Situational phrases
̶Věříš na …?
̶Cher: Do you believe in life after love?
̶Sveď to na…
̶Jackson Five: Blame It On The Boogie
̶Mě z toho neobviňuj
̶Rag & Bone Man: Don’t put the blame on me
̶Pak jsem zbouchnul Mary
̶Bruce Springsteen: … then I got Mary pregnant…
̶Slibuju, že se polepším
̶Pink: I promise to be better…
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LEXICAL PATTERNS: Proverbs
̶mlčeti zlato
̶Tremeloes: Silence Is Golden
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SURPRISING / UNEXPECTED MEANINGS
̶Imagine
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̶Stupid Cupid
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Pakistani school drops John Lennon's Imagine from concert after protest | World News - Hindustan
Times Stupid Cupid - YouTube

COVERS: English
̶CCR, Rod Stewart: Have you ever seen the rain
̶Sting, Dasha: Fields of Barley
̶Rihanna, the Baseballs: Umbrella
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COVERS: Czech
̶Triky a pověry, Vy ženy ženy, co jste na Italy…
̶Dej mi pár okovů Ray Charles > Karel Hála
̶Supermuž Jackson Five > Marie Rottrová
̶Sedmkrát Dooby Brothers > Black Milk
̶Boky jako skříň Meghan Trainor > Ewa Farna
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MISHEARD LYRICS
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The double bass: a comprehensive guide to the orchestra's largest string instrument, including how
it differs to the cello - Classical Music Treble Clef - Music Theory Academy - Learn the notes of
the Treble Clef

CHRISTMAS FORMATS
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̶Do you recognize this tune played in Czech shopping malls (galeries) before Christmas?
̶12 Days Of Christmas | Kids Songs | Super Simple Songs - YouTube
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̶Enjoy Chris Mann’s Covid-19 version!
̶THE 12 DAYS OF QUARANTINE - A Chris Mann Music Parody - YouTube
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Brno, Česká republika, 14 prosince 2018: lidé dělají vánoční dárky nakupovat v největším nákupním
centru Galerie Vaňkovka v Brně s vánoční ozdoby - Stock redakční Foto © henkeova # 232074450

CHRISTMAS FORMATS
̶… and this tune, even more relevant to us Czechs?
̶Good King Wenceslas
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Who is this Good King Wenceslas—and why does he deserve a Christmas carol? | America Magazine

LET’S DO SOME CAROLING !
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QUESTION TIME
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Meowy Christmas Svg Digital Download Christmas Svg Cutting - Etsy