Brief summary of activity
This activity is an icebreaker. The participants will sign a pop song and really listen to the lyrics.
Aim of the activity
Playful break
Expected Outcomes
The participants will analyse what do they understand when pop music plays.
Experience and skills required
None
Infrastructure, setting, resources
No special requirements
Length
Play the game for only 10 minutes
Material
Playback equipment (laptop with speakers)
How the activity should take place
Participants listen to music with foreign lyrics. They try to translate the lyrics simultaneously (or even to sing this translation).
The activity is not about good translation of the lyrics. Improvisation and misinterpretations lead to more fun and mostly show the silliness of pop lyrics.
Recommended max. number of participants and trainees to trainers ratio
10 (1-4 Vision Impaired/Blind and learning difficulties)
Variations
If group is not bilingual:
- One is reading / telling the translation loudly without playing the song. All others should guess which song it is.
- One is humming the song – all others try to recognize it.
Tips for Trainers
The activity is not about good translation of the lyrics. Improvisation and misinterpretations lead to more fun and mostly show the stupidity of pop lyrics. Play the game for only 10 minutes.
Analysis and evaluation
There is no need for analysis. Everybody will immediately recognise the deepness (or lack of ) of pop lyrics.
Scheduling
It’s a playful (and spontaneous) break after a theoretical unit. Depends on how the group works: not everybody loves to make a fool of oneself.