Learn English with Songs: “Alphabet of my Phobias”

Hi everyone!

Come vanno le cose?

(that’s “how are things?” in Italian).

Today we have a beautiful song by Maia Vidal for you as a lesson plan. At ABA English we are obsessed with finding the best ways for our students to learn English. We are always on the search for a new perspective!

With this song, for example, you will be able to learn the English alphabet in a brand new way: with modern words about the world we live in today.

So get a pencil and paper, sit down and prepare to enjoy!

Remember:

1. Read the lyrics
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. SING!

Lyrics

I wanted to write a song about
The words I live without
The words I cannot say, in hopes they go away
I wanted to write a song about the words that I cut out
Of my verbal repertoire, you’ve waited now here they are

A is an abortion, animal cruelty and
B is for the bees
C is climate change
D is doomsday
E is earthquake
F my fear of flying
G is global warming and
H was Haiti
Ice caps melt on
Judgement Day

These are the words I had to erase
These are the things I won’t have to face
Cause I live in a world of peace and harmony
I don’t read the news so it doesn’t touch me

K is for the killers
L is for the liars
Mama why’d you bring me here? Cause you knew about the
Nukes and I’m sure you knew about
Over-
Population! So maybe I should
Quit, ‘cause I dont want to
Risk
Seeing this
Transpire. Safe
Under the ground, I wont have to
View this world as it
(e)Xpires,
Y and
Z

These are the words I could not erase
These are the things I will have to face
Cause I live in a world of a war and poverty
I don’t read the news but it still touches me

and there’s something nice about living in End Times
When you don’t believe in God it’s just turning out the lights!
And I’d start smoking again and it wouldn’t even matter
Cause the world won’t be around long enough for me to get cancer!
And I know this to be true but I don’t see it as bad
I think we had a good run, look at all the fun we had !
And I live life every day knowing it’s one of my last
And I love it even more, ‘cause I know it’s all I have!

Vocabulary

In hopes – with the hope that something will happen or could happen.

Cut-out – to remove.

Repertoire – all the plays, songs, dances, etc., that a performer or group of performers knows and can perform.

Voided – to make (something) invalid : to say that (something) is no longer in effect.

Cruelty – a desire to cause others to suffer : the quality or state of being cruel.

Doomsday – the day the world ends or is destroyed.

Ice caps – a very large and thick sheet of ice that covers the North Pole, the South Pole, or another region.

Melt – to change or to cause (something) to change from a solid to a liquid usually because of heat.

Erase – to remove (something that has been recorded) from a tape (such as a videotape or audiotape) or a computer disk.

To face – to deal with (something bad or unpleasant) in a direct way.

Nukes – a nuclear weapon.

Transpire – to happen.

Expire – to end : to no longer be valid after a period of time.

Video

Did you like the song? TWEET IT OUT: Learning #English with Maia’s Alphabet of my Phobias song. Come sing with us! #esl