Dolly Parton - D.i.v.o.r.c.e. - Spelling Practice

Prepared by Natália Guerreiro Songs Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Teacher: _________________________ Level: _________________ Date: ____/ ____ / _____

Spelling Song 1. How fast can you say the alphabet in English? Try it backwards, too.

2. Read the lyrics below and answer the questions in pairs. A mother is singing the song. a. How many children does she have? b. How old are they? c. Are they boys or girls? d. What’s the mother’s strategy when she is discussing something secret? 3. Listen to your teacher spell 5 words. Can you get them right?

4. Pair up again. Write down the words Dolly Parton spells out. Use the pictures to help you. Our little boy is four years old And he's quite a little man So we spell out the words We don't want him to understand Like __-__-__, or maybe __-__-__-__-__-__-__-__ But the words we're hiding from him now Tears the heart right out of me Chorus: Our __-__-__-__-__-__-__ becomes final today Me and little __-__-__ will be going away I love you both and this will be Pure __-__-__-__ for me Oh, I wish that we could stop this __-__-__-__-__-__-__ Watch him smile He thinks it's Christmas Or his fifth birthday And he thinks __-__-__-__-__-__-__ Spells fun, or play I spell out all the hurting words And I turn my head when I speak Cause I can't spell away this hurt That's dripping down my cheek Repeat Chorus

5. Match the pictures to the words.

6. Talk in trios. a) Do you spell out words in front of children? b) Do you like country music? c) What’s your favorite kind of music? Spell it out quickly for your partner. Can he/she get it right? d) Spell your middle name for your partner. Be merciless. Does he/she get it right?

7. Find a synonym for the idiom Do I have to spell it out for you? a) Don’t you know how to spell this word? b) Do I have to paint you a picture?

c) Can you hear me? d) That’s exactly what I mean! Teacher’s Guide

Aim: revising the alphabet and spelling Level: Intermediate/Advanced in case they have been having problems with the alphabet or have been discussing divorce N.B.: Although it’s about spelling, this task would be in way over beginners’ heads. Material: handouts (1 per student or per pair); song ‘D.I.V.O.R.C.E’ with Dolly Parton Answer Key/Procedures 2.

a. b. c. d.

How many children does she have? 2 How old are they? He’s 4 y.o. Are they boys or girls? A boy. What’s the mother’s strategy when she is discussing something secret? She spells out the words she doesn’t want the boy to understand.

3. Spell out some words for the whole group. Pick words with letters that are usually more difficult for students of the nationality you’re teaching. For example, for Brazilians use garage (g vs. j vs. d), committee (double), bet vs. bit vs. bat (e vs. i vs a) 4. Our little boy is four years old And he's quite a little man So we spell out the words We don't want him to understand Like T-O-Y, or maybe S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E But the words we're hiding from him now Tears the heart right out of me Chorus: Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today Me and little J-O-E will be going away I love you both and this will be Pure H-E-L-L [h-e-double-l] for me Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E Watch him smile He thinks it's Christmas Or his fifth birthday And he thinks C-U-S-T-O-D-Y Spells fun, or play I spell out all the hurting words And I turn my head when I speak Cause I can't spell away this hurt That's dripping down my cheek 5. toy (in the bag)> surprise / Joe (the picture of the boy)> custody (the parents playing tug-of-war with the baby as rope) > divorce (the wedding cake)> hell (the child dressed up as a demon) 7. Just to learn an idiom related to spelling… The answer is letter b, which is fairly close to the Portuguese corresponding idiom “Quer que eu desenhe?”