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The Splendid Speaking Course

Volume 2 Unit 6: TOP Talks

Unit 1: The World of Music

Task: Presentation (1-2 minutes)
Topic vocabulary 1. Introduction: Read the following newspaper extract and prepare a
A piece of music
Be into (like particular music) presentation outlining the importance of music in our lives.
To sing at the top of ones voice
To have a sign song
To listen to soothing music
To express yourself
To put you in a good mood/a
Harmony restored
good frame of mind
To raise our spirits
Workers at a clothing that their employees were
To unwind factory are singing the distracted by the music and
To de-stress
praises of their bosses who constant chatter of the local
Useful quotes have gone back on a disc jockey. However, the
It was once said that
If you can walk you can dance. If decision to ban the playing workers claimed the music
you can talk you can sing. of music during working actually helped them work
(Proverb from Zimbabwe)
hours. Bosses had harder and raised their
Music washes away from the previously complained morale.
soul the dust of everyday life.
(Red Auerbach)

Without music, life is a journey 2. Planning: Spend 1 minute making notes. If it helps, use any of the
through a desert. following questions as the basis of your talk.
(Pat Conroy)
What social or cultural significance does music have?
In what ways can music benefit the individual?
The history of a people is found
in its songs. To what extent does music play an important role in your life?
(George Jellinek)
3. Task focus: Try organising your talk around three main points. People
Without music, life would be an often find it easy to remember and process things in threes and using
error. this rule of threes strategy can help both you and your audience. You
(Friedrich Nietzsche) could deal briefly with the three issues above or focus on one issue and
give three detailed examples in the main body of your talk.

4. Language: Tick any of the vocabulary or quotes on the left you want to
use in your talk.

Task: Discussion (15 minutes)

Listen to Corina from
Romania talking on a
similar subject. See the
October archives
( I n t e r vi e w 1 ) a t :
s p l e n d i d- s p e a k i n g . c o m
As part of a student panel youve been asked to discuss the following:
Is the popularity of traditional music from your country being undermined by
the spread of American or British pop music?
Consider the effect across generations, the role of channels like MTV, the
choice of language for vocals etc.