English Lesson on Jay Chou

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THE LESSON ON JAY CHOU

Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Jay Chou. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:


READ

Jay Chou is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, actor, and movie director. He has won three World Music Awards and is a big star throughout Asia. He is a trained classical musician who has successfully crossed over into pop, and combines Western and Chinese styles. He has sold more than 25 million albums and has a successful movie career. Chou has a growing influence on Chinese culture.

Chou was born in 1979 and grew up in Taiwan. He started learning the piano when he was four. He loved music and recorded sounds and songs on the tape recorder he carried everywhere. He studied piano and cello at high school and began to write the music and lyrics to pop songs. He found it easy to combine classical with pop.

In 1998, Chou appeared on a TV talent show playing the piano. His piano composition impressed a top judge, who offered him a contract to write pop songs. He spent the next two years in the studio and learnt the techniques of song production. The studio manager encouraged him to become a singer. In 2000, he released his debut album ‘Jay’.

Chou became an overnight success. He releases a new album every year, all of which sell millions. He has won more than 350 music awards in Asia. He also wrote the official song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His acting career is also taking off. He won a Best Newcomer award for his debut role in ‘Initial D’ in 2005.

249 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

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SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

Paragraphs 1 and 2
 

 

 

1.

big

a.

increasing

2

styles

b.

huge

3.

growing

c.

words

4.

loved

d.

genres

5.

lyrics

e.

mix

6.

combine

f.

adored


Paragraphs 3 and 4
 

 

 

7.

impressed

g.

urged

8.

learnt

h.

doing well

9.

encouraged

i.

part

10.

overnight

j.

had an impact on

11

taking off

k

instant

12

role

l

grasped

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.

He is a trained

a.

of song production

2

combines Western

b.

classical musician

3.

Chou has a growing influence

c.

on a TV talent show

4.

recorded

d.

and Chinese styles

5.

write the music and

e.

success

6.

Chou appeared

f.

sounds and songs

7.

His piano composition impressed

g.

2008 Beijing Olympics

8.

learnt the techniques

h.

lyrics to pop songs

9.

Chou became an overnight

i.

a top judge

10.

the official song for the

j.

on Chinese culture

LISTENING GAP FILL

Jay Chou is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, actor, _______________. He has won three World Music Awards and is a big _______________ Asia. He is a trained classical musician who has successfully _______________  pop, and combines Western and Chinese styles. He has sold more than 25 million albums and has a successful movie career. Chou has a ___________________  Chinese culture.

Chou was born in 1979 and grew up in Taiwan. He _______________ piano when he was four. He loved music and recorded sounds and _______________ recorder he carried everywhere. He studied piano and cello at high school and began to write the music _____________ songs. He found it _______________ classical with pop.

In 1998, Chou _______________ TV talent show playing the piano. His piano composition impressed a top judge, who offered him a _______________ pop songs. He spent the next two years in the studio and learnt the _______________ song production. The studio manager _______________ to become a singer. In 2000, he released his debut album ‘Jay’.

Chou became an _______________. He releases a new album every year, _________________ millions. He has won more than 350 music awards in Asia. He also wrote the _______________ the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His acting career is also taking off. He won a Best Newcomer award for _______________ ‘Initial D’ in 2005.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.

Jay Chou is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, actor, and movie direction / director. He has / had won three World Music Awards and is a big star throughout Asia. He is a trained classic / classical musician who has successfully crossed over into pop, and combines Western and Chinese styles. He has sold more than 25 million albums and has a successful movie career. Chou has a growing / grown influence on Chinese culture.

Chou was born in 1979 and grown / grew up in Taiwan. He started learning the piano when he was four. He loved music and recorded sounds and sings / songs on the tape recorder he carried everywhere. He studying / studied piano and cello at high school and began to write the music and lyrics to pop songs. He found it easy to combine / combination classical with pop.

In 1998, Chou appeared on a TV talented / talent show playing the piano. His piano composition impressed a top judge, who offered him a contract to / for write pop songs. He spent the next two years in / on the studio and learnt the techniques of song production. The studio manager encouraging / encouraged him to become a singer. In 2000, he released his debut album ‘Jay’.

Chou became an overnight successes / success. He releases a new album every year, all / every of which sell millions. He has won more than 350 music awards in Asia. He also wrote the office / official song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His acting career is also taking / taken off. He won a Best Newcomer award for his debut role in ‘Initial D’ in 2005.

SPELLING

The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1
 

1.

movie errdotic

2.

a trained classical cnmsiuai

3.

has a elussccfsu movie career

4.

Chinese eutlruc


Paragraph 2
 

5.

eilgnnar the piano

6.

tape odrrcree

7.

islcyr to pop songs

8.

He found it easy to cmnboei classical with pop


Paragraph 3
 

9.

a TV entlta show

10.

offered him a atocrcnt

11.

learnt the qhuscetine of song production

12.

he rdaelees his debut album


Paragraph 4
 

13.

Chou became an viehrnotg success

14.

He esreasle a new album every year

15.

the oiailcff song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics

16.

He won a Best ecmerwoN award

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

 

and Chinese styles. He has sold more than 25 million albums and has a successful movie

(    )

 

Chou was born in 1979 and grew up in Taiwan. He started learning the piano when he was four. He loved

(    )

 

of song production. The studio manager encouraged him to become a singer. In 2000, he released his debut album ‘Jay’.

(    )

 

music and recorded sounds and songs on the tape

(    )

 

Chou became an overnight success. He releases a new album every year, all of which sell millions. He has won

(    )

 

more than 350 music awards in Asia. He also wrote the official song for the 2008 Beijing

(    )

 

career. Chou has a growing influence on Chinese culture.

(    )

 

recorder he carried everywhere. He studied piano and cello at high school

( 1 )

 

Jay Chou is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, actor, and movie director. He has won three World Music Awards and is a big

(    )

 

and began to write the music and lyrics to pop songs. He found it easy to combine classical with pop.

(    )

 

In 1998, Chou appeared on a TV talent show playing the piano. His piano composition impressed a top judge, who offered

(    )

 

crossed over into pop, and combines Western

(    )

 

him a contract to write pop songs. He spent the next two years in the studio and learnt the techniques

(    )

 

star throughout Asia. He is a trained classical musician who has successfully

(    )

 

Olympics. His acting career is also taking off. He won a Best Newcomer award for his debut role in ‘Initial D’ in 2005.

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.

is    He    musician    classical    trained    a

2.

influence    growing    a    has    Chou    culture    Chinese    on

3.

four    piano    He    when    started    he    learning    was    the

4.

write    and    pop    to    music    to    began    the    lyrics    songs

5.

pop    to    He    combine    found    classical    it    with    easy

6.

TV    playing    Chou    a    show    piano    on    talent    the    appeared

7.

spent    in    the    the    next    studio    two    He    years

8.

studio    become    manager    a   encouraged    singer   him    The    to

9.

awards    He    more    music    Asia    won    350    in    has    than

10.

Olympics    Beijing    2008    the    for    song    official    the

JAY CHOU DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1.

What do you know about Jay Chou?

2.

Would you like to have met Jay Chou?

3.

What would you like to know about Jay Chou and why?

4.

___________________________________________________

5.

___________________________________________________

6.

___________________________________________________

7.

___________________________________________________

8.

___________________________________________________

------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1.

What did you learn from this text about Jay Chou?

2.

What questions would you like to have asked Jay Chou?

3.

What would his answers have been to those questions?

4.

___________________________________________________

5.

___________________________________________________

6.

___________________________________________________

7.

___________________________________________________

8.

___________________________________________________

JAY CHOU SURVEY

Write five questions about Jay Chou in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out.  Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Jay Chou for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Jay Chou. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. JAY CHOU POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Jay Chou. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Jay Chou. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he did every day and what he thought about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Jay Chou. Ask him three questions about his life. Tell him how important he is in today’s world. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Jay Chou expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
 

 

 

1.

big

a.

huge

2

styles

b.

genres

3.

growing

c.

increasing

4.

loved

d.

adored

5.

lyrics

e.

words

6.

combine

f.

mix


Paragraphs 3 and 4
 

 

 

7.

impressed

g.

had an impact on

8.

learnt

h.

grasped

9.

encouraged

i.

urged

10.

overnight

j.

instant

11

taking off

k

doing well

12

role

l

part

PHRASE MATCH:

1.

He is a trained

a.

classical musician

2

combines Western

b.

and Chinese styles

3.

Chou has a growing influence

c.

on Chinese culture

4.

recorded

d.

sounds and songs

5.

write the music and

e.

lyrics to pop songs

6.

Chou appeared

f.

on a TV talent show

7.

His piano composition impressed

g.

a top judge

8.

learnt the techniques

h.

of song production

9.

Chou became an overnight

i.

success

10.

the official song for the

j.

2008 Beijing Olympics

ALL OTHER EXERCISES:

Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.

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