In pairs brainstorm ideas:
1. When is the retirement age?
2. What do people do when they are retired? You can talk about what people do in our country and other countries.
3. Why do you think some people want to go on working even after they get retired?
4. When do you want to retire? Why?
What do the following phrases mean?
1. send me a Valentine
2. be handy
3. it’s not too dear
4. scrimp and save
5. State point of view
a) you manage to live on very little money in order to pay for something.
b) Send a card to someone you love or would like to have a romantic relationship with
c) Say or write your opinion clearly and carefully
d) Be able to use something skillfully
e) Not expensive
Match the halves of the sentences
1. If you say the word,.
2. When I get older losing my hair
3. Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
4. If I’d been out till quarter to three
5. Every summer we can rent a cottage In the Isle of Wight,
a) I could stay with you
b) When I’m sixty-four.
c) Would you lock the door
d) Will you still sending me a Valentine
e) if it’s not too dear
Listen to the song and see if your matches are correct.
Class Project:
Listen to the song and in groups choose a different scene and draw it. Make a video clip using movie maker.
Think about your life, your goals and prepare a list and publish it on your blog
Here is my example:
Ten Things I want to Do before I become 64
1. See my kids grow up I want to see them grow up and find the right job and the person for them:-)
2. Learn Italian I have always wanted to learn Italian but I can’t find the time, so before I become 64 I want to learn Italian, at least, to be able to sing the great songs I love to listen.
3. Start or participate a Comenius project my students want to be part of these collaborations. I’m sure meeting other students all around the world will boost their confidence.
4. Live at learst 3 months in Paris or Florence I love these two cities and will never get bored being there.
5. Attend an IATEFL conference I’m sure that will be a great experience. This year I’ll try to follow the livestream but I hope I can manage to be there next year.
6. Write a book when I was a teenager I used to write short stories and novels, imagining to be like the teenage writer I watched in the TV series or Jo of ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott.
7. Write a cookbook Cooking is always a great hobby for me. I’d like to write a cookbook, compiling my mum’s delicious recipes.
8. Start painting I really want to be able to paint pictures. If I weren’t a teacher, I’d be an artist or an interior designer so before I become 64 I must definitely create something.
9. Open a cafe where mothers of little kids will be able to come and take some breath and the kids will play and socialize. The cafe will have a bookcorner so that everybody will enjoy the freedom of reading.
10. Study comparative literature I love being a student and I’d like to study literature. Maybe I can give myself an other chance to be a student again and take the university exam once more.
When I’m 64 – The Beatles
When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.
If I’d been out till quarter to three Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me,
will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four.
You will be older too,
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.
I could be handy,
mending a fuse.
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday morning go for a ride,
Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more.
Will you still need me,
will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four.
Every summer we can rent a cottage,
In the Isle of Wight, if it’s not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera Chuck & Dave
Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away.
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four.
Variation 1: You can even ask them to write an other list:
10 things I want to do after I retire
Variation 2: using animoto create a song review or a summary.
I must thank , Tara Benwell and Lindsey Vincent for some of the ideas and inspiration for this lesson.
I’d be glad if you can add some more ideas to this lesson.
Here I’m adding the clip my students created with movie maker
When I’m 64 from Eva Simkesyan on Vimeo.
You can find more lesson ideas here and here and here and here.
Eva,
What a great lesson. I have used this song with my adult students before. If I use it again I’ll be sure to include these great ideas. I like the idea of adding what your students want to do before they’re 64. Although, I may have to taylor this since some of my students are 64! 🙂
Pingback: Songs in EFL Classroom | A Journey in TEFL
I am a teacher of English from Vietnam. I always let my students enjoy English songs before the class and they really like English songs. They fill in the blanks and then translate the lyrics into Vietnamese. They also sing along, which makes them happy to learn. DO you mind if I use your ideas to teach my students? They are so creative!!!
They are so creative activities to use songs to teach English!
Hi Ha,
I’m happy you liked the idea. Of course you can use for more ideas, please check http://community.eflclassroom.com/ you will get more ideas there.