Listen&Learn: Taylor Swift

Learn about one of the most famous singer-songwriters in the world

Pre-listening vocabulary

• singer-songwriter: a musician who writes their own songs
• pursue: to seek a goal
• album: a collection of songs
• span: to include a range of different things
• genre: a category of songs with similar sounds or subject matter
• loyal: very dedicated to a person or idea
• fanbase: the group of people who really like a certain celebrity, team, or topic

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She was born in 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift began writing songs when she was 12 years old. Her parents moved her to Nashville when she was 13 to help her pursue her . Swift won her first Grammy award at age 20 for her album Fearless. At the time, she was the youngest ever to win Album of the Year. Swift began as a country artist, but her music now spans multiple genres, including , rock, and folk. Many of her songs are about real in her life. Since her first win, Swift has collected 13 more Grammy awards. She has released a total of 11 albums, as well as 4 re-recorded albums. She currently has a large and loyal fanbase.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Taylor Swift was born in
   a. Reading, Pennsylvania
   b. Nashville, Tennessee
   c. Tallahassee, Florida
   
2. When she was 20, Swift became the youngest artist to win a Grammy for
   a. Song of the Year
   b. Best Country Song
   c. Album of the Year
   
3. Taylor Swift is now known as
   a. a country artist
   b. a pop artist
   c. an artist with music in multiple genres

Discussion/essay questions

1. Who is your favourite artist? Which genres of music do you like to listen to?
2. Do you consider yourself a part of any particular fanbase? Why or why not?

Transcript

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She was born in 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift began writing songs when she was 12 years old. Her family moved to Nashville when she was 13 to help her pursue her career. Swift won her first Grammy award at age 20 for her album Fearless. At the time, she was the youngest artist ever to win Album of the Year. Swift began as a country artist, but her music now spans multiple genres, including pop, rock, and folk. Many of her songs are about real relationships in her life. Since her first win, Swift has collected 13 more Grammy awards. She has released a total of 11 original albums, as well as 4 re-recorded albums. She currently has a large and loyal fanbase.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2c 3c