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Listen&Learn: Michael Jackson

Posted by: Jaksyn Peacock

Learn about the “King of Pop”

Pre-listening vocabulary

• perform: to create entertainment for an audience
• icon: a person who represents a certain culture or moment in time
• pop: a genre of music that is upbeat and appealing to many people
• solo: sung by one person
• album: a collection of songs that are released together
• nickname: a name that is different from a person’s real name

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Michael Jackson was an American and dancer. He was one of the top performing artists in the world, and he is remembered as a icon of the 1980s. Jackson was born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He began his career at six years old, when he started performing with his family members in a pop group called the Jackson 5. The Jackson 5 was very popular throughout the 1970s. In 1979, Jackson his first solo album, Off the Wall. His solo music made him even more —especially his 1982 album Thriller, which became the best-selling album in the world. He later gained the nickname “The King of Pop”. Throughout his life, Jackson released ten albums. He died in 2009, at age 50.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Michael Jackson began his career at age
   a. six
   b. eight
   c. ten
   
2. Jackson’s best-selling album was
   a. Off the Wall
   b. The Jackson 5
   c. Thriller
   
3. “The King of Pop” was
   a. the nickname that Jackson gained for his musical achievements
   b. the first solo album that Jackson released
   c. the name of the first pop group that Jackson was a part of

Discussion/essay questions

1. What genres of music do you listen to? Who are some of the most famous artists in those genres?
2. What do you think makes someone an “icon”?

Transcript

Michael Jackson was an American singer and dancer. He was one of the top performing artists in the world, and he is remembered as a cultural icon of the 1980s. Jackson was born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He began his career at six years old, when he started performing with his family members in a pop group called the Jackson 5. The Jackson 5 was very popular throughout the 1970s. In 1979, Jackson released his first solo album, Off the Wall. His solo music made him even more famous—especially his 1982 album Thriller, which became the best-selling album in the world. He later gained the nickname “The King of Pop”. Throughout his life, Jackson released ten albums. He died in 2009, at age 50.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2c 3a

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Written and recorded by Jaksyn Peacock for EnglishClub

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13 comments

• English Club Indonesia says:
  

  I listen to many genres. In rock music, I love Metallica, and for pop music, I listen to Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson is the icon of pop. A singer can be called an icon when he or she has top performance for a long time.

• Jonathan John-William Johnson McCallister says:
  

  Ilove sex

• JENIFER ESPINOSA URBINA says:
  

  Is beautiful.

• Nohemi says:
  

  Thank you, was very helpful

• Oscar says:
  

  Thank you so much.It was very hepful.

• Teles João Chirindja says:
  

  Greetings.
  Thank you very much on helping us in this process of learning. I found it very interresting. Listening Skill it’s one of the lesson I was looking for. I hope I ‘ll improve it here in this chanel.

• Atinuke Egbelakin says:
  

  very interesting. thank you

• Kei says:
  

  Thanks! I often check you and enjoy learning English. More, I like to use the website which has various useful contents for English learner to teach English for my students.
  It is very nice of you to give me a tip of King of pop!! The level of the words were not so difficult for Japanese students and the topic itself is also fascinating. I’ll keep on checking and having fun to brush up my skills of language study! Bye for now:)

• Aung says:
  

  Good night sir,
  I would like always phonetics courses, Thanks!

• Sabri says:
  

  Good evening
  Thank you to give me the chance to complete coarse of English phonetic

• Mauro says:
  

  How are things Sir?
  First of all, thanks a lot for this awesome Email. My teenage years was utterly marked by Pop Rock music, and Michael Jackson really was and still is an icon.
  All the best, bye.
  Mauro.

• Abdoul Nasser says:
  

  Good evening Sir
  I want to have the complete course of English phonetic.

• Abdoul Nasser says:
  

  Good evening Sir
  I want to have the complete course of phonetics.