Teachers notes

Being a teen is a difcult time in life! Most of our students are confused about
what their feelings are and what their behaviour should be. This song can be used to
start a discussion in class about these topics. The students will recognise the song,
and the activities are a mix of language work (including dictionary practice) and
text comprehension. As it involves a variety of skills, it is very useful in helping to
develop communicative competence.
Topic: Teen life
Level: Pre-Intermediate
Aims: Developing comprehension and oral skills on the mentioned topic
Time: 20 minutes
Material: Song; Worksheet; Monolingual dictionary
Class management: Pair work
Procedure
Step 1 Hand the worksheet to each student.
Step 2 Explain the students what they are supposed to do (exercise 1) and play the
song.
Step 3 Play the song a second time to allow students to check their answers.
Step 4 Ask students to do up to exercise 5 and check their answers.
Step 5 Use exercises 6 and 7 to get students to interact orally, then elicit opinions.
Assessment: Peer assessment (students can exchange their work and check the results);
teacher assessment (oral feedback).
Follow up: It can be done with any song in which the theme or choice of words allows for
this kind of connection to a study topic.
THE GROWING PAINS
1

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Name No. Class
Date / /
The growing pains
worksheet
1. Fill in the gaps with the words or expressions in the box.
Some are used more than once.
Feeling my way through the a.
Guided by a beating heart
I cant tell where the b. will end
But I know where to start
They tell me Im too c. to understand
They say Im d. up in a dream
Well life will pass me by if I dont open up my eyes
Well thats e. by me
[2x]
So wake me up when its all over
When Im f. and Im g.
All this time I was nding myself
And I didnt know I was h.

I tried carrying the i. of the world
But I only have two hands
Hope I get the j. to travel the world
But I dont have any plans
Wish that I could stay k. this young
Not afraid to l. my eyes
Lifes a game made for everyone
And love is the m.
[2x]
So wake me up when its all over
When Im n. and Im o.
All this time I was nding myself
And I didnt know I was p.
Wake Me Up
by Avicii
older young chance ne lost weight darkness
caught journey forever wiser prize close
2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y_KJAg8bHI, accessed in October 2013

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2. Check your dictionary and nd the opposites of
a. darkness
b. lost
c. young
d. close
3. List all the adjectives you can nd in the song lyrics.
4. Who do you think is having these thoughts?
a. An old person.
b. A teenager.
c. A young child.
5. What is the song about?
a. Somebody having a bad day.
b. A person who just wants to sleep.
c. A difcult period in someones life.
6. Quote the verse or verses you identify
most with!
7. Do you feel the same as the person in
the song lyrics? Why? Why not?
3
AV
ICII

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THE GROWING PAINS
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answer key
worksheet
1.
a. darkness;
b. journey;
c. young;
d. caught;
e. ne;
f. wiser;
g. older;
h. lost;
i. weight;
j. chance;
k. forever;
l. close;
m. prize;
n. wiser;
o. older;
p. lost.
2.
a. brightness / lightness;
b. found;
c. old;
d. far / distant.
3. beating (heart); young; ne; wiser; older;
lost.
4. b.
5. c.
6. Personal answer.
7. Personal answer.
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