Tony Memmel and His Band

Learning Materials

Wordplay is brought to you by the Office of English Language Programs, American Music Abroad, and American Voices.

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Tony Memmel profile

Artist: Tony Memmel and His Band

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We have created lesson plans and a video series to use in the classroom. Scroll down to see all lesson materials or download the full package here.

Program Materials

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Below is an incredible collection from American English to provide fun new ways of teaching and learning English.

Use these files in conjunction with the song in this language package for an integrated teaching experience.

More available at https://americanenglish.state.gov/

I Am Never, Never, Never Gonna Give Up
by Tony Memmel and His Band

In the heart there lives a call to a longer haul,
A dream that demands your all.
It’s the hardest, clearest choice, when you hear its voice,
Step up and stand tall.
There’s an old and simple code you’ll learn as you go,
A truth the wise come to know:
You get out what you put in,
then come lose or win,
Sing this anthem of the soul:
I am never, never, never gonna give up. (repeated 6x)

Oh, on your harder days,
when the trail you blaze,
Is feeling more like a maze,
There’s a path where there’s a will, up the highest hill.
Sing this anthem, keep the faith:
I am never, never, never gonna give up. (repeated 6x)

Gotta get that grit, resilience, and strength.
Gonna go the distance no matter the length.
Gotta be what I am meant to be.
Got a plan, got purpose, got a destiny.
Gonna be ready for anything that comes my way.
No rain’ll ruin my parade.
Gotta get good at gettin’ up when I get knocked down.
That’s my anthem.
Turn up that sound.
I am never, never, never gonna give up. (repeated 6x)

A2 Level Words

heart noun,
the organ in your chest that sends the blood around your body

dream noun,
a series of events or images that happen in your mind when you are sleeping

clearest adj.,
easy to understand, hear, read or see

stand verb,
to rise to a vertical position on your feet from sitting or lying down

simple adj.,
easy to do or to understand

lose verb,
to not be able to find someone or something

win verb,
to get the most points in a competition or game

path noun
a long, narrow track between one place and another

highest adj.,
having a large distance from the bottom to the top

hill noun,
a raised area of land, smaller than a mountain

keep verb,
to have something permanently or for the whole of a period of time

repeated verb,
to say or do something more than once

matter noun,
the reason for pain, worry, or a problem

plan noun,
an arrangement for what you intend to do or how you intend to do something

way noun,
“by the way” –
used when you say something new or change to a different subject

sound noun,
something that you hear or that can be heard

B1 Level Words

demands noun,
strong requests

choice noun,
the product of choosing between two or more possibilities

voice noun,
the sounds that are made when people speak or sing

step noun,
one of the movements you make with your feet when you walk

truth noun,
the real facts about a situation, event or person

get out verb,
to leave a closed vehicle, building, etc.

give up verb,
stop a habit, such as smoking

distance noun,
the amount of space between two places

length noun,
the measurement or distance of something from one end to the other

meant to verb,
to have been wanting and planning to do something

purpose noun,
intention or aim

ruin noun,
the broken parts that are left from a building after it has been destroyed

knock verb,
to hit, especially forcefully, and cause to move or fall

turn up verb,
to increase the level of sound or heat that a machine produces

call verb,
to yell out to get someone’s attention

B2 Level Words

code noun,
system of words, letters, or signs used to represent a secret message

wise adj.,
able to make good judgments, based on life experience

come to verb,
to enter your mind

trail noun,
a path through the countryside, often made or used for a particular purpose

faith noun,
a particular religion or set of beliefs

strength noun,
the ability to do things that need a lot of physical effort or power

parade noun,
a public celebration, usually with bands in the street and decorated vehicles

C1/C2 Level Words

destiny noun,
the things that will happen to someone in the future

long haul noun,
a long distance

resilience noun,
the ability to recover quickly after an injury or something unpleasant

For each heading in the materials, we have identified an icon to help instructors quickly find and identify information. Please use them when creating any new materials or adapting previous materials. The icon should be left justified and appear below the section heading. Any text should appear to the right of the icon.

 

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Snapshots

Tony Memmel profile

Click Image to View Snapshots!

Short question videos to use in the classroom to start new conversations in a modern “Stories” format. Break the ice in new groups or shake up the routine. Teachers can also pair these videos with games below.

ACTIVITIES

These short games can be used with the Snapshot videos for a quick activity in the classroom.

About The Artist

Tony Memmel profile

Tony Memmel and His Band

BIOGRAPHY

Tony Memmel is a songwriter and performer with unique charisma and creativity. Though he was born missing his left forearm, he taught himself to play the guitar by constructing a self-made cast out of Gorilla Tape that secures a guitar pick to his arm. Flawlessly, he picks and strums his guitar, and sings his songs with his subtle, yet powerful voice. He won a Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) 2013 Award for Singer-Songwriter of the year, where he joined the ranks of fellow WAMI winners: Bon Iver, Les Paul, Cory Chisel, and the BoDeans. The press has also taken notice as he’s earned write-ups in the Associated Press, CNN, Boston Globe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Chicago Tribune.

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About the Office of English Language Programs

More great information for teachers to use in the English classroom can be found at: https://americanenglish.state.gov/

Promoting the learning and teaching of American English around the world is an integral part of the Department of State’s efforts to foster mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Increasing the English language capacity of audiences overseas deepens and enriches their engagement with American counterparts and builds lasting bridges between cultures. English language learning is also key to increasing access to the many exchange programs administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and other academic and professional exchange opportunities in the United States, particularly for potential grantees from underrepresented groups, including women and minorities. In addition, English language programs advance the Department of State’s economic statecraft and foreign assistance goals by expanding access to the local and global job markets, particularly among youth.

The Office of English Language Programs designs and manages programs to promote language learning and support the teaching of English in countries around the world. These programs are administered through local American Embassies and Consulates and are overseen by Regional English Language Officers. The Office of English Language Programs also provides academic expertise and develops English teaching and learning resources for use worldwide. The American English website provides links to multimedia resources and information on exchange opportunities for teachers and students of English as a foreign language.

Wordplay is brought to you by the Office of English Language Programs, American Music Abroad, and American Voices.

More information available at:
https://americanenglish.state.gov/

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