The Reading / Listening - Song Lyrics - Level 6

Since the advent of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, music from the USA and UK has dominated global music charts. Both countries have benefited considerably from the "soft power" of hit songs with English lyrics. However, the English-language dominance of the music industry is under threat from songs from non-English-speaking countries. This is according to the music streaming giant Spotify. The company said English-language music was losing its long-time stranglehold. There has been a surge in demand for songs sung in Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and other languages. Spotify said the number of non-English songs in the charts more than doubled between 2020 and 2025.

A prime example of how English is losing its hegemony is the worldwide popularity of the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny. He sings exclusively in Spanish and was Spotify's most streamed artist globally in 2025. Meanwhile, Spanish artist Rosalia astounded the music world with her award-winning album "Lux," on which she sings in 13 different languages. Spotify said three music genres have seen their chart presence rise by 30 per cent or more in the past five years. These are Brazilian Funk, K-pop, and Trap Latino. Their streams increased by 36 per cent, 31 per cent, and 30 per cent respectively. The music website NME said: "The trend is likely to continue growing further into 2026."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Song Lyrics - Level 4  or  Song Lyrics - Level 5

Sources
  • https://www.musicweek.com/digital/read/spotify-breaks-down-11bn-payout-to-music-industry-including-rise-of-non-english-language-music/093720
  • https://www.nme.com/news/music/spotify-reports-growing-surge-of-non-english-pop-music-on-global-chart-3934169
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9v04gney9yo


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. SONG LYRICS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about song lyrics. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       rock 'n' roll / music / music charts / soft power / threat / streaming / songs in Spanish
       hegemony / worldwide / popularity / artists / albums / different languages / website
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. STREAMING: Students A strongly believe streaming is better than vinyl records; Students B strongly believe vinyl records are better. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. MUSIC: How important are these contributors to songs? Why? How much would you like to be one of them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Importance

Why?

Your Desire

Lyricist

 

 

 

Lead singer

 

 

 

Producer

 

 

 

Pianist

 

 

 

Drummer

 

 

 

Guitarist

 

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. ENGLISH: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "English". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. MUSIC GENRES: Rank these with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Rock 'n' roll
  • K-pop
  • Brazilian Funk
  • Trap Latino
  • Hip-hop
  • Reggae
  • EDM
  • R&B

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. advent a. A very big company.
      2. dominated b. A lot; more than a little.
      3. considerably c. Had the most power or control over something.
      4. according to d. A sudden big increase.
      5. giant (noun) e. The time when something new begins or arrives.
      6. stranglehold f. As said by someone or something.
      7. surge g. Very strong control over something.

    Paragraph 2

      8. prime h. Sent or watched online in real time.
      9. hegemony i. In the same order as mentioned before.
      10. exclusively j. Very surprised.
      11. streamed k. Control or leadership over others or other things.
      12. astounded l. A general direction in which something (a price, fashion, popularity, etc.) is changing.
      13. respectively m. The most important or best.
      14. trend (noun) n. Only; not shared with others.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. The article says rock 'n' roll started in the 1940s.     T / F
  2. The article says hit songs with English lyrics gave the UK "hard power".   T / F
  3. The article says a streaming service has led to fewer songs in English.     T / F
  4. The article says there has been a rise in demand for songs in Spanish.     T / F
  5. The lyrics of Bad Bunny's songs are all Spanish.     T / F
  6. A Spanish singer recorded an album using 13 different languages.     T / F
  7. Streams for the K-pop music genre increased by 31% in 2025.     T / F
  8. A music website said the trend for non-English songs will soon reverse.   T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. advent
  2. considerably
  3. dominance
  4. surge
  5. doubled
  6. prime
  7. exclusively
  8. astounded
  9. presence
  10. continue
  1. amazed
  2. supremacy
  3. classic
  4. a lot
  5. carry on
  6. increased twofold
  7. existence
  8. arrival
  9. only
  10. rise

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. Since the advent of rock 'n' roll
  2. Both countries have benefited
  3. the English-language dominance
  4. There has been a surge in demand
  5. songs in the charts more than
  6. A prime example of how English is
  7. He sings exclusively
  8. Spanish artist Rosalia astounded
  9. three music genres have seen their
  10. The trend is likely
  1. for songs sung in Spanish
  2. to continue
  3. of the music industry
  4. in the 1950s
  5. in Spanish
  6. chart presence rise
  7. doubled
  8. losing its hegemony
  9. the music world
  10. considerably

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
considerably
according
doubled
advent
demand
threat
dominated
stranglehold

Since the (1) _________________________________ of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, music from the USA and UK has (2) _________________________________ global music charts. Both countries have benefited (3) _________________________________ from the "soft power" of hit songs with English lyrics. However, the English-language dominance of the music industry is under (4) _________________________________ from songs from non-English-speaking countries. This is (5) _________________________________ to the music streaming giant Spotify. The company said English-language music was losing its long-time (6) _________________________________. There has been a surge in (7) _________________________________ for songs sung in Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and other languages. Spotify said the number of non-English songs in the charts more than (8) _________________________________ between 2020 and 2025.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
respectively
exclusively
trend
genres
hegemony
streams
astounded
presence

A prime example of how English is losing its (9) _________________________________ is the worldwide popularity of the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny. He sings (10) _________________________________ in Spanish and was Spotify's most streamed artist globally in 2025. Meanwhile, Spanish artist Rosalia (11) _________________________________ the music world with her award-winning album "Lux," on which she sings in 13 different languages. Spotify said three music (12) _________________________________ have seen their chart (13) _________________________________ rise by 30 per cent or more in the past five years. These are Brazilian Funk, K-pop, and Trap Latino. Their (14) _________________________________ increased by 36 per cent, 31 per cent, and 30 per cent (15) _________________________________. The music website NME said: "The (16) _________________________________ is likely to continue growing further into 2026."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  music from the USA and UK has dominated ______
     a.  global music chats
     b.  global muse charts
     c.  global music charts
     d.  globally music charts
2)  Both countries have benefited considerably from the soft power ______
     a.  off hit songs
     b.  of hit songs
     c.  of hit song
     d.  of hot song
3)  However, the English-language dominance of the music industry ______
     a.  is over threat
     b.  is under threat
     c.  is after threat
     d.  is beneath threat
4)  This is according to the music ______
     a.  streaming gigantic Spotify
     b.  streaming gallant Spotify
     c.  streaming gaunt Spotify
     d.  streaming giant Spotify
5)  There has been a surge in demand for songs ______
     a.  sung in Spanish
     b.  sang in Spanish
     c.  sing in Spanish
     d.  sings in Spanish

6)  A prime example of how English is losing its hegemony is ______
     a.  the word-wide popularity
     b.  the worldwide popularity
     c.  the world wise popularity
     d.  the worldly wide popularity
7)  He sings exclusively in Spanish and was Spotify's most streamed artist ______
     a.  globally on 2025
     b.  globally in 2025
     c.  globally at 2025
     d.  globally of 2025
8)  Spanish artist Rosalia astounded the music world with her ______
     a.  award-winning auburn
     b.  award-winning a burn
     c.  award-winning all balm
     d.  award-winning album
9)  Spotify said three music genres have seen their ______
     a.  chart presence rise
     b.  chart presence arise
     c.  chart presence raise
     d.  chart presence risen
10)  The trend is likely to continue growing ______
     a.  further into 2026
     b.  farther into 2026
     c.  future into 2026
     d.  furrier into 2026

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Since (1) _______________________________________________ rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, music from the USA and UK (2) _______________________________________________ music charts. Both countries have benefited considerably from the (3) _______________________________________________ hit songs with English lyrics. However, the English-language dominance of the music industry is (4) _______________________________________________ songs from non-English-speaking countries. This is according to the music streaming giant Spotify. The company said English-language music was losing its (5) _______________________________________________. There has been a surge in demand for songs sung in Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and other languages. Spotify said the number of non-English songs in the charts (6) _______________________________________________ between 2020 and 2025.

A prime example of how English is losing (7) _______________________________________________ the worldwide popularity of the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny. He sings exclusively in Spanish and was Spotify's most (8) _______________________________________________ in 2025. Meanwhile, Spanish artist Rosalia astounded the music world with her (9) _______________________________________________ "Lux," on which she sings in 13 different languages. Spotify said three music genres have seen their (10) _______________________________________________ 30 per cent or more in the past five years. These are Brazilian Funk, K-pop, and Trap Latino. Their (11) _______________________________________________ 36 per cent, 31 per cent, and 30 per cent respectively. The music website NME said: "The (12) _______________________________________________ to continue growing further into 2026."

Comprehension questions

  1. When does the article say rock 'n' roll started?
  2. What have hit songs with English lyrics given the USA and UK?
  3. What is threatening the English-language dominance of music?
  4. What three languages does the article say are in greater demand?
  5. When did the number of non-English songs in the charts double?
  6. Who was the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2025?
  7. How many languages did the singer Rosalia sing in on her album?
  8. How many genres saw their streams rise by 30% or more in 2025?
  9. By how much did Trap Latino streams rise by in 2025?
  10. What did the NME site say about the non- English-language song trend?

Multiple choice quiz

1)  When does the article say rock 'n' roll started?
a) in the 1940s
b) in the 1950s
c) in the 1920s
d) in the 1960s
2) What have hit songs with English lyrics given the USA and UK?
a) lots of singalong tunes
b) money
c) more English speakers
d) soft power
3) What is threatening the English-language dominance of music?
a) AI
b) Auto-Tune
c) songs from non-English-speaking countries
d) online translation services
4) What three languages does the article say are in greater demand?
a) Spanish, Korean, and Arabic
b) Spanish, French, and Italian
c) Chinese, Korean, and Japanese
d) Arabic, Russian, and Brazilian
5) When did the number of non-English songs in the charts double?
a) before 2020
b) between 2020 and 2025
c) in 2023
d) last year

6) Who was the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2025?
a) Bad Bunny
b) Taylor Swift
c) Billie Eilish
d) Kendrick Lamar
7) How many languages did the singer Rosalia sing in on her album?
a) 11
b) 12
c) 13
d) 14
8) How many genres saw their streams rise by 30% or more in 2025?
a) 3
b) 4
c) 5
d) 6
9) By how much did Trap Latino streams rise by in 2025?
a) by 33%
b) by 32%
c) by 31%
d) by 30%
10) What did the NME site say about the non- English-language song trend?
a) It would slow down.
b) It would explode.
c) It would continue to grow.
d) It would reverse.

Role play

Role  A – Rock 'n' Roll
You think rock 'n' roll is the best music genre. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their genres. Also, tell the others which is the least listenable of these (and why): hip-hop, reggae or classical.

Role  B – Hip-hop
You think hip-hop is the best music genre. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their genres. Also, tell the others which is the least listenable of these (and why): rock 'n' roll, reggae or classical.

Role  C – Reggae
You think reggae is the best music genre. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their genres. Also, tell the others which is the least listenable of these (and why): hip-hop, rock 'n' roll or classical.

Role  D – Classical
You think classical is the best music genre. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their genres. Also, tell the others which is the least listenable of these (and why): hip-hop, reggae or rock 'n' roll.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'song'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'music'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • advent
    • soft
    • under
    • losing
    • surge
    • number
    • example
    • exclusively
    • artist
    • presence
    • increased
    • trend

    Student survey

    Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

    (Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Discussion - Song Lyrics

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'song'?
    3. What do you think of rock 'n' roll?
    4. What is your favourite music genre?
    5. What do you think of songs in English?
    6. Do you think songs in your language are the best in the world?
    7. What songs in English do you really like?
    8. What do you think of streaming?
    9. Do you like listening to songs in different languages?
    10. What song lyrics do you like?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'lyrics'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. Which is more important, a song's lyrics or a good guitar solo?
    5. Have you ever used songs to learn English?
    6. What is your least-liked music genre?
    7. What do you think of Brazilian Funk, K-pop, and Trap Latino?
    8. What will music be like in the future?
    9. Is streaming the best way to listen to music?
    10. What questions would you like to ask your favourite singer?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    Since the (1) ____ of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, music from the USA and UK has dominated global music charts. Both countries have benefited (2) ____ from the "soft power" of (3) ____ songs with English lyrics. However, the English-language dominance of the music industry is under (4) ____ from songs from non-English-speaking countries. This is according to the music streaming giant Spotify. The company said English-language music was losing its long-time (5) ____. There has been a surge in demand for songs sung in Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and other languages. Spotify said the number of non-English songs in the charts more than (6) ____ between 2020 and 2025.

    A (7) ____ example of how English is losing its hegemony is the worldwide popularity of the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny. He sings exclusively in Spanish and was Spotify's most (8) ____ artist globally in 2025. Meanwhile, Spanish artist Rosalia (9) ____ the music world with her award-winning album "Lux," on which she sings in 13 different languages. Spotify said three music genres have seen their chart presence (10) ____ by 30 per cent or more in the past five years. These are Brazilian Funk, K-pop, and Trap Latino. Their streams increased by 36 per cent, 31 per cent, and 30 per cent (11) ____. The music website NME said: "The (12) ____ is likely to continue growing further into 2026."

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     invent     (b)     advent     (c)     convent     (d)     solvent    
    2. (a)     considerate     (b)     considerably     (c)     consider     (d)     consideration    
    3. (a)     lot     (b)     lit     (c)     hot     (d)     hit    
    4. (a)     treat     (b)     threat     (c)     threaten     (d)     thread    
    5. (a)     withhold     (b)     stranglehold     (c)     uphold     (d)     freehold    
    6. (a)     two-fold     (b)     twice     (c)     doubled     (d)     doubly    
    7. (a)     grime     (b)     thyme     (c)     prime     (d)     chime    
    8. (a)     stewed     (b)     steamed     (c)     streamed     (d)     upstream    
    9. (a)     ascended     (b)     atoned     (c)     rebounded     (d)     astounded    
    10. (a)     rise     (b)     arise     (c)     raise     (d)     rising    
    11. (a)     respectively     (b)     introspection     (c)     perspective     (d)     suspect    
    12. (a)     trendy     (b)     trendily     (c)     trend     (d)     trendspotter

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. Since the neadtv of rock 'n' roll
    2. Both countries have benefited ondcesylriba
    3. the English-language mnidcneao
    4. gdrancioc to the music streaming giant
    5. losing its long-time gnsadhrltloe
    6. There has been a ersug in demand

    Paragraph 2

    1. English is losing its eehnyomg
    2. He sings elsyelvicxu in Spanish
    3. Rosalia edotnauds the music world
    4. three music rnsgee
    5. seen their chart psenreec rise
    6. 31 per cent and 30 per cent vtpceylesrei

    Put the text back together

    (    )   A prime example of how English is losing its hegemony is the worldwide popularity of
    (    )   and 30 per cent respectively. The music website NME said: "The trend is likely to continue growing further into 2026."
    (    )   charts. Both countries have benefited considerably from the "soft power" of hit songs with English
    (    )   genres have seen their chart presence rise by 30 per cent or more in the
    (    )   giant Spotify. The company said English-language music was losing its long-time stranglehold. There has been a surge
    (    )   globally in 2025. Meanwhile, Spanish artist Rosalia astounded the music world with her award-
    (    )   in demand for songs sung in Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and other languages. Spotify said the number
    (    )   lyrics. However, the English-language dominance of the music industry is under threat from songs from
    (    )   non-English-speaking countries. This is according to the music streaming
    (    )   of non-English songs in the charts more than doubled between 2020 and 2025.
    (    )   past five years. These are Brazilian Funk, K-pop, and Trap Latino. Their streams increased by 36 per cent, 31 per cent,
    (  1  )   Since the advent of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, music from the USA and UK has dominated global music
    (    )   the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny. He sings exclusively in Spanish and was Spotify's most streamed artist
    (    )   winning album "Lux," on which she sings in 13 different languages. Spotify said three music

    Put the words in the right order

    1. benefited   considerably   Countries   from   have   power   soft   this   .
    2. from   industry   is   music   songs   The   threat   under   .
    3. according   giant   is   music   streaming   the   This   to   .
    4. demand   for   in   in   songs   Spanish   sung   Surges   .
    5. charts   doubled   in   more   Non-English   songs   than   the   .
    6. A   English   example   how   is   losing   of   prime   .
    7. artist   globally   He   most   Spotify's   streamed   was   .
    8. album   astounded   her   music   She   the   with   world   .
    9. chart   genres   have   Music   presence   rise   seen   their   .
    10. continue   further   growing   is   likely   The   to   trend   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Since the invent / advent of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, music from the USA and UK has dominated global music chants / charts. Both countries have benefited considerably from the "softly / soft power" of hit songs with English lyrics / lyricism. However, the English-language dominance of the music industry is under / over threat from songs from non-English-speaking countries. This is according for / to the music streaming giant Spotify. The company said English-language music was loosening / losing its long-time stranglehold. There has been a surge / splurge in demand for songs sung in Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and othered / other languages. Spotify said the number of non-English songs in the charts more than doubled / doublet between 2020 and 2025.

    A prime / prim example of how English is losing its matrimony / hegemony is the worldwide popularity of / to the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny. He sings exclusive / exclusively in Spanish and was Spotify's most streamed artist globally in 2025. Meanwhile, Spanish artist Rosalia astounded the music world with her award-winning album "Lux," at / on which she sings in 13 different languages. Spotify said three music genres have seen their chart presence raise / rise by 30 per cent or more in the past five years. These are Brazilian Funk, K-pop, and Trap Latino. Their steams / streams increased by 36 per cent, 31 per cent, and 30 per cent retrospectively / respectively. The music website NME said: "The trend is liked / likely to continue growing further onto / into 2026."

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    S_nc_  th_  _dv_nt  _f  r_ck  'n'  r_ll  _n  th_  1950s,  m_s_c  fr_m  th_  _S_  _nd  _K  h_s  d_m_n_t_d  gl_b_l  m_s_c  ch_rts.  B_th  c__ntr__s  h_v_  b_n_f_t_d  c_ns_d_r_bly  fr_m  th_  "s_ft  p_w_r"  _f  h_t  s_ngs  w_th  _ngl_sh  lyr_cs.  H_w_v_r,  th_  _ngl_sh-l_ng__g_  d_m_n_nc_  _f  th_  m_s_c  _nd_stry  _s  _nd_r  thr__t  fr_m  s_ngs  fr_m  n_n-_ngl_sh-sp__k_ng  c__ntr__s.  Th_s  _s  _cc_rd_ng  t_  th_  m_s_c  str__m_ng  g__nt  Sp_t_fy.  Th_  c_mp_ny  s__d  _ngl_sh-l_ng__g_  m_s_c  w_s  l_s_ng  _ts  l_ng-t_m_  str_ngl_h_ld.  Th_r_  h_s  b__n  _  s_rg_  _n  d_m_nd  f_r  s_ngs  s_ng  _n  Sp_n_sh,  K_r__n,  _r_b_c,  _nd  _th_r  l_ng__g_s.  Sp_t_fy  s__d  th_  n_mb_r  _f  n_n-_ngl_sh  s_ngs  _n  th_  ch_rts  m_r_  th_n  d__bl_d  b_tw__n  2020  _nd  2025.

    _  pr_m_  _x_mpl_  _f  h_w  _ngl_sh  _s  l_s_ng  _ts  h_g_m_ny  _s  th_  w_rldw_d_  p_p_l_r_ty  _f  th_  P__rt_  R_c_n  s_ng_r  B_d  B_nny.  H_  s_ngs  _xcl_s_v_ly  _n  Sp_n_sh  _nd  w_s  Sp_t_fy's  m_st  str__m_d  _rt_st  gl_b_lly  _n  2025.  M__nwh_l_,  Sp_n_sh  _rt_st  R_s_l__  _st__nd_d  th_  m_s_c  w_rld  w_th  h_r  _w_rd-w_nn_ng  _lb_m  "L_x,"  _n  wh_ch  sh_  s_ngs  _n  13  d_ff_r_nt  l_ng__g_s.  Sp_t_fy  s__d  thr__  m_s_c  g_nr_s  h_v_  s__n  th__r  ch_rt  pr_s_nc_  r_s_  by  30  p_r  c_nt  _r  m_r_  _n  th_  p_st  f_v_  y__rs.  Th_s_  _r_  Br_z_l__n  F_nk,  K-p_p,  _nd  Tr_p  L_t_n_.  Th__r  str__ms  _ncr__s_d  by  36  p_r  c_nt,  31  p_r  c_nt,  _nd  30  p_r  c_nt  r_sp_ct_v_ly.  Th_  m_s_c  w_bs_t_  NM_  s__d:  "Th_  tr_nd  _s  l_k_ly  t_  c_nt_n__  gr_w_ng  f_rth_r  _nt_  2026."

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    since the advent of rock n roll in the 1950s music from the usa and uk has dominated global music charts both countries have benefited considerably from the soft power of hit songs with english lyrics however the englishlanguage dominance of the music industry is under threat from songs from nonenglishspeaking countries this is according to the music streaming giant spotify the company said englishlanguage music was losing its longtime stranglehold there has been a surge in demand for songs sung in spanish korean arabic and other languages spotify said the number of nonenglish songs in the charts more than doubled between 2020 and 2025

    a prime example of how english is losing its hegemony is the worldwide popularity of the puerto rican singer bad bunny he sings exclusively in spanish and was spotifys most streamed artist globally in 2025 meanwhile spanish artist rosalia astounded the music world with her awardwinning album lux on which she sings in 13 different languages spotify said three music genres have seen their chart presence rise by 30 per cent or more in the past five years these are brazilian funk kpop and trap latino their streams increased by 36 per cent 31 per cent and 30 per cent respectively the music website nme said the trend is likely to continue growing further into 2026

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Sincetheadventofrock'n'rollinthe1950s,musicfromtheUSAandUKha
    sdominatedglobalmusiccharts.Bothcountrieshavebenefitedconside
    rablyfromthe"softpower"ofhitsongswithEnglishlyrics.However,theE
    nglish-languagedominanceofthemusicindustryisunderthreatfroms
    ongsfromnon-English-speakingcountries.Thisisaccordingtothemusi
    cstreaminggiantSpotify.ThecompanysaidEnglish-languagemusicwa
    slosingitslong-timestranglehold.Therehasbeenasurgeindemandfors
    ongssunginSpanish,Korean,Arabic,andotherlanguages.Spotifysaidt
    henumberofnon-Englishsongsinthechartsmorethandoubledbetwee
    n2020and2025.AprimeexampleofhowEnglishislosingitshegemonyis
    theworldwidepopularityofthePuertoRicansingerBadBunny.Hesingse
    xclusivelyinSpanishandwasSpotify'smoststreamedartistgloballyin2
    025.Meanwhile,SpanishartistRosaliaastoundedthemusicworldwithh
    eraward-winningalbum"Lux,"onwhichshesingsin13differentlangua
    ges.Spotifysaidthreemusicgenreshaveseentheirchartpresenceriseb
    y30percentormoreinthepastfiveyears.TheseareBrazilianFunk,K-po
    p,andTrapLatino.Theirstreamsincreasedby36percent,31percent,an
    d30percentrespectively.ThemusicwebsiteNMEsaid:"Thetrendislikel
    ytocontinuegrowingfurtherinto2026."

    Free writing

    Write about English-language music for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    The lyrics are the most important part of a song. Discuss.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. SONG LYRICS: Make a poster about song lyrics. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. AI VOCALS: Write a magazine article about record companies using AI to translate vocals into any language. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on song lyrics. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your favourite lyrics. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

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    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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