Watch Ethiopian Kids Learn English Thanks to a Pearl Jam Song
Sometimes teachers need to expand beyond simple textbook learning techniques to grab the interest of students. Take for instance Matt Westerberg, a Peace Corps teacher in Northern Ethiopia who is responsible for bringing English to students.
An admitted fan of ’90s rock music, Westerberg jokingly wrote the chorus line to Pearl Jam‘s “Even Flow” on his classroom’s chalkboard. After initially thinking “it would be funny to have the kids try and learn it,” Westerberg soon realized that his students were really into it. Eventually, going through “Even Flow” became a daily event and Westerberg saw the exercise become “a motivational tool.”
“At first it was all just a joke, but after a while, the students began to really build confidence through learning the song,” Westerberg told Alternative Nation. “Kids that were shy and quiet all year were suddenly more confident speaking up in class and loved participating in the song.”
Amazed by this, Westerberg began filming the children as they recited “Even Flow” lyrics. Subsequently, a friend of his saw the footage and helped create the video you’ll find below.
“We showed the kids the video and they loved it and the idea of sharing it,” offered Westerberg.
Westerberg added that his students now demand to be taught new songs. Thus far, they’ve also worked on Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge.”
“Grunge is so far from anything they normally listen to in Ethiopia,” concluded Westerberg. “However, they love the energy of it and a few students really like the style. For the upcoming school year, we plan on doing it again. My friends and I here are huge Dave Grohl fans, and we plan on using a Foo Fighters song as the next school project to practice English. Probably will finish and post it on Dave Grohl’s birthday this January.”
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