LESSON PLAN

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Lesson plan

Level B1

Mariachi Meets Modern: The Musical Journey of Ángel Ortiz

Lesson overview

Ángel Ortiz, a mariachi musician, began his journey at 15, blending traditional sounds with contemporary influences like video game music.

Reading text

READING TEXT

Ángel Ortiz started his music journey when he was 15 years old. He recorded his own music on his computer. He wanted to share his creations. At that time, social media was new in Mexico. Now, Ortiz uses social media a lot. He is a well-known figure in the mariachi music world. He pushes the limits of mariachi music in new ways.

As a young boy, Ortiz loved the mariachi music of his family. He grew up in a home where mariachi was important. It was a family tradition. Grandfathers teach their sons, and sons teach their children. Ortiz learned to appreciate music from a young age.

When he was seven or eight, he took music theory and singing lessons. He learned to play the violin by age twelve. Soon after, he performed at events with his father and brothers. He started with about ten songs.

Ortiz wanted to change the traditional mariachi music. He saw that the mariachi community can be resistant to change. Many people love classic songs like 'El Rey' and 'Cielito Lindo.' Ortiz decided to mix traditional music with new sounds. He experimented with music from video games and anime.

His big break came four years ago. He saw a video of Adele's music on YouTube. He thought, 'How cool would it be to hear Adele with mariachi music?' This idea inspired him to create a video. The video became popular quickly. Fans asked him to make more videos, like the Zelda theme.

As his popularity grew, Ortiz gained many followers on social media. He has over 300,000 followers on TikTok and 100,000 on Facebook. He records his music in a small studio in Texcoco. He started to earn some money from his videos. He said, 'It helps me to keep going.'

His family has supported him a lot. At first, they were unsure about his choices. But as he became popular, they felt proud. His wife and brothers help him with his social media.

Being a musician is not easy. Ortiz plays in three mariachi groups. Sometimes, he has no free time. He had to take a break recently because of a health issue. He knows that balancing everything is hard.

Ortiz loves his music. He wants to keep creating new things while respecting tradition. He understands that some people in the community do not like change. But he believes that good quality music can mix old and new styles. He plays traditional songs, but he also includes new ideas in his performances. He wants mariachi music to grow and change in the future. Ortiz's story shows how creativity and family support can help artists succeed.

Discussion prompts

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

  • 1. What do you think about mixing traditional music with modern sounds?
  • 2. How important is family support in pursuing a career?
  • 3. What challenges do musicians face in the digital age?
  • 4. Can you think of other artists who mix different music styles?
  • 5. How does social media help artists today?

Key vocabulary

Match each numbered word with the correct lettered definition.

Words

  • 1. journey
  • 2. create
  • 3. support
  • 4. traditional
  • 5. innovate
  • 6. audience
  • 7. perform
  • 8. experiment

Definitions

  • a. to introduce new ideas or methods
  • b. to make something new
  • c. to present a play, concert, or other entertainment
  • d. a process of personal change and development
  • e. to help someone or something
  • f. the group of people who watch or listen to a performance
  • g. to try new ideas or methods
  • h. related to customs or beliefs that have existed for a long time

MULTIPLE CHOICE

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Question 1

At what age did Ángel Ortiz start making music?

  • a) A) 10
  • b) B) 12
  • c) C) 15
  • d) D) 20

TRUE / FALSE

TRUE / FALSE QUESTIONS

Question 1

Did Ortiz grow up in a family that loved mariachi music?

  • True
  • False
Question 2

Ortiz's family was unsure about his choices at first.

  • True
  • False
Question 3

Does Ortiz believe that good quality music can mix old and new styles?

  • True
  • False
Question 4

Did Ortiz's followers encourage him to make more videos?

  • True
  • False
Question 5

Is Ortiz's music career easy and without challenges?

  • True
  • False

SHORT ANSWER

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question 1

What instrument did Ortiz learn to play?

Question 2

What did Ortiz mix with traditional mariachi music?

Question 3

How many followers does Ortiz have on TikTok?

Question 4

What health issue did Ortiz face recently?

Question 5

What is one song Ortiz plays in his performances?

Question 6

What does Ortiz want for the future of mariachi music?

Question 7

Ortiz has a small studio in which city?

Question 8

What did Ortiz do when he first began recording music?

Question 9

What does Ortiz think about the mariachi community?

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

GRAMMAR

Grammar Point: Present Perfect Simple vs. Continuous

Why this point appears in the article: The article discusses Ángel Ortiz's ongoing journey in music and his experiences, which often require the use of the present perfect tense to express actions that started in the past and continue to the present. What learners need to understand: The present perfect simple is used for actions that have been completed at some point before now, while the present perfect continuous emphasizes the duration of an action that started in the past and is still ongoing. Common errors include confusing the two forms, especially when the focus is on the action's completion versus its duration.

Exercises:

Fill in the blank
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses. Use either the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous.

  1. Ángel Ortiz __________ (record) his music for many years.
  2. He __________ (gain) many followers on social media recently.

Error correction
Find and correct the mistake in the following sentences.
3. Ortiz has been record his music on his computer since he was 15 years old.
4. He has gained many followers on social media last year.

Sentence transformation
Rewrite the sentences using the present perfect continuous.
5. Ángel Ortiz has created many videos. → Ángel Ortiz __________ (create) many videos.
6. He has performed at events with his father and brothers. → He __________ (perform) at events with his father and brothers.

Fill in the blank open
Write your own sentence using the present perfect simple or continuous about a musician you like.
7. I __________ (listen) to their music for a long time.

Answer key

KEY VOCABULARY

  • 1. journey → d
  • 2. create → b
  • 3. support → e
  • 4. traditional → h
  • 5. innovate → a
  • 6. audience → f
  • 7. perform → c
  • 8. experiment → g

MULTIPLE CHOICE

  • 1. C) 15

TRUE / FALSE

  • 1. True
  • 2. True
  • 3. True
  • 4. True
  • 5. False

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

  • 1. Violin
  • 2. Sounds from video games and anime
  • 3. Over 300,000
  • 4. A mild respiratory condition
  • 5. Traditional mariachi songs
  • 6. To evolve and adapt
  • 7. Texcoco
  • 8. He intended to share his recordings.
  • 9. It can be traditional and resistant to change.

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Answer Key:

  1. has been recording — The present perfect continuous is used here to emphasize the ongoing nature of his recording activity.
  2. has gained — The present perfect simple is appropriate because it indicates a completed action with relevance to the present.
  3. has been recording — The correct form is the present perfect continuous; "record" should be in the gerund form.
  4. has gained — The sentence should use the present perfect simple; "last year" indicates a specific time, which is not compatible with the present perfect.
  5. has been creating — This emphasizes the ongoing action of creating videos.
  6. has been performing — This highlights the continuous aspect of his performances over time.
  7. (Learners’ responses will vary, but they should correctly use the present perfect form.)

Grammar Point: Reported Statements (Tense Backshift)

Why this point appears in the article: The article includes direct quotes from Ángel Ortiz, which can be transformed into reported speech, requiring students to understand tense backshift. What learners need to understand: When reporting speech, the tense usually shifts back one step in time (e.g., present simple becomes past simple). Common errors include failing to change the tense or incorrectly changing it when the reporting verb is in the present.

Exercises:

Fill in the blank
Change the direct speech into reported speech.

  1. Ángel Ortiz said, "I want to keep creating new things." → Ángel Ortiz said that he __________ (want) to keep creating new things.
  2. He said, "My family supports me a lot." → He said that his family __________ (support) him a lot.

Error correction
Correct the mistakes in the following reported speech.
3. Ortiz said that he wants to mix traditional music with new sounds.
4. He told his followers that he has over 300,000 followers on TikTok.

Sentence transformation
Transform the following direct quotes into reported speech.
5. "I love mariachi music," Ortiz said. → Ortiz said that he __________ (love) mariachi music.
6. "I have performed at many events," he stated. → He stated that he __________ (perform) at many events.

Matching
Match the direct speech with the correct reported speech.
7. "I started my music journey at 15."
a. He said that he started his music journey at 15.
8. "I recorded my music on my computer."
b. He said that he records his music on his computer.

Answer Key:

  1. wanted — The present tense "want" shifts to the past tense "wanted" in reported speech.
  2. supported — The present tense "supports" changes to "supported" to reflect the past in reported speech.
  3. wants → wanted — The tense should shift back to past when reporting.
  4. has → had — The present perfect "has" should change to past perfect "had" in reported speech.
  5. loved — The present tense "love" changes to past tense "loved" in reported speech.
  6. had performed — The present perfect "have performed" shifts to past perfect "had performed."
  7. a — The correct transformation of the direct speech into reported speech.
  8. b — The correct transformation of the direct speech into reported speech.

Grammar Point: Used to (Past Habit & State)

Why this point appears in the article: The article mentions Ángel Ortiz's early experiences with music, which can be expressed using "used to" to indicate past habits or states. What learners need to understand: "Used to" is used to describe actions or states that were true in the past but are no longer true. Common errors include confusing "used to" with the simple past tense or using it incorrectly in negative forms.

Exercises:

Fill in the blank
Complete the sentences using "used to" and the verb in parentheses.

  1. Ortiz __________ (love) mariachi music as a child.
  2. He __________ (take) music lessons when he was younger.

Error correction
Identify and correct the mistakes in the following sentences.
3. He use to play the violin by age twelve.
4. Ortiz didn’t used to like social media at first.

Sentence transformation
Rewrite the sentences using "used to."
5. Ortiz played music with his family when he was young. → Ortiz __________ (play) music with his family when he was young.
6. He performed at events with his father and brothers. → He __________ (perform) at events with his father and brothers.

Jumbled sentence reordering
Reorder the words to make a correct sentence using "used to."
7. family / important / was / mariachi / Ortiz's / music / in / his.
8. when / he / music / young / to / used / play / he.

Answer Key:

  1. used to love — "Used to" indicates a past habit or state that is no longer true.
  2. used to take — This shows a past habit of taking music lessons.
  3. used — The correct form is "used" to indicate a past habit.
  4. didn’t use — The correct negative form is "didn't use" without "to."
  5. used to play — This indicates that playing music with his family was a past habit.
  6. used to perform — This indicates that performing at events was a past habit.
  7. Ortiz's family used to be important in mariachi music. — The correct order forms a meaningful sentence.
  8. He used to play music when he was young. — The correct order forms a meaningful sentence.

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