The English Lesson 13 theme is JULUKA and JOHNNY CLEGG

Part One: Learn English Skills

Read the following text and answer the questions that follow:

The story of the music group Juluka is the story of a wonderful friendship.

Johnny Clegg was a middle-class white boy, living in Johannesburg during the time of Apartheid. He was very interested in music, and at the age of 14 he was given a guitar.

One day Johnny met a Zulu cleaner called Mzila, who taught him how to play guitar.

Soon Johnny was very good at playing Zulu guitar and singing Zulu songs. He learnt the Zulu language and spent most of his time with Zulu labourers. This was very unusual in this time in South Africa, as it was illegal under the system of Apartheid for white and black people to live in the same areas.

Sipho Mchunu, a young Zulu tribesman who was about the same age as Johnny, came to the city to find work. He found work as a gardener in the neighbourhood where Johnny lived. Sipho was also a guitar player. He had made his own guitar from an empty tin and some strings. Sipho heard about the white boy who could play Zulu music. He found Johnny, and they tried playing music together. It worked very well, and soon Sipho and Johnny became great friends.

For a long time they had to play their music secretly, as it was illegal for white and black people to play music together.

Later their music became very popular. It showed South Africans that black and white people could become wonderful friends. It also proved that great things could be achieved when cultures work together. 

Your Turn

1. Which word from the text means reach or attain through effort?
    
2. Why did Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu have to play their music secretly?
    
3. What did Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu teach the people of South Africa?
    
4. Which word means "area to live in".
    
5. Genius Question: What word would you use to describe Sipho's first guitar, that you could also use to describe your mother's baking?

Part Two: Learn English Structure

BORROW and LEND

"Borrow" and "Lend" both refer to having something that belongs to another person for a period of time.

BORROW means to "take" something that belongs to someone else (with his or her permission). It is often used with the preposition "from".

For example:

I have lost my pen. Can I BORROW yours? Peter has all the Juluka albums. I want to BORROW them from him.

LEND means to "give" something that belongs to you to someone else. It is often used with the preposition "to".

For example:

If you need money for the concert, I can LEND you some. I LENT a Juluka cassette to Peter last week and he lost it. 

Your Turn

Complete the sentences with either LEND (LENT) or BORROW (BORROWED)

1. Can I _______ the new Juluka CD from you?
    
2. My friend ______ me a book about Johnny Clegg.
    
3. Can you ______ your car to me, so that I can drive to the Juluka concert?
    
4. Juluka _______ many ideas from traditional Zulu music.

Part Three: Funnies

Q. How many musicians does it take to change a light bulb?

A. "One, two, three; one, two, three."

Q. What's the difference between a trampoline and an accordion?

A. You take off your shoes to jump on the trampoline. 

Part Four: Tongue Twisters

A big bug bit the little beetle but the little beetle bit the big bug back.

Part Five: Links

This is a good official site on the band and Johnny Clegg.

http://www.johnnyclegg.com/

Answers

Answers to Part One

1. achieved
2. During Apartheid it was illegal for white and black people to play music together.
3. South Africans of different races and cultures could become great friends and work together.
4. neighbourhood
5. homemade

Answers to Part Two

1. borrow
2. lent
3. borrow
4. lent