Here is a fun video that is a great reminder of the English alphabet and also a number of country names in the English language.
This is a children’s song by the group They Might Be Giants (TMBG). TMBG is an American alternative rock band that formed in the 1980’s. They are known for their unconventional, experimental, and sometimes odd songs. They started producing alternative rock songs in the 1980’s and 90’s, finding some success at that time. Then like all of us do, the band members grew older and started having families. That is when the band became known for their children’s songs. They even won a Grammy Award* in 2002 for their children’s song Boss of Me. Then the band won another “Grammy” in 2009 for their album Here Come the 123s. I don’t have children, but I do have young nephews and I know how much they love the many songs of They Might Be Giants. The songs are very catchy**, after hearing one of the songs you might find yourself singing it all day.
As I said, this music video is a song that goes through the English alphabet by naming countries that begin with each letter of the alphabet. As always in English alphabet the poor letter X is often left out because so few words in English start with X. Notice what the group did to fill in the gap – this often gets a laugh out of my young nephews. Listen and try to figure out as many of the country names as you can on your own. This is a great way to practice your aural skills. I have the countries listed below the video for you too, so you can check that you heard them correctly. If you really end up loving this song, you can hear many more like it on the band’s CD entitled Here Come the ABCs. Enjoy!
Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominica, Egypt, France, The Gambia, Hungary, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Libya, and Mongolia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Suriname, Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam, West Xylophone, Yemen, Zimbabwe
* A Grammy Award, originally called a Gramphone Award, is a prize given by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States recognizing outstanding achievement in the music industry.
** instantly appealing and memorable
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Hi there! I am one of Transparent Language's ESL bloggers. I am a 32-year-old native English speaker who was born and raised in the United States. I am living in Washington, DC now, but I have lived all over the US and also spent many years living and working abroad.
I started teaching English as a second language in 2005 after completing a Master's in Applied Linguists and a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults' (CELTA). Since that time I have taught ESL in the United States at the community college and university level. I have also gone on to pursue my doctorate in psychology and now I also teach courses in psychology.
I like to stay connected to ESL learners around the world through Transparent Languages ESL Blog. Please ask questions and leave comments on the blog and I will be sure to answer them.
