Lexical area: Tattoo designs and body parts.
Instructions for language assistants in Italics
Classroom materials
Introduction
Tattooing is by no means a new trend as it has been around for more than 5,000 years. However, tattoos are now seen as the ultimate fashion statement amongst many in the UK, amongst the general public as well as celebrities. This lesson looks at the popularity of tattoos. If you are teaching in a country where either tattoos are not at all common, or where they are an embedded part of the culture, be careful how you deal with the topic. You will have to adapt the tasks depending on your individual teaching context.
Task 1 is an adaptation of a classic circle game, picture consequences and will lead you in to talking about tattoos in Task2. Task 3 asks students to match famous celebrities to their tattoos and Task 4 is a reading task from Trend UK about the current tattoo trend in the UK. Task 5 asks students to design a tattoo for somebody of their choice and Task 6 is a parent / child role play based on a tattoo dilemma.
1. Picture consequences
Have a game of picture consequences with your class and make sure you play too. Each student needs a piece of paper and a pencil. Make sure students have their paper in portrait (not landscape) and ask students to draw a hat at the top in the middle. When they have finished they should draw two short lines to show where the head begins and then fold over the paper leaving only the two short lines showing. Students then pass the folded paper to their right and the teacher instructs them to draw a face and neck. Students fold, leaving the two lines of the neck peeping out from the fold. Instruct students to draw the body, to the waist. Fold and pass as before. Then they draw to the knees, then fold and pass, then to the feet. It’s important to tell students not to cheat and peep at the folded part of the body. That will spoil the surprise at the end.
Adapt this traditional game for this topic by putting tattoos on all the characters when it’s your turn to draw. When the game is over and the students unfold the paper and describe their created misfit characters focus on the tattoos you’ve added and ask them if they think this sort of person would have tattoos or not. Use the tattooed misfit people to lead in to the topic.
Task 1 Picture consequences
You are going to play a drawing game with your teacher. Listen carefully to his / her instructions.
2. Tattoo talk
Ask students to discuss the questions in groups, or if you have a small class discuss them all together.
Task 2 Tattoo talk
- Are tattoos popular in your country?
- Do you know anyone who has a tattoo? If so, what is it?
- Do you think it’s dangerous to have a tattoo?
- In the UK you have to be over 18 to have a tattoo. How old do you have to be to have a tattoo in your country?
- Would you like to have a tattoo one day? Why / why not?
- Which famous people do you know that have tattoos?
3. Whose Tattoo?
This is a fun task. Ask students to try and match the tattoos to their owners. There are some clues left in, such as ‘his’ or ‘her’ to help them along. If you could get some pictures of the celebrities it would help and bring the task to life.
Answers
| Celebrity | Tattoo |
| Avril Lavigne | d) A scary sea horse on her arm. |
| David Beckham |
i) Cruxifiction scene on back and his sons’ names. His wife’s name in hindi. |
|
Victoria Beckham |
a) Five stars on her back to symbolise the members of her family. |
| Pink |
j) A bar code on neck, a dragon on thigh, a frog, a shooting star |
|
Mike Tyson |
b) Maori designs on face, Che Guevara on stomach and Mao Zedong on arm. |
|
Angelina Jolie |
f) A tribal dragon on left arm, Thai writing on shoulder and a cross on stomach. |
|
Eminem |
e) A portrait of his daughter on shoulder and her name on arm, ‘slit here’ on wrist and a dedication to his Uncle Ronnie. |
|
50 Cents |
l) Complete coverage of back, arms and shoulders. |
| Britney Spears |
h) A colourful fairy, a daisy chain and a butterfly. |
|
Robbie Williams |
m) A lion on right arm, maori designs on left arm, a French phrase
on collar bone, the musical notes to ‘all you need is love’ on lower
back, ‘I love you mother’ on arms, 2 birds on stomach and many more! |
| Anna Kornikova |
c) Design on lower back. |
|
Kate Moss |
g) A small crown on shoulder. |
| Melanie Griffith | k) Her husband’s name, Antonio, in a heart on her arm. |
Task 3 Whose Tattoo?
How up to date are you with celebrities and their tattoos? Try to match the celebrities with the tattoos!
|
Celebrity |
Tattoo |
| Avril Lavigne |
a) Five stars on her back to symbolise the members of her family. |
|
David Beckham |
b) Maori designs on face, Che Guevara on stomach and Mao Zedong on arm. |
| Victoria Beckham |
c) Design on lower back. |
| Pink |
d) A scary sea horse on her arm. |
|
Mike Tyson |
e) A portrait of his daughter on shoulder and her name on arm, ‘slit here’ on wrist and a dedication to his Uncle Ronnie |
|
Angelina Jolie |
f) A tribal dragon on left arm, Thai writing on shoulder and a cross on stomach. |
| Eminem |
g) A small crown on shoulder.. |
|
50 Cents |
h) A colourful fairy, a daisy chain and a butterfly. |
|
Britney Spears |
i) Cruxifiction scene on back and his sons’ names. His wife’s name in hindi. |
|
Robbie Williams |
j) A bar code on neck, a dragon on thigh, a frog, a shooting star… |
| Anna Kornikova |
k) Her husband’s name, Antonio, in a heart on her arm. |
| Kate Moss |
l) Complete coverage of back, arms and shoulders. |
|
Melanie Griffith |
m) A lion on right arm, maori designs on left arm, a French phrase on collar bone, the musical notes to ‘all you need is love’ on lower back, ‘I love you mother’ on arms, 2 birds on stomach and many more! |
- What do you think the celebrities are trying to say with their choice of tattoos?
- Choose two of the celebrities and explain your interpretation of their tattoos to your group. For example, “I think that David Beckham wants to show everyone that his sons and his wife are the most important people in his life.”
4. Tattooing: Art of the people?
This text is written by the British Council’s Trend UK department. Before reading ask students to discuss the pre-readign questions. Pre-teach the vocabulary you think will be new for your students. When they have read the text, ask students to discuss the post-reading questions.
Task 4 Tattooing: Art of the people?
Before reading the text answer these questions.
- Do you consider tattooing to be ‘the art of the people’?
- In which situations do you think somebody may decide to remove a tattoo?
- What do you think the most popular designs for tattoos in the UK today?
Now, read the text.
|
Tattooing Trends Today Tattooing in 2006 is more popular than ever before, with a large number of British under-35’s sporting skin ink. Japanese and Chinese characters and loved one’s names are among the most popular designs today. A long list of UK celebrities are gaining fame and recognition due to quirky tattoos, some with meaning and others none! Robbie Williams was traditionally decorated by a famous Maori artist, and David Beckham sports his children’s names. An influx of tattooed celebrities have also announced decisions to have partners’ names removed when their relationships turn out to be less permanent. Personal art
Historical reminder ‘I was living in Brazil spending a lot of time wearing bikinis, so having tattoos on your body becomes less important, almost just like wearing jewellery with clothes. I wouldn’t choose the design now but I still like it because it was a present to me from friends and it is permanent reminder of that time of my life, and how much fun it was!’ (Joanna, 24 from Glasgow) ‘At the time it [the tattoo] represented freedom and excitement, a fantastic year in USA… I wouldn’t have any more, in fact I am getting rid of the one I have. I am getting it lasered off. (ouch!!) It’s expensive, very painful and a long process. It will probably take 18 months to get rid of it.’ (Rebecca, 29 from Bristol) Street art Whether it is the most glamorous celebrity, or the likes of you and me, the people of the UK and the world have suffered the pain of the needle for the aesthetic pleasure of their tattoos for generations. No matter what the significance, those who get tattoos are expressing their tastes using their skin as the creative canvas. Love them or loathe them, tattooing is still very much the art of the people. |
Discuss these questions in groups.
- Is Kirstie happy that she had tattoos?
- Do you think that Ian has made a good decision to reflect his hobbies by having a tattoo connected to his interests?
- Do you think Joanna will keep her tattoo forever?
- How do you think Rebecca feels about removing her tattoo?
5. Design a tattoo
Ask your students to design a tattoo in the box. It could be for them or for a famous person to have. This task should follow after task three so that students have lots of ideas of possible tattoo designs. If appropriate to your teaching setting and nobody will be offended, you could ask them to design a tattoo for the headmaster of the school or for local celebrities or politicians.
Task 5 Design a tattoo
You are going to design a tattoo. First of all, decide who it is for. Then draw the tattoo in the box.
My tatttoo is for _______________. I chose this design because ….
6. Tattoo trouble role play
This is a role play for higher levels. Be sure to give students time to get their ideas together and plan what they’re going to say before asking them to perform the task.
Task 6 Tattoo trouble role play
|
A – The parent Your son / daughter has just arrived home with a tattoo on his / her lower neck. You have old fashioned views and believe that tattoos are ridiculous! You can’t believe that your son / daughter has done such a crazy thing without asking your permission. You think that in a few years they will regret having the tattoo and you also think it will destroy their chances of finding work in the future. |
|
B – The son / daughter. You love tattoos and have wanted to have one for a long time. Finally you have done it and you think it is the most amazing tattoo you have ever seen. You are really happy with it. You didn’t ask your parents for permission because you know they hate tattoos. The tattoo is on your lower neck so it will always be visible. (You decide what the design of the tattoo is.) |
Internet links
BBC’s advice on having a tattoo.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/
A list of the top 25 most famous tattooed celebrities.
http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/top_25
By Jo Budden
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| tattoo.pdf | 79.19 KB |
