Talent

Conversation & video activity

Discuss these topics with your partners.

Is a star born or made? Is everybody on TV talented? What talents make a person a star or a great performer? Are a few people born to be a great soccer player or a pianist? Can anybody learn a language and speak well? Is everybody able to play sports well? Can you sing in tune? Or do you sing out of tune? Do you know people who can’t dance or dance very badly? Which ability would you most like to have? Are all famous painters or visual artists talented? Do you think that “practice makes perfect”?

Is Talent Enough?  

Mitsuko Uchida* – Video length: 5.54 min.

*Mitsuko Uchida,  born December 20, 1948, is a Japanese naturalized-British classical pianist.

Watch the clip and summarize Mitsuko’s ideas regarding talent.  Complete the notes and answer the questions below.

A) Talent is ...

1.urgency to _________________________________ through (for example) music and nothing else.

You need...

2.a certain amount of __________________.

3. _________________________________.

4. _________________________________.

B)Which of these points can be acquired?

C)Talent is something you are born with.  (True or False?)   

D) What other two things are needed?

E)What does she say about today’s changing world, society, technology, the record companies, people downloading music, not going to concerts, etc?

F)Why do not many people listen to classical music?

G)What does she say about making a living out of music?

Discuss  Mitsuko Uchida’s views on talent.  Do you agree/ disagree with her?     Why?

Answers here!