Grade 9 and 11 Western Academy of Beijing students became Chinese lyricists for a day, working with singer, songwriter and music critic Yuchi Xie in Beijing.

As part of a lesson on poetry focused on creativity, self-expression and theme, the students listened to a song that inspired Yuchi, Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and discussed the significance of the song and interpretations of the words.

Then they applied the lessons they learned to their own lives. They held conversation about topics that interested, bothered or somehow affected their lives, like relationships or war in today's world. They then wrote their own lyrics to the tune of Dylan's song and performed them in front of the class.

The lesson helped students express their worldviews through creativity and song, using literary techniques and poetry to convey a message in Chinese.

To learn more about WAB's language programs, visit this dedicated page on our website.