Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Can you taste music? Can you hear colors? Can you smell numbers? These might seem like crazy questions. But they aren’t crazy for someone who has synesthesia. Synesthesia is an amazing condition. People who have synesthesia perceive things differently with their senses. They might hear a symphony and taste the music in their mouth, for example.
Each person with synesthesia has a different experience. The crossed channels in their senses are not often the same. One person might feel colors as emotions, but another person might smell colors instead. For some people, tapping into their synesthesia is wonderful, but for others, it might be scary. Synesthesia will bring on a different experience for each person who has it.
Marni’s mom has synesthesia, and she enjoys her experience. Listen as Marni tells Romeo how her mom sees music in today’s English lesson.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Marni: I was recently at a classical music concert, the symphony, with my mother. And I noticed, at one point, her eyes were closed. And I was like, “Mom, are you OK?” And she was like, “Oh, yeah. I’m just tapping into my synesthesia.” And I was like, “What are you talking about?”
Romeo: What?!
Marni: Synesthesia. It’s when you perceive things with different senses. So, it’s kind of like crossed channels in your cognitive pathways. She sees music, basically.
Romeo: Hum…
Marni: She sees it as color. So like, different notes, when they were played, would bring on different colors for her.
Romeo: Interesting!
Marni: Yeah!
Romeo: Yeah!
Marni: It’s kind of fascinating, right? I mean…
Romeo: And confusing.
Marni: Well, but it just tells me, like, there’s a deeper meaning to some things. It isn’t just auditory if you listen to music. I mean, you can have a totally different experience with it.
Romeo: So, it’s like when you look at a painting, and people see two totally different things?
Marni: Yeah…
Romeo: It’s kind of like an interpretation, maybe?
Marni: Well, I kind of feel like it’s more than that, though, because I think she’s tapping into something that not everyone can, and so she experiences things on a deeper level. I just find it fascinating. I’d like to know more about it.
Romeo: Yeah, I think I might have to enroll in some type of neuroscience class. That does sound fascinating.
Marni: I’ll take it with you.
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Marni tells Romeo that she went to see the symphony with her mom. During the music, her mom closed her eyes. Marni asked if she was OK. Her mom was just fine, but she said that she was tapping into her synesthesia. Romeo has never heard about synesthesia. Marni explains that, for her mom, it means that she sees different colors when she hears different musical notes.
Marni continues to explain. Synesthesia happens when certain cognitive pathways become mixed up. People who have synesthesia perceive things differently with their senses. Romeo asks if it is similar to interpreting art. However, Marni thinks it’s deeper than that because people with synesthesia don’t choose to have it. It just happens. Romeo is interested in learning more and suggests signing up for a neuroscience class.
Do you know someone with synesthesia? What type of synesthesia is most interesting to you?