The Ethiopian kids learning English via grunge music are back again, and this time they’re covering Nirvana (marble-mouthed frontman and all). Check out the kids covering “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as a tribute to Dave Grohl above.
Previously, the kids took on the words of Pearl Jam with a cover of “Even Flow.” Choosing a song by rock’s reigning king of enunciating like a NASCAR Pit Crew Chief might seem like an odd choice, but the kids’ English teacher Matt Westerberg explained how the odd lesson came about.
Westerberg teaches ninth grade English, because knowing the language is a requirement for Ethiopian children to get into local universities. He says that he wrote the chorus to “Even Flow” on the board one day as a joke, but the students loved learning the words.
“They demanded to try it again,” he said in an interview with Alternative Nation. “At first, it was all just a joke, but, after awhile, the students began to really build confidence through learning the song. Kids that were shy and quiet all year were suddenly more confident speaking up in class and loved participating in the song.”
At this rate, the kids will run through the history of grunge, quitting sometime in February after being forced to confront Bush.
