Dolly Parton: An American Legacy
Introduction
Why this sequence? Dolly Parton (1946-2026) was born in a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and became one of the most famous artists in the world: a singer, a songwriter, an actress, a businesswoman and a generous donor. She was also the godmother of Miley Cyrus. This sequence is a portrait of Dolly, and the idea of heritage runs through it: what did she pass on, and what is only a rumour?
Key question. What makes Dolly Parton an icon, and what did she pass on?
Programme. BO spécial n°5 du 11 avril 2019, langues vivantes CAP et bac pro : personnages historiques et personnalités célèbres ; grandes œuvres célèbres ; conditions de travail ; formes d'engagement humanitaire et citoyen ; médias, réseaux sociaux et internet.
Levels. Bac pro (2de, 1re, Tle), all pathways. Three tiers in every session: Entry guided B1, Core B1, Stretch B1+.
Organisation. Nine sessions of 55 minutes. Each session opens with a marked recap, starts from what you need to say, then the teacher's grammar point, exercises from recognition to your own production, a Passing the torch box, a Stretch section and Homework. Answer keys are hidden until you click.
Final task. Backstage at the tribute concert: present Dolly, play a backstage scene and check a rumour. Summative assessment in session 9.
Also available. A dys version, a CFA pathway for hairdressing and beauty apprentices and a dresser card for couture pathways.
Real facts only. Dolly Parton died on 25 August 2026, so we talk about her life in the past. Every fact is checked and listed on the sources page. One famous claim is not verified: it is studied as a rumour in session 7.
Overview
| Session | Key question | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| 1. An icon in colour: Warhol's Dolly | What makes a portrait an icon? | Present simple and present continuous, look / look like, comparatives |
| 2. Rags to rhinestones | How did a poor girl from the mountains build her famous look? | Past simple, used to, order of adjectives |
| 3. Backstage: three role-plays | How do you ask, suggest and disagree politely at work? | Requests, offers and suggestions: Could you, Would you like me to, What about |
| 4. 9 to 5: working women | What is fair and unfair at work? | Present simple and frequency adverbs; have to, must, don't have to, should |
| 5. Dollywood: a business and an employer | How did a theme park change a region? | Past simple and present perfect, since and for, big numbers |
| 6. Aunt Dolly: passing the torch to Miley | What did Dolly pass on to her goddaughter? | Reported speech: say, tell, ask |
| 7. True or Tale? The inheritance rumour | Did Dolly really leave everything to Miley? | Modals of deduction: must, might, can't; There is no evidence that |
| 8. Dolly's legacy | What did Dolly leave to the world? | Purpose: to, in order to, so that; present passive; will |
| 9. Final task and summative assessment | Can you present Dolly, play a backstage scene and check a rumour? | Review of the sequence |
The poster
Andy Warhol (1928-1987), the pop art painter, made several portraits of Dolly Parton in 1985 (acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen, 106.7 × 106.7 cm). One of them is in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; another one is at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The image above is the poster of the Andy Warhol retrospective at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne (1989-1990). The work is protected by copyright and is shown here as a one-off exception.