-Literature in the Language Classroom J.collie S.slater (1)

7/27/2019 -Literature in the Language Classroom J.collie S.slater (1)

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Joanne Collie – Stephen Slater

LITERATURE IN THE L ANGUAGE CLASSROOM

A resource book of ideas and activities1

{iii}Contents2

Page references to worksheets and figures v

Acknowledgements vi

Introduction 1

PART A AIMS AND

OBJ ECTIVES .

Reasons for including literature in the language classroom; an outline of our

approach; and some answers to general queries that teachers might have.

1 Teaching literature: why, what and how 3

2 In the classroom 11

PART B PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES IN

OUTLINE .

A resource ank of activities from which a teacher can choose and which can e

applied at different stages when using literar! works. "n most cases# an illustration is

given with the outline# from a range of novels# short stories# pla!s or poems. $Readers

can find descriptions of these works in Appendi% &.' Alternativel!# readers are given a

reference to the e%ample in Part (.

3 First encounters 1)

4 Maintaining momentum 3)

5 E!loiting highlights *+

" Endings +,

{iv}PART C WORKING WITH A COMPLETE

TEXT .

1 (amridge -niversit! Press# (amridge# 1,+ "/0 2 *&1 31&& & 4he page numers are the same as in the ook 5 in the te%t !ou can find them in rackets {}

1



Particular works from four genres are e%amined in greater detail to show how the

activities outlined in Part 0 can e adapted. 4he novel chapter# on Lord of the Flies#

contains the most thorough arra! of activities# and readers might prefer to start with

this section.

# $ no%el: &ord o' the Flies (y )illiam *olding ,3

+ lays 1)3

- .hort stories 1,)

1/ oems &&)

$!!endi 1 )ith eaminations in mind &+

A few hints and a simulation to help teachers prepare their students for e%aminations.

$!!endi 2 $ resource (an0 o' titles &*)

6uller details of works mentioned in the main od! of the ook and suggestions for

further reading.

.elect (i(liogra!hy &)3

"nde% &)

{v}age re'erences to wor0sheets and 'igures

Worksheets

7orksheet 1 p. &27orksheet &A p. &&

7orksheet &0 p. &&7orksheet 3 p. &)

7orksheet A p. 3,7orksheet 0 p. 2

7orksheet * p. &7orksheet ) p.

7orksheet + p. *

7orksheet p. 7orksheet , p. ,7orksheet 12 p. )2

7orksheet 11 p. +17orksheet 1& p. +

7orksheet 13 p. 3

7orksheet 1 p. ,)7orksheet 1* p. ,+

7orksheet 1) p. ,

7orksheet 1+ p. ,,7orksheet 1 p. ,,

7orksheet 1, p. 1227orksheet &2 p. 12

7orksheet &1 p. 12)7orksheet && p. 111

7orksheet &3 p. 1137orksheet & p. 11

7orksheet &* p. 1&17orksheet &) p. 1&&

7orksheet &+ p. 1&*7orksheet & p. 132

7orksheet &, p. 1337orksheet 32 p. 13

7orksheet 31A p. 13*

7orksheet 310 p. 13)7orksheet 3& p. 137orksheet 33 p. 13,

7orksheet 3 p. 117orksheet 3* p. 1

7orksheet 3) p. 1+

7orksheet 3+ p. 17orksheet 3 p. 1*&

7orksheet 3, p. 1*

7orksheet 2 p. 1*7orksheet 1 p. 1)2

7orksheet & p. 1+27orksheet 3 p. 1+&

7orksheet p. 1+37orksheet * p. 1+

&



7orksheet ) p. 1+*7orksheet + p. 1++

7orksheet p. 1+,7orksheet , p. 12

7orksheet *2 p. 1&7orksheet *1 p. 1

7orksheet *& p. 1,7orksheet *3A p. 1,&

7orksheet *30 p. 1,37orksheet * p. 1,

7orksheet ** p. 1,,7orksheet *) p. &2&

7orksheet *+ p. &23

7orksheet * p. &2*7orksheet *, p. &2)

7orksheet )2 p. &27orksheet )1A p. &12

7orksheet )10 p. &117orksheet )& p. &13

7orksheet )3 p. &1)7orksheet ) p. &1,

7orksheet )* p. &&37orksheet )) p. &&

7orksheet )+ p. &3)7orksheet ) p. &3,

7orksheet ), p. &2

Figures

6igure 1 p. 1+

6igure & p. &

6igure 3 p. &*6igure p. )&

6igure * p. )6igure ) p. )*

6igure + p. 2

6igure p. &6igure ,A p. 121

6igure ,0 p. 12&6igure 12 p. 12+

6igure 11A p. 11+6igure 110 p. 11

6igure 11( p. 11,

6igure 1& p. 13&

6igure 13 p. 13

6igure 1 p. 1*6igure 1* p. 1)&

6igure 1) p. 1)+6igure 1+ p. 1),

6igure 1 p. 1*

6igure 1, p. 1,6igure &2 p. &1&

6igure &1A p. &&16igure &10 p. &&&

6igure &&A p. &16igure &&0 p. &1

6igure &&( p. &&

{vi} Acknowledgements

7e should like to thank 8ichael /wan for his continued advice and guidance#

0arara 4homas and Annemarie 9oung for their editorial help# and Peter :ucker who

designed the ook.

7e acknowledge with gratitude the students who have helped us e%plore these ideas

and techniques and who have allowed us to reproduce their work in this ook.

4he authors and pulishers are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce material

<amish <amilton for the cover of When The Wind Blows on p. 1+; 7illiam <einemann =td and >iking

Penguin "nc.# ew 9ork for the e%tracts from The Talented Mr Ripley ! Patricia <ighsmith on pp. &2

and )2; 8ichael ?oseph =td# Penguin 0ooks =td and Alfred A. @nopf "nc. for the e%tracts from 4hesound machineB in Someone Like You ! Roald :ahl on p. &; 8ethuen# =ondon for the e%tracts from

The Applicant ! <arold Pinter on pp. &, and 32; ?onathan (ape =td for the e%tract on p. 31 from The

Magus ! ?ohn 6owles. Revised edition and 6oreword cop!right C 1,++ ! ?ohn 6owles =td. 0!

permission of =ittle# 0rown and (ompan!; 4he 0odle! <ead =td# =ondon and /imon and /chuster "nc.of ew 9ork for the e%tract from The uman Factor ! Draham Dreene on p. 3&; 8rs /park and

<arold Eer Associates "nc.# ew 9ork for the e%tract from The Mandel!aum "ate ! 8uriel /parkon p. 3&; Radio Times for the e%tract on p. )3; 4he /ociet! of Authors on ehalf of the 0ernard /haw

Fstate for the e%tract from #ygmalion on p. ),; ?ohn <arve! and /ons =td for the illustrations on pp.&&1 and &&&; :avid <igham Associates =td for the te%t of 4he @ing of (hinaBs daughterB ! Fdith

/itwell on pp. &32G1; 8! PapaBs 7altHB ! 4heodore Roethke on pp. &3&G3 is reprinted ! permissionof 6aer and 6aer =td from The $ollected #oems of Theodore Roethke and ! permission of

:ouleda! and (o. "nc.# ew 9ork C 1,& <earst 8agaHines "nc.; 4elephone conversationB ! 7ole

/o!inka on pp. &3*G) first appeared in Reflections pulished ! African -niversities Press; E%ford-niversit! Press for the te%t of 4he couple upstairsB on p. &2# C E-P 1,+2# reprinted from Sugar

%addy ! <ugo 7illiams $1,+2'; =aurence Pollinger =td# the estate of 8rs 6rieda =awrence Ravagli

3



and >iking Penguin "nc.# ew 9ork for the te%t of 4o women# as far as "Bm concernedB ! :.<.=awrence on p. &&; ?onathan (ape =td and A. :. Peters and (o. =td for the te%t of 9ou and "B !

Roger 8cDough on p. &).

4he photograph on p. )* and photograph 1 on p. 1, were taken ! igel =uckhurst and photographs&# 3 and on p. 1, are reproduced ! permission of 0arna!Bs Picture =irar!.

4he photographs of /aki on p. &* were taken from Saki& A Life of ector ugo Munro ! A. ?.=angguth# pulished ! <amish <amilton and Penguin 0ooks =td. 7e have een unale to trace the

cop!right owners of the photographs and would welcome information.

{1}Introducton

A corridor outside a classroom. A language teacher spots an intermediate student

propped up against a wall# his head in a ook.

7hat are !ou reading# AlfredoI Eh# Animal Farm. 7hat do !ou think of itIB

"tBs good. "Bm enJo!ing it# though itBs difficult for me. 0ut !ou know# " Just need to

read something more interesting than the te%took and " heard of this ook in m!

countr!. 7ould !ou have a moment to help me with these parts "Bve underlinedIBAnother corridor# another time. A language teacher# Just leaving the classroom# is

stopped ! a student

(ould !ou recommend a novel that " might read to improve m! FnglishI " need

more vocaular! and reading helps a lot.B

8m# well# what sort of ooks do !ou like# 8artineIB

"nside a classroom# another time again. A language teacher is asking the studentsB

opinion

/everal students have suggested that we read a novel together. "Bm happ! to devote

one of our hours each week to doing that# if the maJorit! of !ou want it. 7hat do !ou

sa!IB

A chorus of replies9es# that would e interesting. 7hat aout =ord of the 6liesI "Bve alwa!s wanted to

tr! it in Fnglish.B

Eh no# novels are much too difficult. " alwa!s have to look up so man! wordsKB

0ut then at least !ou can feel !ouBve reall! done something.B

ovels are so long. ?ust imagine# the same ook# week after week# all term. 0oring.

<ow aout some short storiesIB

" donBt like novels. " want to learn to speak Fnglish# not Just read it.B

4he germ for this ook sprang from man! conversations like these over the !ears with

speakers of other languages who were stud!ing Fnglish. 4hinking aout them# we

came to the conclusion that our classroom was something of a microcosm of theFnglish language teaching world generall!# reflecting a time when there is much

questioning of the relationship etween the stud! of language and literature.

/hould we e teaching literature in the foreign language classroom at a preG

universit! level# or notI 4his is a question which is certainl! in the {&}forefront of

deate toda!# !et it remains controversial and the attitude of man! teachers

amivalent. ot so man! !ears ago# there seemed to e a decisive swing against

literature in Fnglish as a foreign language. 4he emphasis in modern linguistics on the

primac! of the spoken language made man! distrust what was seen as essentiall! a

written# cr!stallised form. =iterature was thought of as emod!ing a static# convoluted

kind of language# far removed from the utterances of dail! communication. 0ecause

of this it was sometimes tarred with an elitistB rush and reserved for the mostadvanced level of stud!. Fven at that level# the need for an arsenal of critical terms#





something aout fundamental human issues# and which is enduring rather than

ephemeral. "ts relevance moves with the passing of time# ut seldom disappears

completel! the /hakespearean pla!s whose endings were rewritten to conform to late

seventeenthGcentur! taste# and which were later staged to give ma%imum prominence

to their Romantic hero figures# are now e%plored for their ps!choanal!tic or

dialectical import. "n this wa!# though its meaning does not remain static# a literar!work can transcend oth time and culture to speak directl! to a reader in another

countr! or a different period of histor!.

=iterature is authenticB material. 0! that we simpl! mean that most works of

literature are not fashioned for the specific purpose of teaching a language. Recent

course materials have quite rightl! incorporated man! authenticB samples of language

5 for e%ample# travel timetales# cit! plans# forms# pamphlets# cartoons#

advertisements# newspaper or magaHine articles. =earners are thus e%posed to

language that is as genuine and undistorted as can e managed in the classroom

conte%t. {}=iterature is a valuale complement to such materials# especiall! once the

initial survivalB level has een passed. "n reading literar! te%ts# students have also to

cope with language intended for native speakers and thus the! gain additionalfamiliarit! with man! different linguistic uses# forms and conventions of the written

mode with iron!# e%position# argument# narration# and so on. And# although it ma!

not e confined within a specific social network in the same wa! that a us ticket or

an advertisement might e# literature can none the less incorporate a great deal of

cultural information.

(-=4-RA= FR"(<8F4

6or man! language learners# the ideal wa! to deepen their understanding of life in the

countr! where that language is spoken 5 a visit or an e%tended sta! 5 is Just not

possile. /ome ma! start learning a language knowing that the! are unlikel! ever to

set foot in an area where it is spoken ! the maJorit! of inhaitants. 6or all such

learners# more indirect routes to this form of understanding must e adopted so that

the! gain an understanding of the wa! of life of the countr! radio programmes# films

or videos# newspapers# and# last ut not least# literar! works. "t is true of course that

the worldB of a novel# pla!# or short stor! is a created one# !et it offers a full and

vivid conte%t in which characters from man! social ackgrounds can e depicted. A

reader can discover their thoughts# feelings# customs# possessions; what the! u!#

elieve in# fear# enJo!; how the! speak and ehave ehind closed doors. 4his vivid

imagined world can quickl! give the foreign reader a feel for the codes and

preoccupations that structure a real societ!. Reading the literature of a historical

period is# after all# one of the wa!s we have to help us imagine what life was like inthat other foreign territor! our own countr!Bs past. =iterature is perhaps est seen as a

complement to other materials used to increase the foreign learnerBs insight into the

countr! whose language is eing learnt.

=AD-ADF FR"(<8F4

7e have said that reading literar! works e%poses the student to man! functions of the

written language# ut what aout other linguistic advantagesI =anguage enrichment is

one enefit often sought through literature. 7hile there is little dout that e%tensive

reading increases a learnerBs receptive vocaular! and facilitates transfer to a more

active form of knowledge# it is sometimes oJected that literature does not give

learners the kind of vocaular! the! reall! need. "t ma! e authenticB in the sensealread! mentioned# ut the language of literar! works is# on the whole# not t!pical of

)



the language of dail! life# nor is it like the language used in learnersB te%tooks. 7e

would not wish students to think that FliHaeth 0arrett 0rowningBs <ow do " love

theeIB is the kind of utterance normall! whispered into a loverBs ear nowada!sK 4he

oJection to literature on the {*} grounds of le%ical appropriac! thus has some

validit!# ut it need not e an overriding one if teachers make a Judicious choice of the

te%t to e read# considering it as a counterpoise and supplement to other materials.En the positive side# literature provides a rich conte%t in which individual le%ical or

s!ntactical items are made more memorale. Reading a sustantial and conte%tualised

od! of te%t# students gain familiarit! with man! features of the written language 5

the formation and function of sentences# the variet! of possile structures# the

different wa!s of connecting ideas 5 which roaden and enrich their own writing

skills. 4he e%tensive reading required in tackling a novel or long pla! develops the

studentsB ailit! to make inferences from linguistic clues# and to deduce weaning from

conte%t# oth useful tools in reading other sorts of material as well. As we shall

suggest through man! activities in this ook# a literar! te%t can serve as an e%cellent

prompt for oral work. "n all these wa!s# a student working with literature is helped

with the asic skills of language learning. 8oreover# literature helps e%tend theintermediate or advanced learnerBs awareness of the range of language itself. =iterar!

language is not alwa!s that of dail! communication# as we have mentioned# ut it is

special in its wa!. "t is heightened sometimes elaorate# sometimes marvellousl!

simple !et# somehow# asolutel! rightB. 4he compressed qualit! of much literar!

language produces une%pected densit! of meaning. 6igurative language !okes levels

of e%perience that were previousl! distinct# casting new light on familiar sensations

and opening up new dimensions of perception in a wa! that can e e%hilarating ut

also startling and even unsettling.

6or these features of literar! language to e appreciated# a considerale effort is

required on the part of the reader who is tackling the te%t in a foreign language. 0ut

with wellGchosen works# the investment of effort can e immensel! rewarding# the

resulting sense of achievement highl! satisf!ing. At a productive level# students of

literature will# we hope# ecome more creative and adventurous as the! egin to

appreciate the richness and variet! of the language the! are tr!ing to master and egin

to use some of that potential themselves.

PFR/EA= ">E=>F8F4

Aove all# literature can e helpful in the language learning process ecause of the

personal involvement it fosters in readers. (ore language teaching materials must

concentrate on how a language operates oth as a ruleGased s!stem and as a socioG

semantic s!stem. >er! often# the process of learning is essentiall! anal!tic# piecemeal#and# at the level of the personalit!# fairl! superficial. Fngaging imaginativel! with

literature enales learners to shift the focus of their attention e!ond the more

mechanical aspects of the foreign language s!stem. 7hen a novel# pla! or short stor!

is e%plored over a period of time# the result is that the reader {)} egins to inhaitB the

te%t. <e or she is drawn into the ook. Pinpointing what individual words or phrases

ma! mean ecomes less important than pursuing the development of the stor!. 4he

reader is eager to find out what happens as events unfold; he or she feels close to

certain characters and shares their emotional responses. 4he language ecomes

transparentB 5 the fiction summons the whole person into its own world.

7e elieve that this can happen# and can have eneficial effects upon the whole

language learning process# as long as the reader is wellGmotivated# and as long as thee%perience of engaging with literature is kept sufficientl! interesting# varied and nonG

+



directive to let the reader feel that he or she is taking possession of a previousl!

unknown territor!. Eviousl!# the choice of a particular literar! work will e

important in facilitating this creative relationship which the reader estalishes with the

te%t. "t is this question we should like to consider ne%t.

)hat

7hat sort of literature is suitale for use with language learnersI 4he criteria of

suitailit! clearl! depend ultimatel! on each particular group of students# their needs#

interests# cultural ackground and language level. <owever# one primar! factor to

consider is# we suggest# whether a particular work is ale to stimulate the kind of

personal involvement we have Just descried# ! arousing the learnersB interest and

provoking strong# positive reactions from them. "f it is meaningful and enJo!ale#

reading is more likel! to have a lasting and eneficial effect upon the learnersB

linguistic and cultural knowledge. "t is important to choose ooks# therefore# which

are relevant to the life e%periences# emotions# or dreams of the learner. =anguage

difficult! has# of course# to e considered as well. 0ecause the! have oth a linguistic

and a cultural gap to ridge# foreign students ma! not e ale to identif! with or enJo!

a te%t which the! perceive as eing fraught with difficult! ever! step of the wa!. "n

the asence of curriculum or e%am constraints# it is much etter to choose a work that

is not too much aove the studentsB normal reading proficienc!.

"f the language of the literar! work is quite straightforward and simple# this ma! e

helpful ut is not in itself the most crucial !ardstick. "nterest# appeal and relevance are

all more important. "n order for us to Justif! the additional time and effort which will

undoutedl! e needed for learners to come to grips with a work of literature in a

language not their own# there must e some special incentive involved. FnJo!ment;

suspense; a fresh insight into issues which are felt to e close to the heart of peopleBsconcerns; the delight of encountering oneBs own thoughts or situations encapsulated

vividl! in a work of art; the other# equal delight of finding {+} those same thoughts or

situations illuminated ! a totall! new# une%pected light or perspective all these are

incentives which can lead learners to overcome enthusiasticall! the linguistic

ostacles that might e considered too great in less involving material.

"t is therefore well worth the time spent in tr!ing to achieve a good watch etween a

particular group of learners and the literar! work the! will e asked to read.

Luestionnaires on tastes and interests can e useful. Another wa! of proceeding is to

give the class a rief summar! of three or Mour possiilities# perhaps with short

e%tracts from the te%t# and let them choose the one the! find the most appealing. A

close runnerGup can alwa!s ecome the te%t the class works with ne%t.

ow

Ence a novel or pla! has een chosen# how est can the teacher and students work

with itI Particular answers to this question will emerge later as our activities are

descried. "n this section we should like to e%amine more general principles. 6irst we

shall descrie some of the approaches that are often used when literature is taught.

4hen we shall outline some of the aims that have guided our quest for wa!s of

supplementing or even# in some cases# replacing these approaches.

Some commonly used approaches to teaching literature



4he perennial prolem of how to teach languages has in recent !ears ecome

increasingl! guided ! the dominant aim of promoting the learnerBs communicative

competence. 7hen# however# the teacher introduces students to the literature of the

foreign language# this communicative ideal too often vanishes. 4he wa! literature is

presented often has a numer of t!pical features.

/ometimes the teacher falls ack upon a more traditional classroom role in which heor she sees him or herself as imparting information aout the author# the ackground

to the work# the particular literar! conventions that inform the te%t and so on. =earners

are somehow e%pected to have the ailit! to take all this in and make it their own.

Eften the sheer difficulties of detailed comprehension posed ! the intricac! or

linguistic sutlet! of the language turn the teaching of literature into a massive

process of e%planation ! the teacher or even of translation# with the greater

proportion of availale classroom time devoted to a step ! step e%egetical e%ercise

led ! the teacher.

At more advanced levels of work with literature# the teacher ma! resort to the

metalanguage of criticism and this ma! oth distance learners from {} their own

response and cause them to undervalue it# whatever the gain in anal!tical terms.Fven if the teacher hopes to do more to sharpen studentsB own response to the

literar! work# there is often little guidance on how to do so. 4he timeGhonoured

technique of questionGandGanswer can provide some help. 0ut# unless questions are

genuinel! openGended# there is often a feeling on the part of the students that the

teacher is slowl! ut surel! edging them to particular answers that he or she has in

mind. 4here is little room for either their own responses or their involvement during

such sessions. "n short# personal investment is minimal.

All these teacherGcentred approaches ma! foster detailed comprehension ut

students will proal! not have made the te%t their own. or will the classroom

process have encouraged them to share their own views with each other# and the! ma!

not have used the target language ver! much.

Aims that underlie our approach

"n general terms# our aim is to complement more conventional approaches and so

diversif! the repertoire of classroom procedures. 7e hope in this wa! to put fresh

momentum into the teaching of literature# to stimulate studentsB desire to read# and to

encourage their response. 8ore particularl!# the following aims have provided a

rationale for the kind of activities we outline in later chapters.

8A"4A""D "4FRF/4 A: ">E=>F8F4 09 -/"D A >AR"F49 E6/4-:F4G(F4RF: A(4">"4"F/

"n estalishing a numer of wa!s in which a te%t could e e%plored# we have tried to

ear in mind that an! approach used e%clusivel! can turn to tedium in the classroom.

7e have found that role pla!# improvisation# creative writing# discussions#

questionnaires# visuals and man! other activities which we use successfull! to var!

our language classes can serve a similar purpose when we teach literature. An arra! of

enJo!ale studentGcentred activities is particularl! important when working with

students who are not literature specialists and who ma! not as !et have developed a

wish to read literature in the target language on their own initiative. 8oreover# the

availailit! of a variet! of activities enales the teacher to concentrate on meeting

studentsB weaknesses in particular skill areas G in speaking or listening# for e%ample.

,



/-PP=F8F4"D 4<F PR"4F: PADF

"n devising activities for integrating language and literature we have orne in mind the

notion that learning is promoted ! involving as man! of the studentsB faculties as

possile. 0! itself# the printed page can e a {,} fairl! cold# distancing medium

appealing to a restricted part of the readerBs visual sense and to the intellect. And !et#

of course# the words that make up that printed page can create a whole new worldinside the readerBs imagination# a world full of warmth and colour. As teachers we tr!

to e%ploit as full! as possile the emotional dimension that is a ver! integral part of

literature# though it is so often lacking in more neutral language learning te%ts.

4APP"D 4<F RF/E-R(F/ E6 @E7=F:DF A: FNPFR"F(F 7"4<"

4<F DRE-P

Pair and group work are now well estalished as a means oth of increasing learnersB

confidence within the foreign language and also of personalising their contact with it.

Although it ma! seem parado%ical we have found that shared activit! can e

especiall! fruitful in helping the learner find a wa! into what is usuall! an intensel!

personal and private e%perience# that of coming to terms with and inhaiting anauthorBs universe. "n the creative endeavour of interpreting this new universe# a group

with its various sets of life e%periences can act as a rich marshalling device to enhance

the individualBs awareness oth of his or her own responses and of the world created

! the literar! work.

En a more practical level# working with a group can lessen the difficulties presented

! the numer of unknowns on a page of literar! te%t. >er! often someone else in a

group will e ale to suppl! the missing link or fill in an appropriate meaning of a

crucial word# or if not# the task of doing so will ecome a shared one. /hifting

attention awa! from the te%t itself to such shared activit! is often conducive to the

creation of a riskGtaking atmosphere. 7ith the groupBs support and control# the

individual has greater freedom to e%plore his or her own reactions and interpretations.

Aove all# we hope that the group will stimulate learners to reread and ponder the te%t

on their own.

<F=P"D /4-:F4/ FNP=ERF 4<F"R E7 RF/PE/F/ 4E ="4FRA4-RF

4his aim has een strongl! hinted at within those alread! discussed. Eur activities tr!

to help students to acquire the confidence to develop# e%press and value their own

response. 4hrough this process# we hope that the! will ecome less dependent on

received opinion and therefore more interested in and more ale to assess other

perspectives.

/tudents who have had to accomplish a range of tasks and activities centred on aliterar! te%t# often as a shared activit! in groups# ma! come to e more personall!

familiar with that te%t. 4he effort the! have rought to it and the personal investment

the! have made in it will sharpen their own response# making it more likel! that the!

will want to e%tend their understanding of it ! personal reading at home.

{12}-/"D 4<F 4ARDF4 =AD-ADF

Ene of the principles which fashions our classroom approach to literature is that of

using the target language with the range of activities chosen. 7e want to give learners

the ma%imum chance of entering the universe of an! selected ook. 4his will e

facilitated if# instead of tr!ing to transpose it into their own language and cultural

e%perience# the! tr! to put themselves imaginativel! into the target situation. 4hemain difficult! with this approach is# of course# that some learners ma! not !et

12



possess the richness and sutlet! of vocaular! and structure in which to couch their

response in the target language. 7e feel that there are a numer of wa!s in which

students can e helped to e%press this response either nonGverall! or ! making a

limited linguistic repertoire go a long wa!.

"f# however# in the discussion following a shared activit! there is a reversion to the

native language# in groups which have a common first language# then we feel that thisis not a disaster. 6irst of all# it usuall! indicates that the learners are enJo!ing the task

and are engrossed in it; then# too# it shows that learners are ringing their knowledge

and e%perience to ear on the new language# thus identif!ing with it and personalising

it.

6inall!# in order to achieve this aim of using the target language as much as possile

and framing our approach to the literar! te%t consistentl! within its own language# we

have tried hard to avoid the metalanguage of critical discussion. 7e feel that

concentration on this kind of language can undermine studentsB confidence in their

own response# especiall! when the! are working in the target language.

"4FDRA4"D =AD-ADF A: ="4FRA4-RF4he overall aim# then# of our approach to the teaching of literature is to let the student

derive the enefits of communicative and other activities for language improvement

within the conte%t of suitale works of literature. /haring literature with students is a

spur to their acquiring these enefits# providing the teacher makes a alanced

selection of activities and presents them with confidence. <owever# efore we turn to

a description of some activities and techniques that ma! e helpful# we would like to

answer a few of the more detailed practical queries and douts that practising teachers

might still have.

2 In the classroom

"n (hapter 1# we argued that shared classroom activities can help learners overcome

the difficulties of approaching a work of literature in a foreign language# ! giving

them new insights and sufficient confidence to stimulate their own rereading at home.

<owever# man! teachers who are convinced of the value of literature for their

students nevertheless encounter considerale prolems when the! tr! to present a

particular work to their classes. "n our discussions with language teachers# some of

these prolems surfaced time and again as recurring questions# which we would now

like to consider in some detail.

!I"d #$% to u&% #t%r'tur% n () non*&+%c'#&t #'n,u',% c#'&&%&- ut ' /0o#% no1%#&%%(& too (uc0 to t'c$#%- 'nd %2tr'ct& don"t &+'r$ (uc0 nt%r%&t n () &tud%nt&.

W0't &0ou#d I do3"

4here is no dout that the sheer length of some works is daunting. Reading or

translating a work in class# hour after hour# week after week# can e such a drear!

e%perience that man! students never want to open a foreignGlanguage ook again.

F%tracts provide one t!pe of solution. 4he advantages are ovious reading a series

of passages from different works produces more variet! in the classroom# so that the

teacher has a greater chance of avoiding monoton!# while still giving learners a taste

at least of an authorBs special flavour.

En the other hand# a student who is onl! e%posed to iteGsiHed chunksB will neverhave the satisfaction of knowing the overall pattern of a ook# which is after all the

11



satisfaction most of us seek when we read something in our own language. 8oreover#

there are some literar! features that cannot e adequatel! illustrated ! a short

e%cerpt the development of plot or character# for instance# with the gradual

involvement of the reader that this implies; or the unfolding of a comple% theme

through the Ju%taposition of contrasting views.

"n later chapters# we illustrate an alternative solution# which consists of selectingfrom a long work a series of e%tracts which provide the asis for classroom activities.

Reading a novel or pla! thus ecomes a comination of classwork and sustantial

private reading. 4he entire te%t need not e read ! the teacher and students together;

working on carefull! chosen {1&} selections will maintain momentum and a sense of

the whole in class# while the learnersB complementar! reading at home allows them to

form a personal relationship with the te%t and to feel# at the end# that the! have coped

satisfactoril! with the challenge of a complete ook.

!Ho/ c'n I &%#%ct t0% r,0t +'&&',%& to /or$ /t0 n c#'&&3"

4he criteria we have found most useful in choosing e%cerpts for classwork are thefollowing e%tracts should e interesting in themselves# and if possile close to the

studentsB own interests; the! should e an important part of the ookBs overall pattern;

and the! should provide good potential for a variet! of classroom activities.

Eviousl!# there is no single solution which will fit all ooks and all classroom

situations. A teacherBs selection of passages must var! as he or she attempts to draw

upon the different resources within each te%t# and it will have to take into account the

nature and length of the course as well as factors to do with the learners themselves#

the level of their linguistic proficienc!# for instance# and their own needs and desires.

7e hope that the novels and pla!s we use as illustrations in later chapters will

provide e%amples of how passages can e selected to good effect# so that similar ideas

and techniques can e applied to a variet! of other works of literature.

!W0't 'out t0% &%cton& not r%'d n c#'&&3"

Ene of our aims in teaching literature is to encourage learners to feel that the! can

read and enJo! ooks on their own. 7e therefore ask them to read specified sections

at home# often with the support of worksheets which provide either particular help

with points of difficult!# or more general help in formulating a response to the

passage the! are reading. F%amples are given in (hapter . "t is timeGconsuming to

prepare such supportive worksheets when a teacher first works with a ook# ut well

worth the effort# since the! can provide a real stimulus to e%tensive reading. 4he! arealso a longGterm investment works of literature do not date ver! rapidl! and can e

taught !ear after !ear.

"t is most important that the parts of a ook which are to e read ! students on their

own should e related to the ongoing pattern of activities in the classroom. 6ollowGup

tasks can e used that depend upon prior home reading# or some aspect of the passage

read can e incorporated into the ne%t classroom activit! designed to present an

unread section. 7hat is essential is to link class and home work# to help maintain an

overview of the whole ook as we go through it. "f this is done# it is no longer

necessar! to proceed in a strictl! linear# chronological fashion. "n some cases# for

e%ample# parts of a novel might e e%tracted to provide material for a roleGpla!

e%ercise in the classroom. /tudents would tater e asked to {13} read# as homework#the sections which led up to this situation in the novel. 4he creative counterpoint

1&



which we estalish etween private reading and group tasks gives us as teachers a

much greater freedom in our approach to the long te%t; in particular# it enales us to

reak the often tedious linearit! of the traditional lockGstep process ! which a whole

class is taken from eginning to end of an! work.

!But 4 /% don"t r%'d t0% /0o#% oo$ to,%t0%r- 0o/ c'n I % &ur% () &tud%nt&r%'##) $no/ t /%##3"

"t is true that concentrating on some selected highlights constitutes a form of sampling

that does not guarantee an overall grasp of the whole work. 0ut then does an! method

ever do thatI Fven if teachers read through and e%plain ever! single word of a shorter

te%t in class# can the! e sure that what has undoutedl! een taught has also een

learntI

7e feel that if we choose e%tracts carefull! and present them through enJo!ale

group activities# our students have more chance of gaining true familiarit! with an!

work as a whole. After all# such an approach replicates the e%perience of reading a

long te%t in our own language. 7e ma! well read it from eginning to end# ut it willnot e%ist as a chronological entit! in our minds. Eur memor! will impose its own

overview# lingering upon some aspects rather than others# telescoping events#

organising new configurations. "t is natural to think and talk aout a comple% ook in

terms of its highlights for us as readers# and this is in effect what we are asking our

students to do. evertheless# we hope that the kind of tasks we have suggested# and

especiall! perhaps in (hapter ) $FndingsB'# will help learners draw together the man!

strands that constitute their awareness of what an author has achieved in an! particular

ook.

!W0't c'n I do 'out &tud%nt& /0o 'r% &o $%%n t0't t0%) r'c% '0%'d 'nd 4n&0

t0% oo$ out o4 &t%+ /t0 t0% ,%n%r'# +'c% o4 t0% c#'&&3"

6rom our e%perience# this is inevitale if ooks are distriuted in sets. "t should not e

discouraged# given that one of our aims is to stimulate reading haits.

7hat it does mean# however# is that the teacher will have to select classroom

activities# and worksheets for home reading# that offer some challenge to this student#

perhaps dispensing with activities of prediction or those that would e marred !

knowledge of the whole stor!.

:epending on the t!pe of ook read# it is not alwa!s a ad thing if students know

the ending efore the ook has een completed. 4his sometimes frees them to look

more closel! at each individual part that is eing highlighted in class. Droup activitiesor task sheets also make the rapidB student reread# sometimes with a new focus of

attention# and this is usuall! ver! eneficial from oth a linguistic and a literar! point

of view.

{1} !W0't 'out ot0%r t)+%& o4 #t%r'tur% /0c0 do not +r%&%nt ' +ro#%( o4

#%n,t05 &0ort &tor%&- 4or %2'(+#%- on%*'ct +#')&- or +o%(&3"

"n the foreignGlanguage classroom# poems offer a special kind of reward as well as a

challenge all of their own. 6or this reason# we have discussed possile wa!s of

presenting them in a separate chapter# even though man! of the activities outlined for

other genres can e adapted to poetr!. /hort prose works also enefit from the variousactivities descried in Part 0. 7e hope that teachers will e ale to use some of these

13



ideas to e%ploit the particular qualities which make a short te%t so suitale for less

advanced learners. 4he fact that an entire work of literature can e presented within

one or two classroom lessons is e%tremel! rewarding and motivating for such

students.

!I don"t $no/ /0%t0%r t0% (%t0od& +ro+o&%d r%'##) d%'# /t0 () +ro#%(- /0c0& t0't () &tud%nt& 4nd t0% 'ctu'# #'n,u',% o4 #t%r'tur% &o d44cu#t t0't t0%) do

not ,%t (uc0 out o4 t."

<ere the answer must lie in selection of an appropriate ook. At earlier levels of

proficienc!# simplified te%ts ma! help initiate learners into e%tensive reading.

Activities intended for unaridged te%ts could e applied to simplified te%ts and used

! students working in groups. 4his ma! stimulate interest in literature as well as

contriuting to language improvement. 0ut although graded readersB retain the stor!

line of the original te%t# much else is lost. At the more advanced level# therefore# it

seems to us preferale to choose# whenever possile# ooks which do not present

formidale linguistic difficulties. 4here are man! e%cellent short works where thest!le remains fairl! simple or uncluttered. 7e hope that the list of possile titles

included in Appendi% & will prove useful in this respect.

"n some cases# choice ma! e restricted ! the availailit! of ooks# or ! the

constraints of a set curriculum. 6or teachers faced with an imposed ook# detecting

particular linguistic prolems and devising wa!s of overcoming them will ecome

part of the normal screening activities# the preliminar! spade work which is alwa!s

necessar! efore we egin to teach a te%t. "t ma! e that a greater numer of

linguisticall!Gased activities have to e used for that kind of ook; or perhaps more

ackground work will e needed to fill in cultural gaps.

6or these ooks as for others# however# we must tr! to find some alance etween

pureB language work and other# more creative approaches designed to foster a

studentBs involvement in the te%t. Luite often# group activities serve to shift a readerBs

attention awa! from the minute# intensive attack on a single corner of the te%t# to a

more e%tensive concern for gist and overall theme. 4his will prove lierating in the

long run for the student previousl! unale to see the wood for the trees. "t is {1*}

surel! motivating to realise that a te%t can e meaningful and that working with it can

e enJo!ale# even when there are still quite a few unknowns within it.

{1)}PART B PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES IN

OUTLINE .

3 First encounters

6or students aout to e%plore the unknown territor! of a new literar! work# the first

encounter with it ma! well e crucial. 6irst impressions can colour their feelings

aout the whole enterprise the! find themselves engaged in. 4he! are likel! to e

approaching the e%perience with a mi%ture of curiosit!# e%citement and apprehension.

4he teacherBs role must e to pla! up the sense of adventure while providing a

supportive atmosphere that will e reassuring to the students.

4he first imperative is usuall! to tr! and draw the learners quickl! intoB the te%t# so

that the! find it interesting and want to continue reading it on their own. 4his is much

easier to do if the teacher genuinel! enJo!s the ook and can communicate his or her

1



enthusiasm for it it is worthwhile# therefore# choosing congenial te%ts if at all

possile.

e%t# students need to e convinced that the task ahead is not an impossile one;

that# even if there are difficult passages to negotiate# it can e done with success and

tangile rewards. 8an! learners fail to persevere with a ook ecause the! find the

initial encounter simpl! too daunting. "t ma! e that the first page is ristling withdifficult words; or perhaps the territor! the! have wandered into seems so totall!

different from their own surroundings that the! never quite succeed in identif!ing

with it.

4hat is wh! it seems to us well worth spending e%tra time on orientation and warmG

up sessions# either efore the ook is egun or along with the first reading period. "n

these sessions# possile le%ical difficulties can e incorporated and preGtaught. 7hen

the student gets to the te%t itself# much of the vocaular! will thus e familiar# so that

the first reading e%perience can e easier and more rewarding. "t is also useful to

e%plore main themes with students# independentl! of the wa! the! are articulated in

the particular work aout to e approached. Ene of the purposes here is to elicit

studentsB own thoughts and feelings on the issues. 7hen the! later turn to the te%titself# the preceding discussion or activit! will act as a familiar landmark in their new

surroundings. "t is important for learners to feel that their knowledge and life

e%perience can still provide valuale guidance.

6inall!# a warmGup can e designed to set the mood# create interest# or spark

curiosit!. /ometimes it leads students not to the eginning of the ook# ut to the first

significant or dramatic passage# to whet the appetite. {1+} "n some cases# we have

devoted the entire class period to activities which# we hope# will make learners want

to read the te%t 5 and we have then left them to get on with the short stor! or first

section of a novel or pla!# on their own. Fven if students do not understand ever!thing

perfectl!# the fact of reading a foreign work in this wa! appro%imates more closel! to

their e%perience of reading in their own language. =iterature is in a sense taken out of

the classroom conte%t and replaced into what we feel is its more naturalB setting.

4he eginning activities suggested in this chapter tend therefore to e rather timeG

consuming. 7e hope that teachers will find# as we have# that the! are nevertheless

worthwhile ecause the! uild on motivation and foster a love of reading.

Using the title and cover design

4he teacher sets the scene and kindles studentsB curiosit! ! showing them an

intriguing cover design and asking them to speculate aout the ook# its stor! and

mood.An e%ample is Ra!mond 0riggBs ook When the Wind Blows# which portra!s the

effects upon an elderl! Fnglish couple of a nuclear attack near their home. 4he

teacher shows the class the cartoon cover design of the ook $6igure 1'. 6or easier

viewing ! the whole class# the drawing {1} can e transferred to an overhead

proJector transparenc!. 4he title is withheld or covered up in this first stage.

7orking with the whole class# the teacher asks them to descrie the couple. 7hat

kind of people do the! seem to eI -ran or countr! folkI /imple or sophisticatedI

RichI 7orking classI <onestI PatrioticI =awGaidingI AffectionateI =ovingI Alike

or different from each otherI All suggestions are accepted and written up on the

oard. /tudents are then asked to speculate on the light ehind the couple. 7hat could

it eI 7hat feeling do students get aout itI "s it something goodI <app!I EminousI:angerousI 7hat is its relation to the coupleI

1*



"n a second stage# the teacher e%plains that the title of the ook is taken from a ver!

wellGknown Fnglish lulla! or nurser! rh!me $a song to rock small children to sleep'.

<e or she recites# or if possile sings# the lulla! to the class

<ushGaG!e a!# on the tree top

7hen the wind lows# the cradle will rock

7hen the ough reaks# the cradle will fall:own will come a!# cradle and all.

4he students are asked to guess which four words constitute the pla!Bs title. 7hat do

the! feel aout this lulla!I "s its mood peacefulI <app!I EminousI <ow could it

relate to the elderl! couple on the coverI

4he ook is now handed out and reading can egin. "t is useful to keep a record of

the speculations made aout the title as these later help to e%emplif! the iron! of the

pla!.

1)



Figure '{from p. 1+}

Getting in the mood

4his is a guided fantas!. 4he teacher asks students to uild up a picture of the

eginning of the literar! work ! first setting the scene# and then inviting the class to

inhait this scene in their minds. Ence the! have done this# the! make a note of what

the! feel# see# sa!# and so on.

At the end of this painting in the mindB# students are put into small groups and each

group memer descries his or her scene to the others. After a rief discussion# the

1+



teacher calls the class together. Ene or two students retell their versions for the enefit

of the whole class.

4his activit! provides an e%cellent wa! into DoldingBs novel Lord of the Flies it is

illustrated in detail on p. ,.

Visual prompts

Photos or magaHine pictures are often useful in eliciting the response of students to

the central situation or theme the! are going to meet in a literar! work.

{1,}0efore reading 4he hitchhikerB $in More Tales of the (ne)pected # ! Roald

:ahl'# for e%ample# students are shown photos of quite different people and asked to

sa! which ones the! would e prepared to give a lift to. 4his makes them more aware

of their own attitudes to hitchhikers# and to a personBs appearance $see 6igure 1, and

7orksheet **'.

As a warmGup to 4he war in the athroomB $in %ancing "irls and *ther Stories# !

8argaret Atwood'# magaHine pictures are used to get students talking aout one of the

main themes in this short stor! the e%perience of moving and adJusting to newsurroundings $see 6igures &1A and &10'.

Using the theme

4he teacher takes a maJor theme from the te%t and e%plores it with the class.

6or e%ample# in /omerset 8aughamBs novel The Moon and Si)pence# the main

character suddenl! walks out on his wife# children# home and Jo. /tudents are asked

to imagine that the! have suddenl! decided to aandon their own current life

situation. <ow would the! do itI 7ould the! plan it in advanceI 7hat preparations

would the! makeI 7ould the! tell an!oneI 7hat would the! takeI 7here would the!

goI 7hat kind of new life would the! tr! to uildI

4he teacher asks students to write the note that the! would leave. 4he! are to

imagine that the! have time to write a short note onl! 5 not more than *2 words 5 and

to rememer that the! ma! never see the receiver of the note again.

7hen this is done# the teacher collects the notes and puts them straight into the

ruish in 5 and then# of course# invites each student to take one $not their own' out.

<e or she suggests that the note students are aout to read is from the most important

person in their lives. 4he! are to tr! to identif! how the! feel aout what the! are

reading and Jot down their thoughts immediatel!. 4he teacher should participate full!

! also writing a note and choosing one to read.

4his is followed ! general discussion aout how people felt when the! werewriting# and reading# the notes.

/tudents are then given the ook to start reading the first section at home.

Key words/sentences

4he teacher selects a small numer of ke! words from the first part of the te%t. "n

groups# students rainstorm for possile narrative links etween the words. 7hen

each group has decided on a preferred pattern of connection# a stor! is uilt up orall!

or in written form.

{&2}As a variation# ke! sentences are e%tracted from the te%t ! the teacher 5 these

produce a somewhat more conte%tualised framework for the imagination to work on.

1



@e! wordsB is illustrated on p. &1 using /akiBs /redni >ashtarB# and ke!

sentencesB in 7orksheet )3 using /akiBs 4he open windowB $oth stories from The

#enguin $omplete Saki'.

"nstead of eing used to create a stor!# the ke! e%tracts can provide the asis upon

which students attempt to uild up a first image of a central character# his or her

personalit!# haits# etc. 4he sentences in 7orksheet 1 were drawn from Patricia<ighsmithBs The Talented Mr Ripley and were used in this wa!# to spark studentsB

interest in Riple!# efore eginning to read the novel in class.

Worksheet '

Questionnaires

=earners are given a questionnaire to fill in# to determine their attitude to the issues

raised ! the ookBs central theme. An e%ample is given for 4he war in the athroomB $see 7orksheet )*'.

{&1}A p!ramidingB technique is often useful with questionnaires. 4hat is to sa!

each student fills in their own# then compares results with one other partner. 4hrough

discussion# the! are to tr! to arrive at the same set of answers. 4he two then compare

their new set of answers with that of another pair# and so on.

istening!in

4his is a listening activit! for teachers who have eas! access to recording facilities.

7ith a friend or other native speaker# the teacher makes a recording of two people

discussing their reaction to a particular literar! work. 8an! different conte%ts can eimagined friends discussing a novel the! have oth read or a television adaptation#

1,

/tud! the following e%tracts from 4he 4alented 8r Riple!. 7hat do the! reveal

aout 4om Riple!# the central character in the ookI

<is oredom had slipped into another gear. 4om knew the sensations... ow he could emaniacall! polite for perhaps another whole hour# if he had to e# efore something in him

e%ploded and sent him running out of the door.

And now 8r Dreenleaf had turned up. /omething alwa!s turned up. 4hat was 4omBs philosoph!.

<e wouldnBt let 8r Dreenleaf down. <eBd do his ver! est with :ickie.

/lowl! he took off his Jacket and untied his tie# watching ever! move he made as if it were

someod! elseBs movements he was watching.

4hat had een the onl! time tonight when he had felt uncomfortale# unreal# the wa! he might have

felt if he had een l!ing# !et it had een practicall! the onl! thing he had said that was true m! parents died when " was ver! small. " was raised ! m! aunt in 0oston.

8r Dreenleaf came into the room. <is figure seemed to pulsate and grow larger and larger. 4om

linked his e!es# feeling a sudden terror of him# an impulse to attack him efore he was attacked.

4om wanted to get out of the apartment. And !et he still wanted to go to Furope# and wanted 8rDreenleaf to approve of him.



two people coming out of the theatre# an interview for the class or school Journal# etc.

6or advanced classes# recording a fairl! spontaneous# unscripted conversation would

e ideal 5 ut this is not often possile# and# in an! case# using trul! unscripted

material often presents quite a lot of difficult! when it comes to devising the

accompan!ing tasks.

4he e%ample given is a compromise# using scripted material in the semiGformalsituation of an interview for a school newspaper# with nonGnative ut fluent speakers

of Fnglish. "t was used to present Animal Farm ! Deorge Erwell to a lower

advancedB multilingual class $Just post (amridge 6irst (ertificate'.

/tudents listen to the recording once# without taking notes. 4he! are then paired#

one given 7orksheet &A# the other 7orksheet &0. 4he! are given a few minutes to

fill in an! details the! rememer# then the! hear the recording again in sections# with a

few minutes to fill in more details at each pause. After the! have heard the recording

once again# the pair together completes oth worksheets# then compares their answers

with a neighouring pair. Deneral feedack completes the activit!.

/(R"P4 6ER ="/4F"DG"B

/ven# a /wedish doctor# is on a stud! visit to =ondon. :uring his sta!# he visits a

friendBs son who is stud!ing Fnglish at a language school. Another student at the

school interviews /ven aout his trip to the theatre to see a stage adaptation of Deorge

ErwellBs Animal Farm.

@arin 7hat did !ou think of the pla!I/ven "t was reall! good . . . er . . . the actors were ver! good and looked Just like animals. 4he hens

Jerked their heads ver! real . . . realisticall! and the horses clipGclopped all over thestage. 4he cat was good too# slinking ! so quietl!.

@arin "t sounds rather unusual. ?ust how man! more animals were thereI/ven 7ell . . . er . . . there was 8uriel# the goat who could read . . . and some dancing sheep who

interrupted meetings singing 6our legs good# two {&3} legs adB and lindl!repeated an!thing the! were told. Eh !es# and the pigs . . . the! took over the farm

and led the revolt . . .@arin 7hat e%actl! is the stor! aoutI "t all sounds rather confusing.

/ven Frm . . . well . . . the animals take over the farm. /nowall# their first leader# wants the animalsto e equal and happ! ut he doesnBt last long . . a more powerful pig# apoleon#

takes over using dogs . . . trained dogs. <eBs not ver! nice ut ver! clever . . . he . . .er . . . tricks the other animals and uses them. 4he poor horse called 0o%er . . . he kept

repeating that apoleon was alwa!s right# ut he suffered for it.@arin :o the animals turn against apoleonI

/ven Ah . . . that would e telling . . . !ou must go to see it with !our colleagues.

@arin E@. ?ust one more question. "s there a moral to the stor!I "t sounds like a sort of . . . fa . . .fale to me.

/ven A moralI . . . 9es# " suppose there are man! if !ou think deepl! aout it . . . er . . . the old

donke! in the stor! is proal! right when he sa!s that things never change# neverreall! change# " mean.

@arin "Bm afraid " must stop the interview now . . . 4hank !ou ver! much for talking to me./ven "t was a pleasure. " look forward to reading aout the interview in !our school magaHine.

&2



Worksheet +A {from p. &&}

Worksheet +B

{&3}"iographical montage

/ome teachers prefer to talk aout the author efore starting the te%t# using this ackground knowledge as a wa! in to the work. 4here are various activities which can

e used if this approach is retained. 4he! are also useful after the ook has een read#

as followGup material.

0iograph! montage is one such activit! and others follow. 4he teacher collects

some photos# oJects# place names an!thing which is relevant to the authorBs life $see

6igure &'. 4hese are mounted on to a large piece of poster card $or pinned to a wall or

noticeGoard'. 4he class is invited to speculate aout the meaning of the items in the

montage# either in groups or as a whole class.

6ollowGup writing activities could include reconstructing missing entries from the

authorBs diaries# using the visual prompts on the montage; writing $or completing'

suGtitles or a short te%t aout each of the items# so that the montage ecomes an

Listen to Karin interviewing Sven about the animal characters in Animal Farm.Then try to fill in as many details as you can in the boxes below.Kind of animal Name What do we know about this animal? . !. ". #. $. %. &. '.

Kind of animalNameWhat do we know about this animal?.!.".#.$.%.&.'.

Listen to Karin interviewing Sven. Then try to com(lete the following sentences sothat they tell the story of what ha((ens in Animal Farm.

)nce u(on a time there were some animals that decided to revolt against their humanmasters. They were led by the cleverest animals ......................................... Theysucceeded in taking over the farm and running it. Their first leader was......................................... *e wanted .........................................+ut although he was clever and kind, he was not strong enough. - more (owerfulanimal called ........................................ managed to take his (lace as leader. *e did

this by ..................................... .. The animals were convinced by this new leader andfollowed him faithfully even though he behaved ......................................... +oxer, thehorse, worked es(ecially hard. *is motto was ......................................... +ut when hegot old and tired, ......................................... The donkey, on the other hand, was notat all im(ressed by what the animals had achieved because he saidthat .........................................

&1



illustrated iograph!; or# for less advanced classes# matching short te%ts of this kind

$perhaps gapped' with the items on the montage.

#reating a sketch o$ the author

4he teacher shows a photograph of the author $or several taken at different periods ofhis or her life' and asks the class to uild up an intuitive character portra!al $see

6igure 3 which shows photographs of /aki'. 4his {&} could e done in groups#

allowing time at the end for the resulting sketches to e compared.

Figure +

&&



Figure ,{&*}

&3



{&)}Guessing at missing in$ormation

4he teacher gives some iographical information ut omits certain important facts or

aspects of the authorBs life. 4he class speculates aout the missing parts $for e%ample#

education# married life# political eliefs'. "n groups# learners can fill in missing details#

then compare their guesses with those of other groups."t is hoped that this activit! will spur studentsB curiosit! aout the author and make

them want to know more.

7orksheet 3 is an e%ample for this activit!. "t is ased on the life of <ector <ugh

8unro. A similar activit! can also usefull! follow the reading of a particular work.

Worksheet ,

Answers <is mother was charged ! a runawa! cow in a field# and died. O <e

had severe rain fever. O the militar! police O foreign correspondent for

a newspaper O writing fiction O get married O in attle.

{&+}"iographical lie!detecting

4he teacher gives a rief and truthful introduction to an authorBs life $oral or written

te%t# slides# video# etc.'. 4hen one written sentence is given to each memer of a

group of four students. Fach sentence adds a new detail aout the authorBs life# ut

one of the four is not true. Fach group compares their four sentences and nominates

the false one. 4he teacher asks each group for its choice and the reasons for it. <e or

she then reveals the lie# offering additional iographical details as a te%t forhomework reading.

ake guesses to fill in the details about *. *. unro.

*. *. unro was born on ' /ecember, '&0 in +urma, where his fatherwas an officer in the +ritish military (olice. 1n '&!, the family went back to

2ngland where a tragedy occurred3 .........................................The father returned to +urma, and *ector and his brother and sister werebrought u( by their grandmother and two maiden aunts. *ector was a frailbut rather mischievous child. When he was nine, something ha((enedwhich disru(ted his schooling3 .........................................*e was sent to +edford 4rammar School but remained there only fourterms. *is education continued to be interru(ted by ill health. *is first 5obwas with ........................................ in +urma. +ut he fell ill and had toreturn to 2ngland.*e worked as a ........................................ from 60! until 606. /uring thistime he was sent to the +alkan States, then to St 7etersburg. *e thenabandoned a regular salaried 5ob to devote himselfto ..................................... in London. *e was an extremely (atriotic manand when war was declared in 6# immediately enlisted as a troo(er inthe army.There was one thing he never did in his life3 ....................................... Theway he died in 6% was3 ........................................

&



6or e%ample# students are given some iographical details aout Deorge 0ernard

/haw

+orn '$% 8 father a corn miller who was a heavy drinker 8 his (arents9 marriage wasan unha((y one 8 mother left the family home in /ublin and moved to London with

Shaw9s two sisters 8 Shaw 5oined them in '&% 8 Shaw had various 5obs : assistant toa land agent, book reviewer, music critic 8 married a rich 1rishwoman at the age of#! 8 Nobel 7ri;e for Literature 6!$ 8 wrote more (lays than Shakes(eare 8 died in*ertfordshire in 6$0.

e%t students are asked to consider the following additional facts and tr! to spot the

false one

. Shaw made (rovision in his will for over <"$0,000 to be given to thecam(aign for s(elling reform.

!. Shaw was a su((orter of the fascist ideology.". Shaw never had any children.#. Shaw was a lifelong teetotaller.

"f preferred# the teacher can compile more sets of iographical facts and pla! a version

of (all m! luffB. /tudents are divided into groups of four and given sets of four

facts aout /hawBs life. "n each set# one fact is incorrect. Fach memer of the group

reads out his or her one factB and another group guesses which fact is the false one. "t

is essential for the students to have some iographical information aout the author

efore this game is pla!ed# otherwise guesses are completel! lind.

4he second statement is false.

Star diagrams

4his activit! and the ones that follow are to e used when students egin to read the

work.

Assuming ke! words have not een listed and used as a warmGup activit! prior to

reading# the teacher asks learners to e%tract important words from the first section of

the te%t used. "n groups# students skim {&} through the first passage and e%tract words

or e%pressions to e listed under a numer of headings colour words# words that

indicate mood or movement# words that e%press feelings# etc. 4he oJect of the

e%ercise is partl! linguistic $to e%pand vocaular!' and partl! literar! $to sensitise

students to the wa! an author presents a description or a theme# to make them awareof the le%ical patterning that structures a work of literature'.

An e%ample of this activit!# using a fiveGpoint star diagram# is given for Lord of the

Flies $see 6igures ,A and ,0'.

Sentence whispers

4his activit! is especiall! suitale for large classes. 4he class is put into four or five

lines of students $each line having a minimum of four students'. 4he teacher cuts up

into four sections the first passage to e read and gives the first section to line A# the

second to line 0# the third to line ( and the fourth to line :. 4he student at the front of

each line reads his or her section. <e or she then whispers it $once or twice onl!' frommemor! into the ear of the student ne%t in the line# who passes it on similarl! until the

&*



student at the end receives the whispered message. 4hen the students at the end of the

line retell the sequence# starting with line A. "mmediatel! afterwards# the teacher asks

the front students to read their sentences consecutivel!. :ifferences etween versions

are discussed and then the class is asked to predict what will happen ne%t# or to

discuss the title# from the information gathered up to this point.

=earners usuall! find the activit! amusing; the aim is simpl! to get them intoB thestor! quickl! and painlessl!. Roald :ahlBs short stor! 4he sound machineB $in

Someone Like You' works well with this technique. 4he opening passage could e cut

up in the following wa!

Section given to line -3

1t was a warm summer evening and Klausner walked =uickly through the front gateand around the side of the house and into the garden at the back.

Section given to line +3

*e went on down the garden until he came to a wooden shed and he unlocked thedoor, went inside and closed the door behind him.

Section given to line >3

The interior of the shed was an un(ainted room. -gainst one wall on the left therewas a long wooden workbench.

Section given to line /3

and@ on it, among a littering of wires and batteries and small shar( tools there stood

a black box about three feet long.

{&,}%oint o$ order

4his JigsawB ordering activit! is especiall! suitale for eginning pla!s. "t usuall!

whets the curiosit! of the students# as well as providing valuale phonological

practice in stress and intonation patterns.

4he teacher places si% chairs at the front of the class# and asks for si% volunteers to

come and sit on them. Fach one is given a card on which has een t!ped one

e%change from the eginning of the pla!. 4hese are not given in order. Fach student in

turn reads his or her card out loud to the class. 4he class must then place the si%

readers in the right order# so that starting from one end# the! read the speeches in anorder which makes sense and corresponds to the eginning of the pla!. 7hen this has

een done to their satisfaction# the teacher asks the class to situate what is happening#

and make predictions aout the pla!Bs development. 4he procedure can then e

repeated with the ne%t si% lines of the pla!# with si% new volunteers.

7e have used this technique ver! successfull! to present <arold PinterBs short

sketch Applicant $in Redamond and 4enn!sonBs $ontemporary *ne-Act #lays'. 4he

si% students are given a slip of paper each# on which is t!ped

. 1 am, actually, yes.!. -h, good morning.

". Aes. Aou9re a((lying for this vacant (ost, aren9t you?#. -re you r Lamb?

&)



$. )h, good morning, miss.%. That9s right.

4he teacher asks the class to find the right order. "t is usuall! necessar! to help

students with the language the! will need to give orders to reshuffle the seated

students for e%ample# 8ove up two places# @ariB# ?uan# change places with 8ariaB#/tand up and wait a minute# AnnetteB# /it on the third chair# 4sungB# Read !our part

again# >asilikiB. 7hen the class is satisfied that the! have got the right order# the

teacher asks all si% to read their parts again# consecutivel!. $4he right order in this

case is &# *# # )# 3# 1.' <e or she then asks the class <ow man! characters are there

in this pla!I 7ho are the!I 8anI 7omanI 7hat are the! doingI 7here are the!I

8ost classes will have guessed that the scene is set at a Jo interview. 4he teacher

then asks them to suggest how each one of the two characters feels. <ave an! of the

students ever een to an interview of an! kindI <ow did the! feelI ervousI <app!I

F%pectantI etc.

<aving thus set the scene# the teacher asks for five more volunteers to come forward

and do the ne%t it of the pla! in the same wa!. 4he correct order in this case is{32}

. -re you a (hysicist?!. )h yes, indeed, it9s my whole life.". 4ood. Now our (rocedure is, that before we discuss the a((licant9s

=ualifications, we like to sub5ect him to a little test to determine his(sychological suitability. Aou9ve no ob5ection?

#. )h, good heavens, no.$. Bolly good.

7hen a satisfactor! order has een achieved# the teacher asks students what new

information the! have learned aout the characters. 7hat kind of test is aout to egiven# do the! thinkI <ow will the applicant reactI :o the! think this is a good idea

during a Jo interviewI

4he class can then proceed to the role pla! descried in the ne%t activit!# or to a

reading of the pla!. "f the class has enJo!ed the ordering activit!# it can even e

repeated a third time# ecause the ne%t part of the pla! egins to seem distinctl!

iHarre

. 7lease sit down. >an 1 fit these to your (alms?!. What are they?". 2lectrodes.#. )h yes, of course, funny little things.$. Now the ear(hones.%. 1 say how amusing.&. Now 1 (lug in.

/tudents are once again invited to speculate on what kind of test is going to e

administered. /tudents are usuall! intrigued enough to e willing to act out a role pla!

of the interview as the! predict it from this point. 4he! are then amaHed and amused

when the! read the remaining section of this short sketch# which does not conform to

their e%pectationsK

#hoose the prediction

&+



<aving read the first section of a te%t# students are asked to stud! a range of possile

continuations of the stor! line. 4hen the! choose the one the! consider the author

would have used. 4he list of predictions can# alternativel!# e arranged in order of

suitailit!. "n groups# choices are compared and Justified.

0ernard 8alamudBs stor! 4he modelB $in Selected Stories' makes an e%cellent te%t

for this activit!. "t is aout an elderl! man who is an amateur painter. <e hires amodel who dul! arrives at his house and poses while he paints her. /uddenl! she gets

up and comes towards him . . .

/tudents are offered the following predictions of what is to come

. The model wee(s on the man9s shoulder and tells him that she needs moneyto (ay for her mother9s o(eration. *e finds out that he knows the girl9smother . .

{31}

!. The model is actually an artist. She is convinced that the man is not agenuine artist, merely a voyeur. She (unishes him by making him (ose while

she (aints him . . .". She confesses that she is wanted by the (olice for murdering an elderly man

because he resembled an uncle of hers who had brutally tortured her as achild. She tells the man that his face looks familiar . . .

#. The model sei;es his (ainting and ri(s it u(. She accuses him of ex(loitingwomen and demands to be com(ensated. When he refuses to coCo(erate,she tele(hones some feminist friends and invites them to come to the man9shouse . . .

Sealing the time capsule

Assuming that all students have read the opening section of the work together# this is

another activit! to follow that reading. Fach learner is given a small piece of card on

which to record his or her predictions aout likel! events that will occur as the stor!#

unfolds. 4he teacher can prompt with questions if necessar!# or individual writing can

follow a general rainstorming session when as man! possiilities as can e imagined

are quickl! reviewed. 4he cards are then collected# to e sealed in a time capsuleB

envelope where the! will remain until the class reaches the end of the ook. 6ollowG

up at that point is descried in (hapter ) $FndingsB'.

#omparing &eginnings

4he teacher takes three or four opening paragraphs from novels or short stories with

fairl! similar eginnings# and asks the class to respond to the contrasts. 4his is

especiall! fruitful with novels in which the main character is descried in the first

paragraph. =ists or grids can e completed showing ph!sical and ps!chological

attriutes# to act as a asis for prediction of future development. 4he e%ercise makes

students more aware of the particular features of an authorBs prose st!le# and ma! e

used to foster studentsB own powers of description in Fnglish.

4he first e%ample shows e%tremel! rief ut vivid first paragraphs taken from

twentiethGcentur! novels; the second e%ample is of lengthier nineteenthGcentur!

descriptions opening a novel.

&



<ere are the eginning paragraphs of three modern novels# in which a main

character is presented

. 1 was born in 6!&, the only child of middleCclass (arents, both 2nglish, andthemselves born in the grotes=uely elongated shadow, which they never rose

sufficiently above history to leave, of that monstrous dwarf Dueen Eictoria. 1was sent to a (ublic school, 1 wasted two years doing my national service, 1went to )xfordF and there 1 began to discover 1 was not the (erson 1 wanted tobe.

from 'he (agus by Bohn Gowles@{3&}

!. >astle, ever since he had 5oined the firm as a young recruit more than thirtyyears ago, had taken his lunch in a (ublic house behind St Bames9s Street,not far from the office. 1f he had been asked why he lunched there, he wouldhave referred to the excellent =uality of the sausagesF he might have(referred a different bitter from Watney9s, but the =uality of the sausages

outweighed that. *e was always (re(ared to account for his actions, even themost innocent, and he was always strictly on time.

from 'he )uman Factor by 4raham 4reene@

". Sometimes, instead of a letter to thank his hostess, Greddy *amilton wouldcom(ose a set of formal verses : rondeaux redoubles, villanelles, rondels orSicilian octaves : to ex(ress his thanks neatly. 1t was (art of his modestnature to do this. *e always felt he had (erha(s been boring during his stay,and it was one9s duty in life to be agreeable. Not so much at the time asafterwards, he felt it keenly on his conscience that he had said no word

between the sou( and the fish when the bright talk beganF he felt at

fault in retros(ect of the cocktail hours when he had contributed nothing butthe smile for which he had been renowned in his (ram and, in the followingfifty years, elsewhere.

from 'he (andel&aum Gate by uriel S(ark@

<ere are three similar opening passages from nineteenthGcentur! novels

. 1t was admitted by all her friends, and also by her enemies : who were intruth the more numerous and active body of the two : that Li;;ie 4reystockhad done very well with herself. We will tell the story of Li;;ie 4reystock from

the beginning, but we will not dwell over it at great length, as we might do ifwe loved her. She was the only child of old -dmiral 4reystock who in thelatter years of his life was much (er(lexed by the (ossession of a daughter.The admiral was a man who liked whist, wine : and wickedness in general wemay (erha(s say, and whose ambition it was to live every day of his life u( tothe end of it. 7eo(le say that he succeeded, and that the whist, wine andwickedness were there, at the side even of his dying bed. *e had no(articular fortune, and yet his daughter, when she was little more than a child,went about everywhere with 5ewels on her fingers, and red gems hanginground her neck, and yellow gems (endent from her ears, and white gemsshining in her black hair. She was hardly nineteen when her father died andshe was taken home by that dreadful old termagant, her aunt Lady Linlithgow.

Li;;ie would have sooner gone to any other friend or relative, had there beenany other friend or relative to take her (ossessed of a house in town.

&,



from 'he Fustace *iamonds by -nthony Trollo(e@

!. H2dithI9said argaret, gently, 92dithI9+ut as argaret half sus(ected, 2dith had fallen aslee(. She lay curled u(

on the sofa in the back drawingCroom in *arley Street, looking very lovely inher white muslin and blue ribbons. 1f Titania had ever been dressed in {33}

white muslin and blue ribbons, and had fallen aslee( on a crimson damasksofa in a back drawingCroom, 2dith might have been taken for her. argaretwas struck afresh by her cousin9s beauty. They had grown u( together fromchildhood, and all along 2dith had been remarked u(on by every one, exce(targaret, for her (rettinessF but argaret had never thought about it until thelast few days, when the (ros(ect of soon losing her com(anion seemed togive force to every sweet =uality and charm which 2dith (ossessed. They hadbeen talking about wedding dresses, and wedding ceremoniesF and >a(tainLennox, and what he had told 2dith about her future life at >orfu, where hisregiment was stationedF and the difficulty of kee(ing a (iano in good tune a

difficulty which 2dith seemed to consider as one of the most formidable thatcould befall her in her married life@, and what gowns she should want in thevisits to Scotland, which would immediately succeed her marriageF but thewhis(ered tone had latterly become more drowsyF and argaret, after a(ause of a few minutes, found, as she fancied, that in s(ite of the bu;; in thenext room, 2dith had rolled herself u( into a soft ball of muslin and ribbon,and silken curls, and gone off into a (eaceful little afterCdinner na(.

from +orth and South by 2li;abeth 4askell@

". y godmother lived in a handsome house in the clean and ancient town of+retton. *er husband9s family had been residents there for generations, and

bore, indeed, the name of their birth(lace : +retton of +retton3 whether bycoincidence, or because some remote ancestor had been a (ersonage ofsufficient im(ortance to leave his name to his neighbourhood, 1 know not. When 1 was a girl 1 went to +retton twice a year, and well 1 liked the visit.The house and its inmates s(ecially suited me. The large (eaceful rooms, thewellCarranged furniture, the clear wide windows, the balcony outside, lookingdown on a fine anti=ue street, where Sundays and holidays seemed always toabide : so =uiet was its atmos(here, so clean its (avement : these things(leased me well.

from Villette by >harlotte +rontJ @

What happens ne,t-

4his activit! can take the form of a role pla!. /tudents# in groups# discuss possile

continuations# then either improvise them and act them# or prepare# script and act

them out. 4his is an ideal followGup for the orderingB activit! descried earlier and is

suitale for the same sketch ApplicantB.

An alternative activit! is predictive writing. After the students have read $or listened

to' the first section of te%t# the teacher asks them to write the stor! O dialogue O letter O

note O telegram that follows from the situation in the first passage. 6or less proficient

learners# writing activities should involve something simpler such as formGfilling or

completion of one of the aove forms of writing.

32



{3}>. /. PritchettBs short stor! A famil! manB $in $ollected Stories' can serve here

as an illustration of the technique. 4he first section of the stor! informs the reader that

0erenice is a college lecturer who is having an affair with a married man# 7illiam

(ork. A knock at the door announces the une%pected arrival of a large woman. "t is

8rs (ork.

/tudents are asked to write the ensuing dialogue# either as homework or in pairs#each taking the role of one of the ladies. 0efore dialogues are created# the teacher

speculates with the class aout the likel! form of the conversation# level of politeness#

whether 8rs (ork knows of the affair# etc.

4he aim is oviousl! to make learners want to read the continuation on their own.

4he form the piece of writing takes depends entirel! on the particular te%t. "n <. D.

7ellsB short stor! 4he man who could work miraclesB $in Selected Short Stories'# for

e%ample# a man who did not previousl! elieve in miracles suddenl! finds himself

performing them to his own amaHement and ever!one elseBs in the local inn. An

appropriate writing task to follow the first section of this stor! would e the report the

constale writes on the curious happenings down at the pu.

Writing #hapter .

/tudents are asked to write the paragraphs that come immediatel! efore the first

section of the work which the! have Just encountered. 4his is descried in more detail

for Lord of the Flies on p. ,*.

Signpost uestions

4he teacher e%amines the first significant passage in the te%t in order to devise

comprehension questions which signpost aspects important to the work as a whole

setting# character# or particular themes. 4he aim is to encourage students to attend to

these aspects as the reading progresses.

0ditorial suggestions

4his is a simulation in which the class is divided into groups. Fach group is to e the

editorial panel of a pulishing house. 4he first passage of the ook# which students

have now read# is the draft sent in ! the author. 4he panelBs task is to draw up

suggestions $concerning st!le# the unfolding of the plot# characterisation# etc.' for the

author. 8ore advanced learners can e asked to write the letter which the editors send;

intermediate students could e asked to tick appropriate responses from acomputerised list of suggestions normall! sent to all authors ! this pulishing house.

A possile second stage would e for students to form new groups. 4he {3*} groups

now represent the oard which considers the various editorial suggestions made# or

letters sent# and chooses the est one.

6or pla!s# students are the panel of selection for a national repertor! theatre

compan!# responsile for choosing the ne%t pla! to e put on.

4 Maintaining momentum

4he activities descried in this chapter and the ne%t can e used at almost an! point in

a literar! work# and can e applied to the various genres. "f the work chosen is not aver! long one $a short stor!# singleGact pla!# or short poem' the teacher can usuall!

31



present it with one activit!# carefull! selected amongst those outlined# to help learners

understand# enJo!# and appreciate the work.

6or lengthier pla!s# novels# or even longer short stories# however# the teacher will

have to section the te%t and work through it in some wa!. "t is in this situation that a

mi%ture of class activities and home reading can est e used. 4his will introduce

variet! into the classroom# maintain momentum and personalise the studentBsresponse. "t is also most likel! to encourage e%tensive reading haits. Although long

works are sometimes read from eginning to end in class# we feel that this is not such

a satisfactor! procedure. "t leaves little time for an!thing ut the reading itself#

accompanied perhaps ! rapid comments or e%egesis ! the teacher. 8oreover# a

lockGstep pace is imposed on each memer of the class# there! undermining the

creation of a productive tension etween group and individual response.

"f we assume# then# that a comination of home and class work is to e adopted# a

whole range of possiilities opens up for the teacher once a literar! work has een

started. 4eachers must ask themselves the following questions

What scope does a particular literary work offer for furthering one or se.erallanguage skills/

Fach novel# short stor! or pla! can spark off a wealth of different activities. 4asks and

e%ercises ased on a literar! te%t can provide valuale practice in listening# speaking

or writing# as well as improving reading skills. =iterar! works of all kinds are now

ecoming increasingl! availale in spoken form on cassettes. 4hese can e especiall!

useful in providing e%tensive listening practice. 4he chunks heard at one time can e

longer than would e possile with man! other t!pes of recorded passage# ecause

once a ook has een started# students are within a familiar conte%t and have a whole

set of e%pectations aout what the! are hearing. 4hese are two conditions which are

recognised as eing helpful to comprehension in a foreign language. /imilarl!# a

shared ook provides a network of familiar vocaular!# which means that it can e

used for {3+} oral or written work with a minimum of preGteaching of new words or

e%pressions.

Which parts of the work are to !e dealt with in class and which at home/

<ere# of course# the teacher will e guided ! the level of proficienc!# interest and

motivation in the class. /ome activities need more support in the wa! of vocaular!

preGteaching# some require a higher level of creativit! and imagination from the

students. 4he difficult! of the ook# or of an! particular passage in it# will also

influence the length of the section that can comfortal! e read at home. 4he same

approach cannot e used or recommended for all classes. As a general rule# however#it is est to plan lesson activities around the ookBs highlights a turning point in the

plot# for e%ample# or a scene that furthers the development of characterisation.

ow can the !est use !e made of limited classroom time/

"n timetaling lessons# a teacher will want to take into account the following four

aspects# an! or all of which ma! occur within class time.

1. 6ollowGup from home reading /ome of the worksheets which learners are

using to help them with their individual work will lead to checking or

feedack in class. 4he first few minutes of a lesson ma! thus e taken up with

a quick review of the task set# to ensure that the section read at home has

indeed een understood# to correct or compare answers# to encouragediscussion on issues raised# etc. 4his is a wa! of allowing learners to pool their

3&



resources to overcome difficulties# or simpl! to find out how others have

responded to the te%t.

&. Engoing snowall activities A point to ear in mind is that the method we are

proposing can make for a piecemeal set of e%periences from the learnerBs point

of view. "t is therefore most important for the teacher to plan some wa! of

helping students to retain an overview of all the parts read to date. A fewminutes can usefull! e set aside in each lesson for one of the snowall

activities descried later in this chapter.

3. Presenting the new section 4he main part of the lesson will often focus on a

new passage in the ook# which need not follow immediatel! from the point

the students have reached in their own reading. A section Just a it further on

can e chosen for class treatment# leaving students quite often curious enough

to want to read the intervening part. At other times# class time is used to

introduce a new aspect or theme# using a passage students have read at home#

with the aim of deepening their insight into the ookBs literar! features.

. =ooking forward At the end of the class# a few minutes will usuall! e needed

so that the teacher can set the section to e read at home# distriute worksheetsto accompan! this home reading# and add whatever instructions or

e%planations are needed.

{3}ome reading with wor0sheets

Eur wa! of dealing with long te%ts means that learners will e e%pected to read quite

sustantial sections of the ook on their own. 7e would now like to look at how a

teacher can make that task easier for the students.

0asicall!# we suggest that# as often as possile# students e given worksheets to

accompan! home reading. 4hese can and should e varied in their format# and areusuall! designed to help with comprehension of the passage set# on the level of

language# ideas# or characterisation. 7hen time is at a premium# the worksheet can e

planned to generate little or no class followGup. /elfGaccess answer sheets can e

provided. "n other cases# a worksheet might raise questions of response or

interpretation# and a shared feedack or discussion time in class ecomes a necessar!

followGup.

4he following suggestions indicate the range of possiilities open to the teacher.

Question!and!answer worksheets

"n man! wa!s these are the most familiar of all# and the easiest to prepare. (are must e used# however# to avoid the kind of situation where the student merel! gives what

is oviousl! the desired rightB answer; or questions that simpl! lead students to a

particular point in the te%t# where the answer is clearl! to e found.

4he following e%amples show two slightl! different approaches# for a class reading

4ennessee 7illiamsB The "lass Menagerie $in #enguin #lays'. "n this pla!# set in the

south of the -nited /tates# a famil! of three struggle on the edge of povert!. 4he

crippled daughter is sh! and withdrawn; the son# a frustrated writer# is forced to work

in a shoe factor! to support all three; while the mother# living on memories of her own

pampered !outh# pins all her hopes on somehow finding a husand for her daughter.

4he first two scenes have een presented in class. /tudents must now read /cene """

on their own. 4his scene consists of three parts first# 4om# the son# tells the audienceaout his motherBs growing osession with finding a husand for =aura; ne%t# we see

33



Amanda# the mother# tr!ing to sell magaHine suscriptions over the phone to raise

mone! to u! what she imagines =aura will need for her courtship and marriage;

finall!# a violent quarrel reaks out etween Amanda and 4om. 4he questions on oth

worksheets focus mainl! on the first and third sections of the scene as these carr! plot

and theme; the middle part recurs as a kind of pattern which will e picked up later on

in the pla!.7orksheet A consists of questions onl!# and is thus quite openGended. 7orksheet

0 uses the same questions ut gives students more guidance {3,} ! asking them to

choose from various possiilities. "n oth worksheets# however# the first four

questions require factual# rightGorGwrong answers# while the ne%t four ask for

interpretation and are therefore open to different answers.

"t is alwa!s useful to allow some time for students to compare the wa! the! have

answered the t!pe of questions set in the second half of these questionnaires. 4his can

act as a spark to discussion concerning characterisation in this scene. Asking students

to Justif! their choices can also make them more aware of the process of inference !

which readers or spectators arrive at conclusions aout the characters or the dramatic

situation. A slightl! different e%ample of openGended questions used to encouragestudents to speculate# interpret# and proe eneath the surface te%t# is given for the

short stor! 4he edgeB $in Malgudi %ays ! R. @. ara!an' $see 7orksheet )2'.

Question worksheets leading to pair work in class

<alf the class is given one set of questions relating to the passage set as home reading#

the other half another set. $6or e%ample# a teacher working with 7orksheets A or 0

for The "lass Menagerie# could give half {1} the class the four evenGnumered

questions# and the other half the odd numers.' /tudents are told to prepare answers to

their questions as the! read through the set section# ut the! do not have to write them

out.

At the eginning of the ne%t lesson# each student is paired with someone who received

a different worksheet. "n turn# the! ask their questions and monitor the answers given

orall! ! the other student.

Worksheet 0A {3,}

ead Scene 111 of 'he Glass (enagerie. /o not worry too much about words youdo not know. Try to get the general meaning if you (ossibly can without using adictionary. Then answer the following =uestions.

. -manda is very disa((ointed that Laura will not take lessons tobecome a ty(ist. What (lan for Laura re(laces this one in her mother9s

mind?!. -manda thinks she will need money to carry out her (lans for

Laura. What does she do to earn that money?". Tom and -manda have a violent =uarrel. What did -manda do that

has made Tom so angry?#. What has Tom been doing when -manda interru(ts him?$. *ow would you describe the way -manda treats Tom?%. Why does -manda not believe Tom when he says he is going to

the movies?&. Why does -manda ob5ect to Tom9s going out?'. What is Tom9s view of his relationshi( with his family?

3



ead Scene 111 of 'he Glass (enagerie. /o not worry too much about words you donot know. Try to get the general meaning if you (ossibly can without using adictionary. Then tick the right answer to the =uestions below. Gor =uestions $C', theremay be more than one a((ro(riate answer. 1n that case, tick all (ossible answers,

then number them according to how im(ortant they seem3 , !, ", etc. Gor these=uestions, a line has been left for you to add other (ossibilities.

. -manda is very disa((ointed that Laura will not take lessons to become aty(ist. What (lan for Laura re(laces this one in her mother9s mind?

Tom must work harder to su((ort Laura.

She herself will find work to su((ort Laura.

- husband must be found for Laura.

!. -manda thinks she will need money to carry out her (lans for Laura. Whatdoes she do to earn that money?

She works in a ro(e factory.

She sells maga;ine subscri(tions over the (hone.

She begins to write stories for a woman9s maga;ine.

". Tom and -manda have a violent =uarrel. What did -manda do that has madeTom so angry?

-manda would not let Tom read the novels of /. *. Lawrence.

-manda scolded Tom for swearing in front of Laura.

-manda scolded Tom for tracking mud and filth all over her clean

floors.

#. What has Tom been doing when -manda interru(ts him?

Slee(ing.

4etting dressed to go out.

Writing.

$. *ow would you describe the way -manda treats Tom?

She treats him as though he were still a child.

She is harsh and unfeeling. She scolds him because she is worried about the family9s future, andes(ecially about Laura.

She never sto(s nagging him.

She is a caring mother, really, but she doesn9t realise the effect she ishaving on her son.

She is totally selfish and does not see him as a (erson.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.........................................

%. Why does -manda not believe Tom when he says he is going to the movies?

3*



She thinks this is im(ossible because she does not know anyone elsewho goes to the cinema every night.

She is trying to find any excuse to =uarrel with Tom.

She wants to believe the worst of him. She wants to make him feel

guilty. She is trying to make him stay at home.


&. Why does -manda ob5ect to Tom9s going out?

+ecause it makes him tired next day and she is afraid this may makehim lose his 5ob.

+ecause she is lonely and would like him to stay with her in theevenings.

+ecause she does not want him to do anything on his own, away fromthe family : she fears he will go away like his father.

+ecause she is concerned for his health.

+ecause she thinks he is Hu( to no good9 : she is concerned for hismoral health.


'. What is Tom9s view of his relationshi( with his family?

*e feels he is a slave to his family.

*e resents working so hard for them, and having nothing of his own in

return. *e resents sacrificing his own writing career for them.

*e feels he is not free in his own home.

*e hates his mother for treating him like a child.

*e dearly loves his sister.

*e (ities his sister.


Worksheet 0B {2G1}

1*o it yoursel$2 uestionnaires

7hen students have worked once or twice with worksheets given to them ! the

teacher# the! often enJo! the challenge of devising such a questionnaire themselves.

4he class is set a passage to read# with the task of thinking up and writing two or three

questions on it. "n the ne%t lesson# students are paired and ask each other their

questions; or all the questions are put into a container and drawn out to e answered

! the class working as a whole.

Another successful procedure is to set each half of the class a different passage to

read. Fach student prepares a worksheet to accompan! his or her section 5 it is est to

indicate the numer of questions to e included# in the interests of overall fairness. At

the ne%t lesson# students e%change worksheets with someone from the other half of

3)



the class. 4he! now read their partnerBs section from the ook and answer the

questions on it. 4he ne%t lesson must oviousl! include some feedack time for the

pairs# and this often generates useful discussion on what each student considers

important in the passage# and worth! of a questionB.

4he same procedure can e used with the different t!pes of worksheet outlined ne%t.

#omplete the sentences

6or variet!# and for linguistic practice# a teacher can use the format of incomplete

sentences# instead of questions and answers. 7orksheet * is {3} an e%ample of an

e%tremel! simple worksheet to accompan! home reading# again of 4ennessee

7illiamsB The "lass Menagerie# ut this time from the eginning of /cene >.

/tudents are asked to provide fairl! straightforward answers to complete the

sentences# ut in so doing the! practise the second conditional forms "f he did . . . he

could . . . or he would . . . . 6urther e%amples are given for =ord of the 6lies in

7orksheet &* and on p. 11).

Worksheet 1 {&}

'rue or $alse

Ence again# this is an easil! devised t!pe of worksheet. "t provides help for students

! paraphrasing difficult sentences. 7orksheet ) is an e%ample from the eginning of

chapter 3 in 4he Dreat Dats! ! 6. /cott 6itHgerald# which descries the prodigious

parties given ! Dats! in his ew 9ork mansion.

Summaries with gaps

/ummaries can give rise to useful group work in class# as we shall see later. 6or the

moment# we would like to consider their use simpl! as a means of facilitating home

reading# either with selfGaccess answer sheets# or with time allowed for students to

compare and discuss their answers in class.

3+

ead the beginning of Scene E from 'he Glass (enagerie. Then com(lete thefollowing sentences.

. -manda would like Tom to comb his hair because if he did soMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

!. -manda says that if Tom sto((ed smoking, heMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

". Tom feels he is living a dull life. When he goes out on the fire esca(e, though,he sees other (eo(le leading more exciting lives. *e thinks if only he

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM#. -manda makes a wish on the moon. 1f she could have her wish, sheMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

$. -manda says to Tom, as she has done many times before, that it would bevery nice for Laura if TomMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



4he most straightforward t!pe of summar! e%ercise is the gapped summar!. 4his

helps readers ! providing them with an almost complete# and simpl! phrased#

description of the main points of the section the! are tackling. 4he gaps are usuall!

ke! words or e%pressions# which onl! a reading of the appropriate passage can reveal.

/elfGaccess answer sheets are useful here.

4he e%ample is taken from #ygmalion# the popular pla! ! Deorge 0ernard /haw#aout a professor of phonetics who takes a poor flower girl from the slums of =ondon

and transforms her ! changing her clothes# her manners# and her speech. 4he gaps

are to e filled with factual statements# e%cept for the ver! last one# which asks for

interpretation $see 7orksheet +'.

Summaries with incomplete sentences

A slightl! more challenging variant consists of a summar! with incomplete sentences.

4he learner has a it more writing to do to complete the sentences and thus ensure a

fluent and accurate summar!. 4he teacher takes in the worksheets and marks them for

content and language proficienc!. An e%ample is given for Romeo and 2uliet $see7orksheet '.

{}

Read the first half of chapter 3 of The "reat "ats!y and decide whether the following

statements are true or false.

T G

. 4atsby9s (arties always started at dusk.

!. 4atsby stood at the door to greet guests as they arrived.

". 1t took six servants to s=uee;e the hundreds of oranges andlemons used to make drinks for the (arties.

#. 1t took eight servants to clean u( afterwards.

$. The food was all made by 4atsby9s own cook in his kitchens.

%. - huge variety of food was s(read out on tables outdoors, under a

canvas to(.&. 1n a bar in the hall, guests could hel( themselves to all kinds of

drinks, some familiar and some very strange.'. -ll 4atsby9s guests knew each other before the (arty.

6. There was a very large orchestra to (lay music at the (arties.

0. The guests all arrived by train.

. -ll 4atsby9s guests had to show invitation cards at the door beforethey were al lowed i n to the (arty.

!. The guests wore bright colours and the most fashionable clothesand hairCdos.

3



". Thegueststendedto stayin theirownlittlegrou(sallevening.

#. 2veryone knew the (arty had really started when girls starteddancing on the (latform.

$. The (arties became very noisy as the evenings wore on.

Worksheet 3

{*}

Worksheet 4

Summary comparison

4he teacher writes two summaries of a section to e read at home. /tudents must

choose the est one# Justif!ing their choice. :ifferences etween the summaries can

e fineGtunedB according to the level of the group. At the simplest level# one of the

summaries omits certain ke! points; at a more difficult level# oth summaries arefairl! accurate ut me ma! contain incorrect inference or interpretation. At a still

3,

ead the scene in -ct 11 of %ygmalion where Li;a9s father comes to see 7rofessor*iggins. Then fill in the following summary, using an a((ro(riate word orex(ression.

1n this scene, -lfred /oolittle, a ........................................ by trade, comes to see*enry *iggins. *is manner is that of a man who is ........................................ . *eseems =uite used to saying what he thinks and feels. *aving heard that hisdaughter Li;a has come to live with *iggins, he has decided to try to use thesituation to ........................................ . -t first, he triesto ........................................ the 7rofessor, saying he wants his daughter back.*iggins re(lies by insisting that /oolittle must ........................................immediately. *iggins threatens to tell about /oolittle9s attem(t to blackmail him./oolittle ex(lains that he was not res(onsible for Li;a9s coming and only heardabout it from ......................................... . The 7rofessor rings for his housekee(erand tells her to let /oolittle take Li;a away. +ut 5ust as he is about to leave,defeated, /oolittle makes an a((eal to *iggins as a H.........................................9 .1t is clear he thinks *iggins wants Li;a for (ur(oses that have little to do withlanguage trainingI /oolittle says *iggins can kee( Li;a ifhe ......................................... . When *iggins is shocked, /oolittle says he is nota moral (erson because ........................................ . -ll he wantsis ........................................ to com(ensate him for the loss of his daughter. When*iggins offers him twice the sum re=uested, however, /oolittle refuses, sayingtoo much money is......................................... . 1n the end, *iggins gives in

and ....................................... because he is im(ressed by/oolittle9s .........................,..............



more {)} advanced level# the est summar! ma! e chosen for st!le# perhaps using

such criteria as

: Which summary do you think the author himself would (refer? : Which would be (referable for3 a literary maga;ine?

a (o(ular news(a(er?a class of language learners at an elementarylevel? etc.

4wo different t!pes of summar! comparisons are illustrated for Lord of the Flies $see

7orksheets && and &,'.

Key points $or summaries

6rom a section read at home# students are asked to list the five ke! points which

would form the asis for a continuousl! written summar!. @e! points can e related

to events or to character development. /ince the latter t!pe# especiall!# calls forinterpretation# it is useful to compare choice of ke! points in class# perhaps asking

each group to produce a common list# ! negotiation. 4he teacher supplies his or her

own list for comparison and discussion.

Alternativel!# the teacher provides the class with a list of ke! points for a section

the! are aout to read at home# and asks them to tick each one off as the! read. 4hen

the! have to suppl! one missing point# or delete one irrelevant point. 4he latter can e

checked ! selfGaccess answer sheets.

3um&led events

ErderingB worksheets offer a great deal of support to students as the! read# ecausethe! give most of the facts needed to make sense of the passage. All the! have to do is

find the right order or sequence. 4here is a puHHle element to them which appeals# and

e%tra elements of challenge can e added.

"n its simplest form# the student is given a Jumled list of a certain numer of events

that occur in the homeGreading passage# and asked to place them in their correct

sequence. A few incorrect events can e included which must e spotted and

discarded; or one or two ke! events ma! e left out# to e supplied ! the reader. An

e%ample of a Jumled list including some false choices is given for Lord of the Flies

$see 7orksheet 33'. Another e%ample# where the facts are all accurate ut# once

ordered# must e fitted into a flow diagram# is given for 4he edgeB $see 7orksheets

)1A and )10'.(ontinuous summaries ma! e used instead of a list of happenings. 4here are

e%amples in oth the novel and pla! chapters.

{+}#hoosing an interpretation

<ere# instead of events# students are given a series of different interpretations of

events in the passage the! are reading. 4he! can e asked to sort these into order of

importance# choose the one nearest to their own ideas# or write their own

interpretation# selecting if the! wish elements from those given. An e%ample is given

for Lord of the Flies $see 7orksheet 3&'.

2



Value 4udgment worksheets

8ost of the worksheets we have een discussing focus on helping learners understand

the literar! work. 4here are times# however# when a teacher will want the students to

go e!ond asic comprehension and consider some of the moral or aesthetic issues

raised ! a particular te%t. A worksheet to accompan! home reading can do much to pave the wa! for fruitful class discussionGit is a means of drawing attention to the

special areas the teacher might wish to highlight. (omparing answers that require

interpretation and value Judgments can also provide a stimulus to anal!sis and e%tend

a readerBs range of literar! response.

7orksheet is ased upon the scene in #ygmalion for which we have alread!

provided a gapped summar! $7orksheet +'. F%cept in advanced classes where it

would not e needed# 7orksheet + can e used as a preparator! e%ercise# so that the

teacher can ensure that ever!one has understood the asics of what happens in this

part of the pla!. 0ut the are summar! of events does not egin to pin down

ever!thing that is actuall! happening on stage. 4he scene is a crucial one for plot and

characterisation. :ramaticall!# it presents an amusing ut ver! powerful conflict inwit and will etween two men who# despite the contrast in their social position# are

equall! clever# confident# ruthless# and determined to get their own wa!. 8orall!# the

scene is profoundl! amivalent# full of contradictions aout what constitutes honest!#

sincerit!# and decentB feelings aout oneBs famil! and oneBs fellow human eings.

4hese are some of the areas 7orksheet encourages students to e%plore. 4he! are

asked to respond to a set of statements ! grouping them in order of importance or

preference# as the! read the scene at home. "n class# choices are compared# discussed#

Justified. 4his is est done in groups# with each group eing asked to estalish an

overall profile of the attitudes e%pressed ! the priorities most of them have chosen.

4he general class discussion which follows can e quite wideGranging and

illuminating.

{}

ead the scene in -ct 11 of %ygmalion where Li;a9s father comes to see 7rofessor*iggins. Then study the following sets of statements. Grom each set, choose thethree statements which seem to you most a((ro(riate, and (ut them in order ofim(ortance3 first, second and third. +e (re(ared to 5ustify your choice by reference tothe scene.

)enry )iggins

a@ *iggins is an exam(le of u((erCclass morality3 totally selfCcentred, caring forno one else but himself.b@ *iggins is a realist3 he acce(ts things as they are.c@ *iggins is a ruthless mani(ulator who lets nothing stand in his way.d@ *iggins is really =uite a kindly man beneath his crusty exterior.e@ *iggins is a bully because he is unsure of himself and wants to hide his

insecurity.f@ *iggins is a gentleman with a gentleman9s code of honour.

Al$red *oolittlea@ /oolittle is an extraordinarily callous man, willing to sell his own daughter for

<$.

b@ /oolittle9s behaviour can be excused3 society has never given him anything,and so he owes it nothing.

1



c@ /oolittle is com(letely selfish3 he thinks only of himself, and does not carewhat is ha((ening to his daughter.

d@ /oolittle is refreshingly free from ordinary morality and social conventions.e@ /oolittle is sincere3 he is remarkably o(en about his own shortcomings.f@ /oolittle is not only Han old liar9, but he is a clever and (ersuasive liar at that.

'he morality that emerges $rom this scenea@ 1f you are clever enough you can get away with anything.b@ orality is a luxury only the rich can afford.c@ -((earance is all.d@ +e true to your own self, nothing else matters.e@ >ivilisation and its conventions constitute a straitC5acket that any thinking

(erson will want to avoid.f@ -ny code of honour is a thin veneer disguising dishonesty.g@ 1t is better not to have too much money3 it makes a man too (rudent.h@ >leanliness is next to godliness.i@ MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM... Write your

own.@

Worksheet 5

{,}

#hess&oard

Another wa! of getting students to consider the implications of given elements in a

literar! work is to ask them to place statements from it on either the white squares $for

positive# goodB elements' or lack squares $for negative or adB elements' of a

chessoardGshaped grid. 4his often serves to underline the amiguit! of the work of

art. An e%ample is given for Lord of the Flies $see 6igure 1&'.

#hoosing a moral

Diving a moralB for a short stor!# novel or poem is a traditional wa! of drawing out

the ideas or values that are implicit within it. /ometimes# however# simpl! asking a

class 7hat would !ou sa! is the moral to this stor!IB produces rather disappointing

results. /tudents usuall! come up with etter ideas if the! have time to mull over the

question# and if the! are given something to spark their interest and get them started.

A worksheet to e done at home while the! read the last section of the te%t# with

results compared in the ne%t lesson# often generates etter discussion.

7orksheet , lists several alternative morals for the short stor! 4he man who couldwork miraclesB# ! <. D. 7ells in Selected 6Short Stories. $A simplified version is

availale for intermediateGlevel students in *utstanding Short Stories ! D. (.

4hornle!.' 4his is a stor! aout an ordinar! man who suddenl! and unaccountal!

finds himself ale to do an! {*2} thing at all# Just ! wishing it. 4he village

clerg!man# consulted aout it# attempts to channel this new power for the good of

humanit!# ut his efforts are misguided and the world is onl! saved from total

catastrophe ! the miracle workerBs wish that he e relieved of his power and returned

to the moment efore he suddenl! acquired it. Another e%ample requiring more

interpretation is given in 7orksheet *+ for the stor! 4he spread of "an icholB $in

(nlikely Stories7 Mostly# ! Alasdair Dra!'.

&



ead to the end of HThe man who could work miracles9. Then choose the moral whichyou think most a((ro(riate. 1f none seems suitable to you, write one of your own. +e(re(ared to 5ustify your choice.

The moral of this short story is3. H/on9t give the ordinary man (ower : he can9t use it sensibly.9!. H/oCgooders only succeed in doing evil.9". H1f you have a (ower or talent, trust your own ability to use it.9#. H7eo(le who are su((osed to have su(erior wisdom often lack ordinary

common sense.9$. H7osition and (ersonality are entirely different things.9%. H7ower corru(ts.9&. HThank goodness human beings are not allC(owerful.9'. HLeave miracles to 4od.96. Aour own3 H.........................................................................................................9

Worksheet 8 {,}

{*2}anguage worksheets

4he section to e read at home sometimes presents vocaular! or other language

difficulties# and an accompan!ing worksheet is designed to make reading easier for

the learner. "n other cases# the teacher might wish to highlight a writerBs rich or

metaphorical language# or ensure that particular terms or structures encountered in a

literar! te%t are internalised and ecome part of a studentBs active vocaular!. "n all

cases# this kind of worksheet depends ver! much on the actual te%t# its level of

difficult!# its particular st!listic qualities# and so on. "t is quite difficult to give an!

general rules# or to illustrate out of conte%t. 7e therefore give a rief list of various

t!pes# with page references to indicate illustrations given within the conte%t of thediscussion of complete works of literature in later chapters.

8A4(<"D

4he simplest wa! to help students with te%ts that have difficult words# e%pressions# or

structures is to give them simple definitions for prolem words# or simplified

rephrased sentences# which the! are asked to match with the more comple% original.

F%amples of two kinds of worksheet of this t!pe are to e found in the chapter on

Romeo and 2uliet one gives modern colloquial sentences# in Jumled order# which the

student must match to the speeches in one scene of the pla! $see 7orksheet *1 '; the

other gives a series of rephrased# simplified sentences# some of which are accurate#

others not the studentBs task is to distinguish etween them $see 7orksheet 3'.

FN4RA(4"D A: (=A//"69"D >E(A0-=AR9 6RE8 4<F 4FN4

7hen a teacher wants to highlight words either for comprehension or for st!listic

anal!sis# students are asked to e%tract specific kinds of words or e%pressions from a

part of the work studied. A visual means of indicating different categories of words is

the star diagram given for Lord of the Flies# which can e used as a class or home

reading activit! $see 6igures ,A and ,0'.

{*1}7ER:/ ER FNPRF//"E/ 4E (<ARA(4FR"/F A 4FN4

4o enrich learnersB vocaular!# the teacher can give them a whole series of terms ore%pressions that must e assigned to specific features or characters in their ook.

3



F%amples are given for Lord of the Flies $see 7orksheets 1 and 3)'# grids for

characterisation work $see 7orksheet 1*' and for the short stor! 4he starB $see

7orksheet *)'.

="4FRA= A: 8F4AP<ER"(A= 8FA"D

7orksheets can e used to sensitise students to the metaphorical dimension of wordsin the ook the! are reading. F%amples can he found in (hapter $see 6igure 1) and

7orksheets + and '.

/"8P=F DRA88AR ER /4R-(4-RF 7ER@

4he te%t of a ook often offers e%cellent opportunities to practise specific areas of

language. 4he advantage of the literar! te%t is that it provides a conte%t for language

work. F%ercises can e quite openGended# so that in addition to language

improvement# the! incorporate student response. /ome e%amples are preposition

practiceB $see p. 11*' and structural e%erciseB $see p. 11)'.

7ER: P-QQ=F/ 7"4< 6E==E7G-P 7R"4"D FNFR("/F/

7ord puHHles are simple to create# with followGup writing tasks designed to help

learners use their new vocaular!. F%amples can e found in 7orksheets 31 A and 31

0.

7ER@/<FF4/ 6E(-//"D E 4<F PFR6ER8A4">F 6-(4"E E6

=AD-ADF

/uch a worksheet# illustrated in Lord of the Flies $see 7orksheet 3' can e given to

accompan! home reading# followed ! class discussion.

.now(all acti%ities

4hese are activities which continue# and are added to progressivel!# as students read

through a long work. 4he! help to maintain an overview of the entire ook# provide a

valuale aid to memor!# and reduce a length! te%t to manageale proportions.

5etelling the story

>aluale oral practice for classes can e provided ! retelling the stor! so far as a

chain activit!. 4his also helps to keep the whole narrative in the {*&} mind of the

reader. =arge classes can e divided into stor!Gtelling groups so that each student getsa turn. 4he activit! can e comined with vocaular! work# as in the e%ample in Lord

of the Flies or with work on character portra!al $see p. 1&2'.

Wall charts and other visual displays

>isual prompts are e%tremel! helpful to learners working their wa! through a long#

and sometimes comple%# work. 4he! function as a constant reminder of the ookBs

various elements. 7all charts can e of several kinds

/E70A== /-88AR"F/

A traditional wa! of retaining an idea of chronolog! is to ask students to write asummar! of what happens as each part of the ook unfolds. 7e have found that this is



indeed a useful tool for oth comprehension and revision; ut keeping it going can

easil! ecome a repetitive chore# so that earl! chapters tend to e dealt with more

full! than middle or end sections.

Ene wa! of minimising tedium is to make the activit! into a shared one for the

whole class. 4he representation of events is done on a large wall chart $or# if

circumstances make this difficult# in one noteook which is availale for all memersof the class to consult# and cop! into their own ooks if the! wish'. 4he class is

divided into teams# each assigned responsiilit! for the creation of one or more

sections of the chart.

An e%ample involving a threeGfold summar! of events# themes# and the reactions of

characters# is given for Lord of the Flies $see 6igure 12'.

8E4ADF

"n the same wa! that an authorBs life can e used for a montage $see 6igure &' the

various aspects of a work 5 plot# character# setting 5 can form the asis for a growing

visual displa!. 8agaHine pictures# drawings# photographs# suitale pieces of creative

writing or e%tracts from critical works# quotations# character sketches that have eendrawn or written ! the students can all e added graduall!.

DRAP<"( RFPRF/F4A4"E/

4hese could e sequentiall! arranged diagrams or other forms of visual representation

focussing on different elements of a particular work. <ere are some e%amples

5 Representations of the development of the plot. "f the teacher plans to section

the reading of a long te%t into ten parts# for instance# the chart would consist of

ten divisions# each one e%emplif!ing in some concrete wa! what happens in

that part of the ook. 8emorale quotes can e {*3} added. Fach part can e

encapsulated in a s!molic shape which reminds the reader of some particular

feature of that section of the work. An e%ample is shown for Romeo and 2uliet

$see 6igure 1+'.

5 Representations of characters# their introduction into the stor!# their growing

or changing relationship with each other. 4hese could e in the form of a large

class grid# on which new information is Jotted down as reading progresses. 6or

added visual interest and memorailit!# a different colour can e used for each

character# or nonGlinear forms adopted for e%ample# information aout various

characters is added graduall! to large outlines of each one that have een

drawn on a wall chart the flowB of character development is represented

along a wa! line# showing the upsB and the downsB in a particular characterBs

fortunes# or morale; finall!# the relationship etween characters is portra!edgraphicall! on a t!pe of snakes and laddersB oard $laddersB for a closer or

more amicale time# snakesB for conflict or discord'.

5 Representations of the setting in which the action occurs. Ence again# an

imaginative variation on a standard linear form can often prove more

interesting for learners to create# and easier for them to rememer. 4he star

diagram used to descrie the setting in Lord of the Flies# for e%ample $see

6igures ,A and ,0' could e repeated at various points in ooks where there is

a change of setting# thus providing a snowall variant.

7all charts or diagrams can e classGased# with groups given responsiilit! for one

planned sequence in the overall diagram. Alternativel!# different groups can havetheir own displa!s# leading to discussion aout why each particular item or s!mol

*



was chosen. Apart from eing useful in stimulating oral work# the latter option helps

reak down the idea of a definitiveB version of literar! criticism. :ifferent responses

are seen to e possile and fruitful.

5eassessing

An overview can e maintained ! simpl! redoing a particular e%ercise at various

points in a ook. 6or e%ample# a grid used to cr!stallise a first insight into motivation

and personalit! $see 7orksheet 1*' can e collected and kept ! the teacher. /everal

chapters later# learners are given a second cop! of the same grid to fill out again#

drawing now on their e%panded knowledge of the character. (omparison of earlier

and later views is often instructiveK

#ontinuing predictions

"n situations where it is possile# that is# where students are all reading at {*} aout

the same pace# the! can e asked to predict the likel! course of events near the eginning# then again at later stages of their reading. 4his fosters momentum# and it

can take the form of oral work# with the teacher or# etter still# one of the learners

asking appropriate questions 7hat is going to happenI 7hat is likel! to e the fate of

N . . . I (hoices could e offered <ere are three possiilities . . . 7hich do !ou think

is the most likel!I 7h!I

A variation which our students have found interesting is the following after reading

the first section of the ook# students are asked to complete a series of statements in

writing. <ere is an e%ample for Lord of the Flies

1 think 7iggywill ..............................................................................................................1 think the children will8will not be rescuedbecause .......................................................1 think the greatest danger they faceis ..........................................................................1 think they will succeedin ..............................................................................................1 think they will failin .......................................................................................................1 think they will find it easiestto ......................................................................................

1 think they will find it hardestto .....................................................................................

4hese are pinned up and reviewed after a few lessons. Are earl! predictions still

validI 7h!Owh! notI <ow would the! need to e changed in the light of our new

knowledgeI

A variation of the preceding e%ercise also provides training in making inferences

from given data# a skill which is an important element in reading comprehension.

6rom a set of facts# learners are asked to deduce likel! consequences. 6or e%ample#

from earl! chapters of Lord of the Flies

)



1n this cha(ter, we see the beginnings of conflict between Back and al(h. Grom thiswe can foresee that.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Back taunts 7iggy and won9t let him s(eak. This may leadto ........................................MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...

4he stress laid on facts in this version trains learners to e attentive to the possile

consequences of events in the stor! the! are reading. <aving done this once# students

could initiate the process themselves for the ne%t section of a long te%t. 4hat is#

working in groups# the! e%tract from a passage which the! have Just read# the facts

upon which inferences can e made. Fach groupBs facts are then passed on to another

group# whose task it is to work out possile conclusions.

*ecision points

At certain points in reading a ook# learners are asked to write a sentence or paragraph

in answer to a question of the t!pe 7h! did N make this decisionI take this stepI

change her mindI

<ere are some e%amples{**}

Why did i(ley decide to kill /ickie 4reenleaf? 'he 'alented (r 5ipley by 7atricia*ighsmith@

Why does /aisy stay with Tom? 'he Great Gats&y by G. Scott Git;gerald@Why does Li;a decide to stay with *iggins when he is so rude to her? %ygmalion

by 4eorge +ernard Shaw@Why do (eo(le kee( going to /octor Gischer9s (arties? *octor Fischer o$ Geneva

by 4raham 4reene@

4he teacher collects the answers. <e or she then writes or t!pes out a selection of the

answers# chosen to illustrate the widest range of reasons $the rather tedious recop!ing

is to ensure anon!mit! and allow some unotrusive language correction ! the

teacher# if need e'. =ater on# when students have read further# the selection is either

pinned up for all to see or# if it is possile to duplicate it# distriuted to the students.

"t is now easier for learners to assess whether additional information gained since

writing their answers can affect their ideas aout the question asked# what new

answers would now have to e given# wh! certain answers were fuller# closer to themark than others# and so on.

7ith more advanced groups# this activit! can e used for quite useful language work

the sentences or paragraphs# instead of eing corrected# are rewritten or t!ped with

either all errors left in# or with one specific t!pe left in $for e%ample# omission of

articles# ver tenses# etc.'. /tudents# working in groups# see how man! of the errors

the! can spot and correct. 4his kind of work is usuall! enJo!ale for them 5 ut it is

proal! est to use it sparingl! after such intense scrutin! of the way ideas have

een e%pressed# it is quite often difficult to go on to a discussion of what the sentences

formulate. "n this as in so man! other activities# it is important to tr! to var! and

alance the kind of work learners are doing.

Writing ongoing diaries

+



As the long te%t unfolds# students are asked to keep a diar! recording events and

feelings. :ifferent students can imagine that the! are different characters and keep the

diar! which theirB person would have written as each new circumstance in the ook

develops. 4his ensures a range of diaries written from different perspectives. "t is

important to provide some opportunit! for students to compare diaries# and discussthem# at the end of the ook. An e%hiition of diaries could e organised.

Fly on the wall

"nstead of taking on a characterBs role# students# alternativel!# can act as flies on the

wallB and imagine that the! are present in the ook as themselves# though invisile.

4heir diaries therefore contain their own oserG {*)} vations and comments. 4he

responsiilit! of uilding up an accumulated range of fl!GonGtheGwallB views can e a

shared one. 4he teacher divides the long te%t into a numer of sections equal to the

numer of students in the class. Fach learner draws a numer and is then responsile

for writing a commentar! on the part of the ook corresponding to the numer. 4hesecould e put on a wall chart# or in a decorated ook kept especiall! for this purpose

and containing one section per student. 4he inders now availale# into which sheets

of paper can e slotted etween protective plastic# seem ideal for this activit!.

According to the level of the class and his or her own teaching priorities# a teacher

could decide to correct the written comments efore incorporating them into the ook#

or leave them as each student produced# warts and allB.

Ether writing tasks can e similarl! added to snowall wall charts or noteooks as

reading progresses.

anguage pro4ects

An activit! to e done in groups# each group eing assigned one specific language

aspect to stud! as the class reads through a te%t. /ec 7orksheet & for an e%ample

using Romeo and 2uliet .

{*+}5 E!loiting highlights

Ence progress through the literar! work is eing sustained ! supported home

reading# and with snowall activities developing and maintaining a growing sense of

narrative and characterisation# the teacher can select from an additional range of

imaginative activities in order to e%ploit the highlights of the work. 4hese activitieswill further encourage the students to e%plore and e%press their own response to the

literar! work. 8oreover# if the teacherBs selection is Judicious# this will enale him or

her to attend to particular deficiencies in one or more of the studentsB language skills

at the same time as the! are asored in the drama of a novel or pla!.

4he activities descried in this chapter are ideas or templates which can e modified

or adapted according to the particular literar! work eing read and the t!pe and level

of students involved. Ence again# we emphasise that the! can e used at different

points in the te%t.

Although the maJorit! of the activities are grouped under skill headings# man! of

them integrate several language skills and reflect our wish to use literature as a

stimulus to oral work# especiall! in groups. 4he result we elieve will e not onl! a



general improvement in the studentsB allGround ailit! in the target language# ut also

an enJo!ale relationship with the literature of that tongue.

)riting acti%ities

=iterar! works provide a wealth of conte%ts for interesting writing activities in theclassroom. 7e group here a variet! of activities that have a writing component#

though man! lead naturall! into game# discussion or drama followGups and thus

develop into multiGskill e%ercises. 4he progression in this section is from more

controlled writing activities to more creative ones.

#onnectors and summary writing

4he teacher gives the class a list of connectors# for e%ample

furthermoreneverthelesseven so

howevermeanwhileon the other hand

to sum u(to make matters worse

{*}/tudents are set a passage to read at home. "n the ne%t class lesson# the! are asked#

in pairs# to write a summar! of this section# using each of the connectors in the list

appropriatel!. 4he teacher gives them a ma%imum numer of words. 4here is

comparison and discussion of the results.

As a followGup in the ne%t lesson# the same connectors are written on slips of paper

and put into a o%. /tudents have een set a further homeGreading passage. Fach

student now chooses a slip of paper with a connector. "n groups# the! relate the events

of the new passage read# in turn# using the connector chosen. "f it is not possile for

them to use it# the! are allowed to sustitute a totall! different connector# which the!

write on a slip of paper to add to the stock. Repetition of connectors is not allowedK

/imilar work can e done with markers that help clarif! the logical progression of

an essa!# for e%ample one reason for this is . . .B and take# for e%ample . . .B

As these activities help students develop awareness of wa!s of connecting ideas#

the! are useful preparation for writing essa!s.

Summarising the summary

Ene novel wa! of carr!ing out summar! work is to make it progressive. /tudents are

divided into three groups. Fach writes a summar! of the section read# with ama%imum numer of words# for e%ample# +2. 4he! then pass on their summar! to the

ne%t group# which must reduce it to half its length# that is# to 3* words. 4his is now

passed on to the third group# which halves the length again# to 1+ words. Fach group

is thus involved in reducing all three summaries. 6inal versions are read out and

changes discussed.

#reative conversation writing

7riting dialogues is a good wa! for students to e%plore their view of a character or

fictional situation. 4he e%changes are kept simple so that the! remain effective even if

learners have not !et achieved perfect control of the target language.

,



4he most ovious and successful wa! of creating conversation ased on literar!

works is to take scenes in which there is no speech availale and ask the class to

imagine the conversation that took place# then write it# in groups or pairs. 6or

e%ample# a character arrives on the scene# having Just een with someone else

students are asked to write the previous conversation# which is not in the literar! work

itself. (haracters who are not placed alone together in the work can e given thatopportunit! in the readerBs imagination. Poems also provide e%cellent conte%ts for

conversation writing# and several e%amples are given in (hapter 12. 4he e%act format

of the task will of course var! according to the particular situation {*,} in each literar!

work. "n Lord of the Flies# for e%ample# students are asked to write a monologue $see

p. 1*2'# while after reading the short pla! The Sand!o)# the! are asked to create a

sketch $see p. 1,'. "n all these cases# the dialogues written can e the asis for

e%cellent role pla! or dramatisation. /tudents usuall! enJo! performing their own

worksK

Another popular wa! of creating dialogues is to have them written in the roundB as

follows.

4he teacher having set the scene# each student writes the first utterance# imaginingthat the! are character A. 4he! then pass their slip of paper to their rightGhand

neighour. Fver!one now reads the utterance the! have received# and# imagining the!

are now character 0# write a repl! to it on the paper efore them. 4he! then pass the

paper ack to their leftGhand neighour# that is# the learner who originall! wrote the

first e%change. Fach student is now character A once again# and replies to character

0Bs part of the dialogue. At the end of the activit!# each learner will have helped uild

up two dialogues# one in which the! have consistentl! een character A# the other in

which the! have een character 0. 4his technique often makes dialogue writing more

enJo!ale ecause it contains an element of surprise each learner must react to the

part of the conversation written ! another student. "t also has the advantage of eing

suitale for an! siHe of class. An illustration can e found in the imagined dialogue

etween Romeo and Eld (apulet in Romeo and 2uliet $see p. 1+'.

'hought &u&&les

As learners ecome familiar with a work of the imagination# the teacher will wish

them to ecome aware of the creative interpla! that e%ists within it# etween the

outerB world of action and appearance# and the innerB world of thought and feeling.

<e or she will want them to notice# too# that readers can e given a var!ing set of

clues aout these worlds sometimes the readers are told onl! what a character does or

sa!s# at other times the! are also told what the character thinks; sometimes there iscomment from a narrator# at other times not. 4here are assumptions which ever!

reader has to make to interpret the clues given and to create# in a sense# a new world

that is merel! pointed to# in the te%t. 4he following task helps students make these

assumptions e%plicit. "n so doing the! will# it is hoped# gain a fuller understanding

oth of the imaginar! world itself# and also of the narrative or dramatic codes !

which an author creates# and a reader reGcreates# this comple% world of the

imagination.

4he task is simple students are asked to write the innerB dialogue that parallels the

outerB dialogue given in the literar! work. A wa! of making this more visual#

concrete# and interesting# is illustrated for the poem 4elephone conversationB $see

7orksheet )+'. <ere# a cartoon has een drawn showing what each character sa!s;

*2



learners have to fill in the {)1} thought ulesB to indicate each personBs

simultaneous# though unuttered# thoughts and feelings.

4he cartoon is not# however# an essential feature. "n 7orksheet 12# designed for a

highlight scene in The Talented Mr Ripley ! Patricia <ighsmith# the spoken dialogue

is given on the left# and students are asked to write the accompan!ing thought

dialogue on the right. "n this case# the attention of students is drawn to the fact thatsome clues are given in the narrative $for e%ample# the author sa!s that 4om is

emarrassed at the eginning of the scene' and that these must e taken into account

in estalishing the parallel inner script.

#ries $or help

"t is often the case that a highlight scene in a literar! work presents one of the

characters# or several# in some dire predicament. /tudents are asked to write the note

or short letter that such a character dashes off as a plea for help. "n a state of peril or

anguish# oviousl!# communication is paramount no one is going to worr! undul!

aout the odd spelling or s!nta% mistake as long as it does not impede possilecomprehension of the message. 4he conte%t can therefore e a lierating one for

learners who are not too confident of their master! of the written mode. An e%ample

is given for Lord of the Flies $=etter in a ottleB# p. 11) and 6igure 11' ut the

situation can e varied for a great numer of different te%ts students can e asked to

write the note which the girl tries to smuggle out in ?ohn 6owlesB The $ollector

$efore the class has reached that point in the novel'; or which 8rs 7ilson tries to get

out to 4om when she has een locked up ! her husand in The "reat "ats!y ! 6.

/cott 6itHgerald; or which 6riar =awrence sends to Romeo in Romeo and 2uliet ; or

which ?ohn writes to the Reservation asking to e rescued# in Aldous <u%le!Bs Bra.e

9ew World # etc.

*1



Worksheet ': {)2}

{)1}%oems

7riting poems in the foreign language can e surprisingl! enJo!ale for learners# as

long as the whole activit! is done within a ver! rela%ed and nonGdirective framework.4he aim is to cr!stallise a personal# felt response to a literar! situation. "t is usuall!

*&

ead the (assage on ((. %6C&0 of 'he 'alented (r 5ipley , where /ickie comes into hisroom, to find Tom trying on his clothes. The dialogue on the left is what they say to eachother. )n the right is what each of them is thinking. With your (artner, write what eachcharacter really thinks. The first two (arts have been done, but you can change these if

they do not re(resent what you consider each character to be thinking. emember thenovelist has given some clues in the (assageI

What each character says What he is thinking/ickie3 What9re you doing- How dare you come into my room

secretly and sneak into my clothes!

It’s disgusting!

Tom3 )h : 5ust amusing myself. What Shall I do? Where can I hide?

Oh, my God, he knows! I hate him!

Tom3 Sorry, /ickie. /ickie, 19m sorryifM

/ickie3 1 wish you9d get out of myclothes.

Shoes too? -re you cra;y?

Tom3 No.

/id you make it u( with arge?/ickie3 arge an 1 are fine.

-nother thing 1 want to say, butclearly. 19m not =ueer. 1 don9tknow if you have the idea that 1am or not.

Tom3 Dueer? 1 never thought you were=ueer.

/ickie3 Well, arge thinks you are.

Tom3 Why? Why should she? What9ve1 ever done?

/ickie3 1t9s 5ust the way you act.



etter# therefore# not to impose constraints of rh!thm or rh!me. 6ormal limitations# on

the other hand# can e quite rewarding. /tudents usuall! enJo! writing poems whose

shape# for e%ample# reproduces the main theme# as in Deorge <erertBs famous

e%amples. Poems with a set numer of s!llales# as in the various ?apanese models# or

whose first letters in each line spell a name# are also popular. F%amples are given in

the poetr! chapter# and in Lord of the Flies $see p. 1&3'.

Figure 0 {)&}

{)3}Using authentic $ormats

4here are man!MnonGliterar! formats which can e imported into the conte%t of the

literar! work and used to spur writing aout it. "n each of the following e%amples#

*3



students are first shown an authenticB model# so that the! have some awareness of the

usual la!out# st!le# length and register.

D-":F 4E A 4> ER RA:"E /FR"A=

/tudents imagine that the work the! are stud!ing is eing serialised on radio or 4>.

4he! are shown an e%ample of the Duide to 4> and radioB section in a newspaper ormagaHine $see 6igure '. 4he! must then write a ver! rief account of one particular

scene of their work# as though for that pulication. $4his could also e used as an

ongoing snowall activit!.'

F7/PAPFR AR4"(=F/

A newspaper article or feature is to e written aout the highlight scene chosen.

/tudents are shown e%amples of genuine newspaper articles# if possile from more

than one t!pe of pulication. 4he! are asked to write aout the events in the literar!

work as though for one of these newspapers. 4he! can e given a headline as a

prompt# and a ma%imum numer of words. 4his is e%emplified for the short stor!

4he hitchhikerB $see p. &22' and Lord of the Flies $see p. 1**'.

RFPER4/

4hese practise a more official register# an impersonal kind of writing. "n each case# it

ma! e necessar! to familiarise students with the conventions of report writing !

stud!ing e%amples with them eforehand. :ifferent t!pes of report might e minutes

of the meetingB e%emplified in Lord of the Flies $see p. 1&,'# an insurance or police

report# or a school report as in Lord of the Flies $see 6igure 13 and 7orksheet 3*'.

A ADE9 A-4B (E=-8

F%amples of a group writing activit! ased upon the idea of seeking the advice of an

agon! auntB column in a newspaper are given for The Sand!o) $see 7orksheets *3A

and *30'.

FP"4AP</

A lapidar! comment on a deceased characterK Ence again# it is est if e%amples can e

provided $see 6igure *'. 4his is an e%cellent prete%t for a ver! rief appreciation of a

character# and one that seems to e alwa!s ver! popular with students $see 7orksheet

3,'.

*



Figure 1 {)}

**



{)*}8"//"D PE/4FR

4his is a format which is applicale to man! literar! works. /tudents are shown an

e%ample of such a poster $see 6igure )'# then asked to write one for a character who

has gone missing# for e%ample

5 /imon# in Lord of the Flies $see p. 1&1'. 5 =iHa# efore her father catches up with her at Professor <igginsB home# in

#ygmalion.

5 4he victim in The $ollector .

5 4he !oung o! in Alasdair Dra!Bs The Star $in (nlikely Stories Mostly'.

etc.

Figure 3

*)



{))}&istening and reading acti%ities

Reading sections of a literar! te%t in class# especiall! dramatic scenes# or those

involving dialogue# where another dimension can e added through the voice# leads to

useful listening practice for foreign learners. "f cassettes or records of the work are

availale# these can e helpful# as can video recordings. <owever# the teacherBsreading of a section is also valuale# as well as eing often enJo!ale and rela%ing for

students. <e or she can get the meaning across ! miming# gestures# facial e%pression#

or ! mimetic emphasis# for e%ample sl . . . o . . . o . . . wl!B drawn out# or in a

twinkleB said ver! riskl!# or tearfull!B with tears in the voice. onGnative teachers

sometimes feel undul! reticent aout reading aloud to their students the! can e

e%tremel! effective if the! do so# ecause the creation of atmosphere# and the

communication of meaning and drama are oth much more important than perfect

pronunciation or stress patterns.

4he students can sometimes e told Just to listen for the pleasure of it# if this is

appropriate to the classroom situation and to the particular group man! learners enJo!

this. "t does help them create their fantas! response to the te%t and ecome involved in

it. Eccasionall!# learners like listening with their e!es shut; at other times# this makes

them feel too selfGconscious. Eviousl!# it is important to adapt activities to particular

groups# and to var! them. /traightforward listening can e followed in the ne%t lesson

! listening with worksheets for specific purposes.

istening

After a suitale warmGup# students listen to an entire short work# or a section of a

longer one# efore reading the printed version. 4his works well with oth poems and

short stories# and e%amples are given in the chapters on these genres. $/ee especiall!4he hitchhikerB# and 4he war in the athroomB.'

=istening to a section can e enriching and interesting# even if some of the class have

alread! read the te%t. 4he e%perience of hearing the section alwa!s rings some new

detail to the fore. /ome personal response can e encouraged in the form of Jottings or

doodlings# as in Lord of the Flies $see pp. 1*1 and 1)2'.

Activities to accompany reading or listening

4hese are grouped together ecause man! of the worksheets devised to help with

reading can also e used profital! when students listen to a te%t. /ome e%amples of

tasks used in class to further either reading or listening skills are

{)+}DR":/

4hese can focus on different aspects of a particular work development of character or

plot# descriptive language# attitudes to issues raised# etc. /everal e%amples are given

in Lord of the Flies; the use of grids to accompan! listening is e%emplified in 4he

war in the athroomB $see p. &&*'.

/F=F(4"D A: ER:FR"D 4A/@/

4he e%amples given in the section on home reading can e adapted to accompan!

listening. An e%ample is shown for 4he edgeB $see 7orksheet *,'.

*+



?"D/A7 RFA:"D ER ="/4F"D

"n the tradition of Jigsaw activities# this kind of reading or listening creates a gap in

the narrative. :ifferent groups are given either different te%ts or different recordings#

and ! consultation with each other# must reconstitute a complete narrative. 4he

e%ample given for the short stor! :estin! and the ulletB is worked out for reading#

ut could e adapted to listening $see p. &1+'. "n either case# it also provides valualeoral practice.

" @E7 7<A4 9E- /A":# 0-4 7<A4 :E 9E- 8FAI

/tud!ing what a particular utterance can actuall! mean in different circumstances is

an activit! that can accompan! either reading or listening. 7orksheet 3 in the

chapter on Lord of the Flies could e used with the printed page# or with a cassette

recording of this particular section. 6inall!# some of the listening tasks outlined in the

ne%t chapter can also e adapted to e used with highlights of a ook# as well as with

the entire work once it has een read ! the class.

%arallel reading

8an! literar! works make statements or pose questions aout larger issues or themes

which the teacher would like the students to think aout and discuss. Eccasionall!# a

ookBs themes can e e%amined more revealingl! or more thoroughl! through the

medium of other sources through similar or contrasting short stories# poems# essa!s#

newspaper articles# or critical works. 4hese can e set as reading assignments $either

whole or in e%tract form' and comparisons# contrasts or parallels drawn out in class

discussion. 6or e%ample# one central theme in Lord of the Flies concerns the

e%perience of eing cut off from the controls and the support of oneBs own societ!.

4he same theme appears in other works# like the wellGknown novels The $oral ;sland

! R. 8. 0allant!ne or Treasure ;sland ! R. =. /tevenson# the pla! The Admira!le

$richton ! ?. 8. 0arrie# and the {)} recent nonGfiction work $astaway ! =uc!

"rvine. F%amples of e%tracts from The $oral ;sland used to complement discussion of

certain aspects of Lord of the Flies are given in that chapter $see pp. 123G)'. F%amples

of other parallel te%ts are discussed in the chapters on short stories or pla!s.

4o further haits of e%tensive reading# different groups in a class could e given

different parallel te%ts to read. 7hen this has een done# new groups are constituted#

each memer of which has read a different te%t. Fach learner tells their stor! and

descries their conclusions aout it to others in their group. 4he groupBs task is to

estalish as man! parallels as the! can etween each work read and the main ook

studied. Results are pinned up for the class to compare and discuss.

ral acti%ities

Ef all the categories in the present chapter# that of oral activitiesB is the least

complete and selfGcontained. 4his is ecause so man! of our activities incorporate an

oral component# whatever other skills the! also aim to foster. 4he great maJorit! of

our classroom activities# for e%ample# are ased on group work# which stimulates oral

practice. 4he warmGup sessions which lead into more detailed e%amination of literar!

works are similarl! designed to elicit spoken response; man! of the worksheets used

to accompan! home reading give rise to oral feedack and discussion in the ne%t class

lesson.

*



7hat follows is# therefore# an outlining of some of the activities which can e more

especiall! eneficial in promoting oral skills. 8ost of these are ampl! illustrated later

in the ook# within the conte%t of whole works# and especiall! in the chapter on Lord

of the Flies. 4he entire range cannot of course e used with an! one work the! are

offered as ideas from which to choose# in order to link reading a te%t with improving

master! of the spoken language.4his section progresses from two activities with a phonological emphasis# through

structured discussion to more creative activities.

(ini!reading aloud

4his activit! aims to develop student awareness of intonation# rh!thm# stress and other

features of spoken language. "ts starting point is the selection of a dramatic piece of

dialogue from a known part of the literar! work. 4hereafter the activit! can take

various forms. Ene approach is to put students into groups of three and ask each

group to stud! a different section of the e%tract. 4he! read it silentl! together and then

tr! to mark the main stresses and discuss the attitudes and feelings of the speakers#{),} identif!ing an! particular words that would ring out those feelings. Pauses after

sense units or for special emphasis are also discussed. 4he teacher is availale to give

help where required ut does not actuall! model the e%tract.

After this preparator! phase# the groups decide on the speakers for their e%tracts# and

a conductorB to maintain rh!thm and lend encouragement and feedack. After

rehearsals# there is a pulic performance ! each group in the correct sequence.

7ith classes that have worked through a range of literar! works# including poems#

during their course# an end of course concertB can e produced with several prepared

e%tracts forming the programme.

4he following e%tract from /hawBs #ygmalion is an e%cellent e%ample of a piece

eminentl! suited to miniGreading aloud. 6or more detailed e%amples with poems# see

pp. &&, and &33.

HIGGINS [in despairing wrath outside] What the devil have Idone with my slippers? [He appears at the door ].

LIZA [snatching up the slippers, and hurling them at him oneafter the other with all her force] There are yor slippers. Andthere. Ta!e yor slippers" and may yo never have a day#sl$! with them%

HIGGINS [astonded] What on earth&% [He comes to her ].

What#s the matter? Get p. [He pulls her up]. Anythin' wron'?LIZA [breathless] Nothin' wron' & with yo. I#ve won yor(et )or yo* havnt I? That#s eno'h )or yo. I don#t matter* Isppose.

HIGGINS. +o won my (et% +o% ,resmptos inse$t% I wonit. What did yo throw those slippers at me )or?

LIZA. -e$ase I wanted to smash yor )a$e. I#d li!e to !illyo* yo sel)ish (rte. Why didnt yo leave me where yopi$!ed me ot o) & in the 'tter? +o than! God it#s all over*and that now yo $an throw me (a$! a'ain there* do yo?[She crisps her fingers frantically ].

HIGGINS [looking at her in cool wonder ] The $reatre isnervos* a)ter all.

*,



LIZA [gives a suffocated scream of fury, and instinctivelydarts her nails at his face] %%

HIGGINS [catching her wrists] Ah% wold yo? laws in* yo$at. How dare yo shew yor temper to me? Sit down and (e/iet. [He throws her roughly into the easy-chair ].

LIZA [crushed by superior strength and weight ] Whats to(e$ome o) me? Whats to (e$ome o) me?

HIGGINS. How the devil do I !now whats to (e$ome o) yo?What does it matter what (e$omes o) yo?

LIZA. +o dont $are. I !now yo dont $are. +o woldnt $arei) I was dead. I#m nothin' to yo & not so m$h as themslippers.

HIGGINS [thundering] Those slippers.LIZA [with bitter submission] Those slippers. I didnt thin! it

made any di))eren$e now.

$from #ygmalion Act ">'

{+2}6ral summaries

:elivering an oral summar! of a section read at home gives the student good practice

while affording the teacher a check that the reading has indeed een done. "n a simple

variation# two or three individuals are asked to record on cassette a summar! of the

section read at home. A time limit is set for each summar!. 4he class listens to all

three# Jotting down an! points of divergence etween them# or omissions.

#hoose the statement

4his is the first of a series of activities ased on the idea of sparking discussion !

means of a concrete task. 4he technique is particularl! fruitful when applied to

discussion of literar! te%ts. 7hile avoiding e%cessive astraction or teacher

domination# it uilds studentsB confidence in the value of their own response.

(hoose the statementB is an eas! activit! to organise. "t is# in essence# discussion

ased upon an openGended multiple choice. /tudents are provided with a list of

statements aout a character# an event# a theme# etc. 4he! are then asked# individuall!

or in groups# to choose the one which is closest to their own view.

6or e%ample# in ?ohn 6owlesB novel The $ollector # a girl is kidnapped and held

captive in a quiet countr! house# ! a strange# lonel! !oung man. 4he class is giventhe following statements

. The man ca(tures the girl because he is sexually attracted to her.!. The man ca(tures the girl because he has very little selfCconfidence.". The man ca(tures the girl because he is mentally disturbed.#. The man ca(tures the girl because he wants to (ossess her totally.$. The man ca(tures the girl because he wants to kill her.

7hen the! have chosen# individuals or groups are invited to e%plain the reasons

ehind their choice. A wa! of eliciting livelier discussion at this point is to ask

learners to give one reason for reJecting each of the discarded statements# rather than

)2



one reason for choosing as the! did. 4his often provokes more talk aout alternative

possile choices.

{+1}Another e%ample# using short paragraphs# is given for =ord of the 6lies $see

7orksheet 3&'.

*iscussions &ased on uestionnaires

Luestionnaires are usuall! ver! helpful in sparking discussion. A simple kind lists

statements with answer o%es to e ticked# such as agree O disagree O not sure. 4hese

can e prepared to e filled in at home# with followGup in the ne%t lesson;

alternativel!# the! can e completed during class time. /tudents are then asked to

discuss their choices with fellow students# either in pairs or in groups. 7orksheet 11

is ased on Bra.e 9ew World ! Aldous <u%le!.

Ether e%amples are given in later chapters for e%ample# 7orksheet &+ in Lord ofthe Flies and 7orksheets ) and *& in Romeo and 2uliet .

Worksheet ''

{+&}*iscussions &ased on grids and worksheets

4he variet! of grids or worksheets leading to discussion is almost endless. /ome elicit

a personal response# as in 4he power of the groupB $ Lord of the Flies# 7orksheet 3'#

where students are asked for their own e%periences and feelings. Ethers involvematching# as in /olutionsB $ Lord of the Flies# 7orksheet 3+' where possile

)1

Tick the a((ro(riate box.

Agree *isagree +otsure

. The +okanovsky (rocess is an acce(tablealternative to natural childbirth becauseyou grow u( knowing where you are.

!. Staying younger for longer is an attractiveas(ect of life in +rave New World.

". The control of individual emotions is aneffective way of (reventing timeCwastingand loss of (roductive energy.

#. Gre=uent, brief relationshi(s are a realisticalternative to the (ressures of married life.

$. Sexual relationshi(s are better in +raveNew World because they are sim(le anddirect, and don9t arouse anxiety or guilt.



alternative solutions have to e matched with the most appropriate character. /ome

give a list to e put in order of importance# as in A good leaderB $ Lord of the Flies# p.

1*+' or 4he traged! would not have happened if . . . $ Romeo and 2uliet # p. 1,'.

8an! of the worksheets or grids used to uild up familiarit! with various characters

and chart the development of their personalit! as the literar! work unfolds#

incorporate an element of controvers! and can thus e useful in promoting discussion.An e%ample of such a worksheet# designed to elicit studentsB response to a rather

m!sterious central character# is given for 4he war in the athroomB $see 7orksheet

))'. A worksheet can also e used as a first stimulus# leading to the continuumB

discussion e%ercise descried ne%t.

#ontinuum

At a certain point in their reading# students are asked to e%press their reaction to

aspects in the ook ! choosing a point on a continuous line drawn etween two

opposing views# or two e%treme characteristics. 4his can e done in the following

wa!s 5 En paper. 6or e%ample# students place the ookBs main characters on a point

along the following lines.

callous :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: kindserious :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: frivolousforceful :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: weak

4here is oral followGup comparison of completed forms# Justification of

choices# discussion of implications. Another e%ample is given in =ord of the

6lies $see 7orksheet 1+'.

5 Along a wall of the room. Ene corner represents one e%treme# the other its

opposite. /tudents go and stand at the point against the wall which represents

their Judgment of the opinion e%pressed. As differences of opinion are thus

vividl! revealed# this activit! often produces spontaneous discussion of the

element of the ook that is eing highlighted. F%amples are given for a poem

$see p. &3 ' and for Lord of the Flies $see pp. 1&,G32'.

{+3}#odes

8ost literar! works have a social and political dimension in the sense that the!

portra! relationships which involve codes of ehaviour and hierarchies of power.

/ometimes these codes have the overt qualit! of laws or rules# in other cases the! are

e%pectations to e inferred from a set of given data. 4he following activities are

variations# designed to help learners articulate e%plicitl! and discuss the often implicit

set of constraints which give a ook its internal tension.

R-=F 8A@"D

/tudents# in groups# are asked to formulate a set of rules which appl! to a particular

situation in the literar! work the! are reading. 4he! either imagine that the! are in that

setting and decide on their own rules# or the! can tr! to decide what rules seem to e

implied within the conte%t of the ook itself. An e%ample from Lord of the Flies isgiven in 7orksheet &.

)&



<E7 4E . . .

"nstead of rules# students are asked to formulate advice on coping with the social

situation the! find in the literar! work. 4his allows for considerale variation.

"llustrations might include

1. The "reat "ats!y <ow to e a social successB/ome classes enefit from eing given a set format# for e%ample

HTo be a social success you must3..................................................................

..................................................................

..................................................................

&. Bra.e 9ew World <ow to e happ!B

3. The $ollector <ow to persuade !our captor to release !ouB<ow to . . .B can e e%tended ! asking students to draw up a similar list for their

own contemporar! situation.

<E7 /<E-=: 4<F9 . . . I <E7 /<E-=: 9E- . . . . I

"n this activit!# students put themselves# imaginativel!# into a particular situation in

the literar! work. 4he! have a list of <ow should !ou . . . IB questions to answer#

upon which the! must tr! to achieve a group consensus.

6or e%ample# in 8uriel /parkBs short stor! 4he twinsB $in The "o-Away Bird and

*ther Stories'# the narrator has a series of uncomfortale e%periences when she goes

to visit an old school friend# ?ennie# and her husand /imon. 4he coupleBs children#

angelicGlooking twins# seem to have an uncann! divisive effect upon the world ofgrownGups. /tudents are given 7orksheet 1& and asked to give answers# in pairs or

small groups.

{+}

Worksheet '+

Filling in the gaps

ovels# stories# pla!s or poems give onl! partial portra!als of situations andcharacters# leaving plent! of room for inference. A straightforward activit! is to ask

)3

ead to the end of HThe twins9.Aou are going to stay at Bennie and Simon9s house.. *ow long should you stay?!. *ow should you react if one of the twins asks you for money?

". Should you discuss the twins9 behaviour with Bennie? 1f so, what should yousay?#. Should you interfere between (arents and children?$. 1f Simon says something about Bennie, should you mention it to her?%. What should you do if you receive a letter from Simon after your visit?



groups of students to make inferences aout missing aspects and then to discuss these.

:iscussion is sparked ! requesting students to provide Justifications for their

guesses in other words# what known facts have the! used to uild up their inferred

pictureI

6or e%ample# in Draham DreeneBs %octor Fischer of "ene.a# we know# ver! little

of the doctorBs ackground or earl! life. 4he teacher gives each group a set ofquestions

What was /octor Gischer like at school?/id he have many friends?What was his favourite sub5ect?/id he often get into trouble?Was he close to his (arents?/id he cry a lot?/id he (lay (ractical 5okes?

"n a general class feedack session# groups compare their answers and e%plain the particular part of the te%t which led them to their conclusions.

*e&ates

8an! ooks suggest controversial issues that can give rise to interesting deates in the

classroom. 4he formal structure# especiall! if fairl! short {+*} time limits are set# is

often helpful for learners e%pressing themselves in the foreign language. Ene e%ample

is descried in detail in Lord of the Flies $see p. 1*,'; another suJect for a deate

motion is given for the short stor! :estin! and the ulletB $see p. &1+'.

Friendly persuasion

"n this activit!# pairs of students take on prescried roles one tries to persuade the

other of the merits or drawacks of a course of action# or of a certain character in a

literar! work. 6or e%ample# one learner is given the role of a friend of the collectorB#

in ?ohn 6owlesB novel of that title. <is or her task is to persuade the manager of a

fashion model agenc! $the other student' that the collectorB would e the ideal

photographer the! are seeking.

"n Deorge ErwellBs 9ineteen <ighty-Four # one student could e a friend of

EB0rienBs# tr!ing to get him emplo!ed as a ps!chiatric nurse ! persuading the

nursing officer. 4he friendB tries hard to e convincing# while the other role pla!er

attempts to resist ! asking pointed questions# in this case# for e%ample "s !our friend

fond of peopleI "s he compassionateI Are !ou sure he isnBt too aggressiveI# etc.6or groups which need help to e inventive# guidelines can e offered on role cards.

"t ma! e useful to practise the language of persuasion# and of resistance to it#

efore the first role pla!. "f necessar!# students can e given some e%amples of the

kind of e%pressions the! will need.

)elp$ul e,pressions $or persuadersShe9s 8 *e9s ever so [email protected] 8 *e9s the most . . .19ve never met anyone who is as ad5.@ as she 8 he is.

4o on, give her8 him a chance.

Why don9t you give her 8 him achance? Aou won9t regret it.She 8 *e will not disa((oint you 8 letyou down.>an9t you see your way to letting him 8

her have a go?

)



She9s8*e9s 5ust the sort of (ersonwho...1f anyone can do it, she 8 he can.

)elp$ul e,pressions $or those resisting persuasion

That9s all very well, but . . .She 8 *e isn9t really what 19m afterlooking for.She 8 *e sounds a bit ad5.@.

She 8 *e isn9t =uite what 1 8 we have inmind.1 see your (oint, but...19m not convinced that she he is theright (erson for the 5ob3 situation.She 8 *e must have one or two weak(oints.19m sorry but 1 only have your word togo on.

A similar activit!# ut cast in the form of Accuse and den!B is descried in Lord of

the Flies $see p. 1*+'.

{+)}7mprovisations

At a certain point in the reading of a literar! te%t# students are asked to devise

alternative outcomes to the events the! are encountering in the stor!. 4he! are then

asked to plan an improvised dramatisation of one such outcome# and perform it for the

class. "f necessar!# the! can he given one or two possiilities to start them off.

)ere and there

4hese two activities are designed to e%tend studentsB understanding and appreciation

of characterisation within the literar! work.

<FRF

/tudents are asked to speculate aout how particular characters would ehave andwhat the! would feel or sa!# in an imagined situation which is not part of the work

itself.

"deas for situations are most successful when the! are linked to learnersB own lives.

6or e%ample# a character is imagined in the town where the students live. 7here

would that character goI sta!I 7hat would heOshe catI want to doI talk aoutI u!I

4hen# the character is invited into each studentBs home or room. 7here would he O she

sit# what would heOshe notice in the room# what would the conversation e aoutI "n a

third stage# the character is placed in an urgent# interesting new situation which calls

for some reaction predictions are made aout the characterBs likel! response. 6or

instance# a woman rushes up to the character and demands mone! ecause she has lost

hers and must pa! the rent or e evicted. 7hat is the characterBs reactionI"n small classes# this can e done ! students simpl! fantasising out loudB. "n larger

classes# the activit! works est when ased on a worksheet outlining the new

situations and asking students to fill in the characterBs imagined response. 7hen this

has een done# either at home or in class# answers are discussed in groups. "n a

general feedack session# the teacher can then ask the students to draw out the

implications of the choices the! made# as far as their views of the characterBs

personalit! are concerned.

4<FRF

4he preceding situation is reversed. /omeone who is not a character in the literar!

work is imported into it and his or her likel! actions# reactions# and impact are

)*



discussed# 6or instance# in a ook with a male hero# the class is asked to imagine what

differences# if an!# a female equivalent would make to events and relationships.

Alternativel!# a memer of the class is chosen and dropped inB to a particular

situation in the work# either to replace a character# or to e {++} involved. 4he fantas!

involves working out differences in ehaviour and outlook etween the character and

the student sustitute or# in the second case# imagining what the student would do totr! to influence people and events once introduced into the plot. 4his usuall! provides

livel! discussion# and can also e adapted for role pla! or improvisation. An e%ample#

9ou have the conchB# is outlined in (hapter + $see p. 1&2'.

5ole plays

4he conte%t provided ! works of literature facilitates the creation of roleGpla!

situations. /ometimes# however# learners feel rather awed at the prospect of depicting

characters or events alread! vividl! drawn in the ook. "n this case# e%traGte%tualB

situations# such as those imagined in the preceding e%ercise# can e particularl!

helpful. An e%ample is given for Lord of the Flies# in which the o!s who are strandedon a desert island are imagined ack in an ordinarv school setting $see "nterview with

a school counsellorB# p. 1)'.

Another successful technique for implementing role pla! with longer novels or

stories is to take themes from the te%t and create parallel settings# ut with totall!

different characters. Afterwards# the work itself is compared with the created role

pla!. 6or e%ample# ?ohn# the savage in Bra.e 9ew World # illustrates the fate of the

outsider who is rought into a social pattern that he finds alien and that eventuall!

destro!s him. A parallel role pla! takes the plight of the first e%traGterrestrial eings

$thankfull! humanoid and ale to speak Fnglish' who want to make a life on Farth ut

suffer the pressures of media attention. 4he role pla! involves a press conference in

which questions are prepared ! teams of Journalists# while the e%traGterrestrials

prepare a description of their societ!# which has minimised technolog! in favour of a

return to more natural living.

Parallel role pla!s work well with !ounger learners# especiall! if the te%t is a

difficult one# or set in the past# as in a /hakespearean pla!. West Side Story could

perhaps e cited as a popular parallelB presentation of Romeo and 2uliet K

'railers

4his is another wa! of making the usiness of dramatising a novel or other work into

a more manageale task for learners. An!one who goes to films or watches televisionis familiar with the notion of a trailerB# that is# a short advertising clip designed to

promote a film or television programme. "t usuall! consists of a narrative voiceGoverB

e%tolling the film# interspersed with e%tremel! rief# intriguing shots taken from the

tensest or most spectacular moments of the filmBs action.

{+}"n groups# students are given the task of concocting a twoGminute trailerB to

advertise the work eing read# using the particular highlights of a chapter. 4his will e

presented to the class in the following wa! one learner# the presenter# reads the

voiceGoverB narrative# while other students# at the appropriate point# act out the

dramatic highlights of the plot# or simpl! adopt froHen postures to depict them.

7e have found that even less imaginative or sh!er learners can manage the ver!

limited acting involved in these rief scenes. 4he activit! is usuall! e%tremel!amusing# and also generates interesting discussion springing from the fact that

))



different groups produce such var!ing interpretations of the literar! workBs most

dramatic moments. An illustration is given for the short stor! /redni >ashtarB $see p.

&1,'# and another for Lord of the Flies $see p. 1&1'.

(oviemaker

4his is a more comple% activit!# which involves adapting a highlight to make one

scene of a filmB or television programmeB. /tudents can e given fairl! detailed

instructions to help them visualise their task. Fach group in a class can e set a

slightl! different scene# so that there is variet! when the filmsB are acted out in front

of the class# and so that the contrast can lead to discussion aout differences in

interpretation. An illustration# including three different sets of instructions for three

production unitsB# can e found in the chapter on Lord of the Flies $see p. 1&+'.

{+,}" Endings

(oming to the end of a literar! work is reall! onl! a staging point# a temporar!

distancing from a continuing process of appreciation and understanding. 4he activities

descried in this chapter reflect a wish to keep each studentBs own sense of the literar!

work alive# and aim to involve students in sharing views and reviews.

7e have compiled a range of activities ut it is worth rememering that several of the

activities outlined in (hapters and * are also entirel! appropriate at this stage in the

literar! work. 4his has een indicated earlier# where applicale.

As man! of the activities in this chapter involve an integration of language skills# we

have decided not to arrange them under single skill suGheadings. <owever# there is a

road progression. 6irst we outline activities which produce a strong visual impact.

e%t those with an emphasis on discussion are descried# and so on through listeningG ased activities# writing tasks and finall!# role pla! and drama work.

#over designs

Asking students to provide a design for the ookBs paperack cover is a wa! of

eliciting and cr!stallising their overall response to the work the! have Just een

reading. 4his can e done individuall!# or as a group activit!; ut# as students are

asked to depict their own response# it ma! e etter to keep groups small# possil!

even to get students working in pairs. 4heir rief is the following the! are working

for the pulisherBs graphics department and are responsile for planning a cover that

will oth represent the spirit of the ook and e likel! to appeal to potential readers."t is important in an! activit! of this kind to provide some support for students who

are not too confident aout their artistic ailit!. "t is often more fruitful to suggest

wa!s in which students can e%press their response without eing asked to draw.

(ollage is an effective technique# for which suitale materials are

5 8agaHine pictures# to e cut out and glued on to large sheets of coloured

poster card.

5 A kit of adhesive geometrical shapes in different siHes and colours# to e

comined to form astract or s!molic designs. 4his often produces {1}

striking and imaginative representations of a ook. 6igure + is an e%ample of

such a cover design.

7hen the designs are complete# an e%hiition is held in the classroom. FachdesignerB or design team presents its cover to the class and talks aout the effect the!

)+



were tr!ing to communicate. /tudents are free to question the designers# or to

comment on similarities or contrasts. "f there is insufficient time for ever!one to

discuss their cover# the! are asked to write what the! would have included in their

presentation# and these written comments can later e pinned up alongside the

designs.

Writing a 1&lur&2 $or the &ack cover

As preparation for this activit!# the teacher reads out the cover lur for two or three

novels or pla!s which the students are unlikel! to know. 4hese are then displa!ed# and

students are asked to rank them in order of appeal. 4he! discuss the format and an!

special features which affected their response.

"n groups or pairs# students are then to write the lur for the ook the! have een

stud!ing# including at least one quote from the work# which the! feel is ound to draw

in someone rowsing in a ookshop.

)



Figure 4 {1}

),



{1}Sculpting

4his activit! concentrates attention on the principal characters in a ook or pla!. Ene

student volunteers or is chosen to e the sculptor. 4he names of the main characters

are placed individuall! on slips of paper and put into a ag. /tudents take one slip

each until the! are all gone. 4he sculptor chooses a characterB and asks him or her tostand# sit# or take up an! position or e%pression which seems appropriate to that

characterBs essential personalit! traits.

A cleared area of the classroom is the sculpting arena. Another characterB is now

asked to come forward and the sculptor places him or her in an appropriate position

relative to the first character# that is# near if the sculptor sees them as close# or far

apart if the! have little connection with each other. 4he characters can e facing each

other# ack to ack# holding hands# huddled together# in fact# whatever the sculptor

chooses. Ence positioned# characters remain in their positions until the sculpting is

complete. 7hen this is done# the sculptor discusses his or her thoughts with others in

the class# who comment on their view of the characters. "f there is time# several more

sculptings can e carried out.4he activit! is surprisingl! powerful and memorale# and works particularl! well with

ooks that have a good numer of interrelated characters. "t leads to a lot of

discussion and reveals differences in individual perceptions. Although perhaps est

with adults or mature adolescents# {&} sculpting does appeal to a wide range of

students. 7hen it is first introduced# or with more unadventurous classes# the teacher

should e the first sculptor. 6igure is an e%ample for Lord of the Flies.

Figure 5

+2



Unsealing the time capsule

7hen predictions aout the development of the plot or characters have een put into a

sealed time capsuleB at the eginning $see (hapter 3'# now is the time to open it.

:iscussion centres on why students made their original predictions# and what

happened later in the ook to confirm or disprove them.

%oint o$ no return

"n groups# learners decide upon the point of no returnB in the unfolding of the novel#

pla! or short stor! Just read. 4his can perhaps e done most easil! ! duplicating an

instruction card and distriuting it to each group $see 7orksheet 13'.

A p!ramiding technique is used students decide upon their point in pairs# then in

groups of four# and so on. 4his usuall! generates livel! discussion and a thorough

revision of the ook.{3}

Worksheet ',

What i$ 8 8 8 -

4his is a discussion activit!# which can e a followGup to point of no returnB.

/tudents imagine the moment efore the point of no returnB. 7hat if circumstances

had een differentI 7hat alternative choices could the characters have madeI 7hat

other effects upon the reader could have een attained ! the writerI $0! implied

contrast# what special effects derive from the ookBs special configuration# and what

reasons can the author have had for arranging things the wa! he or she didI'

4his e%ercise can give rise to much useful language work. 4he topic requires past

conditionals $"f N had happened# 9 would have resulted . . . ' and past modals $could

have made; could have een attained; might have . . . ; should have . . . '. PreGteaching

or revision of these forms ma! therefore e appropriate with some classes. An

e%ample is given for Lord of the Flies $see p. 1*3'.

'eam competitions

4eam competitions are a traditional ut still useful and enJo!ale wa! of reminding

students aout various strands of the ook# so that the! have all the material availale

to start uilding up an overall view. "t can e done ! straightforward questions# or !

using quotes 7ho said thisI 7hereI 7henI

+1

We have now read title@ and we know its outcome.Looking back, can you say what, (recisely, was the H(oint of no return9 : that is, the

(oint at which the outcome became inevita&le. This can be a (oint in the events orthe develo(ment of a character.@

Write down the (oint that you have agreed u(on in your grou(. 1f you do not thinkthere was such a (oint, give reasons for thinking that the outcome was notinevitable.



4he questions can e prepared ! the teacher or# etter still# ! students in groups

setting questions for the rival team. 4he coming of the ook to find suitale

questions or quotes is in itself a useful revision e%ercise.

3ust a minute

4his classroom game is ased on the popular radio programme# in which contestants

tr! to speak for )2 seconds on a given topic# without hesiG {} tation# deviation or

repetition. A stopwatch is needed $a large chess clock is ideal'. 4hemes from the ook

are written on slips of paper $! the teacher or ! students working in pairs'. 6or

e%ample# themes for Romeo and 2uliet could include love# violence# feuds# lo!alt! to

oneBs friends compassion# friendship# anger# fate# happiness# civil strife within a cit!#

arranged marriages# usefulness of alconies# the lindness of !outh# etc. "f it seems

necessar!# students are allowed to take awa! topics and consider them in preparation

for the game.

4he topics are then put into a hat. 6our learners pla! at a time the teacher or a student

gamesmasterB chooses a topic from the hat and designates the contestant who musttr! to speak on that theme for )2 seconds. "f he or she hesitates# deviates# or repeats

an! word e%cept the theme words $articles# prepositions# conJunctions donBt countK'#

he or she can e challenged ! one of the three other contestants. A successful

challenger can then continue to speak for the rest of the minute. Points are awarded

for successful challenges# and for the contestant who is still talking when the )2

seconds are up.

Although the game can e pla!ed at an! point during the reading of a particular ook#

it is particularl! suited to the end# when students have most material availale and the

e%ercise is useful for revision. A slightl! easier version is given for Lord of the Flies

$see p. 1&'.

5etelling the story

Relating the stor! seems a fairl! unsophisticated wa! of going over a ook Just read#

!et there is no dout that it can provide valuale oral practice in the foreign language

5 much of the vocaular! needed will e known# ut using it can help make it part of

the learnersB active le%is# while the narrative mode will usuall! allow them to use a

variet! of tenses# link words# and other discourse markers.

6or small classes# each student is given a numer# then all the numers are written

on slips of paper and put into a hat. 4he learner whose numer is drawn first starts off#

relating the stor! from the eginning# until interrupted ! the teacherBs uHHer orgong. Another numer is drawn and that student continues the narration. 4his can

sometimes generate animated discussion aout points omitted or related out of

sequence.

A note on error correction overt correction ! the teacher will prove much too

disruptive during such an activit!. "t is etter to Jot down recurring errors for

discussion afterwards. An e%cellent error correction technique for small and fairl!

rela%ed groups is recording the entire stor!telling# then pla!ing it ack and asking

learners to note an! errors the! can spot.

+&



{*}#ritical $orum

7here this is practicale# recorded discussions or conversations aout a ook which

has een read ! the entire class provide ideal material for listening comprehension

practice the familiar conte%t# and the learnersB e%pectations derived from their

knowledge of the ook# help them to make inferences aout what the! are hearing#there! facilitating understanding. 4here are several wa!s in which listening tasks can

e varied to provide interest.

/PE4 4<F FRRER

7ith a friend or a native speaker# the teacher records a conversation $unscripted# or

lightl!B scripted in note form' etween two people talking aout the ook. Ene or

more errors of fact or of sequencing are introduced. /tudents are asked to note errors

as the! listen.

As followGup# students# working in pairs or small groups# write and then record

similar conversations or monologues aout various aspects of the ook plot# anal!sis

of motivation# character development# discussion of st!le# etc. Droups then e%changerecordings and tr! to spot the error$s'. 4his activit! can also e done in a language

laorator!# and is suited to the more advanced levels# when students do not have too

much resistance to the idea of recording their own voices.

(R"4"(A= (E88F4

4he teacher records a critical commentar! on the ook Just read $from radio

discussions# school roadcasts# etc.' or records his or her own or a native speakerBs

reading of a printed te%t. "f this is not possile# the e%ercise can still e done ! the

teacher simpl! reading a prepared te%t to the class. 4here are several tasks which can

e used to accompan! such a recorded commentar!

5 /ummar! /tudents are asked to list the two or three main points made ! the

speaker# or to choose $from three possiilities' the est summar! of the points

made.

5 oteGtaking /tudents are asked to take notes which the! later e%pand into a

paragraph.

5 Dapped te%t "f the te%t is fairl! short# the teacher can give students the entire

te%t with some ke! words or e%pressions deleted# to e supplied ! listeners.

6or longer te%ts# onl! main sentences are given# again with lanks to e filled.

#hoosing highlights

4he teacher shows the class a sealed envelope in which is listed his or her choice of

three highlightsB# that is# points in the ook which he or she conG {)} siders to e

crucial to its overall effect# for e%ample ecause of their importance in the unfolding

of the plot# the light the! throw on character or motivation# the uildingGup of a

picture of a certain societ!# and so on. <e or she then asks students# individuall!G# to

do the same.

=earners then get together in groups of three to compare their lists of highlights#

Justif! their choices# and compile a new list which represents their consensus. <aving

to e%plain their own views and argue for or against those of others can make students

ring out their own thoughts and range more freel! in e%pressing their reaction to the

ook than the! might do if the! were responding to more straightforward questionsaout it. At the end# a student is asked to open the teacherBs envelope and read its

+3



contents to the rest of the class. 4he teacher Justifies his or her choices and asks for

comments on similarities or differences of opinion.

As written followGup# students write a paragraph on each one of their groupBs

highlights# Justif!ing their choice and showing its importance for the ook as a whole.

A variation of this activit! is descried in Lord of the Flies $see p. 1)1 '.

"t will e seen that in this activit!# while learners retain the support of the group#have access to their companionsB ideas and have the opportunit! of testing their own

views in discussion# the! are moving towards practice in answering fairl! standard

t!pes of essa! questions and thus preparing for e%ams.

5ound ro&in

4he class is divided into small groups. 6ive people per group is Just aout right. 4he

task set is to summarise the ook in five sentences $or si% sentences for a group of si%#

etc.'. Fach person in the group writes the first sentence# then passes that piece of

paper on to his or her rightGhand neighour# who writes the second sentence and then

passes the paper on to the person on the right# and so on. At the end# a group will havefive summaries# to which each of its memers has contriuted one sentence. 4hese

five are then passed on to another group. Fach group reviews the five it has received#

chooses the one it likes est and sa!s wh!. "f a group cannot agree on a choice# it is

allowed to use parts of different summaries in order to uild up what it considers to e

a complete# accurate and wellGwritten s!nopsis.

6or less advanced classes# a variation of the aove activit! can e used for

individual rather than group work. A summar! of the ook is given in ten sentences

with three choices for each sentence $32 sentences in total'. =earners choose the est

of the three in each case and then write out their complete summar!. (omparison of

the choices made can provoke discussion aout the grounds for choosing one sentence

rather than another.

{+}Short writing tasks

=F44FR/

Ene character writes to different people. /tudents are asked to write the letter that N

$one of the main characters' sends after the end of the ook to e%plain what happened#

and how it came to happen as it did. :ifferent registers are practised ! var!ing the

people to whom the letters are to e sent $that is# N will write in a different wa! to his

mother O wife O est friend O headmaster O solicitor O oss O 8P# etc.'. /tudents read and

compare corrected letters to appreciate differences of content and st!le.Alternativel!# different characters write to each other aout the events the! have

lived through. "n Patricia <ighsmithBs The Talented Mr Ripley# for instance# half the

class is 8arge writing to 4om# the other half 4om writing to 8arge. =etters are

e%changed# and# if appropriate# the activit! is e%tended so that each person replies to

the letter received.

=A/4 PADF P=-/ EF

"f the ook allows for such progression# students write the ne%t few paragraphs after

the end of the ook.

+



4<F 0EE@ E A PE/4(AR:

4he challenge here is to fit an appreciation of a literar! work into a ver! limited

compass. /tudents are asked to write aout the ook in e%actl! *2 words. 4he

compression quite often produces interesting pieces of writing. An e%ample is given

for =ord of the 6lies $see 6igure 1*'.

Writing essays

/ome of the grids used during the reading of a work for the purpose of e%tending

studentsB understanding of plot and character can e used after the end of the ook as

material on which to ase essa! writing# if this is seen as desirale or necessar! for

e%am preparation. F%amples are given for the short stories 4he edgeB $see 7orksheet

)&' and /redni >ashtarB $see 7orksheet )'.

Adapting the literary work $or another audience

4his activit! is suitale for an advanced group. "t involves rewriting the literar! workfor a different audience; for e%ample# for a child# an elementar! learner# a horror

movie director# etc. 8ost learners reaching the upperGintermediate or advanced stage

will have encountered graded readers or other forms of simplified te%t# at some point

in their language studies. 4he! usuall! respond with interest to the challenge of

creating such a te%t themselves.

{}A prompt is often useful to start the activit!. 6or e%ample# a group of students

asked to retell %octor Fischer of "ene.a as a fair! stor! for children# can e given the

following eginning

)nce u(on a time there was a wicked baron who lived in a large and gloomy (alace.*e was so rich that (eo(le were . . .

4he activit! can e an oral or a writing task. A similar eginning produced the

following adaptation for !ounger readers of /akiBs short stor! 4oermor!B $in The

#enguin $omplete Saki'

Ence upon a time there was a magician who cast a spell on a cat called 4oermor!. 4he cat

was suddenl! ale to talk to humans. At first# ever!od! was e%cited and delighted and asked

the cat lots of questions Just to hear his voice. 0ut then the! ecame alarmed when the!

realised that the cat could also talk aout things it saw and heard while wandering quietl!

around the house at all hours of the da! or night. (an !ou imagine what the people decided to

do to protect their secretI 7ell# the! tried to poison his food ut 4oermor! wasnBt hungr!for food. <e had gone off to find a friend. Panic roke out in the householdK 4oermor! was

going to tell ever!thing to the whole worldK 7hat a relief when the! found that 4oermor!

was killed in a fight with another cat. 4he poor magician was ver! sad as he needed a special

animal for his spell. <e went awa! high and low and found a much igger animal 5 an

elephant. 0ut he got the spell all wrong and made the elephant ver! angr!. "nstead of talking#

the elephant Jumped up and down 5 on the magicianK

From telegrams to newspaper reports

4his is a fourGpart writingOroleGpla! activit! especiall! suitale for ooks that contain

a lot of action and a dramatic ending. Parts ma! e used independentl! if timeconstraints prevent a fuller treatment. 4he class is divided into four or eight groups.

+*



Part 1 4he task for each group is to write a telegram $an appropriate word limit is set'

giving the gist of what has happened in the ook read# as though from a foreign

correspondent to his newspaper. 4his is more interesting if the special conventions of

telegram writing have een e%amined eforehand. Ene amusing wa! of doing so is to

look with students at the totall! inept telegrams sent ! 7illiam# the central characterof Fvel!n 7aughBs Scoop.

Part & Fach group hands its telegram to the ne%t group. 4elegrams are read and

discussed. 4hen# on the asis o f the telegram in hand# the groups write a newspaper

report of the events. /tudents might e encouraged to decide the kind of newspaper

for which the! are going to write their article; for e%ample# a scandal sheet# or a more

soer qualit!B newspaper# etc. "t is usuall! est for the teacher to specif! the length of

the article# and {,} also the time availale for the writing task. 7e have found that

group writing tasks of this kind can provide valuale help and support for students

whose oral facilit! outstrips their ailit! to e%press themselves in writing. 4o allow

these students to contriute full!# however# it is often est to keep groups relativel!small.

Part 3 Droups pass on to the ne%t group their report# together with the originating

telegram and the title or description of the newspaper for which it was written. Droups

now ecome an editorial panel the! read the articles sumitted to them# suggest

corrections# note omissions or overstatements# discuss the newsworthinessB of the

presentation.

Part 7hen groups are satisfied that the corrected article is in a reasonale state $or

at the end of the specified time' the! once again hand it on to the ne%t group. Ene

thing remains to e done suppl! a striking headline for the article. Droups read the

article sumitted# then tr! to encapsulate its essential facts in an e!eGcatching 5 or

even sensationalK 5 formula.

An important followGup to this activit! is the postingGup of all four articles# complete

with original telegrams and headlines# so that students can see the entire process.

%ress con$erence

4his activit! constitutes a logical followGon from the writingOroleGpla! activit! Just

outlined# ut it can also stand on its own as a wa! of getting students to putthemselves ack into the literar! work the! have Just finished# and to discuss it.

4he roles taken are the following

1. A Press (onference Efficer who conducts the press conference# calls on

reporters to speak# keeps order and rings the proceedings to a close.

&. Ene# two or three characters from the ook $as appropriate ' are questioned !

reporters and give their version of the events the! have Just een involved in.

3. 4he rest of the class can e reporters. According to the numer of students

involved and their level of proficienc!# the! can e given general# or fairl!

detailed# instructions. 4his is most easil! done ! using role cards. An

e%ample follows# taken from Draham DreeneBs %octor Fischer of "ene.a.

4he use of individual role cards means that each reporter can e given differentanglesB of the stor! to investigate# and this tends to ensure a more livel! press

+)



conference. 8ore advanced students will need to e given fewer guidance questions

than intermediate learners. 7hen appropriate# the! can e asked to conform to the

kind of questions which t!pif! differG {,2} ent t!pes of pulication a scandal sheet# a

/unda! newspaper# a television news team# etc.

<ere is an e%ample role card for %octor Fischer of "ene.a

*ramatic adaptations

<aving finished reading their novel# short stor!# or poem# students are asked to turn a

scene the! consider crucial into a short theatre or television pla!. 4he class is divided

into groups# each one choosing a scene and producing a dramatised version to e put

on for the class. "t is sometimes est to let this e a voluntar! activit! organised# with

more or less elaorate staging effects# props# music# etc.# ! the drama enthusiasts of

the class# perhaps as an endGofGterm activit!. 4his allows quieter students to contriute

to the creating of setting# costumes# etc. 7e have found that the class performance#however short# or however far from perfect# is usuall! enJo!ed immensel! ! most

students# and that it does make the scene memorale for them 5 it is usuall! this ver!

scene which is later chosen to illustrate points made in essa!s or e%amsK

A television reportageB used as a followGup activit! to the reading of a short stor!#

4he edgeB# is descried on p. &1.

"alloon de&ates

4his traditional form of deate can e adapted with great success as a wa! of allowing

learners to e%plore the comple%ities of the characters in a novel or pla!.

PRFPARA4"E

4he teacher chooses five or si% of the main characters in the ook read. 4he class is

divided into that numer of groups# each of which is assigned {,1} one of the

characters. 4he groups now have the task of choosing two of their memers to take on

the role of their character one for each round of the deate. 4he memers of the

group help prepare their representatives# ! finding suitale arguments for their

characterBs survival# and good wa!s of e%pressing them.

++

ole cardAou are a re(orter for 'he Sunday Glo&e. Aour editor wants you to write a storyabout the death of the wealthy /octor Gischer. The in=uest is now over, and rBones and r Steiner have agreed to give a (ress conference about the mysteriousaffair.Aour editor would es(ecially like you to find out3 : *ow often /octor Gischer entertained his circle of friends. : What they did at these gatherings the rumours the (a(er (ublished last week

have not really been substantiated@.

: The amount of money involved in the last (arty.



4<F :F0A4F

4he class imagines that the five characters are sailing high in a hotGair alloon# when

the! start to lose altitude disastrousl!. 4o prevent a crash# all ut two of the characters

must e thrown overoard.

Fach character $first representative of each group' has an opportunit! to make a

speech outlining the reasons wh! he or she should e allowed to remain in the alloonand survive. 4he teacher# or a student# presides. After this first speech# the class votes

for the two most convincing characters. 4he two survivors $second representatives'

make a speech# summing up the crucial reasons# and tr!ing to add new ones# for their

continued survival. 6inall!# the class votes for the last remaining survivor.

7e have found this to e a popular activit!. /ince ever!one has read the ook# the!

have a common ase of vocaular! and a shared knowledge which facilitates the

e%ercise. /tudents often comment with surprise on the insight the! have suddenl!

gained into their characterBs ps!cholog!# ecause the! have een forced to put

themselves into his or her place# imaginativel!. Ene student# for e%ample# claimed to

have suddenl! felt an une%pected compassion for 8rs 7ilson# the victim in 6. /cott

6itHgeraldBs The "reat "ats!y# when she had to plead her case in the alloon.

7mprovisations

(lasses where role pla! is popular can e given a slightl! freer task after the entire

ook has een read to produce a dramatised version of the chapter after the end of the

ook. 4he following activit! is one wa! of doing this.

"L-F/4

8an! ooks lend themselves to a recapitulative role pla! ased upon an inquir! of

some sort into the events that have occurred. /ome e%amples would e

5 An inquest on oard the ship which has rescued the survivors of Lord of the

Flies# conducted ! the shipBs captain $see p. 1)1 '.

5 A coronerBs inquest into the death of Dats!# or :octor 6ischer of Deneva# or

the victim in The $ollector ! ?ohn 6owles.

Ene student is nominated the coroner. <e or she calls the inquest# interviews

witnesses# and eventuall! makes a report. 4he class is divided into groups# each of

which prepares one witnessB 5 a surviving character in {,&} the ook 5 for

interrogation. "t ma! e necessar! to provide a coronerBs team to help him or her

question witnesses and make a report.

>ariations on this Judgement theme might e

5 A divorce court JudgeBs inquir! $awarding custod! of the twinsB in 8uriel/parkBs short stor! of that title# for e%ample'.

5 A court martial.

5 A schoolBs disciplinar! committee# etc.

Fver!thing depends on the particular ook# its setting# characters# and situation.

PART C WORKING WITH A COMPLETE

TEXT .

# $ no%el: &ord o' the Flies (y )illiam *olding

4he novel we have selected to demonstrate the range of activities availale in presenting a work of literature is the modern classic Lord of the Flies# ! 7illiam

+



Dolding. 4here are man! reasons for our choice. Dolding is a maJor twentiethGcentur!

Fnglish writer# whose works are read and studied throughout the world. Lord of the

Flies deals with the everGtopical and universal themes of violence# social control#

human nature# survival in conditions of adversit! 5 !et in a setting that is neither

cultureGspecific nor restricted to one time. "ts schoolo! characters have in fact een

removed from their own conte%t to e placed in elemental conditions that reveal theirtrue selves. 4his gives the ook the aspect of a fale# which is at once strong and

simple enough to catch the imagination of most readers. 4he ook suits a readership

of almost an! age# and we have read it successfull! with a range of classes# from

intermediate to advanced learners. "ts rich# associative# metaphorical language

provides a challenge# ut comprehension is definitel! aided ! the clear conte%t# as

well as ! the novelBs strong characterisation and plot. =ast# ut certainl! not least#

Lord of the Flies has a strong pull on the readerBs involvement# from the ver! first

page.

6or convenience# we have divided the novel into 1& sections corresponding to its 1&

chapters. 7e have laelled these "GN"" to distinguish them from the chapters of this

ook $1G12'. 6or each chapter of Lord of the Flies# we shall descrie a large andvaried numer of classroom and homework activities. At various times# these have

een used with success in our classes# ut oviousl! the! represent a range of choices#

not a scheme of work. 4eachers must choose and adapt according to their own

situation# constraints# particular group of learners# and teaching st!le. 4he activities

are a set of ideas and resources to stimulate variet! in the classroom.

4he onl! words of advice we would like to add are these

1. 4r! to select activities which complement each other and form a suitale

alance# for e%ample etween languageGenrichment activities and ones

designed to deepen the studentsB understanding of the ook and elicit a

response.

&. :o not select too man! activities in case this harms the simple involvement

through reading that the individual uilds. Rememer reading is often a quiet#

private activit! and one we strongl! wish to encourage.

{,}3. :o not lose sight of the principal aim of the whole operation# which is to foster

enJo!ment of reading in the learner. An important gift we can give the student

is the realisation that further reading and rereading can e enriching. 9ou can

never reall! finishB a ook# e%cept on a superficial level. Rereading alwa!s

produces new insight# new perceptions# a deepened response.

. "t is a good idea to var! the mode of presentation silent reading# for e%ample#

can e followed ! listening to the passage on a cassette# so that this

revisitingB of the te%t feels like a different e%perience and challenges otherareas of the learnerBs ailities.

*. -nless !ou are oliged to use prescried te%ts# choose works that !ou know

and like# and which are likel! to appeal to the students !ou teach. -sing

activities of the kind we descrie requires a good deal of imaginative

involvement on the part of the teacher G much etter that this groundwork

should e enJo!ale rather than a choreK

Cha!ter I The sound o' the shell !ages #343

6rom the first page# the reader is taken immediatel! into the atmosphere of the ook.

4he setting is an e%otic tropical island where two Fnglish o!s find themselves3 Page references are to the paperack edition of Lord of the Flies# 6aer and 6aer# =ondon# 1,*.

+,



wandering aout# having een dropped to safet! efore the crash of their plane# which

had een attacked. 4o the o!s# the island seems to promise an enchanted# adultGfree

life. Draduall!# as more o!s emerge# the! hold a meeting and elect Ralph as chief.

?ack# the leader of a group of choiro!s and the other candidate for leadership# takes

to hunting; ut the first time he chases a piglet# he cannot quite ring himself to kill it.

4his chapter is quite long and is therefore est divided into class and home reading./ince the island setting is such a strong part of the novelBs appeal in the eginning# we

have planned a detailed warmGup activit! prior to reading# in order to focus upon this

aspect and uild up a sense of e%pectation.

7n the mood

4his warmGup activit! is a simple ut effective wa! of uilding familiarit! with the

setting of the novel prior to reading# and preferal! efore the te%ts are distriuted to

the students.

4he teacher informs the class that he or she is going to ask them to create a picture

of the eginning of the ook in their minds. 4he class are {,*} asked to rela%# closetheir e!es and tr! to make a large empt! space for their imagination to work on.

/tudents are then told to imagine that the! are 11 !ears old again# and the! are

asked 7hat do !ou look likeI 7hat is !our hair likeI !our clothesI !our shoesI <ow

tall are !ouI 7hat do !ou like doingI 7hat things are !ou interested inI $Pause for

mind painting.'

e%t# the teacher tells students to imagine that the! have een dropped on to a

tropical island# from a plane Just efore it crashed. 4he! are alone. "t is ver! hot. 7hat

are their first thoughts# and what do the! do to start withI After allowing time for

pictures to e uilt# the teacher asks the students to open their e!es and to Jot down#

quickl!# these thoughts and initial actions.

/tudents close their e!es again and are asked to imagine what things the! see on the

island# what the! hear# touch and feel. Again# after a pause# students open their e!es

and write down their sensations.

6inall!# students are told that suddenl!# another child of aout the same age appears

from the undergrowth. <e was on the plane too. 7hat do the! talk aout with the

other childI 7hat do the! feelI /adI F%citedI 6rightenedI Again# students open their

e!es and Jot down their thoughts.

At this point the teacher asks the class to leave the island of their imagination. <e or

she puts them into pairs or threes and each person descries their scene to the others.

After a few minutes# the teacher calls the learners together again# for one or two

picturesB to e descried to the whole class.4he students are now in the pictureB as far as the ook is concerned and proceed

either to read the first two pages or to listen to them and to note down some road

differences etween their pictures and that in the ook. 4he! are asked not to worr!

aout unknown words at this stage.

6inall!# there is general class discussion of differences noted and of points of special

interest or difficult! in this initial section.

5etrospective writing

"f sufficient time is availale# students# in small groups# are asked to reconstruct# from

details given in the first two pages# the events which happened Just efore the openingof the novel. 4his is a planning session which will lead to students individuall!

2



writing the last few paragraphs of the imaginar! chapter which would precede the

opening section of Lord of the Flies. 4his writing task can then e completed in class#

or set as homework.

{,)}'wo worksheets to support home reading

/tudents are asked to read the first half of the chapter# with an emphasis on gaining a

first insight into the personalities of Pigg! and Ralph# the two o!s introduced in this

section. 7orksheets 1 and 1* help this first contact with the characters# ! not

demanding too much intensive te%t work. 7e want to encourage learners# from the

eginning# to read confidentl! for gist.

Fach of the worksheets illustrated can give rise to oral feedack in class. 7orksheet

1* provides e%cellent support for a structured speaking task. /tudents are asked to

give short talks ased upon the notes the! have Jotted down in one particular o% of

the grid. 4he! speak in turn# for a ma%imum of one minute# as requested ! the

teacher.

Worksheet '0

1



{,+}

Worksheet '1

{,}(emory e,ercise 9pages :!;<=

7orksheet 1) is for a class game or for homework.

Worksheet '3

&

ead (ages &C' of ord o$ the Flies. Write brief notes in each box as a((ro(riate.

%iggy 5alph7ersonality

-((earance

-ttitude towards being onthe island

-ttitude towards the otherboy

1nformation about (arents



#lass reading 9pages >?!@=

4he teacher reads out loud $or pla!s a cassette of' the section aout the election of a

chief. "n a general class discussion# students are then asked to list all the qualities the!

would seek in a leader# if the! were in the o!sB position on the island. 4he teacher

keeps the list# to link to an activit! designed to develop this theme later on in the ook$see p. 1*+'.

{,,}#haracter portrayal 7orksheet 1+ is to accompan! home reading $to the end of the chapter'.

4his activit! can e repeated halfGwa! through the ook# and again when the entire

ook has een read. 4he teacher keeps the earlier graphs to demonstrate the evolution

of the studentsB awareness of characterisation# as the ook unfolds.

Worksheet '4

1#orrecting2 %iggy2s 0nglish

4he aim of this activit! is to make e%plicit the kind of Fnglish Pigg! speaks and#

through feedack and discussion# elicit what this tells the reader aout Pigg!Bs

ackground and education $see 7orksheet 1'.

Worksheet '5

3

7ut a mark for each boy O for 7iggy, ) for al(h, P for Back@ on each of the followinglines, according to your 5udgment of their character, so far. 1f you have no idea, leaveblank.

selfCconfidence L)W QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ *14*intelligence L)W QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ *14*athleticism L)W QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ *14*sensitivity L)W QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ *14*cruelty L)W QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ *14*anxiety L)W QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ *14*friendliness L)W QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ *14*loneliness L)W QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ *14*

Aou have noticed that 7iggy s(eaks a different kind of 2nglish from that s(oken byal(h or Back. - strict, traditional schoolmaster might well frown at some of the

things 7iggy says. >hoose at least three things that 7iggy says. Write down hiswords, then write down what a traditional schoolmaster might want him to say.

2xam(le3 7iggy says3 And this is what the tube done

The schoolmaster says3 And this is what the tube did. 7iggy says3 ........................................

The schoolmaster says3 ........................................!. 7iggy says3 ........................................

The schoolmaster says3 ........................................". 7iggy says3 ........................................

The schoolmaster says3 ........................................



{122}What could 7 kill-

A questionnaire $7orksheet 1,' is given to students# either efore or after reading the

final two pages of the first chapter. Responses are compared first in groups# then in a

general class discussion.

An interesting followGup would e class reading and discussion of the parallelsituation in 7orksheet &1 which is an e%tract from The $oral ;sland ! R. 8.

0allant!ne.

Worksheet '8

Star diagram

4his activit! aims to foster studentsB understanding and appreciation of words and

e%pressions used to descrie the setting.

"n class# after the first chapter has een read# students are divided into four groups.

Fach group is assigned one element of the island setting

"roup ' words that descrie water# the sea# the lagoon.

"roup + words that descrie the sand# the each# the seaGshore.

"roup , words that descrie the Jungle and its vegetation.

"roup 0 words that descrie mountains# rocks and cliffs.

4ogether# students skim through the first chapter# e%tracting words or phrases which

refer to their element. 4heir task is then to arrange these in an order that shows which

words are visual# which are tactile# which are {121} metaphorical# and so on. Ene wa!

of doing this is to use a fiveGpoint star diagram. Fach group is given an empt! star

shape on a large card# and then groups its descriptive words into five appropriate

categories. "llustrations for two of the elements are given in 6igures ,A $words that

descrie the Jungle and the vegetation on the island' and ,0 $words that descrie

water the sea# the lagoon# the coral reef'.

Look at the creatures listed below. 1f you think you could kill any of them, (ut a tick inthe first column. 1n the second column, ex(lain circumstances in which you would doso, for exam(le Hif starving9, Hin selfCdefence9, etc.

#reatur e

es-

#ircumstances-8

antfroghencatsnake(ighorsehuman



Figure 8A

*



{12&}

Figure 8B

7hen the aove activit! has een completed# as followGup each group is given a

coloured magaHine picture of a landscape or a seascape. 7orking singl! or in pairs#

learners write a paragraph descriing the scene# using at least one word from each of

the points of the star $for e%ample# one word which descries what the place lookslike# one which descries its sound# another which descries its smell# and so on'#

{123}%arallel reading

The $oral ;sland& a Tale of the #acific *cean is a famous adventure stor! written for

!oung readers# ! R. 8. 0allant!ne. =ike Treasure ;sland ! R. =. /tevenson# it has

provided# for generations of FnglishGspeaking adolescents# an everGpopular tale of

dangerous# e%citing e%ploits carried out ! three !oung men in the glamorous setting

of the /outh /ea islands. "ts three o!ish heroes are called Ralph# the narrator# ?ack#

the leader# and Peterkin the hunter of pigs. 0eside the ovious parallel of the names#

there are man! clues which show that DoldingBs novel constitutes a delierate andoften ironical counterpoint for this classic# which so man! of his adult readers would

)



rememer from their childhood. (omparison of selected passages from it can throw

interesting light# for the advanced foreign student# on the e%act nature and qualit! of

what Dolding does with a similar setting and what seems at first sight a fairl! similar

situation.

{12}4wo e%tracts are given here. 7orksheet &2# with a grid for comparisons#

focuses on the setting; 7orksheet &1# for reading and discussion# can e used as afollowGup to 7orksheet 1,.

'he #oral 7sland ord o$ the Flies

. Shore/&each >olour, sound, smell

words

Similes and meta(hors

+

ead the following extract from The >oral 1sland in which three young sailors, Back,', al(h, $, and 7eterkin, #, find themselves alone on an uninhabited coralisland after a shi(wreck. Then fill in the boxes with a((ro(riate =uotations.

This was now the first time that 1 had looked well about me since landing, as the s(otwhere 1 had been laid was covered with thick bushes, which almost hid the country

from our view. -s we now emerged from among these and walked down the sandybeach together, 1 cast my eyes about and truly my heart glowed within me and mys(irits rose at the beautiful (ros(ect which 1 beheld on every side. The gale hadsuddenly died away, 5ust as if it had blown furiously till it dashed our shi( u(on therocks, and had nothing more to do after accom(lishing that. The island u(on which westood was hilly, and covered almost everywhere with the most beautiful and richlyCcoloured trees, bushes and shrubs, none of which 1 knew the names of at that timeexce(t, indeed, the cocoaCnut (alms, which 1 recognised at once from the many(ictures that 1 had seen of them before 1 left home. - sandy beach of da;;lingwhiteness lined this bright green shore, and u(on it there fell a gentle ri((le of the sea.This last astonished me much, for 1 recollected that at home the sea used to fall inhuge billows on the shore long after a storm had subsided. +ut on casting my glanceout to sea, the cause became a((arent. -bout a mile distant from the shore, 1 saw thegreat billows of the ocean rolling like a green wall, and falling with a long, loud roaru(on a low coral reef, where they were dashed into white foam and flung u( in cloudsof s(ray. This s(ray sometimes flew exceedingly high, and every here and there abeautiful rainbow was formed for a moment among the falling dro(s. We afterwardsfound that this coral reef extended =uite round the island, and formed a naturalbreakwater to it. +eyond this the sea rose and tossed violently from the effects of thestormF but between the reef and the shore it was as calm and as smooth as a (ond.

y heart was filled with more delight than 1 can ex(ress at sight of so many gloriousob5ects, and my thoughts turned suddenly to the contem(lation of the >reator of themall. 1 mention this the more gladly because at that time, 1 am ashamed to say, 1 veryseldom thought of my >reator, although 1 was constantly surrounded by the mostbeautiful and wonderful of *is works. 1 observed, from the ex(ression of my

com(anion9s countenance, that he too derived much 5oy from the s(lendid scenery,which was all the more agreeable to us after our long voyage on the salt sea. There thebree;e was fresh and cold, but here it was delightfully mildF and when a (uff blew offthe land, it came laden with the most ex=uisite (erfume that can be imagined.



!. 'he sea/lagoon >olour, sound, smell

words

Similes and meta(hors

". 'rees/ vegetation >olour, sound, smellwords

Similes and meta(hors#. 5eaction o$ the main

characters5alphB 3ackB %iggy

'ick which description is

Sim(ler?ore vivid, colourful?ore concrete?ore meta(horical?ore (oetic?The one you (refer?

Worksheet +: {p. 12G*}

{12)}



7orksheet &1

A snow&all summary

6igure 12 shows an e%ample of the gradual uilding of a threeGfold summar! as the

ook is read of events# themes# and the reactions of characters. 4he class is divided

into four teams# A# 0# (# and :. Fach team has responsiilit! for preparing three of

the ookBs chapters# as the class reads graduall! through the novel.

#hapter/'eam

0vents 'hemes 'he &oys2 reactions

18- al(h and 7iggy meeton the island.They swim in a (ool andfind a conch.al(h blows the conchto call the other boys.)thers arrive. 7iggytakes names.

al(h is elected leader.al(h, Back and Simon

4lamour of life onthe island.

Leadershi(.

Boy of freedom.4lamour of ex(loring theisland.

Griendshi(, shared

,

ead the following extract from 'he #oral 7sland in which Back and al(h comeacross a family of slumbering (igs. Bot down the difference in attitude between Backand al(h in 'he #oral 7sland and Back and al(h in ord o$ the Flies.

The ground at the foot of this tree was thickly strewn with the fallen fruit, in the midst of

which lay slee(ing, in every (ossible attitude, at least twenty hogs of all ages and si;es,a((arently =uite surfeited with a recent ban=uet.Back and 1 could scarce restrain our laughter as we ga;ed at these coarse, illClooking

animals while they lay groaning and snoring heavily amid the remains of their su((er.HNow, al(h,9 said Back, in a low whis(er, H(ut a stone in your slingCa good big oneCand

let fly at that fat fellow with his back toward you. 19ll try to (ut an arrow into yon little (ig.9H/on9t you think we had better (ut them u( first?9 1 whis(eredF Hit seems cruel to kill

them while aslee(.9H1f 1 wanted s(ort, al(h, 1 would certainly set them u(F but as we only want (ork, we9ll

let them lie. +esides, we9re not sure of killing themF so, fire away.9 Thus admonished, 1slung my stone with so good aim that it went bang against the hog9s flank as if againstthe head of a drumF but it had no other effect than that of causing the animal to start toits feet, with a frightful yell of sur(rise, and scam(er away. -t the same instant Back9sbow twanged, and the arrow (inned the little (ig to the ground by the ear.

H19ve missed, after all,9 cried Back, darting forward with u(lifted axe, while the little (iguttered a loud s=ueal, tore the arrow from the ground, and ran away with it, along withthe whole drove, into the bushes and disa((eared, though we heard them screaminglong afterwards in the distance.

5eturning to their encampmentB the two &oys do not $ind their companion %eterkin &utthey soon hear 1a chorus o$ yells $rom the hogsB and a loud hurrah28@

We turned hastily towards the direction whence the sound came, and soon descried7eterkin walking along the beach towards us with a little (ig transfixed on the end of hislong s(earI

HWell done, my boyI9 exclaimed Back, sla((ing him on the shoulder when he came u(FHyou9re the best shot amongst us.9



ex(lore the island.They climb to the to( ofa mountain.Back tries but fails to killa (ig.

What it means tokill.

endeavours.

118+ -fternoon meeting. - small boy s(eaks of asnake beast.They (ile u( wood for afire and light it with7iggy9s glasses.The forest is on fire.

Girst ideas on rulesfor survival. Gear littluns@.>ontent [email protected](, 5oy ofadventures.

1118> Back hunts.The others buildshelters.al(h and Back =uarrel.Simon finds a secret

(lace in the forest.

Selfishness of(eo(le,indifference toothers9 desires.

Slight disillusionment.Gear held in.Grustration setting in.

1E8/ The life led by thelittluns.oger teases *enry atthe water9s edge.Back (aints his face.al(h sights a shi( buttheir fire is out.Back and hunters comeback with a (ig.Back resents criticism,attacks 7iggy, breaks

his glasses.They roast and eat the(ig.

>ivilisation and itsinhibitions.

elease inanonymity behindmask.4lamour of huntvs. work andres(onsibility.

Eiolence.

2lation of huntCcamaraderie.

al(h changes sides.

E8- al(h holds a meetingto restate the rules ofthe island.The littluns talk of theirfear.Simon suggests thebeast is within them.The meeting breaks u( : 7iggy and al(h andSimon long for the lostadult world.

Dualities forleadershi(.

1rrationality and(ower of fear.

ules8 >haos andhatred.

NewCfoundunderstanding .@.

B. : aggression.

Wearisome life withres(onsibilities.

E18+ There is a battle in thesky above the islandduring the night. - (arachute comesdown and is caught onthe mountain to(.Sam and 2ric make thefire in the morning andsee what they think is a

beast.The twins tell the others

Gear.. : tired ofres(onsibilities.B. : aggression,assertion of hisleadershi(.Simon : inability tocommunicate rationalviews.

,2



about it.The biguns go to searchfor the beast.al(h and Back searchthe >astle ock.The boys roll a hugestone into the sea.

+ravery8>owardice.

4ames the boys(lay.

E118> The boys set off to lookfor the beast on themountain.al(h daydreams of hishome life.The boys hunt a boar,al(h hits it with hiss(earF but it esca(es.There is a mock hunt,

obert is (retend (ig.The boys follow the (igCrun to the base of themountain.Simon goes back aloneto tell 7iggy.al(h and Back inconflict : decide to gou( the mountain in thedark. )nly oger 5oinsthem.Back goes first, sees the

beast. The three boysgo to look, see it andflee.

Eiolence withinman9s heart.+loodClust.

-ntagonism,hatred.

. : newcom(rehension.

oger : adventurous.B. : hatred, desire todominate, aggression.

E1118/ Back calls an assemblyto re(lace al(h asleader. The othersrefuse. *e goes off onhis own.7iggy suggest a fire onthe beach.The choir 5oins Back.They hunt and kill a (ig.Back leaves the head ona stick for the beast.Simon watches them.*e hears the Lord of theGlies talking to him.Back and his huntersraid the fire, invite theothers to their feast.

The reason forthings goingwrong.

The darknessinside our hearts.

7. : relief at B.9s going.B. and hunters : desirefun, loss of inhibitionsbehind (aint, Hfulfilment9of killing.

S. : (erce(tion about(eo(le.

1O8- Simon climbs themountain and sees thedead (arachutist.

al(h and 7iggy go toBack9s feast and eat. 7ower8 -uthority.Eiolence.

S. : does rational thingbut cannot communicateit.

,1



- storm breaks. Theboys dance in a mockhunt.Simon crawls in amongthem and is mistaken forthe beast. *e is killed.The (arachute is blowninto the sea.Simon9s body is washedout to sea.

The im(ortance ofa ritual.

>rowd violence,mob (sychology.

+oys caught u( in violentritual.

O8+ The boys cannot admitthe events of the(revious night : hide itfrom themselves.Back organises his bandat >astle ock.The hunters raid the

others9 cam( and steal7iggy9s glasses.

4uilt. . and 7. : guilt, badconscience.

B. : increasing violence.

O18> al(h, 7iggy and twinsgo to >astle ock torecover 7iggy9s glasses.Back orders twinscaught and bound.Back and al(h fight.oger dislodges hugerock. 7iggy is hit andswe(t to the sea.al(h flees (ursued by

s(ears.

>oncealing (aintliberates intosavagery.Rnderlying crueltyouts H(laying thegame9.

B. : trium(hantaggression, (ower.

. : hunted, in terror.O118/ al(h is outcast. *e

smashes skull of theLord of the Glies.*e climbs u( to Samand 2ric on watch.They tell him he is to behunted next day.al(h hides in a thicket.Back has rocks hurleddown, then sets foreston fire.al(h is (ursuedthrough undergrowth.al(h runs out to thebeach.Shi(9s officers a((ear torescue the boys.

>haos, cruelty,disorder, violenceunleashed in boys.HSavagery9.

The end ofinnocence. Thedarkness in man9sheart.

. : terror of the hunted.

B. : total (ower, cruelty.

Figure ': {p. 12+G112}

{111}Cha!ter II Fire on the mountain !ages 3551

,&



4he second chapter marks the appearance of cracks in the o!sB capacit! to organise

themselves for survival and to coGe%ist amical! amidst underl!ing fear of their new

environment. 4he safet! of their oldB life is receding fast.

4here are numerous activities that work successfull! with most groups. At 1) pages#

the chapter is short enough for home reading with worksheets. Alternativel!# homereading could e comined with highlights read in class ! the teacher or prerecorded

on cassette. Ence again# it would not e useful to e too prescriptive# as language

learning groups var! so widel!.

Summary comparison

4he class is asked to stud! the summaries of chapter "" in 7orksheet && and decide#

individuall! or in groups# which the! prefer# and wh!. "n this e%ercise# the summaries

are not meant to e authoritative; the! can e ascried to previous groups of students

if this helps learners feel freer to criticise. 4he wh!B part can e done as class followG

up discussion or as individual written work to accompan! home reading. "n othcases# it is helpful for students to have in mind some criteria which would make one

Worksheet ++

{11&}summar! etter than another# that is# relevance of points rought out#

comprehensiveness# concision# st!le in which the summar! is written. :epending on

the level and nature of the class# a teacher could give these to help the learners see

wh! one summar! is preferale to another; or he or she could ask them to compare

two or more summaries and# in small groups# evolve a set of criteria for good

summar! writing# ased upon their comparison.

:iscussion aout wh! one summar! is preferale to the other can e followed ! the

group task of rewriting one to provide a more satisfactor! summar!# more complete#

without irrelevant details# etc.

4his activit! is useful in helping asic comprehension of the events and themes in

the chapter. "t also focuses attention on st!listic matters# and it aims to develop thereading and writing skills which are traditionall! thought to e fostered ! prScis

,3

ead the following summaries. /ecide which is (referable and say why.

Summary -

+asically cha(ter 11 deals with the (roblems the boys have when they try to organisethemselves for survival. There are doubts about the (ossibility of rescue and someof the smaller boys are frightened by snakeClike beasts. The decision is made to lighta fire to aid rescue but the boys have no survival skills and the fire gets out of

control. /isagreements start to break out between 7iggy, Back and al(h.

Summary +

+asically cha(ter 11 concerns the making of rules. The older boys are looking forwardto the adventure of life on the island and are confident of rescue. )ne of the youngerboys is frightened of what he calls a Hbeastie9 but it is merely his fear feeding hisimagination. The boys light a fire very ha(ha;ardly. 7iggy is critical of the boys9 lackof organisation and the first signs of discontent become a((arent.



work the ailit! to identif! and e%tract ke! concepts in a length! prose passage#

distinguish etween essential points and illustrative or supportive material# and

finall!# e%press ideas concisel!. 4he activit! ma! therefore e appropriate to more

advanced levels. F%amples of summar! comparison focussing more particularl! on

comprehension $and therefore incorporating a rightB or wrongB view' which ma! e

more appropriate for intermediate learners# are given for chapter >" on p. 133.

Grids

7orksheet &3 can accompan! home reading or e done in groups in class. 4he aim is

to further develop studentsB understanding of the three central characters in the novel.

Ence again# if it is appropriate# the teacher can create a large grid for displa! on a

class wall# on which all characters are included as the! occur and personal traits added

as the! are revealed. 4his is useful vocaular! work as well as providing a hand!

visual checklist of characters for students to refer to as reading progresses.

5ules

A maJor theme in this and susequent chapters is that of rules the imposing of order

upon chaos in nature# and in human nature. <ere are two wa!s of helping learners

deepen their insight into the issues raised

5 Retrieving rules from the novel. /tudents in groups are given 7ork sheet &.

(ompleted rules are pinned up so that the! can e compared and discussed.

5 A short simulation. 4his is est done as a smallGgroup activit! in class. "t can

precede the reading of chapter ""# to set the scene and make students aware of

the importance of this theme# or it can follow their {11} first home reading. "t

invarial! leads to a great deal of discussion.

Adapt the formula to suit particular groups.

7ith an older# or speciall! imaginative group# the activit! can e openGended. 4he

group is told the! are suddenl! stranded on an island# isolated {11*} from the rest of

the world the! will proal! have to spend the rest of their lives together. 4his is

their first meeting to discuss asic rules# decide aout the social organisation the!

wish to adopt# elect leaders if the! wish# etc. $A followGup discussion on punishments

for reaking rules appears later# in the ne%t section on chapter """.'

7ith a less advanced or less adventurous group# it is proal! a good idea to give a

list of rules for life in a commune or other selfGenclosed s!stem# and ask students

either to select the three or four most important rules# or to order the complete list#

from the most to the least important. A time limit is set."n oth cases# once groups have decided on asic rules# results are compared and

discussed# and parallels drawn with the o!sB situation in the novel.

,



Worksheet +, {113}

,*

1n cha(ter 11 of Lord of the Glies, we find out a lot more about three of the maincharacters : 7iggy, al(h and Back. Study the list of words below. Rse your dictionary,if necessary. Then, as you read cha(ter 11, (ick out short =uotes with (age referenceswhich seem to you to illustrate the ty(es of behaviour listed. Write them into thea((ro(riate boxes. Some boxes have been filled in to give you an exam(le. -dd other

ty(es of behaviour to the list if you can.

'ype o$ &ehaviour %iggy 5alph 3ack

. childish All the same, you

need an army " #or

hunting$ %&'

!. mature,thoughtful

(acting like a

crowd o# kids$ %)*

". frightened

#. violent,aggressive

$. caring,reassuring like a(arent

(there aren’t any

grown+u%s We shall

hae to look a#ter

ourseles$ %&-

%. good leadershi(

&.

'.



Worksheet +0 {11}

{11*}Simple language work

"t is entirel! in order to use the te%t of a novel to practise specific areas of language#

though in our e%perience this should e done riefl! so as to maintain the magicB of

the narrative and the readerBs immersion in its fantas!. 4he following e%amples are

taken from chapter "".

,)



#reposition work&

Gill in the blanks with one a((ro(riate word.

. We9re .................... an uninhabited island.

!. *e slammed his knife .................... a trunk.". *e ga(ed .................... them for a moment.#. Back snatched the glasses .................... his face.$. There hasn9t been the trace .................... a shi(.

#hrasal .er!s&

Gill in the blanks with one a((ro(riate word.

. The shouting died .....................!. *e sighed, bent and laced .................... his shoes.". We shall have to look .................... ourselves.

#. *e cleared his throat and went .....................$. 19ll s(lit .................... the choir : my hunters, that is : into grou(s.

As this particular activit! is fairl! mechanical# the teacher can adopt various tactics to

sustain interest

5 /tudents form groups# set missing prepositions $using sentences from the

chapter' for other groups to complete.

5 /entences for completion are then used for a quiH 5 can groups identif! what

each sentence is referring to# and who is speakingI

{11)}Structural practice linked to student responseB predictionB etc8

/tudents can consolidate their control of grammatical forms ! completing sentences#

while at the same time making e%plicit their response to characters and situations in

the novel. 4he sentences which follow are more openGended than the ones in the

preceding e%ercise# and# although the structure is eing controlled# the learnerBs use of

language is more personal and creative.

>om(lete what these characters might say.7iggy3 We won9t be rescued unless .......................................

Things won9t work on the island unless .......................................al(h3 We won9t be rescued unless ........................................

Things won9t work on the island unless .......................................Back3 1 don9t want to be rescued unless ........................................

We won9t have a good time unless ........................................

etter in a &ottle

Although we have chosen this activit! as a followGup to chapter ""# it could e inserted

almost an!where# and could e repeated later in the novel.

4he teacher writes one of the names Pigg!# Ralph# /imon or ?ack on slips of paper so

that there is one for each memer of the class# and roughl! equal numers of slips for

each character. /tudents draw one each# at random. Fach learner then has to imagine

that the! are the character whose name the! have drawn the! have rescued an empt!corked ottle from the plane and have gone alone down to the each to write a letter

,+



Figure ''A {11+}

,



Figure ''B {11}

,,



Figure ''$ {11,}

122



{11)}home. "nventive groups will need rief instructions onl!. 8ore dependent groups

can e given more guidance# for e%ample

Tell your (arents3 where you are.how you feel.

what you want them to do.what you miss most.what you like most on the island.etc.

4eachers can preGteach letter format and useful language if this is necessar!.

"f students do not reveal the identit! of theirB character# an amusing listening

activit! can follow each learner reads their letter out loud# and the class tries to guess

the character who could have written it. 4his leads to good discussion on various

facets of personalit!.

6igure 11 shows a few e%amples of letters in a ottleB written ! students in a

lowerGadvanced class $first !ear after (amridge 6irst (ertificate'. 4he! areuncorrected.

{1&2}ou have the conch

Fach student is told to imagine that the! are on the island# with the o!s. 4he conch is

passed to them# and the! are allowed to sa! whatever the! like aout the present

situation on the island# and the est course of action to adopt.

4his can e done as an impromptu oral activit!# or as a speech delivered after some

preparation time.

6ral review

7e have emphasised how important it is# in reading a long te%t# to keep the whole

narrative in the mind of the reader so that he or she can go ackwards and forwards

easil! over the part read while maintaining an overall view. 4here are various wa!s of

doing this# ut here is one which is well suited to this part of the ook# that is# once

chapters " and "" have een read.

/tudents are given a list of words from the two chapters

meetingchoir

chief(ig

huntingrules

beastiefire

s(ecsnames

smokerescue

(lane(ilot

countconch

/tudents sit in small groups of four or five. "n turn# each selects one word from the list

and talks aout the part of the stor! to which his or her chosen word relates. 4he ne%t

person takes another word# and so on. 4he listening students can add comments or

other relevant details.

4his can e useful preparation for written work. "f repeated from time to time# it

also ensures that each student has a sense of responsiilit! to the group for home

reading.

A variation can e an oral review of characters. =earners talk aout particular

characters# using# in turn# the words from a given list as aove. 4he list is written onthe oard or a cop! is given to each student.

121



Cha!ter III uts on the (each !ages 52"2

"n chapter """# ?ack continues his hunt for meat# as !et unsuccessfull!# while Ralph

despairs of ever getting the other o!s organised enough to uild shelters. /imon is

helpful ut in an enigmatic wa!. <e wanders off into the forest to e ! himself in aquiet clearing. 4his is a short chapter# well suited to home reading.

{1&1}#omplete the sentences

4his is a simple activit! which comines comprehension work and structure practice

$see 7orksheet &*'. "t can accompan! home reading.

Worksheet +1

Spot the speech

4his quiH can e used as a class followGup to home reading. "t can e written or oral.

/tudents identif! the speaker and what each quotation is aout# without referring ackto the ook.

1. H*e9s =ueer. *e9s funny.9&. H1 thought 1 might kill.93. HAou and your fire.9. HNever get it done.9*. HAou9re chief. Aou tell Hem off.9). -s if it wasn9t a good island.9

(issing poster

4his is a writing activit! of the kind outlined on p. )*# where an appropriate format is

illustrated. At this point in their reading of Lord of the Flies# students are asked to

write a missingB poster for /imon.

Film trailer

/tudents are told that the director of the film version of Lord of the Flies is compiling

some e%tracts of dialogue from the ook as part of a trailer to advertise the film. <e or

she has allotted 32 seconds of the trailer to this chapter. "n groups# students as film

directors and screenwriters have to {1&&} select what the! consider to e crucial

snippetsB of dialogue which can e put together in short sequences to total 32 secondsof shooting time. Fach group of students selects# times# rehearses# and performs.

12&

ead cha(ter 111 of Lord of the Glies, then com(lete the following sentences.

Back is a little frightened. This is shown when he ........................................Simon is the sort of boy who ........................................al(h grumbles because ........................................Back is determined to ........................................1n the clearing in the 5ungle, Simon seems ........................................The littluns are unreliable and this is indicated by their ........................................



:ifferences etween group choices are discussed. "f a trailer for the entire ook is

produced at the end# the choices for chapter """ can then e reviewed and modified.

4his reGe%amination is an important aspect of the d!namics of overall response.

6or a group that needs a lot of support# the teacher might offer a range of dialogue

e%tracts from chapter """ and ask them to choose the most important and dramatic# to

make up the 32 seconds. 4he! might also assess which of the quotations are mostrepresentative of the mood# setting# movement and events of the chapter.

<ere are some e%amples of dialogue e%tracts from chapter """

"f " could onl! get a pig.B $page )2'

0ut !ou can feel as if !ouBre not hunting 5 ut eing hunted.B $page *+'

4he! talk and scream. 4he littluns. Fven some of the others. As if . . . As if it wasnBt a good

island . . . $page *)'

" thought " might kill.B 0ut !ou didnBt.B " thought " might.B $page **'

4he est thing we can do is get ourselves rescued.B RescueI 9es of courseK All the same# "Bd

like to catch a pig first.B $page *'

:onBt !ou want to e rescuedI All !ou can talk aout is pig# pig# pigKB 0ut we want meatKBAnd " work all da! with nothing ut /imon# and !ou come ack and donBt even notice the

hutsKB $page *,'

<eBs uHHed off.B Dot fed up . . . and gone for a athe.B <eBs queer. <eBs funn!.B $page *,'

Worksheet +3

{1&3}Families o$ words

7orksheet &) is a homework e%ercise for vocaular! enrichment# to follow reading of

chapter """.

Cha!ter I6 ainted 'aces and long hair !ages "3+2

7ithin the natural tempo of island life# the o!sB fortunes continue to fluctuate. 4he

small o!s are largel! asored in pla!# ut with underl!ing fear of their plight. ?ack

paints his face for more effective hunting. Ralph sees smoke on the horiHon ut ?ack

and his hunters have let their own smoke signal die out. Ralph is incensed and# as ?ack

returns triumphantl! with his first pig# a row reaks out in which ?ack picks on Pigg!and reaks his glasses. A new ond is forged etween Pigg! and Ralph.

123

*ere are two lists of words from cha(ter 11 1 of ord o$ the Flies, which have somefeatures in common. >an you think of a word which would describe what all thewords in each list have in common? Write this word in the blank at the head of thelist.MMMM.. MMMMtrotted surveyedstole forward (eered

steal u( on ga;ed(icked his way glanced

Now, here are some words which describe a family of words. Gor each word, writewords or ex(ressions that belong to this family.

Sounds 2motions 7lant life



4his is a long chapter ut has plent! of action and e%citement. Pages +1G& would

make good class reading; students can read silentl! or listen to the teacher or a

recording. 4he following activities offer a range of ideas for e%ploiting this material in

class and for homework.

3ungle poem

"n this activit!# students first reread pages )1G& from the end of chapter """# and an!

other parts of the ook read to date that focus on descriing G.he island itself. 4he! are

then asked to produce a tankaB 5 a ?apanese form of poem comprising five lines with

31 s!llales# in the following sequence five# seven# five# seven and seven. 4he! can

use an! words the! wish including those in the te%t. $-sing a format which stresses

s!llales rather than the traditional Fnglish forms# where internal stress and rh!thms

have to e taken into account# is usuall! easier for the foreign speaker.' 4he aim of the

poem produced should e to ring out one theme# such as movement# colour# mood#

or sound.

6or weaker groups# first uild up a resource ank of words. =earners skim throughthe chapter and e%tract all words which refer to the theme chosen. 4hese words are

put up on the oard# then the class is asked to e%tend the ank ! adding all the words

and phrases the! can think of or find in their dictionar!.

<ere is an e%ample produced ! an upperGadvanced multilingual group

;sland mo.ement

/urging sea elow $five s!llales'

Pigs crashing through dr! ushes $seven s!llales'

Palms# wind shimmering $five s!llales'

/hoot light in m!riad shafts $seven s!llales'

4he eastBs ear is flickering. $seven s!llales'

{1&}Another enJo!ale form is the acrostic. <ere# learners are asked to produce

poems aout the main characters in the ook# so that the first letter of each line# read

verticall!# spells his name. <ere are two e%amples

Strange# quiet o!

In tune with the island

Makes his wa! to the Jungle heart

O pens his eing to the eastBs voice

Never to escape its force.

Poor# fat# wise man

In ph!sical awkwardness

Gets ridicule from his peers

Gains none of the friendship he craves

6et deserves the ear of all.

*o!it!yoursel$ grid

12



4his activit! helps reading comprehension and vocaular! enrichment. /tudents often

enefit from e%ercises which the! have devised themselves. <ere are instructions to

help students produce a simple grid of the kind the! have alread! used in preceding

chapters

(ake up a grid like the ones we have used in cha(ter 1 or invent a new kind@ forsomeone else in the class to com(lete. The aim is to bring out some of thedifferences we see in cha(ter 1E between +iguns and Littluns.

%unishment

"n this chapter the fire is allowed to go out# and the o!s are not rescued. 4his raises

the issue of the sorts of punishment that would e needed to follow violation of rules.

4his activit! is a natural followGup to RulesB in chapter "" $7orksheet &'.

=earners are asked to complete a questionnaire $7orksheet &+'# imagining

themselves to e stranded on the island# in their own identit!.

Group 13ust a minute2

4his activit! can e used as revision work in class. 4hose teachers who have pla!ed

?ust a minuteB with their language classes will have discovered that it is reall! a

daunting task to talk without hesitation# deviation# or repetition for even 1* seconds in

a foreign language. 4his variation merel! makes it a team game which incorporates

revision of the stor! so far.

4he class is divided into teams of four or five. Fach student talks aout the stor! so

far for a ma%imum of 1* seconds# at which point the teacher {1&)} claps his or her

hands and counts to three. 4he ne%t person in that team must take over at this point#

and so on# until a minute has elapsed. 4he team then gains four points. "f one memerof the team stops efore 1* seconds then the other team takes over. Repetition is not

counted as a reason for losing the suJect# nor is hesitation up to a ma%imum of three

seconds. :eviation from the suJect# however# is# and if another team spots it# the!

can claim the suJect# with the refereeBs approval.

4he teacher can change the suJect whenever necessar! from sa! stor!B to

characterB# the islandB# the fireB# the eastieB# littlunsB# etc.

4he activit! makes an e%cellent revision session for 12G1* minutes and works est

when the rules and rh!thm of this game are well estalished.

Snow&all wall chart

As the numer of named o!s increases# it is worthwhile making a wall chart of a line

of o!s from smaller to igger# each outline having a name aove it and a rief

description inside it. 4his simple representation helps to make more concrete the

growing numer of details which ecome difficult for memories to hold.

Alternativel!# the wall chart could e a sociogram each o! is represented ! a

circle and circles are put in groups according to friendship patterns. 4he qualit! of

relationships could e signalled ! linking circles with different t!pes of line# for

e%ample

=page ':0>

12*



12)

1magine that you are stranded with the grou( of boys on the island of Lord of theGlies. Gor each broken rule in the leftChand column, choose one of the(unishments listed in the rightChand column or suggest your own.

"roken rule Suggested punishment 9tick one=

. Not attending meetings. a@ No (unishment. b@ 2xtra work. c@ Less food. d@ )ther name your (referred (unishment MMMMMMMM

!. Letting fire go out a@ No (unishment.

b@ 2xtra work. c@ Looking after fire for a month. d@ )ther3 MMMMMMMMMMM

". -ttacking another boy with a@ No (unishment. intention to harm b@ 2xtra work.

c@ 1m(risonment. d@ )ther3 MMMMMMMMMMM

#. *iding food a@ No (unishment. b@ Less food c@ 2xtra work. d@ )ther3 MMMMMMMMMMM

$. Not using (ro(er lavatory s(ot. a@ No (unishment. b@ 2xtra cleaning duty. c@ S(anking. d@ )ther3 MMMMMMMMMMM

%. 1nterru(ting at meetings or a@ No (unishment. s(eaking when you haven9t got b@ 7ublic a(ology. the conch. c@ 2xtra work.

d@ )ther3 MMMMMMMMMMM

&. Not doing (ro(er share of work a@ No (unishment. : building shelters, etc. b@ 2xtra duties.

c@ 7ublic re(rimand. d@ )ther3 MMMMMMMMMMM



Worksheet +4 {1&*}

{p. 1&) continued}

*iary

A diar! is a creative writing activit! that can e used s!stematicall! as reading

progresses# thus serving as a sort of revision summar!. :ifferent students are asked to

write diaries for different characters# or allowed to choose their favourite. 6rom time

to time# learners read current sections of their diar! out loud this rings out different

assumptions aout what each character would wish to write and different views of

their personalities.

{1&+}(oviemaker

"n this chapter# there is a heated confrontation etween Ralph# ?ack and Pigg!. 4he

class is divided into three groups. Fach one is to e a miniGproduction unit# with

instructions from an overall director aout how he or she wants the confrontation

scene to e shot. 4his is most easil! e%plained ! the use of role cards# as illustrated

elow. 4he groups egin ! reading or rereading pages +*G2.

12+

5ole card Group A

The director insists that this scene is rewritten a little so that the argument ismore heated than in the book.

Stage ;C -s a grou(, decide on (ossible changes.Stage >C ewrite the dialogue.Stage ?C -((oint actors and rehearse the rewritten scene. emember it is a

scene highly charged with emotionI



{1&}After discussion and rehearsal time# each group performs its scene for the

director $the teacher'. 4he other groups watch and tr! to guess what sort of changes

the director wanted from the original te%t. After all the groups have performed# there

is a discussion on how this scene might e depicted in a film. 7ould it e pla!ed as it

is in the ookI /hortenedI 7hich of the changed scenes did the class preferI 7hat

modifications could the! suggestI

Cha!ter 6 7east 'rom water !ages -31/3

Almost the whole of this chapter is taken up with the asseml! called ! Ralph after

the killing and eating of the pig. <is purpose is twoGfold first# he wants to reassert the

rules of the island and their importance; then# he wants the o!s to talk aout their

fears and thus ring them out into the open and defuse them. 0ut the asseml! ends

chaoticall! and Ralph# /imon and Pigg! are left lamenting the orderl! adultG

dominated lives the! had efore coming to the island.

Although fairl! long# the chapter contains a lot of speech and is not undul! difficultto read. =earners could e asked to read it at home without worr!ing too much aout

an! words or phrases that are not full! understood.

'he language o$ persuasion

4his class activit! can follow home reading. "ts aim is to stud! wa!s in which the

spoken language can e used for persuasion.

Ralph has carefull! thought out what he wants to sa! in the asseml! he calls# and

how he intends to sa! it the speech was planned# point ! pointB. After drawing

studentsB attention to this aspect# the teacher asks them to think aout the means

which the novelist shows Ralph using in order to persuade his audience. En threedifferent sections of the oard# he or she writes three techniques used ! Ralph.

12

5ole card Group #

The director insists that this scene is changed a little so that 7iggy and al(h aremore aggressive towards Back and so that Back is more a(ologetic than in the book.

Stage ;C /ecide on (ossible additions8deletions.Stage >C -s a grou(, modify the dialogue to accommodate the re=uiredchanges.

Stage ?C -((oint actors and rehearse the rewritten scene. emember to makeBack less threatening and 7iggy and al(h more aggressive.

5ole card Group "

The director insists that this scene is rewritten a little so that the argument isless heated than in the book.

Stage ;C -s a grou(, decide on (ossible changes.Stage >C ewrite the dialogue.Stage ?C -((oint actors and rehearse the rewritten scene. emember to

reduce the level of emotion in this sceneI



/tudents# in groups# find as man! e%amples as the! can in RalphBs speech and write

them up eside each heading# for e%ample

Using shortB simple sentencesCHThen there9s huts. Shelters.9

HWe need an assembly. Not for fun.9HWe decide things. +ut they don9t get done.9

5epeating key wordsCHThat9s dirty. 1 said that9s dirty.9HWe need an assembly. -n assembly to (ut things straight.9HWe were going to have water . . . Now there9s no water.9

{1&,}5hetorical uestions3 =uestions used for effect, rather than to get an answer@Who built the shelters?9Who built all three?91s a fire too much for us to make?9

4he class is asked to add other headings if the! can# and then to e%amine ?ackBs and

Pigg!Bs speeches in a similar wa!. :iscussion of the effectiveness of each speakerBs

persuasive methods can e followed ! a class vote 7hich of the three is most

persuasiveI 7hich one gets the greatest audience responseI 4he teacher can also ask

students to vote on whether the! consider these rhetorical devices to e within the

charactersB age group# or whether the! are imported from a more adult perspective.

(inutes o$ the meeting

4his writing activit! practises writing in an officialB# impersonal register and

transforming direct into reported speech."n meetings# one person is usuall! responsile for keeping minutes an official

record of what has een said. /tudents imagine that the! have een appointed to write

up the minutes of this chapterBs asseml!. "f necessar!# the teacher supplies a format

and e%amples of the kind of reporting that is required.

4he class is divided into three groups# the activit! discussed and prepared# then the

writing is done either as a group activit! or as individual homework. Droup ABs task

is to write minutes of RalphBs part of the meeting# from the start of the asseml! up to

And e happ!B $page ,2'. Droup 0Bs task is to write minutes of ?ackBs part# from /o

this is a meeting to find out whatBs whatB $page ,2' to . . . ut there is no east in the

forestB $page ,1'. Droup (Bs task is to write minutes of Pigg!Bs talk and the littlunsB

up to the end of the asseml!.

As followGup after the writing has een done# or in the ne%t lesson if it has een set

as homework# teams are formed consisting of three students# one from each of the

groups. Fach team produces a complete set of minutes ! collating the three separate

accounts. 4he resulting minutes are displa!ed for the class to see and compare.

#on$lict scale / continuum

4he conflict etween ?ack and Ralph which egins to intensif! in these chapters will

eventuall! trigger off a series of tragic events. 4he following class activit! helps

students to have a greater awareness of what the attitude of each o! implies# and toe%plore their own reaction to these attitudes.

12,



4he class is divided into two. 7orking in pairs or groups of three# the! fill in

7orksheet & half of the class fills it in from RalphBs point of view# {132} half from

?ackBs. /ome of the information the! need comes from the ook# and some from the

wa! the! imagine the characters.

Worksheet +5

7hen groups have finished# a group that has filled in RalphBs attitudes meets with

one that has done ?ackBs. 4he! compare and discuss choices. Fach group in turn then

asks the rest of the class to indicate their own feelings aout these attitudes# as

follows.

A representative from the RalphB team goes to a corner of the room and sa!s

Ralph sa!s the wa! to e happ! on the island is to oe! rulesB. A representative fromthe ?ackB team goes to the opposite corner and sa!s ?ack sa!s the wa! to e happ!

on the island is to hunt and have funB. Fver!one in the class takes up a position

against the wall etween these two corners# to show how close or how far the! feel

themselves to e from the two conflicting attitudes.

#hess&oard

"n this chapter there are growing indications that the id!llic island has its darker

aspects as well as its glamorous side. /ome of the o!sB e%periences seem to contain

oth good and ad elements. 4he following classroom activit! is designed to sharpen

studentsB awareness of those amiguities.4he teacher prepares a large wall chart in the form of a chessoard# with light and

dark squares. <e or she tells students that the light squares represent positive aspects

of life on the island# and the dark squares represent negative aspects. 4o set the scene#

the class is asked as a whole to {131} think aout where the! would place the topic

huntingB on the chessoard# and wh!. "s hunting a positive aspect of life on the

islandI $"t is e%citing# creates a ond etween the hunters# and provides the o!s with

meat.' Er is it negativeI $"t diverts attention from more important duties# like uilding

shelters or tending the fire# it means that the chance of rescue is missed# it seems to

turn the hunters into violent people.'

4he class is divided into four groups# each to work with one quarter of the

chessoard. 4he groups are given a set of eight topics relating to this chapter# for

e%ample

112

Think about al(h and Back9s attitudes to the island. ake notes about how eachboy would answer =uestions on the following.

4ood things about the island.........................................+ad things about the island.........................................The most im(ortant thing to do on the island.........................................The most im(ortant =uality in a leader.........................................The most im(ortant =uality in a friend ......................................The way to survive.........................................The way to be ha((y......................................... - (roverb that sums u( a good attitude to life........................................ - motto......................................... -n emblem (lant, flower@.......................................... -n emblem animal@.........................................



)beying rules.Sharing work.+eing scru(ulous about cleanliness.7lanning things carefully.

*aving assemblies.2x(ressing fears o(enly.Looking after the younger boys.Tending the fire.

4he groupBs task is to decide whether each of these is a good or a ad thing and to

find a quote from the chapter which supports their opinion. 4he! then write the topic

on a slip of paper# together with the supporting quote and page numer# and pin it on

to a light or a dark square in their sector of the chessoard. "f the! consider an! topic

to have oth positive and negative aspects# the! are allowed to pin it on oth squares#

with different supporting quotes.

7hen all four parts of the chart have een filled in# livel! discussion often resultsfrom the fact that topics have een placed on opposite squares ! different groups.

6igure 1& shows a quarter of a chessoard# with some of the squares filled in. A grid

of this kind# with light and dark squares# can also e given for students to fill in as

the! read a section at home# with comparison and discussion in the ne%t class lesson.{13&}

Figure '+

Cha!ter 6I 7east 'rom air !ages 1/41-

111



At the eginning of chapter >"# RalphBs longing for a sign from the adult world

receives an ironic repl!. :uring the night# there is an aerial attle aove the island and

a parachute floats down to the mountain top. 7hen the twins awaken# the! are

horrified ! the sight of the illowing material# which the! take to e the longGdreaded

eastB. 4he! run down the mountain to tell the others. After some delieration# Ralph

leads a part! of the igger o!s in search of the east. <aving e%plored (astle Rock in{133} vain# with ?ack# Ralph decides the! must continue their search on the mountain.

4his chapter divides naturall! into three sections

5 4he aerial attle and the twinsB discover! $pages 12G+'.

5 4he asseml! $pages 12G1&'.

5 4he search part! at (astle Rock $pages 113G1,'.

4he first of these is especiall! well suited to home reading# and we egin with a

choice of worksheets to help students cope on their own.

7orksheet &, involves a rather elementar! kind of right or wrong choice# designed

to help weaker students with asic comprehension of the passage. 7orksheet 32# for

use with the same passage# could accompan! home reading# or e the asis of a group

activit! in class following silent reading of the first three pages.

Worksheet +8

{13}

11&

ead (ages 0#C& of ord o$ the Flies. There are three summaries of these (ages.>hoose the one you think most a((ro(riate.

. While the boys were aslee( that night, there was a battle between aero(laneshigh above the island. - (arachute carrying a dead airman came down andbecame caught in the trees on the mountain to(. The twins, when they wokeu(, saw the moving (arachute in the forest and, terrified, ran down to tell theothers.

!. The boys were restless and frightened but they looked at the stars twinkling

above them and this made them calm again so that they could fall aslee(.While they were slee(ing there was a great storm above the island withflashing lightning and loud thunder. This was a sign that things would not gowell for the boys on the island.

". The boys were slee(ing, so that they did not see a man on a (arachute whowas coming to rescue them. The (arachute was blown over the lagoon andout to sea. Sam and 2ric were aslee( too, although they should have beenon watch. When they woke u(, they tried to make a fire but couldn9t. Theythought al(h would be angry with them so they ran and told the others theyhad seen a Hbeast9.



Worksheet ,:

Answer to Worksheet ,:4he o!s were restless and frightened ecause the! had talked a lot aout easts. 6inall! the!

fell asleep. 7hile the! were sleeping the! did not see a parachute coming down. 0eneath the

parachute there was a limp figure. 4he parachute ecame tangled in the trees on the mountain

top. /am and Fric had fallen asleep though the! should have een on watch. 7hen the! woke

up the! hastil! looked {13*} for wood ecause the fire had gone out during the night. 4he!

feared Ralph would e angr! with them. /uddenl! the! saw something white and horrile

moving in the Jungle. 4he! were terrified ut the! managed to run down the mountain and tell

the others the! had seen a terrile monster.

A word puDDle

7orksheet 31A shows an easil! constructed word puHHle# of the kind !ounger

students usuall! enJo!# to accompan! home reading of chapter >". 4he aim is to help

learners uild vocaular! and move from passive to active master! of slightl! unusual

words.

113

Within this (aragra(h, there is an accurate summary of (ages 0#C& of ord o$ theFlies. *owever, most sentences contain information that is not correct3 that is, itdoes not corres(ond to what the reader is told in these (ages. Girst, strike out theincorrect information. Then, use the remaining correct (arts to build an accuratesummary. Aou will have to make changes to the (unctuation and ca(ital letters. The

first sentences have been done for you.The boys were restless and frightened because they had found snakes in their shelters. Theyhad talked a lot about beasts and this reassured them so that finally they fell aslee(. Thenthey looked at the stars twinkling above them but while they were slee(ing they did not seethe storm with an aerial battle high above the island. The lightning and thunder were so loudthey could not hear a (arachute coming down carrying a message in a bottle from the (ilotwho wanted to rescue them in the middle of the night. +eneath the (arachute there was abasket with food and drink for a lim( figure which blew far out to sea where it became a meres(eck on the hori;on. While the twins were (laying a game on the shore, the (arachutebecame tangled in the trees that the boys had (lanted to give shade on the mountain to(.There was a terrific (o((ing noise which was a sign from the world of grownCu(s. Sam and2ric were determined to find a (ig that had fallen aslee(, though they should have told Back

about it because he had been on watch. When they woke u( later on, they climbed themountain and hastily looked for wood because there was the fire bla;ing merrily and theywanted to see if 7iggy had gone out of the shelter during the night to search for the beast.They feared al(h would be angry with them. Suddenly they saw Back cree(ing through thebushes with something white and horrible moving behind him and following him in the 5ungle.They were so terrified they didn9t notice that fire was s(reading amongst the trees but theymanaged to run down the mountain and into the sea where they felt safe. al(h saw thembut didn9t tell the others because he knew they had seen a terrible monster, as well as (lanesfighting in the sky.



Worksheet ,' A

{13)}

Worksheet ,' B

11

When you have found the ten words, look u( the sentences in which they occur inthis cha(ter. Grom the context, or using a dictionary if necessary, make sure youunderstand the meaning of each word. Now choose one of these words to fill theblanks in these ten sentences.

. The young lad sat on the wall, his legs ......................... over the edge.!. H+e careful as you climb down that cliff,9 said the team leader. HWe don9t want

any of you breaking a .......................... .9". When 1 received another useless advertisement through the (ost, 1

5ust ......................... it u( and flung it into the waste(a(er bin.#. The golden eagle was flying so high above their heads that it was only

a ......................... in the sky.

$. The assistant at the cheese counter cut a thin ......................... of >heddar sothat 1 could taste it.

%. The young man (aced u( and down ......................... in the hos(ital corridoras he waited for his child to be born.

&. The table was on such a ......................... that the (encils ke(t rolling off.'. H)h dear,9 said my father, H1 don9t think 1 can hang the washing out after all. 1t

looks like rain. There9s only a tiny ......................... of blue sky in betweenthose big dark clouds.9

6. -s he came in the door, there was a ......................... of corks and everyoneshouted HSur(riseI *a((y +irthdayI9

0. The lights on the aircraft wings ......................... as the great 5et came gentlydown to the airfield.



Answers to Worksheets ,'A and ,'B

{13+}"t is hoped that working with the ten words within the conte%t of the novel# then

in individualised sentences# will reinforce studentsB ailit! to use them in different

conte%ts. As followGup# the! can e asked to use each word in a sentence of their own.

An amusing variation on this wellGknown language activit! consists of asking

students# in pairs# to use all ten words# or as man! as the! can# in one single sentence.

Ffforts are read out# and the class awards marks for the following

5 Accurate use of the words.

5 Amusing use of the words.

5 "maginative or inventive use of the words.

6or variet!# learners can e given definitions with which the! must match the tenwords the! have found in the puHHle. "t is usuall! more interesting to give out more

than ten definitions# especiall! if the activit! is eing done in groups during class

time.

'he meaning o$ signs

/tudents fill out 7orksheet 3&# then compare their answer with their neighourBs.

Fach pair then tries# through discussion# to find a common interpretation. 4he! then

compare their results with another pairBs# and so on.{13}

11*



Worksheet ,+

Cha!ter 6II .hadows and tall trees !ages 12/3"

4he o!sB search for the east is first dela!ed while the! tr! unsuccessfull! to hunt#

then ! a hunting dance with one of them acting the part of the pig. 6inall!# as

darkness sets in# ?ack taunts and dares Ralph to go up the mountain# and the two of

them clim up with Roger. 4here# the! catch a dim glimpse of the tangled# flapping

parachute and when the wind stirs it# the! flee in panic# convinced that the east is in

pursuit.

A short chapter# with clearl! marked events leading up to a suspenseful {13,}

clima%# this is suitale for home reading. /tudents can e encouraged to read it for the

stor!# without worr!ing too much if the! do not completel! understand ever!thing in

the two or three descriptive passages which contain a greater densit! of unfamiliar

words. 4he narrative thread should carr! them along.

#hoosing and ordering

7orksheet 33 can accompan! home reading of the entire chapter.

11)

-t the end of cha(ter E of ord o$ the Flies, 7iggy and al(h long for the world theyhave known, where adults make decisions and ensure a wellCordered life. H1f onlythey the grownCu(s@ could get a message to us,9 cried al(h des(erately. H1f onlythey could send us something grownCu( . . . a sign or something.9The beginning of cha(ter E1 brings a certain answer to al(h9s wish. Which of the

following four inter(retations best ex(resses that answer, do you think? 1f none =uitedoes so, in your o(inion, then write your own inter(retation against number $. Thencom(are your answer with your neighbour9s.

. The boys wanted some sign from the world of adults. They got that sign butdid not see it because they were aslee(. This means that you must beextremely watchful all the time to sei;e o((ortunities as they ha((en.

!. The sign from the world of adults was a battle in the sky. The sign means thatthe orderly adult world that the boys remember exists only in theirimagination. eality is different. eality is =uarrels among the boys and waramong the adults.

". The sign that the boys wanted a((eared in the form of a dead soldier. The

significance of this sign is that (eo(le must fend for themselves. 1t is not anygood ex(ecting others to rescue you from the mess you have got yourselfinto.

#. The boys wanted a sign from the world of adults to reassure them that theywere not alone in the world. The fact that there was a battle above the islanddoes show that other (eo(le were =uite near and that they could ho(e to berescued after all.

*. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



Worksheet ,,

Sculpting

4his activit! is descried and illustrated in (hapter ) $see p. 1' as an endingB

activit!# ut it can also e used in the middle of the novel. "n this chapter# there is a

sutle ut definite shift in the relationships etween {12} several of the characters.

Rivalr! and tension increase etween ?ack and Ralph# there is new understanding and

a growing ond etween Ralph and /imon# and Roger emerges as a character in his

own right. 4his makes it a particularl! appropriate point for sculpting.

%lausi&le chains

=earners are paired or put into small groups. 4hen the! are told to think aout what

would ha.e happened if the crucial decision to go up the mountain had not !een

made. 4he! are to write as man! sentences as the! can# having een given a few

e%amples# such as

5 "f the o!s had waited until da!light# the! would ha.e seen that the east was

reall! a dead man hanging from a parachute. 5 "f ?ack had not taunted Ralph aout his cowardice# Ralph would ha.e

suggested postponing the clim.

5 "f /imon had gone up with the others# he would ha.e had the courage to

e%amine the east more closel!.

7hen the groups have written as man! as the! can# all the ifB sentences are pooled

$written on the oard or overhead proJector; or t!ped and duplicated for later

distriution'. 4he groups are then asked to choose among the sentences the one which

est e%presses

5 4he most important factor which determined the decision to go up the

mountain in the dark.

5 4he most important consequence of that decision.

11+

*ere is a list of twelve events. 'en of these ha((en in cha(ter E11. >hoose the rightten and (ut them in the right order so that they tell the story as it ha((ens.

a@ Back goes on by himself to look for the beast but comes back terrified.b@ The (arachute comes down to the island and is caught in the foliage on the

mountain.c@ The three boys see the beast and run away in terror.d@ Simon goes off by himself through the forest to tell 7iggy that the boys are

climbing the mountain.e@ - boar comes crashing through the forest. The boys try to kill it, and al(h

hits it with his s(ear.f@ The boys have a mock hunt, (retending that obert is the (ig3 they

dance around him and 5ab him with their s(ears.g@ The boys set off to look for the beast on the mountain.h@ The boys roll an immense boulder off >astle ock into the sea.i@ al(h daydreams of his home as he walks along. 5@ al(h leads the other two to have a look at the beast.

k@ oger is the only one who volunteers to climb the mountain in the dark withal(h and Back.

l@ The boys follow a (igCrun to the base of the mountain.



Ene sentence ma! e chosen for oth# or two different ones for each part. ew

sentences are often added to the list at this pointK

4his is quite a simple activit!# ut the ensuing general feedack and comparison of

sentences chosen often generate fairl! wideGranging discussion of a numer of issues.

En one level# learners are made to think aout the comple% causes motivating an!

decision# and to assess whether it was a good decision or not. En a more literar! level#in some advanced classes it has led $with some prompting from the teacherK' to talk

aout the plausiilit! of a particular chain of events# and aout whether the steps

which eventuall! ring aout a tragic clima% are accidental or unavoidale.

7 know what you saidB &ut what do you mean-

4he aim of this activit! is to sensitise students to the underl!ing meanings of spoken

phrases 5 often a thorn! area for foreign learners# and even for native speakersK

/tudents are asked to consider utterances made ! the o!s in this chapter and decide

on each speakerBs intended meaning. 7e have worked out three variations of this

activit!# to suit different levels of students or different teaching situations.

{11}>AR"A4"E 1

4his is proal! more suited to advanced classes. /tudents are divided into two

groups# and each given the task of finding in the chapter phrases that are spoken !

one of the o!s# where the students feel that the underl!ing meaning or intention

differs from the surface words. 7hen this is done# each group takes turns reading out

one utterance to the other group $having previousl! checked pronunciation and

intonation with the teacher# if necessar!'# asking them to provide an interpretation.

4here ma! e cases where one rightB interpretation seems evident# and others where

different interpretations can e defended. Ene interesting wa! of carr!ing out this

activit! is for the teacher to keep a record# perhaps on the oard# of the numer of

times the whole class could agree on one single meaning# as opposed to the numer of

times there was disagreement. 4his can provide a graphic demonstration of the

essential amiguit! of speech# and# of course# of the sutlet! of the novelistBs

depiction of it.

>AR"A4"E &

4his is easier. =earners are given quotations# and choose the est interpretation from

three possile ones listed. 4his can e done individuall! or in pairs. 7orksheet 3

illustrates this.

> AR"A4"E 3

4his is a listening task. 7henever possile# the activit! should include an aural

component# ecause it attempts to heighten learnersB awareness of the spoken

language. 4he teacher could use a recording of the novel either a commercial

recording or one he or she has created ! reading the appropriate passage on to a

cassette. 4he students listen to the e%tract# then work with a multipleGchoice series of

questions# like the ones in {13} 7orksheet 3. "t is etter for the whole passage to e

listened to# rather than Just the isolated quotations reproduced on the worksheet. 4he

meaningB or intentional aspect can then e understood not onl! through intonation

and tone# ut through the whole situation.

11



{11}*ere are ten (hrases s(oken by the boys in cha(ter E11 of ord o$ the Flies.Gind the (lace in the novel where each is s(oken the first one is on (age !&, theothers follow@ then decide which of the three (ossible meanings is closest to what theboy wanted to say or to im(ly in each case.

1. al(h3 HWell. We shan9t find what we9re looking for at this rate.9 Let9s go on and find the beast.

We9d better give u( this foolish search.

19ve given u( ho(e of finding the beast.

&. {1&} HShouldn9t we go back to 7iggy,9 said aurice, Hbefore dark?9

1 really care a lot about 7iggy.

1 think we shouldn9t be out after dark.

19m afraid to look for the beast in the dark.

3. The twins3 HAes, that9s right. Let9s go u( there in the morning.9

We feel morning is the (ro(er time for a search.

We es(ecially like climbing the mountain in the morning.

We want to delay the (ossibility of meeting the beast for as long as(ossible.

. al(h3 HWe9ve got to start the fire again.9

We must climb the mountain now. 19m reasserting my leadershi( and insisting on the most im(ortantthing.

- shi( might (ass by any moment now.

*. Back3 HAou haven9t got 7iggy9s s(ecs, so you can9t.9

19m o((osing your claim to leadershi(.

Aou never get things right.

The fire isn9t im(ortant anyway.

). al(h3 H1f we went back we should take hours.9

1t9s a long way to the shelters.

2veryone walks so slowly. Aou should all hurry u(.

1 don9t want to go back. 1 intend to continue the search.

+. Back3 HWe mustn9t let anything ha((en to 7iggy, must we?9

We des(erately need 7iggy9s brains.

1 hate 7iggy and 1 hate you for (rotecting him.

11,



7iggy is so im(ortant to our survival that we must look after himcarefully.

. +ill3 HThrough the forest by himself? Now?9

19m sorry, 1 didn9t =uite hear what you said? 1 don9t intend to walk through the forest in the dark by myselfI

1 want to go back to the shelters.

,. Back3 HWould you rather go back to the shelters and tell 7iggy?9

7lease go back and tell 7iggy.

Aou9re a coward and you9ll run away rather than face danger.

19d like you to do whatever you think is best.

12. Back3 H1f you9re frightened, of course.9

1 dare you to come.

Would you come with me, (lease?

Tell me whether you9re frightened or not.

7orksheet 3

{13}School reports

"n their ordinar! school life efore the! came to the island# the o!s would receivereports ever! term# in which their schoolteachers assessed their {1} academic

progress as well as their character and their ailit! to function in the schoolBs social

setting.

/tudents are asked to imagine that the! are a teacher who has to write a progress

report on the o!sB ehaviour on the island so far. 4he! are given an e%ample of an

Fnglish schoolo!Bs report $see 6igure 13'. 6irst# the! should suggest appropriate

headings for the island situation# then write rief notes under each of the headings for

one of the main characters $see 7orksheet 3*'. 4he! are to give some idea of how

each o! is managing on the island so far.

4his can e done individuall!# ut it is proal! more enJo!ale when {1*} done as

group work# with each group eing allocated one character to write aout. 4he reports

for each o! are then displa!ed for the whole class to read. 6igure 1 shows some

e%amples of general comments written ! a student on ?ack and Ralph.

"n classes which enJo! improvisations# the reports can lead to the followGup activit!

on p. 1).

1&2



Figure ',0 {13}

Eur thanks to Patrick 8artin for allowing us to use this report.

1&1



Worksheet ,1 {1}

1&&



Figure '0 {1*}

{1)}7nterview with the school counsellor

En the asis of the teacherBs report# one of the o!s $?ack# Pigg!# /imon# or Ralph' is

asked to go and see the school counsellor. RoleGpla! cards are made up for the

counsellor# according to the reports written in the previous activit!. 7orking in pairs#

students create the interview# one taking the role of the counsellor# with help from his

card# the other taking the role of the o!# and drawing on his knowledge of the

character# gained from his reading of the novel so far.

1&3



4he e%ample shows a roleGpla! card for the counsellor who has een asked to see

/imon.

Cha!ter 6III *i't 'or the dar0ness !ages 13#5-

4he rivalr! etween ?ack and Ralph comes to a head as ?ack tries to replace Ralph as

leader. 7hen the o!s do not vote for him# he stalks off ! himself# ut is soon Joined

once again ! his choir. 4ogether the! hunt and kill a pig and leave its head stuck on a

stick as a sacrifice to the eastB. -nknown to them# the scene has een watched !

/imon# who has a visionB in which the =ord of the 6liesB speaks to him. 4he hunters

later raid the other camp to get fire# and the! invite ever!one to their feast.

A long and in man! wa!s comple% chapter# ut ver! important to the unfolding of the

novel. "t ma! e a good idea to plan one or two listening {1+} passages# and ensure

sufficient time for appreciation of the s!molic power of the =ord of the 6liesB.

5eaction words

7orksheet 3) accompanies home or silent class reading of the eginning of the

chapter. "ts aim is to improve studentsB vocaular! and especiall! their awareness of

the emotional dimension of words descriing human reactions.

1&

5ole cardC 7nstructions $or school counsellor

Aou have been asked to see SI.O/ on his last school re(ort, his teacherhas written3

A dreamy boy who a%%ears to be ery re#lectie but has di##iculty

communicating with the others 0e#initely a loner$ He sometimes

seems 1uite disturbed

Try to find out more about Simon. Try to find out3 : *ow he feels about the leaders of his grou(, Back and al(h. : *ow he feels about being on the island.

: What he does when he goes off into the forest on his own. : What he would like to tell the others. : What he likes best on the island. : What he dislikes on the island. : -ny other thing you feel would hel( you understand this boy.



Worksheet ,3

Solutions

7orksheet 3+ can also accompan! home reading and then gives rise to discussion in

class.{1}

Worksheet ,4

1&*

-t the beginning of cha(ter E111 of ord o$ the Flies, the boys each (ro(ose a solutionto the dilemma they find themselves in. 1n the rightChand column are many (ossiblesolutions. atch each boy9s name to the solution he (ro(oses.

+uild rafts and sail away.Back Gortify the shelters.

+uild the fire on the shore.al(h >limb the mountain and have another look.

4o and live at >astle ock.

7iggy >hange leadershi(.4ive u(.Simon 7retend nothing ha((ened.

4rou( together and attack the beast.

What would you have done in the boys9 (osition?

ead (ages "&C#% of ord o$ the Flies. -t the beginning of this cha(ter, we see theboys trying to co(e with the terrible fact that there is a beast on the mountain.Which of the words listed below could be used to describe the reaction of each boyto the news?

frightened determined to survive incredulousa(athetic a(athetic curiousaggressive (anicCstricken defeatedde(ressed determined to ignore it wonderingdes(airing determined to make matterCofCfactbelligerent the best of it sensibleheartsick rational excited

atch each boy9s name to as many a((ro(riate words as (ossible.Back ..........................................................................................................................al(h ........................................................................................................................

7iggy .........................................................................................................................Simon ........................................................................................................................Sam Hn 2ric ...............................................................................................................



A peace o$$ering

"n the central part of this chapter# ?ack and his hunters offer a kind of sacrifice to

placate the east. 4his activit!M attempts to make learners e%plore the concept of a

peace offeringB with which people tr! to ward off evil.

"n groups# learners tr! to list as man! situations as the! can in which peace offeringsof some kind are resorted to. A few e%amples can e given to start them off. 4he!

could e ever!da! ones like

Aou come home later than you (romised. *ow do you (lacate your wife 8 mother 8father 8 boyfriend . . . ?

Aou forget an im(ortant occasion. What do you do to redeem yourself?Aour teacher is cross because you have not handed in your work on time. What do

you do or say to remedy the situation?

Er the! could e more unusual e%amples like

-s you9re crossing a field marked H(rivate9, you see an angry farmer waving a(itchfork. What can you do?

Aou find a burglar in your home at night, with a knife . . . ?Aou find a artian sitting on your windowsill, with a rayCgun . . . ?

After comparison of the situations imagined ! various groups# and personal

recollections if these come up# discussion can e turned to the {1,} particular peace

offering devised ! ?ack and his hunters 5 is it simpl! a more e%treme form of the

kind of offering learners have found in their own lives# or is it a darker# more ominous

thingI "s it appropriateI disgustingI etc.

)umans- Animals- 6r savages-

"n a previous chapter# Pigg! asked the o!s 7hat are weI <umansI AnimalsI Er

savagesIB

4he reakGup of the island communit! gives renewed force to the question. 4his

writing and discussion activit! attempts to get learners to consider whether or not

these are quite separate categories# and what each reall! means.

4he class is divided into groups# each of which has responsiilit! for one or two

pages in this chapter. 4heir task is to write out# on slips of paper# in clear# correct#

simple Fnglish# the things that happen in their pages. 6or e%ample

The boys refuse to vote for Back as leader.Back is humiliated and cries.7iggy and the twins bring al(h fruit to cheer him u(.The hunters (aint their faces.The hunters leave the (ig9s head for the beast.7iggy and the twins build a fire on the beach.The hunters invite the others to their feast.The hunters en5oy killing the (ig.

8eanwhile# the teacher prepares a chart with three large headings

*R-NS -N1-LS S-E-42S

1&)



7hen writing is completed# each group in turn reads out one of its sentences# then

puts it up on the wall chart in the appropriate column. 4he class as a whole has to

agree that the event descried ! the sentence is characteristic of human# animal# or

savage ehaviour. "n cases of disagreement# or where the class agrees that the

ehaviour could fit two or even three of the categories# the sentence is quickl! written

out again on a new slip and the two sentences are put up in their respective categories.4here is often livel! discussion# as students are made to reassess their ideas aout

what these three words# which are so crucial to the novel# reall! impl!.

Grammar e,ercise

4his is a team game to practise the past perfect. 4he class is divided into teams. Fach

team is given a paragraph to stud!. 4wo useful paragraphs {1*2} are page 13 $4he

greatest ideas are the simplest . . . ' and page 1) $6ar off along the each . . . '.

Fach team now e%tracts simple sentences from the te%t# starting each one with the

word owB. 6or e%ample ow there was something to e doneB# ow the! worked

with passionB# ow Pigg! was full of delight in ?ackBs departureB# etc.Fach team then fires a owB sentence at another team# which has to respond ! one

perfectl! formed sentence eginning 0eforeB# without using more than two of the

same main words. 6or e%ample

Now there was something to be done.Now they worked with (assion.Now 7iggy was full of delight in Back9s

de(arture.

+efore, they had not known what to do.+efore, they had been a(athetic.+efore, he had feared Back.

Voca&ulary enrichment

/tudents are given some e%pressions which are used to descrie movement at the

eginning of the chapter. /ome of these e%pressions also indicate the mood or

emotion accompan!ing the movement.

5erked away walked a few (aces along shuddered violentlyturned towards (anic flight down the mountain marches awaycame stealing out s=uats by the fire twisting his handsstayed back cre(t to the (latform went onrunning away rose obediently

4he! are then asked to list as man! of these as the! can under the following headings

Fear Secrecy (enace *etermination *e$iance

6inall!# the! find movement words from the rest of the chapter and fit them into these

columns or add new columns if necessar!.

'he ord o$ the Flies speaks

"n the final section of chapter >"""# /imon hearsB the =ord of the 6lies speaking to

him in the voice of a schoolmaster. 7hat /imon hears is partl! a recollection of his

past# partl! a formulation of his thoughts aout their present predicament# and partl! a prediction of things to come.

1&+



"f the activit! is done in class# it starts with silent reading of the passage# followed

! general discussion aout the kind of things /imon hears. 4hen the class is divided

into pairs. Fach pair is given one character from {1*1} the novel. 4he! imagine that

their character is sitting alone with the =ord of the 6lies# and write what the pigBs head

sa!s to him.

As individual homework# learners can e given some help in the form of a few prompts# for e%ample

1magine that you are the Lord of the Glies. ........................ comes alone to sit with youin the clearing. emembering the kind of things you said to Simon, s(eak to this boy.4ive him the advice you think he needs. Tell him the truth about his situation on theisland, without s(aring him. ake sure you tell him3 : What his (articular weaknesses are. : *ow he relates to the rest of the grou( and what they think of him. : What is going to ha((en to him on the island.

Cha!ter I8 $ %iew to a death !ages 1"/#/

4his rief chapter is full of suspense and action# and well suited to classroom

treatment. An e%tract from it makes e%cellent listening material.

4he chapter is a dark one. "t marks the reakGup of the fragile communit! into two

distinct camps led ! Ralph and Pigg! on the one hand and ?ack and Roger on the

other. 4he constitution# such as it was# shatters. At the same time# a storm signals the

return of fear and the power of ritual to keep fear at a! and cement the group

temporaril!. 4he ritual# however# summons the darker recesses of the o!sB

personalities# and the! collectivel! harness their individual aggression in a semiG

conscious org! of death. 4he unwitting /imon# returning to dispel fears aout the

east# ecomes the victim. (ivilisation snaps# violence stamps its authorit! on theisland.

*oodle and listen

4his activit! comines rela%ed listening with freeGrunning creativit!. 4he class listens

to a recording of $or to the teacher reading' pages 1)G,# from the point at which

Ralph and Pigg! Join ?ack and the others. 4he! are given a piece of paper# preferal!#

with an inset empt! rectangle# and ire told to draw or write whatever comes into their

minds in response to the events the! hear aout. At the end of the reading# the class is

put into small groups and their efforts discussed# if the! wish to do so. /ome students

prefer to keep their doodles private and simpl! to incorporate them into their own

noteooks as records of their response to this particular part of the ook.

/tudents ma! at first e puHHled ! the lack of a formal structure for this listening

task. "ts advantage lies in the fact that learners remain rela%ed !et active while the!

listen. 4he teacher must emphasise that it does not {1*&} matter if the! produce

nothing# and that individual artistic talents are not relevant.

'he power o$ the group

"t is quite common for individuals to e persuaded to do something uncharacteristic in

order to remain accepted ! a group of friends.

1&



/tudents are given a questionnaire $7orksheet 3'# which the! answer individuall!.

4he! are then put into small groups to discuss and compare their answers# and to tell

others aout the things the! did. 4hen the class is rought ack together. Fach group

is asked to talk aout one event the! heard aout in their first discussion.

4he teacher then asks the class to give their suggestions as to wh! the o!s killed

/imon. 7ere the! reall! vicious under the veneer of their civilisationI (ould the! edescried as temporaril! insaneI 7ere the! rendered helpless ! the dancing and

chantingI

"f learners are emarrassed ! the personal nature of the questionnaire# the! ma! not

enefit from the activit!. 4eachers must Judge according to their particular groups of

learners. "n some cases it ma! e etter to use other ideas to present the theme.

Worksheet ,5

{1*3}5itual activities

4he impromptu ritualised dancing and singing in chapter "N leads to a grisl! death.

An! societ!# however# incorporates a certain ritualistic element. After a warmGup

aout the nature of rites# students in groups rainstorm a list of ritual activities which

the! as individuals take part in# and mark them national# local or personal. 4hen the!

are asked to nominate the activities on the list which the! feel most involved in at the

time the! happen.

Afterwards# groups compare results and discuss differences# and reasons for them.

/tudents are asked for their reactions to the ritual chanting and dancing in this chapter.

"n what wa!s is it different from their own e%perienceI :oes it fulfil an! social

functionI 7h! does it get out of handI 7h! didnBt a single o! stop and shout "tBs/imon# stopKB

1&,

*ave you ever done anything either individually or with others@ that was daring orwrong to (rove yourself (art of a grou( of friends?MMMMM.. Aes MMMMM.. No

1f Hyes9, what was it? Tick the following list if a((ro(riate3

Stolen something from a sho(, house, school, garden, car.

4one u( to someone and asked a =uestion or told them something.

2aten or drunk something unusual or daring.

*urt someone or something.

7layed a (ractical 5oke or trick on someone.

Thrown something.

idden or driven something in a daring way.

Something else, name it3 ........................................

*ow did you feel afterwards?*ow do you feel about it now?1f you have never done anything of this kind, can you ex(lain why not?



What i$-

4his is a suitale spot in the ook for the kind of speculation descried in (hapter )

$see p. 3'. 7hat if the parachutist had survived intactI 7hat would have happened to

the o!sI <ow would their life have een alteredI 4he class can e divided intogroups# half imagining that the surviving airman is an FnglishGspeaking friend# the

other half imagining him as an alien foe.

anguage e,erciseC $igurative language

4his is a chapter rich in striking similes.

H . . . The Lord of the Glies hung on his stick like a &lack &all . . .9H . . . made the s(lit guts look like a heap o$ glistening coal . . .9HSimon@ . . . walked . . . like an old man . . .9

H . . . Back (ainted and garlanded sat there like an idol . . .9H. . . The movement . . . began to beat like a steady pulse . . .9HThe shrill scream was like a pain . . .9H. . . let down the rain like a water$all . . .9

4he teacher discusses with the class the images created ! these similes# asking them

to suggest wh! these particular correspondences were chosen# and what the effect is

on them when the! read the passage. All suggestions are allowed# as this is an

e%plorator! activit!. 4hen students are asked to provide comparisons for the following

descriptive sentences# adapted from this chapter. 4his can e done for homework.

(age %0 The flies gathered round the (ig9s head like . . .(age % Simon staggered like . . .(age %! The clouds loomed like . . .{1*}(age %$ The boys ate the meat like . . .(age %' The sticks fell on to the beast like . . .(age &0 Simon9s dead body moved out towards the o(en sea like . . .

"n the feedack session# the learners are asked to compare their similes in groups to

see if the! have used similar ones. /ome ma! e read out and the vividness of the

imager! discussed.

Simon2s epitaph

-sing the outline of a tomstone# students write a short epitaph for /imon#

eginning <ere lies /imon . . . $7orksheet 3,'.

132



Worksheet ,8

{1**}+ewspaper reports

4he class is divided into three groups. Fach group is composed of reporters writing

for a particular newspaper with a different st!le from the other two. 4asksheets are

given to each# as follows

131

+ewspaper AThe *aily (ercury is a news(a(er which sensationalises its news re(orts and tends toexaggerate. 1t em(hasises violence and likes to use lots of ad5ectives. 1t is generally antiCyouth and welcomes o((ortunities to attack young (eo(le9s crimes.

Tasks3. -s a grou(, decide on a headline for an article about Simon9s death.!. +rainstorm for ad5ectives and (hrases to use to describe the events

surrounding the death, remembering the Hhouse style9.". 1ndividually, write an article of !0 words about what ha((ened on the island

that evening.



{1*)}

Cha!ter 8 The shell and the glasses !ages 1#1+"

After /imonBs death# Pigg! and Ralph have difficult! coping with the implications of

what the! have done. 8ost of the other o!s have Joined ?ackBs group of hunters.

After a violent raid# ?ack and some of his group make off with Pigg!Bs glasses. 4his

chapter is suited to a mi%ture of class treatment and home reading.

%ledges

4he reakGup of the o!s into two ver! different groups raises the question of what

each stands for. 4he teacher e%plains the idea of a pledgeB and gives e%amples. 4hen

students# in groups# write the pledge of allegiance for each communit! of o!s on the

island# according to the studentsB assessment of what each communit! values. A

formula is given for starting

The *unters1, ........................................ solemnly swear that 1 will ........................................

The >onchiessame formula@

7hen each group has prepared its pledges# these are read out and similarities and

differences discussed. 4his provides an opportunit! for the teacher to ring out the

implications of the polarisation that has taken place amongst the o!s. 7as it

inevitaleI 7h! has it happenedI 7as there an! wa! in which it could have een

preventedI

{1*+} A good leader

13&

+ewspaper #The (orning Glo&e is essentially a serious news(a(erF it detests sensationalism and toomuch interest in (ersonalities and tries to examine the underlying issues.

Tasks3 . -s a grou(, decide on a headline for an article about Simon9s death!. +rainstorm for ad5ectives and (hrases to use to describe the eventssurrounding the death, remembering the Hhouse style9.

". 1ndividually, write an article of !0 words about what ha((ened on the islandthat evening.

+ewspaper "The Western +ews is a news(a(er which concentrates on the (ersonal angle and gives alot of detail about any individuals involved in an event. 1t (lays down a sensationala((roach and seldom examines issues surrounding issues.

Tasks3. -s a grou(, decide on a headline for an article about Simon9s death.!. +rainstorm for ad5ectives and (hrases to use to describe the eventssurrounding the death, remembering the Hhouse style9.

". 1ndividually, write an article of !0 words about what ha((ened on the islandthat evening.



Ene of the principal issues in the novel concerns the ailit! of a leader oth to

command respect and coGoperation# and to emod! acceptale social values. /ingl! or

in groups# students arrange the following leadership qualities in order of importance

@ Sensitivity to the views of the grou(.

!@ >harismatic (ersonality."@ -bility to see situations in terms of broad goals.#@ -da(tability.$@ Sticking to a decision once it has been made.%@ 1nvolving as many (eo(le as (ossible in decisionCmaking.&@ /elegating tasks but taking final res(onsibility.'@ Strong (ersonality.6@ *igh intelligence.0@ Willingness to (ut the wellCbeing of the whole grou( before (ersonal

considerations.@ efusal to tolerate dissent.

As Ralph and ?ack have ver! different st!les of leadership# students are asked whichof the two o!s most closel! represents the ideal leader suggested ! their list.

Accuse and deny

4he class is divided into two accusers and deniers. Accusers have to think of as man!

different statements or questions as the! can# which accuse the deniers of murdering

/imon. :eniers have to think of as man! statements as possile to avoid admitting

personal responsiilit!.

After a set time for preparation# sa! ten minutes# the class is put into pairs in two

circles facing each other. Accusations and denials egin. 7hen the teacher claps once#

accusers rotate clockwise and interaction recommences. 7hen the teacher claps twice#

deniers rotate anticlockwise one space.

0,amples o$ possi&le accusations 8 8 8 -dmit your guilt, murdererIAou are res(onsible for Simon9s death.+ut you did murder him, even if you

were in a dream.Aou are a murderer, aren9t you?Aou are guilty, you can9t deny it.

Aou are a coldCblooded murderer.Why did you do it?We know you were one of the

murderers.

and denials8 8 81 was on the outside all the time.1 was in a dream.1 wasn9t in my right mind.1t wasn9t me, honestly.1 had nothing to do with it.1t was dark.

1 was frightened.1 couldn9t see what 1 was doing, could 1?

{1*}#haracter $antasy

133



7orksheet 2 could e done as homework and followed ! class discussion.

Worksheet 0:

Cha!ter 8I Castle 9oc0 !ages 1+#2/1

4his intensel! dramatic chapter reaches a clima% in the stor!. Ralph and Pigg! tr! to

retrieve Pigg!Bs glasses ut ?ack and his group are in no mood for compromise. Pigg!

is killed ! a large falling oulder# the conch is shattered# the twins are captured and

Ralph runs off in terror.

"f students have een drawn into the fiction# there ma! e a case for not reaking thespell ! too man! activities# ut simpl! allowing the class to read or listen to the

uninterrupted te%t. A good place to start class listening of the chapter would e page

1,3# when the two groups of o!s confront each other. <ere# more than ever# it is

difficult to prescrie set pages for home reading as man! students will want to read on

and find out what happens. 4he listening time in class would then aim to provide a

revisiting of the te%t# enrichment# not Just repetition.

4he following activities work well when the chapter has een read.

{1*,}*iplomacy

4his is a fantas! activit! which involves rewriting part of the chapter or adapting it for

role pla!.

"n this chapter# RalphBs appeal to ?ackBs humanitarian instincts fails; disaster ensues.

Perhaps Ralph needed to use a little more diplomac! and guileI 7hat could Ralph

have done and said which might have produced compromise or a peaceful end to his

missionI

"n groups# students tr! to think of as man! diplomatic solutions as possile. 4he!

are then asked to script the dialogue $together# or as homework' to e acted out later.

"n classes where it would e appropriate# students can improvise a role pla! to e

presented in front of other groups. "n each case# the class tries to imagine ?ackBsresponse.

13

-ssume that the boys are now grown u(. Gor each category in the grid below insertan a((ro(riate entry based on what you imagine might be the choice of eachcharacter.

3o& 'ype o$car

Favouriteholiday

Favourit e colour

Favouritedrink

Favourit e $ood

al(h

Back

7iggy



4his is often a useful e%ercise ecause classes sense that an! attempt at diplomac!

would e reJected ! ?ack at this point in the stor!# and this can lead to insights into

the nature of the inevitale qualit! that is part of traged!. Alternativel!# some groups

are eager to accept an! diplomatic overtures# to avert the terrile happenings at the

end of the chapter. Again# drawing this response into the open has the effect of

sharpening learnersB awareness of the implications of events in this part of the novel.

Which is &etter-

At the moment of greatest crisis etween ?ackBs and RalphBs groups# Pigg! three

times shouts out a question to the savageB and inside their fortress of (astle Rock

7hich is etter 5 to e a pack of painted niggers like !ou are# or to e sensile like

Ralph isIB

7hich is etter 5 to have rules and agree# or to hunt and killIB

7hich is etter# law and rescue# or hunting and reaking things upIB

At the end of chapter N"# with classes which enJo! quite structured oral activities# a

deate can e planned on the issue of social order which underpins these questions.

4he motion is 4his class agrees that law and order must e the first priorit! in an!

civilised societ!.B

"n the first step# ever! memer of the class tries to think of as man! arguments as

possile for or against. 4hese are noted down ! a secretar! for each side# on the

oard or in individual noteooks.

/tep two is preparation of the speaking team. 4his can e done during the lesson or

as an out of class activit!# as appropriate. Fach side is represented ! a team of three

people 5 two to argue their side of the deate# the third to cope with reuttal of their

opponentBs arguments.

/tep three is the deate itself# with a student presiding if at all possile. 4he two

representatives from each team speak in turn# for one or two {1)2} minutes# then the

third memer reuts. 4he floor is then open to questions.

4he final stage is a general vote to carr! the motion or defeat it.

0choes

13*



4his simple activit! attempts to make readers aware of patterning in the novel $see

7orksheet 1'. "t is est done as group work in class# so that students can help each

other with the task of tracking down echoes. 4he teacher circulates and gives clues if

necessar!.

Worksheet 0'

Cha!ter 8II Cry o' the hunters !ages 2/223

4he violence of the and of savagesB reaches its clima% as the! hunt the wounded and

terrified Ralph through the island# setting fire to the forest in which he is hiding to

force him out into the open. 6inall!# Ralph ursts out on to the each# where he andhis pursuers are confronted ! a rescue part! that has Just landed 5 attracted# ironicall!

enough# ! the smoke from the fire.

4his is a fairl! long ut suspenseful chapter# whose dramatic qualit! easil! carries the

reader along. /imple class listening $accompanied# perhaps# ! noting down of

impressions# or doodles as descried for chapter "N' is ver! suitale for the e%tremel!

vivid description of the chase {1)1} $pages &1*G&2'. 4he following activities are for

use after the chapter has een read.

%oint o$ no return

4his activit!# ver! appropriate as a followGup to =ord of the 6lies# is descried in(hapter ) $see p. &'.

What i$-

/tudents are asked to note down quickl! their response to the following question

"magine that the plane had deposited a group of girls on the island. 7ould the

outcome have een differentI Luickl! Jot down whatever possile differences come

into !our mind.

6eedack and comparison of answers is revealing of studentsB ideas aout the

causes of the traged! on the island# and their opinions on maleO female stereot!pes.

13)

1n cha(ter O1 of ord o$ the Flies, there are some words, some ex(ressions and some

events which echo others that were in (revious (arts of the novel. Look at this list.>an you remember or find where these occurred before? 1s there any difference nowin what each of them means or im(lies?

oger throwing stonesheaving a large rock down(ainted facesHthe storm of sound9Hwaxy9H(laying the game9Hyou9re acting like a crowd of kids9Ha sense of delirious abandonment9

Ha sense of power began to pulse in his@ body9



)ighlights

4his is a variation on the activit! descried in (hapter ). <ere# learners are asked to

choose the ookBs most powerful pictures# in this wa! the! descrie the si% mental

snapshots the! would choose for a large poster to advertise the film of the ook. 4his

can e done as a group activit!. "n teams of si%# learners decide upon the si% most

powerful picturesB in the ook. Fach then has the task of writing the description of

one of these images $a paragraph# plus title'.

Results are displa!ed so that the pictures descried can e compared.

7nuest on &oard ship

4his activit! is in three parts. First part a general rainstorming session with the whole class. "magine that on the

wa! home# the (hief Efficer decides to investigate what reall! happened on the

island. 7hat questions would he need to askI 7hat answers would e given !

RalphI ?ackI RogerI /am n FricI Ene of the little o!sI "t is useful to Jot down the

questions and answers# either on the oard or in a noteook.

Second part role pla!Oimprovisation. Roles are distriuted the presiding officer# his

panel of inquir!# five o!s. 7ith the help of the recorded questions and answers# the!

enact the inquest scene.

Third part the verdict. 4his is a simulation. 4he class is divided into groups or four or

five these are now the presiding officer and his panel of inquir!. 4he! have Just

witnessed the questioning of the five o!s# and {1)&} their task is now to arrive at a

verdict# and to write a report on the incident which includes recommendations for the

treatment of the o!s when the! return to Fngland. $4he report can e discussed in the

group and written then# or done later as an individual task.'

'he &ook on a postcard

/tudents distil their impressions of the novel in e%actl! *2 words $see 6igure 1*'.

13+



Figure '1

{1)3}+ lays

8ost of the activities discussed in previous chapters can e adapted to pla!s as well as

other genres. An added element in presenting a pla!# however# is its particular

dramatic qualit!# which it is important to ring out as much as possile in the

classroom. 0eing ale to take students to a performance is oviousl! a great help# as

are films or videos. 8an! pla!s are availale on records or cassettes nowada!s#

especiall! suitale for listening e%ercises; in the asence of curriculum or e%am

constraints# this would certainl! e a factor in choosing a pla! to read with a class.

7ith groups that respond well to drama activities# putting on one scene# or a short pla!# can e oth enJo!ale and rewarding. 8an! students love planning costumes#

sets# props# lights# and so on. 7hen fullGscale staging is not feasile# a prepared

reading of a previousl! studied scene# at the front of the class and with a few props#

can also e fruitful. 7hat is not so successful# in our opinion# is asking a student to

read aloud an unseen or minimall! prepared role. 7orking in a foreign language# the

learner usuall! has difficult! comining the simultaneous demands of comprehension

and language production. "n fact# good pla! reading is not reall! all that eas!# even in

oneBs own language. 4hat is wh! we prefer other kinds of activities to help students

deepen their understanding of the te%t and the dramatic situation# followed !

listening periods in class# or# if cassettes are availale# in the language laorator! or at

home."n this chapter we look more closel! at wa!s of working through a whole pla!# or

rather# two ver! different pla!s. -ntil now# on the whole# we have chosen to illustrate

our ideas through modern te%ts# for the opportunities the! offer oth of useful

language transfer and of insights into contemporar! social# political or cultural

aspects. 0ut modern works# of course# rest upon and interact with a whole line of

predecessors. And man! students# especiall! if the! are intending to go on to literar!

studies# are keen to master some of the classics the! have heard aout. 7e have

therefore chosen as our e%ample for wa!s of working with a complete long pla!#

/hakespeareBs Romeo and 2uliet . 7e have found it accessile and interesting for preG

universit! classes. "ts theme of love in a setting torn ! civil strife is universal and

13



still ver! poignant toda!. "t is a pla! that is often produced# so that we have een ale

to take students to performances# or to show them the ver! eautiful Qeffirelli film.

Although to avoid repetition we do not go through the pla! in the same {1)} detail

as we have done for Lord of the Flies# we hope that these ideas will stimulate interest

and help learners overcome the arriers posed ! language. 7ith secondar! school

pupils or nonGspecialist adult classes in mind# we have aimed at comprehension andenJo!ment first and foremost. 4he various activities should also help students to a

etter understanding of dramatic structure# development of character# the mechanisms

of traged!# and so on. 0ut we have not gone into questions of ackground

/hakespeareBs life# the FliHaethan period and its theatre; nor into more scholarl!

issues regarding the estalishing of the te%t. 7e have concentrated aove all on

getting classes to feel the immediac! and the pathos of the central theme# as well as

the power of the poetr!.

4hese two aims have also underpinned our work with the language of the pla!.

(ertainl!# students have to e helped with si%teenthGcentur! idioms and structures#

and with the e%traordinaril! rich# compact e%pression of comple% concepts. <ere as

elsewhere# though# we have encouraged learners to read for gist and comprehension#to feel the! can appreciate a scene even if the! do not understand ever! single thing

aout it.

6or contrast# we then look at a ver! rief modern American pla!# Fdward AleeBs

The Sand!o)# where the language presents ver! few prolems ut where students ma!

have to e helped to see and appreciate the pla!Bs full dramatic import.

9omeo and :uliet (y )illiam .ha0es!eare5

Feud $or thought

4he underpinning to the wellGknown traged! of the two !oung lovers is the itter

famil! feud etween the 8ontagues and (apulets which permeates the atmosphere in

the cit! of >erona# and creates an ominous tension in the pla!. 4here is no indication

in /hakespeareBs te%t of the origin of the feud 5 it is Just a fact.

4he following warmGup activit! aims to draw a class into the pla!Bs setting !

asking them to speculate aout the origins of the interGfamil! strife. 4hese are the

stages in the activit!

1. 0efore the students arrive for their lesson# the teacher arranges the

desksOchairs into two separate clusters in two different corners of the

classroom.

&. 7hen the students enter the room# the teacher asks them to sit down withoutdisturing the desksOchairs. <e or she then asks them to {1)*} speculate aout

what is going on. 7hat might the two campsB signif!I /peculation is fed !

informing the students that the classroom is a cit!# and that the! are some of

its inhaitants.

3. Ence it has een estalished that the two groups are families separated ! an

ancient feud# the teacher announces $if this has not alread! een guessed' that

one famil! has the name 8ontague# while the other group are (apulets. 4he

cit! is >erona in "tal!.

* References are to the (amridge -niversit! Press edition of Romeo and 2uliet # edited ! D.

0lakemore Fvans# pulished in paperack 1,.

13,



. e%t# the teacher asks each famil! to rainstorm and discuss possile causes of

the feud. 7hat event$s' started it all offI A sheet of ideas can e supplied to

classes in greater need of support.

%ossi&le causes o$ the $eud &etween (ontagues and #apulets

-n unsolved murder. - theft of valuable 5ewellery.)ne of the families discredited the other by ex(osing corru(tion. -n extraCmarital affair between a ontague and a >a(ulet which ended in thesuicide of one of the lovers.>om(etition for (olitical and economic (ower in Eerona.)ne of the families s(read a rumour that the other family was cheating the>atholic church of money.

*. After each famil! group has discussed the origin of the feud and agreed upon

their stor! $or stories'# the two families are asked to put their desksOchairs into

two lines facing each other.

4he teacher asks the families to egin to accuse each other of starting the

feud and to e%plain the original situation. Accusations should e met ! angr!

denials and the teacher should tr! to fuel the animosit! etween the two

groups without taking sides.

). After accusations and denials have een traded# the teacher sa!s that he or she

wants the two families to retain their identities while the pla! is eing studied.

4hus# for an! pla! reading or enactment of scenes# (apulets will e drawn

from the (apulet famil! and 8ontagues from the 8ontague famil!. /imilarl!#

if an activit! like sculpting $see p. 1' is undertaken# characters will e drawn

from the appropriate camps.

Wordplay / Swordplay

4he ver! first scene of Romeo and ?uliet fairl! ristles with puns and pla!s on words#

and this can sometimes e rather discouraging for foreign students aout to tackle the

pla!. "f warmGup activities have sensitised the class to the mood of a cit! deepl! torn

! internal strife# however# it will e easier for students to see how the language

actuall! articulates the feud itself. =ike the swordpla! that follows them# these initial

e%changes are full of parr! and thrust. 4he two servants enter with their swords drawn

and their wits full! sharpened. 0awd! and aggressive# their language {1))} uilds up

a highl! charged atmosphere. Ene word sparks off another a veral equivalent to

their arel! restrained eagerness for the fra!.4he following activit! is a wa! of helping students to see how much is compressed

into these apparentl! frivolous e%changes# designed at one level to secure the attention

of the audience. "t also helps clarif! the d!namics of this first scene. "n the first stage#

the activit! is done ! the class as a whole. /tudents are given the following

statements# which represent the gist# in modern Fnglish# of the first si% e%changes

. We9ll not carry coals.!. We9re not colliers.". 1f we9re9in choler9 angry@ we9ll draw our swords.#. We9ll draw our necks out of the collar.

$. 1 strike =uickly when 19m moved.%. +ut you9re not easily moved to strike.

12



/tudents are also given the following set of definitions $worksheet# or oard'

coals a form of fuelcarry coals a low, menial task

colliers coalCminerscolliers a term of abuse for the 2li;abethan audience@choler anger a word no longer used in modern 2nglish@collar a yoke symbol of having to work hard under a master@collar a hangman9s noosemoved made to feel a strong emotion, in this case angermoved motivated, given a reason to do something

4he task is now to construct a diagram which shows how each statement relates to the

others# and what its effect is $that is# whether it is intended as an aggressive statement

ut with no particular target# or as a particular threat against the (apulets# or used to

tease each other or# in later lines# to make awd! Jokes'.

"n 6igure 1)# worked out on a white oard# the statements were placed within o%es

that were colourGcoded for effect $lack for generall! aggressive# red for teasing'.

11



Figure '3 {1)+}

1&



{1))}=inks etween the statements were indicated ! lines

"n the second stage of the activit!# the class is divided into four groups. 4wo of

these are given the ne%t si% e%changes in /cene 1# the other two are given thefollowing si%. Appropriate definitions are also given# or more advanced classes might

e asked to find these themselves# in their dicG {1)} tionar! or glossar!. Fach group

designs a diagram for its e%changes# either following the pattern alread! set# or

devising a new one. 4he finished diagrams are compared and discussed# or posted up

for class memers to compare at their leisure. A further task could e to Join the three

series in a master diagram# perhaps on a large wall chart.

"t will e seen that this is a means of e%ternalising a quite conventional anal!sis of

the te%t. 4he fact that students are given the gist# and a set of meanings# does however

reduce prolems of simple comprehension# allowing learners to concentrate on the

d!namics of the e%changes. 4he visual element usuall! makes it easier for students to

grasp the te%tual anal!sis# while the! on the whole enJo! the challenge of finding a

wa! of representing quite comple% relationships in a graphic manner.

A visual snow&all

7ith a pla! that carries the linguistic richness and comple%it! that Romeo and 2uliet

does# it ecomes vital to keep the spirit of the stor! alive ! visual means. (learl! the

e%cellent video versions of the pla! could e used alongside the reading of the te%t#

ut man! language learning situations do not include video facilities# and in an! case

it is difficult to hire videoGcassettes for e%tended periods of time# and the! are

e%pensive to u!."n pairs# within their famil! groups# the 8ontagues and (apulets have the task of

producing a simple visual presentation for each scene. 4he asic visual elements

should suggest the main events or the atmosphere in a particular scene. /hort

quotations can e woven into each design. "f possile# learners should e supplied

with poster card and felt pens; ut the teacher should stress that simple designs are

often the most striking# and that artistic e%pertise is not the main requirement. 4he fact

of working with someone else also helps reduce the an%iet! some students feel aout

their ailit! to draw. Fach pair in turn is responsile for adding a representation to

depict one scene# and pairs are likel! to have more than one go# as there are & scenes

in the pla!.

As each scene design is completed# it can either e displa!ed on a 8ontague wall ora (apulet wall# as appropriate; or scenes as the! accumulate are put into a famil!

folder until the end of the pla!# at which point the! are e%changed as a sign of the end

of the classroom feud.

7hen the entire pla! has een read# the visual snowall can e used for revision

purposes. Fach scene design cues the studentsB memories of events# atmosphere# and

language. "n addition# the quotes on each visual can e used as the asis for a quotes

team quiH. 6igure 1+ shows how this activit! could e started.

13



Figure '4 {1),}

1



{1+2} A language snow&all

4he oJect here is to allow students to e%amine in depth one particular aspect of the

language of the pla!# as reading progresses. Droupwork also lets them draw on each

otherBs knowledge and resources so that the! are helped to a etter understanding of

the pla!."n pairs or small groups of three or four# students are given one topic to look into as

the! read the pla!. /ince each group is to work on a different aspect# one wa! of

e%plaining the task is through the use of individual worksheets for each group $an

e%ample is shown in 7orksheet &'. Er the teacher can e%plain what each proJect

entails# and let students choose the one the! prefer. Droups have a noteook in which

each memer can {1+1} Jot e%amples noticed as the! read# as well as their thoughts

and comments upon them.

Worksheet 0+ {1+2}

{1+1}4opics could include puns; parado%es; various kinds of imager! 5 of light and

darkness# of flowers# of irds and animals# of celestial odies and the spheres# imager!

used to foreshadow the tragic outcome; rhetorical questions; use of riald language;

the language of violence; language that has a performative aspect that is# of

politeness# command# mocker!# etc.; epithets and images used to delineate oldO!oung

or loveOhate.

Ene effective wa! of ensuring that each groupTs work produces feedack for the

whole class is to ask the groups to prepare a poster or wall chart to displa! the results

of its proJect. 7hen the entire pla! has een read# a date is set for completion#

followed ! a poster e%hiition in the classroom# hallwa! or common room. 4he

1*

%uns E language pro4ect work

- H(un9 is a (lay on words that de(ends on the fact that one word, or two words thatsound exactly alike, can have very different meanings. Gor exam(le, in -ct 1 of5omeo and 3uliet 1. .%$@, Tybalt says that +envolio, who is standing with his sworddrawn amongst the fighting men, is Hdrawn among these heartless hinds9. H*eartlesshinds9 means Hyokels without a heart9, that is, cowardly. +ut Hhinds9 also means afemale deer, so that Tybalt is making a (un, saying the men are like female deerwithout their male deer Hhart9@.

any (eo(le disa((rove of (uns, and it is often said that they are Hthe lowest formof humour9. /octor Bohnson, the famous eighteenth century critic, thought (uns orH=uibbles9 as he called them@ marred Shakes(eare9s style3 H- =uibble, (oor andbarren as it is, gave him such delight, that he was content to (urchase it, by the

sacrifice of reason, (ro(riety, and truth9. Some readers still think (uns are distractingand trivialise the language of the (lay. )thers think that they can (roduce, likemeta(hors, a sudden overla( of two unex(ected s(heres of ex(erience so that theyare both arresting as when the 7rince tells the men to throw their Hmistem(ered9wea(ons to the ground@ and moving as when ercutio can still 5est on the brink ofdeath3 H-sk for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a9grave9 man9.@.

1n this (ro5ect, try to gather as many (uns as you can from your reading of the (lay.Bot them down in your grou(9s notebook. Gor each one, state what two meanings arebeing (layed u(on. -s a grou(, try to decide whether any s(ecial (ur(ose is servedby the (un, and what the effect of each one is.



requirement for a visual presentation can tap quite considerale creative resources in

man! students# and it makes the whole endeavour more memorale.

6or classes preparing e%ams# the material gathered during the proJect can e used to

support the writing of an essa! on an! of the particular points studied# or on the

language of the pla! as a whole.

'he %rinces speech

7orksheet 3 is a home reading worksheet for Act " /cene 1.

Worksheet 0, {1+&}

1)





"n situations where this is impossile# students can ask questions in their =l# then

translate the answers on to the form.

Ence again# pooling of results and discussion are oth ver! important.

Worksheet 01{1+*}

-nswer the following =uestions about the nature of love.

1. Which of the following statements comes closest to your idea of what love is?Tick one, or more.@

Love is a (aradise.

Love is hell.

Love is a disease.

Love is a state of madness.

Love is a religion.

Love is an allCconsuming fire.

Love is a kind of warfare. Love is an e(hemeral nonsense.

Love is MMMMM..

&. *ow im(ortant, how valuable is it for you? Which of the following sentencescomes closest to your o(inion?

The most im(ortant thing, the only valuable thing in the world.

- good thing, but not the only good thing in the world.

- mixed blessing.

- disaster3 it always ends in tragedy.

1

Write notes on the lyrics of the song you have chosen, answering the following

=uestions.

. What is Hlove9 like, according to this song? >hoose a s(ot on the continuum.1s it . . .su(remely im(ortant relatively unim(ortantmarvellous, full of 5oy terrible, (ainfullasting e(hemeralwhat else?............................................

!. Words that describe love does the song have any images orcom(arisons?@3 ........................................

". Words that describe the loved one images?com(arisons?@3 ........................................

#. 1t you9re in love, according to the song3........................................*ow do you behave?........................................*ow do you feel?........................................*ow does the (erson who is loved behave8feel?........................................



- (leasant illusion, cloaking the reality of sex.

-n un(leasant illusion, distorting our idea of relations between the sexes.

3. 1f you love someone, what would you be most likely to com(are him or her to?

a flower3 ....................

a bird3 ....................

an animal3 ....................

a celestial body3 ....................

a (art of nature3 ....................

something else3 ....................

#. 1f a man loves a woman, this is how he behaves3

Writes (oems to her.

Sends her flowers and gifts.

Wee(s and sighs if she doesn9t res(ond.

-cts in a manly, masterful way.

>onceals his love.

............................................

$. 1f a woman loves a man, this is how she behaves3

4ives him gifts.

7retends to love someone else.

>onceals her love.

Tells him about it.

Sighs and wee(s if he doesn9t (ay attention to her.

............................................

Worksheet 03

{1+)}4his is est done in groups in the ne%t class lesson each group compiles a list of

its results and outlines the kind of attitudes and the kind of language which emerge

from their surve!.

4he ne%t step is to turn to the pla!. 7hen we first meet Romeo $".1.1*,' he is

convinced that he is deepl! in love with Rosaline. <e is a conventional lover#

ehaving and talking in the wa! then e%pected of lovers. "t is important for students to

understand these conventions# so that an! later change in language or ehaviour can

e appreciated. 4his kind of comprehension is the aim of the following activit!.

4he class together e%amines two short scenes in which Romeo appears efore he

meets ?uliet. 4his can e done ! listening to a recording# or to the teacherBs reading#

with rief elucidation of an! maJor difficulties in the te%t. 4he! are then# in groups#

1,



given 7orksheet +# which gathers# under si% categories# the pronouncements on love

made ! Romeo and 0envolio. Fach group decides what view of love is eing

proposed in each case. After feedack and discussion of their conclusions# students

are asked to compare the attitudes and language of the two !oung men in the pla!

with the kind of language and concepts that emerged from their previous inquir! into

modernGda! stances. Fach group is given the task of drawing out from the comparisonan! specific aspects that seem to e particular to the pla! and its time span# whether

these relate to ideas# words# images or opinions.

'he %etrarchan over2s code

4his is a good point in the pla! for the activit! (odesB# descried in (hapter * $see p.

+3'. Romeo# at the eginning of the pla!# conforms to the stereot!pe of an ideal

courtl! lover. "n fact# 8ercutio teases him aout it# sa!ing that Romeo is tr!ing to

outdo the famous love poet Petrarch himself# ! using his kind of poetic language and

imager! $his numersB' ow is he for the numers that Petrarch flowed in. =aura to

his lad! was a kitchen wench . . .B $""..3'.6rom the material gathered on their worksheet# and from their discussions# students

should now e in a position to write Rules of feeling and ehaviourB for such a lover.

4his acts as a consolidation for the e%tended investigation into the language of love

that students have een engaged upon. A further followGup activit!# designed to

compare RomeoBs language efore and after he meets ?uliet# is descried after the

classroom activit! of role pla! and discussion which is outlined ne%t.

ove at $irst sight

"n Act " /cene *# Romeo and ?uliet meet for the first time and e%press their {1++}

immediate love for each other in the form of a sonnet which culminates in a kiss. 4he

following discussion and roleGpla! activit! precedes the reading of this scene and sets

the mood for it.

ead the two scenes in which omeo and +envolio talk about omeo9s love . .%0C!"& and .!.#$C0!@. *ere are some of the things that the two young men sayabout love and the ex(erience of being in love. The (hrases have been grou(edtogether in six categories. Aour task is to decide together whether a certain definitionof love emerges from each set of (hrases, and write an a((ro(riate heading. The firstone has been done for you.

Love is . . . Love is . . . Love is . . .a state #ull o# %arado2es MMMMMMMMM.. MMMMMMMMM..ove is3@ sad hours seem long -las that love, so gentleheavy lightness 4riefs of mine own lie in his viewserious vanity heavy in my breast Should be so tyrannousbright smoke love is3 @ a sea nourished and rough in (roofIcold fire with lovers9 tears She will not stay the siegesick health Shall 1 groan and tell thee? of loving termsstillCwaking slee( 1n sadness, cousin, 1 do Nor bide th9encounter of

love a woman assailing eyesShe9ll not be hit with

>u(id9s arrow

Love is . . . Love is . . . Love is . . .

1*2



MMMMMMMMM.. MMMMMMMMM.. MMMMMMMMM..a madness most discreet +id a sick man in sadness When the devout religionNot mad but bound more make his will of mine eye than a madman is )ne (ain is lessened by aintains such falsehood,Shut u( in (rison, ke(t another9s anguish then turn tears to fires without my food )ne des(erate grief cures Trans(arent heretics, beWhi((ed and tormented with another9s languish burnt for liars

Take thou some newinfection to thy eye

a choking gall

Worksheet 04

{1+} /tudents are paired off $one o! and one girl# if possile' and are asked to

plan a short scene in which a o! and a girl meet for the first time and are strongl!

attracted to each other. 4he teacher offers a choice of situations in which the

encounter can take place 5 a train Journe!# a dance# a part!# a us stop# a park# on

holida!# for e%ample. A ma%imum length of fourteen lines of dialogue is set utstudents are free to decide which of the lovers does what proportion of the talking.

4he scene is then written# with the teacher assisting as necessar!. 7hen an! two

pairs are read!# each pair in turn performs its scene for the other. 4he teacher

circulates and selects pairs to perform their scenes for the whole class. 4he language

used in the scenes is discussed. "s it romanticI :oes it contain an! metaphorI 7hat

differences are there etween the manBs and the womanBs languageI :oes the scene

involve an! ph!sical contact# like a kissI :o actions speak louder than wordsI

"e$ore and a$ter

After the classroom warmGup Just descried# students# having now invested something

of themselves in the theme of love at first sight# read or listen to Act " /cene *# in

which Romeo and ?uliet first meet at the (apuletsB all. 7ith the help of a worksheet

$7orksheet ' the! make notes on the language Romeo uses oth efore and after he

meets ?uliet.

7hen the completed worksheets are compared and discussed after this activit!# or in

the ne%t class lesson# the feelings e%pressed ! Romeo# as well as the language he

uses# are compared to those noted in the earlier e%ercise done in class $7orksheet +'.

5omeo and 6ld #apulet

En discovering that Romeo# a 8ontague# is present at his masquerade# Eld (apulet

does not have him thrown out. <e seems to have heard good reports of Romeo and

stops the angr! 4!alt from attacking Romeo and reaking up the part!. 4ragic events

move so quickl! thereafter that Romeo never has the opportunit! of tr!ing to persuade

Eld (apulet that a marriage etween himself and ?uliet would e an admirale wa! of

healing their famil! quarrels. <owever# this situation which never occurs provides the

asis for a fantas! writing activit!.

/tudents are asked to imagine a meeting etween Romeo and Eld (apulet. 7ould

(apulet receive Romeo politel! or angril!I 7ould Romeo# with all his !outhful

charm# e ale to persuade the old manI 7ould the ancient famil! feud sour their

encounter and cause it to end itterl!I

1*1



4he teacher can also tr! to elicit the sort of language that might emerge $nowada!s' in

the course of such a conversation. 6or e%ample "Bd like to {1+,} ask !our permission

to marr! ?uliet O to ask for ?ulietBs hand in marriageB; "tBs out of the question. o

8ontague will ever marr! a daughter of mineB# etc.

7orksheet

7hen the preparator! phase has een completed# the conversation can e written#

either as homework# or more enJo!al!# using the technique in which the class sits in

a circle and the dialogues rotate# first left and then right# thus enaling each student to

write# alternatel!# as Romeo and as {12} (apulet# and to produce a different

conversation with the students on either side of him or her. $4his is descried on p.

*,.'

'he &alcony scene

1*&

Listen to -ct 1 Scene $ in which omeo and Buliet first meet. ake notes about the wayomeo ex(resses his new love, using the following headings.

Words/e,pressions (etaphors/images

The way omeo refers tohis new love.

The way he talks ofhimself as a lover.

What he says of love itself.

-re any of the ex(ressions or meta(hors noted above the same as ones alreadyex(ressed by omeo or +envolio in the (revious scenes? ark them S.What is the effect of these Hechoes9?

ironical

em(hasises continuity in omeo9s character

em(hasises the short s(ace of time between his loves

other?@ MMMMMMMMMM.

>om(are the language and imagery noted above with Worksheet #&. 1s one set3

more concrete than the other?

more Hflowery9 than the other?

more convincing?

focussed more on the ex(erience of love?

focussed more on the loved one?

What other differences can you see between them? ........................................



7orksheet ,# which is a Jumled summar!# accompanies home or class reading of

the alcon! scene $"".&'.

Worksheet 08

Answers f# d# g# a# # J# h# i# c# e

'he &alcony sceneC a $ollow!up listening activity

4his is a classroom activit! to deepen studentsB understanding and appreciation of the

alcon! scene. <aving mastered gist through home {11} reading and the

accompan!ing worksheet# students now listen to a recording of Act "" /cene &. $A

video# if availale# can e used in the same wa!.' 4he teacher pla!s the recording

through without stopping. At the end# he or she asks students to Jot down quickl!# in

one or two sentences# a description of the part the! liked est# or found mostmemorale or most moving. /tudents then get together in pairs to compare notes and

e%plain wh! the! made their particular choice.

Fach pair is then given its own specific task to carr! out as the! listen a second time

to the scene. Ene is responsile for making notes aout ?uliet# the other aout Romeo.

<ere are some e%amples of task slips that different pairs might e given $1 task slips#

one for each pair in a class of &'

. Bot down any references to the sun made by omeo.Bot down any references to the sun made by Buliet.

!. Bot down any references to the moon made by omeo.

Bot down any references to the moon made by Buliet.

1*3

ead the balcony scene -ct 11 Scene !. Then try to rewrite the following summarysentences, in (aragra(h form, in the correct se=uence.

a@ omeo at last s(eaks and they share the distress of the feud between theirfamilies.

b@ Buliet warns him of the dangers should he be discovered in the garden.c@ -fter another brief absence, Buliet comes back and they arrange a time for

Buliet9s messenger to be sent to him the following day.d@ Grom a hidden (osition, he listens to Buliet.e@ With the a((roach of dawn, they reluctantly (art.f@ omeo steals into Buliet9s garden without being seen.g@ *e hears her declaring her love for him and her sadness that family rivalries

should come between them.h@ These worries are interru(ted by the nurse9s call, at which (oint Buliet says

she will be back in a few minutes.i@ )n her return, Buliet asks omeo to send word the next day, if he intends to

marry her. 5@ When she asks omeo if he loves her, he o(enly declares his great love,

but Buliet is worried by the suddenness of their strong feelings for eachother.

-re there any im(ortant events or declarations which are in the scene but not in thissummary? Write them down if you think there are, and add them to your summary.



3. Bot down things said which show omeo being bold.Bot down things said which show Buliet being bold.

#. Bot down things said which show omeo being reticent.Bot down things said which show Buliet being reticent.

*. Bot down religious imagery used by omeo.

Bot down religious imagery used by Buliet.%. Bot down ex(ressions of fear or a((rehension s(oken by omeo.Bot down ex(ressions of fear or a((rehension s(oken by Buliet.

&. Bot down any very sim(le, straightforward statement made by omeo.Bot down any very sim(le, straightforward statement made by Buliet.

. Bot down =uestions asked by omeo.Bot down =uestions asked by Buliet.ark rhetorical =uestions =uestions where the s(eaker doesn9t really want

or ex(ect an answer@.,. Bot down any meta(hors or com(arisons from nature, that is, flowers, birds,

etc. in omeo9s s(eeches.Bot down any meta(hors or com(arisons from nature in Buliet9s s(eeches.

12. Bot down references to family made by omeo.Bot down references to family made by Buliet.

. Bot down references to marriage made by omeo.Bot down references to marriage made by Buliet.

1&. Bot down any concrete (lans for the immediate future ex(ressed by omeo.Bot down any concrete (lans for the immediate future ex(ressed by Buliet.

". Bot down any ex(ression of concern about safety ex(ressed by omeo.Bot down any ex(ression of concern about safety ex(ressed by Buliet.

#. Bot down wishes ex(ressed by omeo.$. Bot down wishes ex(ressed by Buliet.

4he recording is pla!ed with a few pauses to allow students to take notes. 7hen thishas een done# students are given a series of questions on a {1&} worksheet $see

7orksheet *2'. 4he! must provide answers supported ! quotations from the pla!.

Fach pair will alread! have gathered material appropriate for one or other of the

questions. 4he pairs must now consult one another and# ! pooling their resources#

find a quotation to support their opinion on each question.

Angel2s advocates

"n Act """ /cene 1# troule is rewing once more etween 8ontagues and (apulets. A

fight is imminent etween 4!alt and 8ercutio.

As a first step# students read the scene silentl!# to get a asic understanding of it. 4heclass is then divided into two groups. Ene group# of {13} four to 1& students# consists

of the characters in this scene. 4he! choose roles and rehearse their reading of the

scene.

4he remaining students in the class are asked to imagine that the! can travel through

time and e transported into the pla!. 4he! choose a point somewhere etween lines

3 and 131# where the! are to appear and tr! to keep the peace. Fach student can

deliver one speech to achieve this aim.

0efore the time travel takes place# students# in pairs# rainstorm to uild a range of

arguments the! can use in their speeches. 4he! then individuall! write the speeches#

with the teacher helping as necessar!.

4he ne%t stage involves a dramatic performance of Act """ /cene 1. 0efore the scenecommences# the teacher nominates the timeGtravelling angelsB who will stand up

1*



during the scene# at their chosen point# and deliver their speeches. As each

interruption occurs# the students with the official roles in the scene are instructed to

freeHeB while each angelBs speech is eing delivered# then to continue the scene.

4o end the session# the teacher and students discuss the impact of the interruptions

and consider whether an!thing could have prevented the two deaths in that scene.

Worksheet 1: {1&}

{13}'hen and now

7orksheet *1 is a matching activit! to help students understand Act """ /cene 3# as

the! read it on their own.

1**

-nswer the following =uestions, su((orting your answer in each case with a=uotation from the Hbalcony scene9 11.!@. 1f you haven9t got an a((ro(riate =uotation,ask a classmate.

Which o$ the two loversCis more (ractical? omeo8BulietQuotation3 ......................................................................................................................

is more imaginative? omeo8Buliet

Quotation3 ......................................................................................................................is more attached to his8her family? omeo8BulietQuotation3 ......................................................................................................................

is more extravagant in s(eech? omeo8BulietQuotation3 ......................................................................................................................

is more fearful of the conse=uences of their love? omeo8BulietQuotation3 ......................................................................................................................

is more confident? omeo8Buliet

Quotation3 ......................................................................................................................

is more forceful? omeo8BulietQuotation3 ......................................................................................................................

is more realistic? omeo8BulietQuotation3 ......................................................................................................................

is more clearCsighted? omeo8BulietQuotation3 ......................................................................................................................



Worksheet 1' {1}

1*)



{1*}%lotting movement

4his activit! helps classes imagine a production of the pla!# even if the! do not

actuall! put it on; it can e done individuall! or in groups.

/tudents are asked to plot on paper# preferal! graph paper# the movements of

actors in one particular scene. 4he graph paper represents the stage area# and eachcharacterBs movements are indicated ! a different t!pe of line# with numers

corresponding to the speeches uttered. "t is preferale for students to use different

colours instead of the conventions shown here. 4he task can e quite comple%# as with

the swordpla! scenes# or the scene at the (apuletsB feast; or simpler# as in the scenes

in ?ulietBs edroom. 4he e%ample shown in 6igure 1 is from Act """. ?uliet# alone

after RomeoBs e%it# has to face first her mother# then her e%tremel! irate father# then

the urseBs heartless advice to reJect Romeo.

1*+



1*



1*,



Figure '5 {1*G1}

Friar awrence2s letter

"n Act "> /cene 1# 6riar =awrence tells ?uliet that he intends to send a letter to Romeo

to tell him that ?uliet is to feign death# and to ask Romeo to come ack so that he and

6riar =awrence can e with ?uliet when she awakes

1n the meantime, against thou shalt awake,Shall omeo by my letters know our drift.

-nd hither shall he comeF $">.".113'

/tudents# in groups# discuss what 6riar =awrence would sa! in his letter# and how est

to phrase it in order not to alarm Romeo ut to reassure him. 4hen# individuall!#

perhaps as homework# each learner writes 6riar =awrenceBs letter in modern idiom.

72d do anything $or youB dearB anything 8 8 8

0! the time the students are approaching the end of the pla!# the! are ound to have

identified with the situation of the two lovers and to have thought aout what lovers

are prepared to do rather than live without each other. 4his activit! aims to draw out

the studentsB own potential response to a similar situation in their own lives."f it is availale# a song from =ionel 0artBs Eliver# a musical version of :ickensB

Eliver 4wist# can e used as a first step. 4he students are asked to write down some of

the things that the singer sa!s he would do for his {1,} loved one# while the! listen.

4he teacher quickl! goes through the l!rics after the class has told him or her what

the! heard.

e%t# the learners are given 7orksheet *&# and the! tick the things that the! feel

sure the! would do for someone the! loved# rather than live without that person.

"n groups# students compare answers and e%plore differences etween their views.

After a short plenar! discussion to widen the discussion# students are asked to

reconsider the decision made ! Romeo and ?uliet. 7ould the! sa! that this decision

indicates that the lovers were madI emotionall! unalancedI immatureI deludedI . . .

1)2



Worksheet 1+

*iscussion &ased on prioritising

4his is an activit! designed to stimulate oral e%pression and to help students think

aout the inevitailit!B of the tragic outcome.

/tudents in small groups or pairs stud! the following list of possiilities

The tragedy would not have ha((ened if3a@ The stars had been in a different configuration when omeo and Buliet were

born.

b@ Lady >a(ulet had been a better mother, so that Buliet had felt able to confidein her.c@ The a(othecary had been less (overtyCstricken, and refused to sell omeo

the (oison.d' Griar Bohn had been able to deliver Griar Lawrence9s letter to omeo, instead

of being (revented by chance from doing so.e@ omeo had been less im(etuous and waited instead of taking (oison so

=uickly.f' {1,2}Buliet had refused to take the (otion.g@ Griar Lawrence had arrived at the tomb a few minutes earlier.h' omeo9s (age +althasar had disobeyed his master and =uickly raised the

alarm.

i' The two families had sought to be reconciled instead of kee(ing to their old=uarrel.

/tudents are asked to choose three and place them in order of importance first#

second and third. 4he! must then decide which of the following statements fit each of

their three choices

Tragedy results from a chance coincidence of events.Tragedy results from (reCordained fate.Tragedy is caused by human error.Tragedy results from a flaw in the human character.

1)1

Gor a man8woman 1 loved, 1 feel sure that 1 would3

1. ove to another city or town rather than live without him8her. &. >hange my religion rather than live without him8her. 3. /eceive or disobey my (arents, rather than live without him8her. . Wait any number of years for him8her to return if we were

se(arated, rather than live without him8her (ermanently. *. 4ive u( my 5ob to look after him8her if he8she had an

incurable illness, rather than live without him8her. ). 4ive u( my life, if he8she died rather than live without him8her.



Tragedy does not ha((en in real life3 it is a distortion of (robable events im(osed bythe writer.

After discussion in groups and then comparison of choices made# students could e

asked to prepare a short oral presentation $one or two minutes' in which the! Justif!

their choice of one $or more' of the aove statements ! referring specificall! to the pla!.

The .and(o (y Edward $l(ee"

4here are good reasons for using this pla! with foreign learners it is ver! rief# and

its simple# ever!da! language presents few prolems. Although on one level it can e

read as a rather iting comment on the American wa! of life G and death G there is a

sense in which it also mediates issues that are universal how to cope with the elderl!;

how to face approaching death; how to retain human feeling within the dehumanising

rituals of social intercourse. 4hese are themes which ma! not appeal to the !ounger

reader the pla! is proal! more effectivel! used with mature students or withlearners in their final secondar! school !ears.

Ene difficult! in presenting the pla! stems from its modern st!le# which {1,1} ma!

reak with the readerBs e%pectations. 4he long warmGup session descried elow was

devised to allow students to ecome thoroughl! immersed in some of the themes

efore the! come to the pla! itself. 4his often has the effect of rela%ing learners so

that the! enter into the spirit of the pla! and enJo! it rather than worr!ing undul!

aout what it is sa!ingB. 4he meaning of this kind of pla! is intimatel! linked with

what it is# and it therefore suffers from eing paraphrased. 4his is one reason for our

recommendation that teachers tr! to have their students put the pla! on# in a more or

less elaorate form. "ts small cast# almost are set# and simple language make it ideal

for a fullGscale performance# where this is possile and desirale. Fven a minimall!

staged reading performance in class# however# will conve! something of its dramatic

qualit! and allow students to appreciate the force of its imager!# as well as its humour

and iron! $see Reading and performing the pla!B on p. 1,3'.

4he pla! is a sort of modern fale aout death. A couple# 8omm! and :add!# carr!

the womanBs mother# DrandmaB# on to the stage and put her into a sando%. 4he!

then sit down to await the event which has rought them here DrandmaBs death.

8omm! and :add! are ver! an%ious to preserve all the conventions and do

ever!thing in a tasteful wa!. 4he! have even hired musicians for the occasion. 0ut

these social traces cover a callous lack of feeling. Drandma# who seems at first in her

second infanc!# is graduall! revealed to e a pluck! old lad! with a lot of life left inher. 0ut to no avail. 4he pleasant !oung man who has een doing e%ercises in the

ackground# and who is the Angel of :eath# eventuall! comes forward to perform his

appointed role. Drandma is at first surprised# then resigned# while 8omm! and

:add!# having shed conventional tears# go riskl! ack to their own lives.

Warm!up

) in The ?oo Story and *ther #lays

1)&



4his is an activit! which involves discussion and writing and is done in class prior to

reading the pla!. 4he aim is to get learners thinking aout relationships etween the

generations# and elicit their own feelings aout them.

4he class is divided into groups of three or four. <alf the groups receive 7orksheet

*3A# the others 7orksheet *30. "f it is necessar!# the teacher e%plains the idea of an

agon! auntB column in a newspaper or magaHine# and asks the class to imagine thatthe! must suppl! useful advice for people with real prolems. $4he! are not told at

this stage that the material comes from a pla!.'

Droups discuss an appropriate response# write it# then each memer of group A

meets with one memer of group 0 to compare prolems and answers. A general

feedack session follows# with discussion of the questions raised.

1)3



Worksheet 1,A {1,&}

{1,3}

1)



Worksheet 1,B

5eading and per$orming the play

At the end of the warmGup activit!# which will usuall! take up a whole class lesson#

learners are given the pla! to read at home. "f this is not appropriate# reading can e

deferred to the ne%t class lesson.

<ome reading can e accompanied ! a worksheet to highlight one {1,} particular

feature of the pla!. 6or e%ample# 7orksheet * focuses the studentBs attention on

ideas of childhood and old age.

A performance is planned for the ne%t lesson. Roles are given out# with nonGactors

assuming responsiilit! for arranging a set $at the front of the classroom' and

providing the props $these are minimal chairs# a sando% or something to represent

one# a ucket and spade'. "n man! classes# there will e one person at least who can

1)*



pla! a musical instrument ut if not# the musicianB can mime in time to a recording.

4he cast need not memorise their lines ut are asked to practise reading them so that

the! can carr! off their performance fairl! fluentl!. Providing that a rela%ed

atmosphere is maintained# we have found that students enJo! this kind of staged

reading a great deal.

Worksheet 10

Follow!up activity

4his activit! is suggested for advanced students stud!ing literature as a main part of

their course# or preparing to do so at the higher education level.

An interesting aspect of The Sand!o)# which links it to one of the mainstreams in

contemporar! drama# is its pla! on the idea of theatriG {1,*} calit!# of appearance and

realit!# of rolesB in life and rolesB in dramatic productions. Realist pla!s attempt to

portra! life as it is led outside the theatre. The Sand!o) portra!s this outsideB life as

though it were itself a staged pla!.

A teacher wishing the students to reflect on this aspect could first ask them to skim

through the short pla! once again and e%tract all the references where characters speak

of their lives as though the! were in fact engaged in a pla!. 4his can e done singl! or

in groups# and the resulting list put up on the oard. "t should include items such as

4randma3 Aou9re . . . you9re an actor, hunh?Aoung man3 Aes, 1 am.4randma to the musician@3 *oney, do you (lay all through this (art?/addy starting@3 What was that?ommy3 1t was an offCstage rumble . . . and you know what that means . . .Aoung man3 Rh . . . ma9amF 1 . . . 1 have a line here.

1))

1n 'he Sand&o, we meet a young man, a middleCaged cou(le, and an old lady. Theway each one behaves is a mixture of what we ex(ect from the old and the veryyoung. List as many as(ects as you can for each character, under the headings given.

"ehaviour appropriate tochildren

"ehaviour appropriate togrown!ups

ommy and /addy

4randma

Aoung man

Which character seems to you most Hchildish9? Why?



Aoung man (re(aredF delivers the line like a real amateur@3 1 am the -ngel of /eath.1 am . . . uh . . . 1 am come for you.

4randma3 What 1 meant was . . . you did that very well, dear.

4he teacher asks students to give their impressions aout this aspect of the pla!. :o

the! find it startlingI offGputtingI :oes it stop them from elieving in the charactersI7hat could e its purposeI <ow true to their own e%periences is itI <ave the! ever

felt as though the! were involved in a performance in their lives# instead of ehaving

spontaneousl!I

4his general discussion is followed ! a task in groups $or discussed in groups then

written individuall! as homework' to write a ver! short sketch in which some

situation in their real life is depicted as though it were a stage pla!. /ituations with a

strong element of ritual immediatel! spring to mind# since participants in them often

feel as though the! were pla!ing a stage role getting married# going through a

graduationO christeningOconfirmation ceremon!# appearing in court $swearing the oath

e%actl! like in a film'# going for a Jo interview# attending a funeral# etc. /ome of

these can e suggested if learners are at a loss for ideas.4his e%ercise often stimulates the interest of students in the theme and how it is

handled ! other modern dramatists. "t can e e%plored further ! reading other pla!s

that emod! it# for e%ample 4om /toppardBs The Real ;nspector ound or :avid

<areBs A Map of the World .

{1,)}- .hort stories

/hort stories are often an ideal wa! of introducing students to literature in the foreignG

language classroom. 6or the teacher# the! offer man! immediate and striking

advantages

5 4heir practical length means the! can usuall! e read entirel! within one or

two class lessons. /lightl! longer works can e sectioned in the same wa! as

novels or pla!s# ut still e completed in a few lessons.

5 4he! are less daunting for a foreign reader to tackle or to reread on his or her

own# and are more suitale when set as home tasks. /tudents get that feeling

of achievement at having come to the end of a whole work# much sooner.

5 4he! offer greater variet! than longer te%ts. A teacher can choose ver!

different short stories# so that there is a greater chance of finding something to

appeal to each individualBs tastes and interests.

5 /hort stories are especiall! valuale for sessional courses# summer courses or

the like; or for teachers with shifting classes evening courses# for e%ample# orcontinuousGintake adult classes.

7e hope that the ideas on the following pages will encourage a creative use to e

made of this rewarding genre. 7e have alwa!s found that eing creative in presenting

and e%ploiting the te%t is# if an!thing# even more important with short stories than

with longer works. 4he! are so rief that if we are not careful# the! ma! e less

involving for the foreign reader there is not enough time to e drawn into the fiction

and feel reall! at home within its created universe. 4he! are also e%tremel!

compressed. 4his is of course what makes them such a delight when a short stor!

writer is successful# he or she encapsulates e%perience with a masterl! econom! of

language and imager!. 7e are invited to see the universe in a grain of sand. 0ut this

compression can make it difficult for foreign readers to appreciate the qualit! of thework# even when the! understand its surface meaning. 7hen the! look at the grain of

1)+



sand# the! must e helped to see the universe within it# and to respond to it on an

emotional level.

6or this reason# care and preparation are needed for successful presentation of short

stories. 4he grids and activities suggested in previous chapters are Just as valuale

here# partl! ecause the! diversif! classroom procedure and make it more enJo!ale#

partl! ecause the! encourage students to go ack over the pages read# look moreclosel! at {1,+} the detail# mull over what is happening. Rereading is a ke! element in

the full appreciation of short stories ecause of its concision# a short stor!Bs full

richness is hardl! ever revealed in a first reading.

7e have assumed that class time need not alwa!s e devoted to the actual process

of reading the short stor!# either silentl! or out loud. /ome activities depend upon

students having een given the stor! previousl! to read on their own# usuall! with the

suggestion that the! read for gist without stopping to look up ever! unknown word.

Ether activities give learners a taste of the plot or theme of a particular stor!# which

the! are then left to read on their own. "f classwork is to have an! repercussion on the

reading haits of students# the! must e encouraged to ecome more independent in

the foreign language# Just as the! are# presumal!# when the! choose a edside ookin their own language.

;The hitchhi0er< (y 9oald =ahl#

4his simple ut effective stor! holds the readerBs interest throughout. "t concerns a

writer who is enJo!ing a drive in his new car. <e stops to pick up a hitchhiker and

ecomes intrigued when he is unale to guess the manBs occupation. 4he hitchhiker

tempts the writer into testing the ma%imum speed of the car ut the e%periment is

rought to a halt ! an equall! speed! policeman on a motor c!cle. <e takes down

details of the two men and warns the writer that a heav! fine and loss of licence areinevitale. 4he Journe! continues and the hitchhikerBs skillB is revealed he is a

fingersmithB. <e shows the writer some of the elongings he has picked from his

pockets during the ride. 4he writer is astonished ut overJo!ed to discover that his

passenger also has something elonging to the policeman . . .

6or classroom purposes the stor! divides neatl! into four sections which can e

presented for listening or reading or a comination of oth. 4he following activities

aim to integrate different language activities and to ma%imise student involvement and

response.

Warm!up

/tudents are asked to stud! some photographs of various hitchhikers $see 6igure 1,'

and to decide whether or not the! would give each of them a lift. Fach decision must

e accompanied ! an e%planation. /tudents are grouped to compare decisions riefl!.

6or a more structured warmGup# the teacher can use a simple worksheet $see

7orksheet **'. "f necessar!# the whole activit! can e preceded ! some practice of

appropriate {1,,} language using one of the photos $for e%ample# <e looks . . . # <e

looks a it . . . # <e looks as though . . . '.

+ in More Tales of the (ne)pected

1)



{1,}

1),



Worksheet 11 {1,}

{&22}5eading or listening in sections

/tudents read or listen to the first section of the stor! $ending 4he secret of life . . . is

to ecome ver! ver! good at somethinB thatBs ver! ver! ard to doB'. 4he writer has

picked up the hitchhiker ut is unale to find out what he does for a living. 4he class

is asked to consider what it knows so far aout the hitchhiker and then to choose the

occupation he seems most likel! to have# using the following list as a prompt

carpenter# iceGcream salesman# knifeGsharpener# artist# vet# musician# lacksmith.

(hoices are compared and students asked to Justif! the chosen occupation in terms of

the stor!Bs content.

1+2

Study the four (hotogra(hs of hitchhikers in Gigure 6 and com(lete the boxes

below.Aou can assume the following3 : Aou are alone in your car. : Aou are not in a hurry. : 1t is safe to sto( your car if you want to. : *itchhiking is (ermitted along this road. : 1t is daytime.

7hoto no. Sex 8G -((rox. age 7ossibleoccu(ation

-((earanceface, clothing,

(ersonality, etc.@

-re you going to sto( for the (erson in (hoto ? A2S8N) -re you going to sto( for the (erson in (hoto !? A2S8N) -re you going to sto( for the (erson in (hoto "? A2S8N) -re you going to sto( for the (erson in (hoto #? A2S8N)

Now discuss the reasons for your decisions in grou(s.



4he second section of the stor! descries the encounter with the policeman $ending

4hen he kicked the starter and roared off up the road out of sightB'. 4he language is

straightforward so a response activit! is appropriate students are asked to imagine

that the same event has happened in their countr! or countries. 7hat would e the

differences in the policemanBs ehaviour# attitude# questions# and the eventual

punishmentI "f necessar!# the teacher puts these questions on a simple questionnaire./tudents discuss in groups and possil! improvise a sketch of the parallel situation in

the target language to illustrate the differences the! perceive.

4he third section of the stor! $ending 0ecause !ouBve got fantastic fingersB'

satisfies the readersB or listenersB curiosit! as the! find out that the hitchhiker is a

pickpocket. <is fantastic fingersB are his special skill. As a lightGhearted response

activit!# the teacher asks the students to think aout their own special skills. 4hen he

or she tells them to write their prime skill on a piece of paper. 4he skill doesnBt have

to e ver! special# Just something that each of them is good at. 4he teacher collects

the slips of paper and puts them into a hat together with his or her ownK /tudents then

take out one piece of paper each $not their own' and tr! to guess who is the possessor

of the special talent written on it.4he final section of the stor! reveals the surprise. 4he hitchhiker has pickpocketed

the policemanBs noteook with all the details of the two men and of the offence in it.

<e has saved the da!. An attractive wa! of commencing this final part of the narrative

is to ask the class to tr! to predict the end of the stor!.

As followGup# after reading or listening# several activities work well

5 /tudents have to determine the e%act point in the stor! at which the hitchhiker

took the policemanBs noteook. 4he! write down words from the stor! that

mark the chosen point. Results are then compared.

5 /tudents are asked to write a newspaper article aout the incident with the

headline PE="(F8A 4A@F 6ER A R":FB.

5 /tudents are put into pairs for an improvised role pla!. 4he teacher gives each

pair a stor!Grelated situation to think aout and then act out. /ituations include

the following

{&21} 5 Policeman and writer meet in a pu shortl! after the incident; policeman is offG

dut!.

5 PolicemanBs wife is talking to ne%tGdoor neighour over the garden fence;

neighour has read a newspaper account of the incident.

5 <itchhiker meets policeman in motorwa! cafS the same da!; policeman asks

for his noteook.

/tudents prepare their respective sketches and each situation is performed for the

rest of the class ! volunteering pairs. 4he teacher monitors for later language repairwork# as necessar!.

;The star< and ;The s!read o' Ian >ichol< (y $lasdair *ray+

4hese are two e%tremel! compact stories incorporating a strongl! surreal element.

"n 4he starB# a !oung o! sees a starB drop from the sk! into the ack !ard of his

house. <e finds it and treasures it# secretl!. 7hen he takes it to school# however# he is

caught looking at it ! his teacher. Rather than relinquish it# he swallows it and

ecomes a starB too.

"n 4he spread of "an icholB# "an ichol# a riveter# finds he has a lump on a ald

patch at the ack of his head. "t spreads and graduall! ecomes a complete doule# in (nlikely Stories7 Mostly

1+1



another "an ichol. A struggle for ownership of identit! ensues. 7hen that is finall!

resolved# each of the two discovers a lump at the ack of his head . . .

Group work and mime

"n this activit!# the stories are presented without the usual warmGup# and mime is usedto stimulate interest in these and other contemporar! short stories and in e%tensive

reading. 4he aim is to develop self and group reliance in comprehension; to encourage

individual class memers to share their own interpretations of the stories without the

feeling that there is a single rightB view.

6"R/4 /4ADF RFA:"D A: -:FR/4A:"D

4he class is divided into two halves# with the e%planation that each is going to read a

different short stor!. 4he starB is distriuted to one half# 4he spread of "an icholB to

the other half# and interest is uilt ! mentioning that these are unusual stories.

/tudents read# marking an! unknown words with pencil.

7hen the stories have een read once# students are placed into groups of four# andasked to discuss difficult vocaular! and check understandG {&2&} Ging of the stor!.

4he teacher helps out if the comined group cannot guess the meaning of an! word or

e%pression.

/F(E: /4ADF 8"8"D 4<F /4ER"F/

4he small groups are told that the! have to prepare a mime of the stor! the! have read

and then perform it for one of the groups which read the other stor!; the! need mime

onl! the main narrative and can divide it into scenes if the! wish. Droups then

perform their mimes and the watching group guesses aloud the stor!Gline eing

performed. $7ith larger classes# the teacher might need more than one room.',

4<"R: /4ADF RFA:"D 4<F /F(E: /4ER9

7hen mimes have een completed# the other stories are distriuted so that each

student can read the stor! the! saw mimed. /tudents are paired# one from each of the

groups formed in the first stage. Fach student helps the other with an! difficult words

in the second stor!.

6E-R4< /4ADF :"/(-//"E

4he teacher has several choices at this point. <e or she can simpl! ask the class to sa!

which stor! the! liked est# which the! thought most unusual# {&23} etc. and# after a

short discussion# give out worksheets for homework# or the teacher can read othstories to the class at the eginning of the ne%t literature lesson# then let students go

through the worksheets together in groups $see 7orksheets *) and *+'. 4his usuall!

produces a good range of views and deate# and it uilds confidence in e%pressing

personal interpretations# rather than simpl! rel!ing on received ones.

, 4he miming of stories also works ver! well for stories read privatel! at home. /tudents then start the

class ! preparing the mime $second stage'.

1+&



Worksheet 13 {&2&}

{&23}

1+3

1n HThe star9 it is (ossible to build u( a good (icture of >ameron, the boy. Gind =uotesfrom the story which indicate or suggest the following =ualities.secretiveness lack of confidence

loneliness lack of lovefear other?shyness

Which of the following ideas or things do you most readily associate with the imageof the star in the story?a marble imagination eternal lifesuicide a longing for love flight from reality

Write down any other thoughts you have on the (ossible meanings associated withthe star. /iscuss your thoughts with others in your grou(.



1+



Worksheet 14

;The edge< (y 9? @? >arayan1/

4his is a fairl! long stor!# with some vocaular! that ma! e unfamiliar# est suited#

therefore# to more advanced levels. At first# the stor! seems almost plotless# as it

graduall! uilds up a picture of its endearing central character Ranga# a knifeGgrinder

in "ndia. A wealth of details sketch his ackground and idios!ncratic personalit!# his

love for his daughter# his repeated conflicts with his wife# his pride in his trade and his

relationship with his customers. Fventuall!# though# Ranga encounters officials from

the governmentBs sterilisation programme. 4he! cannot understand what having a

child means to this poor illiterate man# while he at first fails to realise wh! e%actl! he

is eing offered the princel! sum of 32 rupees. "n a final iron!# the knifeGgrinder runsawa!# unwilling to have the sharp instruments of his trade used on himK

{&2}Warm!up activities

/PF(-=A4"D A0E-4 4<F 4"4=F

/tudents are told that the! are going to read a stor! called 4he edgeB. (an the! think

what edgeB is eing referred toI 7hat e%pressions do the! know containing the word

edgeBI 6or e%ample the sharp or lunt edge of a knife# the edge of a cliff# the edge of

town# to live on the edge of povert!# the edge of sanit! O the edge of madness# a sharpG

edged tongue# to e on the edge of a reakthrough# to e on the edge of a reakdown#

etc. All suggestions are accepted at this stage. 4he teacher puts them on the oard#while students Jot them down in their noteooks. 4he! are to e kept for the followGup

activit! $see p. &2,'.

(E8PAR"D ="6F/49=F/

4his is designed to elicit studentsB attitude to the central situation in the short stor!.

/tudents are asked to think aout what life is like for a ver! poor# illiterate man in a

small rural village. 7hat differences would there e etween that personBs life and the

12 in Malugdi %ays

1+*

HThe s(read of 1an Nichol9 is an unusual story. 7erha(s it does not have a moral inthe traditional sense, but if you were asked to su((ly one, what would it be? *ereare some (ossible morals. 1f none of them seems a((ro(riate, make u( your ownand say why you think it suitable. 2ven if you choose one of the morals from thelist, 5ustify your selection.

(oral ;3 2veryone is afraid of meeting a double.(oral > 3 Narcissus got it all wrong.(oral ?3 1nside everyone there9s another (ersonality trying to get out.(oral @3 No form of birth control is safe.(oral 3 >reativity isn9t always original.(oral H 3 Whatever you do, life goes on relentlessly.(oral : 3 Know Hthyselves9.our moral 3 ........................................our choice and reason3 ........................................



life of someone who has een educated and lives and works in an uran environment

$their own lives# if that is the case'I 4his can e done as a general class discussion#

although working in groups# with a grid like the one in 7orksheet * often ensures a

more evenl! distriuted participation.

7hen the various groups have filled in their grid# there is a general feedack session

to estalish an overall class grid.

A listening activity

/tudents read ten statements aout the first section# which the! are aout to hear. 4wo

of them are false. 4heir task is to tick the correct statements and mark the two

incorrect ones# with an N $see 7orksheet *,'.

4he teacher then reads out the first section $3 lines 5 appro%imatel! twoGandGaGhalf

minutesB reading time' once or twice as necessar!. 4he worksheet acts as a miniG

summar! to guide students into the stor!# and also introduces and e%plains some of

the terms needed for comprehension 5 dhoti# peripatetic# grinding# etc.

After answers have een checked# the teacher asks students for their impressions ofthe main character# so far. As man! details as possile aout his personalit! are

elicited and Jotted down# to e kept for later reference.

After this first encounter with the te%t# students can do the intensiveB vocaular!

e%ercise which is descried ne%t# or the class can go on to a reading of the first three

pages# to e followed ! a discussion sparked ! an interpretationB questionnaire

$7orksheet )2'.

Worksheet 15 {&2*}

1+)



Worksheet 18 {&2)}

1++

Write comments on the contrasting lifestyles of the two kinds of (eo(le below.

Attitudes toC An illiterate person in asmall rural community

An educated person inan ur&an environment

'imeC

What does it mean?*ow im(ortant is it?FamilyCWhat does it mean?*ow im(ortant is it?#ommunity 3*ow does an individualrelate to his community?#ommunication withothersC*ow can an individualcommunicate with others?'he central government 3*ow can an individualrelate to it? A 4o& or trade3What does it mean?*ow im(ortant is it? Age3What does it mean?What are its s(ecial rights,(rivileges or duties?



A voca&ulary game

6or this e%ercise# learners are given the first page of the short stor! to read $&3 lines'.

4he teacher has prepared as man! slips of paper as there are students in the class. <alf

the slips have one difficult or unusual word from the te%t; the other half have a

definition of one such word. 4he e%ample shown is worked out for a class of 32

students.

2xam(le3 $ words and their definitions, each one to be (ut on a sli( of (a(erand used for a vocabulary game based on (age of HThe edge9 for aclass of "0@.

Words *e$initions (ressed Rrged stronglyF com(elledF forced.tactics The art or skill of organising your efforts to reach a desiredaim.scythe -n instrument for cutting grass or other cro(s. 1t has a long thin curving blade

and is held with both hands. 1t is used with a long swee(ingmotion.{&2+}

hatchet - small or light axe with a short handle, for use with one hand.lo=uaciousness The condition of someone who is talkative, who loves to talk.(atchy esembling a (atchworkF made u( of different bits and (iecesF having an

uneven a((earance.tuft - bunch of small things, usually soft and flexibleClike hairs, feathers, etc.,

fastened at the base together.

1+

Aou are going to hear the first (art of a short story by . K. Narayan called HTheedge9. +efore you listen, read the following statements. 0ight of them describe thefacts in the short story accurately. 'wo of them are false. -s you listen to the story,tick @ the statements which are true. ark the two incorrect statements with an O.'he statements are not in order .

. *e was dressed in a dhoti, a shirt and a turban. - dhoti is a looseCfitting clothworn around the middle (art of the body, by *indus.@

!. *e carried a (ortable grinding machine o(erated with a (edal.". *e had become a millionaire by shar(ening swords for a ahara5a.#. *e liked to think that he could shar(en all kinds of instruments, not 5ust

knives.$. *e did not work in one single (lace, but was (eri(atetic he moved from (lace

to (lace@.%. *is name was anga, and he would never tell anyone his age.&. *e did not have a moustache, but had a very full beard.'. *e was a man who loved to talk on and on.

6. *e had a lot of trouble (ersuading tailors and barbers to have their knivesshar(ened.

0. *e had a loud voice and used to walk in the city streets calling for (eo(le tocome and have their knives and scissors shar(ened.



overlaid 7ut or (laced over something else.almanac - calendar of months and days, with calculations and forecasts

based on the stars.a dhoti - looseCfitting cloth worn around the middle (art of the body, by *indus.khaki - dull brownishCyellow colour. )ften used for military uniforms.sonorous )f sounds3 loud, dee(, or resonant.highC(itched )f sounds3 high in tone, s=ueaky.grindstone - disk of stone turning on a central axle and used for grinding,

shar(ening or (olishing.(eeler - tool used to stri( anything of its outer layer, or its skin or rind for exam(le,

oranges, carrots, etc.@.

4he teacher puts all the slips into a container and lets each student choose one. 0!

reading out their word or definition to each other# students must now tr! to find their

partner.

4his activit! is usuall! rather chaotic at first# and the noise level can e rather high#

so that it can onl! e used in situations where there is no danger of disturing

neighouring classes. 0ut learners enJo! it# and it is an effective wa! of getting themto use the conte%t to tr! to guess meanings.

As soon as pairs egin to form# the teacher puts two pairs together. Fach pair asks

the other two whether the! can provide a definition for their word :o !ou know

what UalmanacU meansIB "f the second pair can answer the! get a point. 4he! then go

on to the ne%t pair and repeat the procedure.

An 1interpretation2 uestionnaire

/tudents read the first three pages of the short stor! $up to the paragraph eginning

Ranga ph!sicall! dwelt in the town no dout . . .B'.

4he! are then given 7orksheet )2 to fill in# singl! or in groups. 4hese are not

questions of fact or comprehension# which can e given a right or a wrong answer.

Rather# the! tr! to make learners think aout some of the underl!ing issues within the

te%tGthe! tr! to make them interpret it.

4his t!pe of questionnaire must e adapted to the level of the class. 7e have found

that it is useful to give students one or two suggestions to get {&2,} them started# ut

not too man!# ecause that tends to cramp their own imagination. =iterar! specialists

and more advanced learners need fewer suggestions# general students and lessadvanced classes need more. A few suggestions are made after 7orksheet )2# from

which a teacher preparing such a worksheet might choose.

(omparing the completed worksheets and Justif!ing choices in pairs or groups is

followed ! general feedack and discussion.

1+,



Worksheet 3: {&2}

*ther suggestions

1. <e didnBt want to e stereot!ped.

<e didnBt think it important.<e thought it would give others power over him.

&. <e wasnBt worried aout his appearance.

<e trusted in fate to e good to him.<e didnBt have a oss to nag at him.

3. <e never knew what their reaction would e.

<e had to work hard to convince them.<e couldnBt trust them.

. aggressive# full of pride in his skill# determined# caring# craft! . . .

*. <e thought hunger would go awa! if he took no notice.

<e wasnBt interested in an! personal comfort.

{&2,}6rdering events

4he class is now asked to read the ulk of the short stor! 5 up to the part where Ranga

meets the sterilisation teamGproal! as homework. $4he! read up to the paragraph eginning <e noticed a coming vehicle . . . '.

7orksheets )1A and )10# which lead to the construction of a flowchart# can

accompan! home reading. 4he comparison and discussion of the flowcharts can e

reserved for the ne%t class lesson# otherwise the whole activit! can e done in class

after students have read the section on their own.

/tudents are given a list of 1 events which make up the stor! of RangaBs life as we

know it# up to the point where he meets the government officials. 4he events are given

12

Try to give as many answers as (ossible to the following =uestions. - fewsuggestions have been made for you.

. anga never told anyone his age. Why not?He didn’t know it

He had #orgotten it !. anga walked about the streets of algudi Hin a blissful state9. Why was his

state blissful?He loed his work

He didn’t hae to watch the clock ". anga was careful when he had to do business with tailors or barbers. Why?

He could not de%end on them

3hey re#used to hae their knies shar%ened #. What words could you use to describe anga9s attitude to his work?

%ersistent

cunning $. anga did not care much about food. Why not?He didn’t want to s%end too much money on #ood

He thought eating was necessary but not interesting



in a Jumled order. =earners must order them according to RangaBs chronolog!# then

fit them into the diagram of the flowchart the! have also een given. $6or an advanced

class# the teacher asks students to devise their own flowchart to portra! the stages of

RangaBs life.' 4he completed flowchart is shown in 6igure &2.

5eading to the end

4he class is now poised to finish the stor!# perhaps as home reading. "t is useful to

pause a moment efore doing so# to review what has een learned so far and tr! to

guess how the stor! might develop from this point. Ence the whole stor! has een

read# there are a variet! of followGup activities to choose from.

5eviewing 1edges2

/tudents are asked to return to the list of edgesB the! wrote down efore starting to

read. "n groups# the! must now choose three of those e%pressions# the three which are

more appropriate to the stor!# and grade them in order of importance. 7hen lists arecompared at the end of this activit!# there is often fruitful disagreement and an

ensuing discussion on the stor!Bs man! levels of meaning and s!molism. 6or

homework# students are asked to write one sentence Justif!ing each one of their three

choices.

11



Worksheet 3'A {&12}

1&

*ere is a list of # events in anga9s life as we know it so far. 7ut them in the rightorder so that they tell his story as it ha((ened.

a@ *is wife refuses to move to town with him.b@ The village smith demands a share of his (rofits and often wants a drink at

the tavern as well.c@ *e walks through the streets of his village but cannot make enough money.*is wife is discontented because they are so (oor.

d@ When his first line of moustache a((ears, he starts working as a knifeCgrinder.e@ *is wife9s tem(er im(roves.f@ *e consults the schoolmaster to find the right date for his de(arture to the

city.g@ *e strikes his wife and she retaliates with the broom, driving him out of their

home.h@ *e sets u( his grinding wheel as an assistant to the village smith, under the

big tamarind tree.i@ *is daughter is old enough to be sent to the ission school. *is wife wants

the child to leave school because it is too ex(ensive, but anga insists thatshe must be educated.

5@ anga goes on a 5ourney to ex(lore the (ossibilities of work in algudi, atown !$ miles away. *e decides it is the (lace for him.

k@ *is wife has tantrums and won9t serve him food when he has been to thetavern.

l@ *e decides to try his luck as a (eri(atetic shar(ener.m' anga decides on a com(romise3 he works in algudi but visits his family

every other month for a few days.n@ *e wants his wife to try a si( of drink. She hates it and s(ills it all over the

floor.



13



1



Worksheet 3'B {&11}

1*



Figure +: {&1&}

{&13} A grid leading to essay!writing

1)



/tudents are given a grid to fill in $7orksheet )&'. 4he! are to Jot down a rief

quotation from the stor! $with page reference' which would give the reader

information aout each heading. 4his is intended as a class activit!. <alf the class is

asked to fill in details aout Ranga# the other half {&1} aout his wife. 7hen the task

is completed# students are paired to enale them to compare the grids of husand andwife.

As homework# students can write an essa! either aout one of the characters; or

comparing and contrasting their personalities# strengths and weaknesses.

1+



Worksheet 3+ {&13}

{&1}'elevision reportage

"n this classroom group activit!# each group must prepare and present a shortreportage on the events of the stor!# as though for a special reportB to e shown on

the evening news programme. /tudents ma! e given a framework to start them off#

as follows.

1

Gind a brief =uote indicating anga9s8 anga9s wife9s attitude to the following. Write itin the a((ro(riate box, with a (age reference.

Attitude

Good

Task in life

/aughter9seducation

Women9s role

/rinking

elationshi(swith the other sex

Gate

7overty

oderncivilisation

7lace in thecommunity

The youngergeneration



The first (art of this television (rogramme features Bim8Bulia Smith, who is the readeron the Hsix o9clock news9 every evening, and who starts off by reading the followingnews item3H1n an attem(t to im(rove living standards in 1ndia, the government has been

conducting a vigorous cam(aign aimed at reducing the birth rate. 7osters carryingthe cam(aign slogan UTwo Will /oV have been (ut u( all over the country. Teams ofs(ecialists have been sent to every region so that anyone who already has two ormore children can be sterilised. -ttractive cash bonuses will, it is ho(ed, convince(eo(le to come forward voluntarily. +ut in some areas, the (rogramme has beenrunning into stiff o((osition. To see how (eo(le are reacting to the government9sinitiative, we go now to our s(ecial re(orter >hristine >arterC+rowne, who has beeninterviewing (eo(le in and around the rural town of algudi . . .9

/tudents now prepare this special reportB. Ene of them is to e the reporter# the others

her suJects Ranga; the leader of the team of doctors carr!ing out the sterilisations;

RangaBs wife; the village schoolmaster# etc. 6or a more controversial report# groups

can e invited to include interviews with people likel! to have strong opinions fore%ample# the leader of the AntiGAortion =eague in 8algudi# the government e%pert

on relief to famineGstricken areas# etc.

4he teacher helps students prepare their scripts. 4he! are encouraged to make the

interviewees from the stor! act in characterB 5 for e%ample# would Ranga answer the

reporterBs questions directl!I 7ould he answer riefl! or tend to talk on and onI <ow

would RangaBs wife ehaveI 7ould she regret the lost 32 rupeesI And so on.

7hen groups are read!# the special reports are presented in front of the class# or put

on video if at all possile.

{&1*} ;The o!en window< (y .a0i ? ? Munro

11

4his classic short stor! is ver! rief and therefore ideall! suited to a doule lesson of

sa! oneGandGaGhalf hours.

4he stor! is cleverl! constructed. >era# a selfGconfident 1*G!earGold# talks a nervous

visitor# 8r uttel# into elieving that her auntBs husand and rother never returned

after a hunting trip# ut that her aunt still leaves the 6rench window open in the elief

that the! will turn up. 7hen three figures approach the house# uttel flees in panic#

while >era puts her talents for romanceB to instant use ! inventing a farGfetched

e%planation for her aunt.

Warm!up

A fullGscale classroom activit! is used as a prelude to the actual reading of the stor!. "t

aims to encourage learnersB imaginative development# to foster their oral skills# and#

11 in The #enguin $omplete Saki

1,



aove all# to uild the desire to read literature. "t is particularl! successful with

students who know each other well.

Fach pair is given 7orksheet )3 which contains a list of the main characters and a

few sentences $e%tracted from the stor!# although the! do not know this !et'. 4he! are

then asked to uild an! stor! that retains the elements contained in the e%tracts.

=earners new to this kind of creative activit! can e given further help ! eing toldto answer the following questions# as the! rainstorm for ideas# and ! having their

attention drawn to ke! vocaular! items such as the word creep!B

. Who is r Nuttel and why is he visiting rs Sa((leton?&. What was rs Sa((leton9s tragedy?3. Who are the figures? Where have they come from and what do they want?#. Where has the s(aniel come from? Whose is it?$. Why does r Nuttel run away in fear?

Ence each pair has pieced together its own stor!# the! tell it to other pairs# and listen

to other versions# in turn. 4hen the class is invited to read the original stor! silentl!straight through. "mmediate reactions are requested# after which the teacher can move

into more conventional comprehension work with worksheets# or discussion of

character and plot.

<ere# as an e%ample# is an imagined stor! produced ! a multilingual lowerG

advanced class from the stimulus e%tracts.

8r uttel is a lonel! widower# looking for a female companion. <e has suscried to a

matrimonial agenc! and has een matched with a 8rs /appleton. <e visits her house.

8rs /appleton is a pathological manGhater. /he uses her niece to occup! her {&1)}

prospective suitors while she spies on them from upstairs to see if she is interested in

nurturing the relationship. "n this case# she signals to >era that she is not. >era therefore tells uttel that her auntBs three previous husands disappeared m!steriousl! while out on the

moors. uttel is uneas!. 8rs /appleton tiptoes unnoticed down the stairs# carr!ing a stiletto

knife. /uddenl! uttel sees three men coming across the lawn carr!ing guns. <e is terrified

and rushes out.

4he men are policemen investigating the disappearance of a widower called 8r ?ohnson.

4he! ask who the man is who rushed from the house. 8rs /appleton sa!s it was a man

looking for gardening work# and the niece e%plains that her auntBs spaniel had reawakened his

terror of dogs# which had een formed after he had een adl! itten ! his motherBs dog

when he was a child.

1,2



Worksheet 3,

;=estiny and the (ullet< (y *erald @ersh12

4his is a ver! short stor! with a strong narrative. A man tells of the time when he was

a soldier in (hina. 7hile on sentr! dut!# he killed a poor {&1+} man who was looking

for food for his famil!. 9ears later# the man gets married. <e emplo!s a (hinese

servant girl. 4he girl saves the life of his wife and a! son. 6or the first time he starts

to talk to the servant girl. 7hat he discovers aout her own life has the painful echo of

destin! . . .

Warm!up

4he teacher tells the students the title of the stor! and invites speculation aout the

possile connection etween destin!B and ulletB. "f necessar!# students are guided

! questions such as <ow could a ullet pla! a part in someoneBs lifeI "f someoneBsdestin! is to shoot another person can that person change his or her futureI 7h! or

wh! notI

3igsaw reading

1& in Read and Relate# ed. ?ohn Ashton and Deorge 0ott

1,1

1n (airs, make u( a short story orally@. 1t should contain the elements listed below.+e ready to tell your story to other (airs.

%rincipal characters $or your storyCEera, aged $

rs Sa((leton, Eera9s auntGramton Nuttel, a visitor to rs Sa((leton9s house

0lements to include in your storyCHy aunt will be down (resently, r Nuttel,9 said a very selfC(ossessed young lady of

fifteenF Hin the meantime you must try to (ut u( with me.9H*er great tragedy ha((ened 5ust three years ago,9 said the child.!

H/o you know, sometimes on still, =uiet evenings like this, 1 almost get a cree(yfeeling that they will walk in through that window...9

1n the dee(ening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards thewindowF they all carried guns under their arms.

Gramton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat.

H- most extraordinary man, r Nuttel,9 said rs Sa((leton.H1 ex(ect it was the s(aniel,9 said the niece calmlyF Hhe told me he had a horror of

dogs.9

*er9 refers to rs Sa((leton.! Hthe child9 refers to Eera.



/tudents read the first part of the stor! stopping at the point at which the narrator

egins to tell his own stor! of destin! and the ullet. 4hen the teacher divides the

class into three groups. Fach group is asked to read a different section of the

narratorBs stor!. /tudents read their respective sections individuall! and then meet as a

group to iron out difficulties of comprehension contained in their portion. After that#new groups are formed in the conventional Jigsaw activit! progression. 4hus each

new group has three memers# each of whom has read a different section of the stor!.

Fver! group memer retells their part of the stor! and the overall account is pieced

together. e%t# the teacher tells the class that the final twist in the stor! is missing. "n

groups# the! are to discuss a likel! ending $that is# the! tr! to work out that the

(hinese servant girl is the daughter of the poor man whom the narrator shot'. Ence an

ending has een deduced# students are asked to write it using appro%imatel! 1&2

words. 4he! are advised to stud! the writerBs st!le and to ear it in mind. 6inall!# the!

read the original ending and compare it with their own efforts.

Follow!up activities

<ere are some alternatives

5 7ith advanced groups# the teacher can ask students to make a st!listic anal!sis

of their endings and then to compare them with the original. 4he! report ack

to the class in terms of the similarities and differences that have een found.

5 /tudents write the conversation that takes place etween the narrator and the

servant girl after he has confessed to her that he killed her father. 4hen it is

acted out in short role pla!s in pairs.

5 A class deate could take place. 4he motion is 4his class elieves that the

narrator was not responsile for the death of the poor manB.

{&1} ;.redni 6ashtar< (y .a0i13

4his is a concise stor! that quickl! uilds up suspense and leads# along classic short

stor! lines# to a dramatic clima%. $4here is an e%cellent film version which catches

these qualities admiral!.' 4here are some le%ical difficulties ut the! do not ostruct

understanding of the main narrative# so that the stor! can e used to good effect to

provide training in gist reading.

A sickl! tenG!earGold o! lives a miserale life in the house of his spinsterl!#domineering cousin cum guardian. <e creates a fantas! religious cult in a garden

shed# where his idols are a hen and a ferret. 7hen his guardian gets rid of his hen# he

pra!s to the ferret for revenge. /he goes down to the shed again . . .

4he aim of the activities is to encourage reading for the central features of the stor!#

without undue fear of unknown words; to uild up motivation to read the stor!# so that

13 in The #enguin $omplete Saki

1,&



learners are willing to reread it for more detailed comprehension; to move towards a

written composition on the two main characters.

Warm!up

/tudents are told that the! are going to read a ver! short stor!. 6ive ke! words arewritten on the oard

+)A 4R-/1-N G22T /2-T* *-T2

$6erret will proal! have to e e%plained.' "n groups of three or four# learners tr! to

predict what the stor! might e aout.

After the class has een called together again and has shared predictions# the stor! is

distriuted $referenced for line numers'. 4he class is asked to read it once to find out

what the stor! is. 4he! are told not to use dictionaries and not to worr! aout

unknown vocaular!. 4his could e set as homework.

#lassroom activities

After students have read the stor!# the original small groups are reconstituted for

students to discuss the stor! and especiall! the relationship etween the o! and his

guardian. 7e have found that discussion is often stimulated ! giving each group a

grid to fill out $see 7orksheet )'. At this point# use of dictionaries is encouraged# to

help pinpoint meanings and nuances of words relevant to the qualit! of the

relationship. (omG {&1,} pleted grids are posted up at the end of this period so that

students can compare them.

As a revisionOoral activit!# students could make a trailerB. Droups are told to

imagine the! are now moviemakers who have finished making a film of /redni

>ashtarB ut have not !et made a trailerB# that is# a selection of snippets with a voiceG

over to whet the appetite of cinemagoers the week efore the film is shown. $"f the

actual film version can e otained# groups are to imagine the! have een

commissioned ! its director to produce the trailer.'

4he moviemakers must devise# act out and do the voiceGover for their trailer. 4his

must last no longer than two minutes# and must aim to uild up a desire in the

audience to come and watch the film ne%t week. Preparation and dress rehearsals

follow# within a set time limit. Fach groupBs trailer is then performed for the whole

class $this can e done ne%t lesson if time is a prolem'.

1,3



Worksheet 30

Written $ollow!up

4he teacher can set a homework essa! which asks the students to anal!se therelationship etween (onradin and 8rs de Ropp. A great deal of the material for such

an essa! will alread! have een gathered and Jotted down in note form on the grid# so

that learners are free to concentrate on questions of essa! structure# st!le# and

organisation of material.

{&&2} ;The war in the (athroom< (y Margaret $twood14

4his unusual short stor! is set in the form of seven entries in a diar!# one for each da!

of the central characterBs first week in new lodgings. 4he themes 5 the prolems of

adJusting to new surroundings# and the inevitale clashes that arise when people share

a houseGare quite wide in their appeal# while the amiguit! of the image proJected !

the narrator creates enough suspense to carr! the reader along. Another advantage

from the point of view of the foreign student is the simple# ever!da!B qualit! of much

of the language $there are a few orth American terms which ma! have to e

glossed'.

4his is a fairl! long stor! ut its division into definite sections makes it ideal for

varied treatment some used for listening or other classroom activities# others left for

individual reading.

Warm!up

4he aim is to set the scene# and elicit learnersB own feelings aout the central situation

of moving into new# unfamiliar surroundings. 4his can e done in a variet! of wa!s#

according to the groupBs needs and the linguistic skills the teacher wishes to

emphasise. Ene wa! of achieving this is to use visual prompts for e%ample# pictures

1 in %ancing "irls and *ther Stories

1,

HSredni Eashtar9 (resents the reader with two strong characters in conflict. ead=uickly through the story again, (icking out the words or ex(ressions which indicateeither (ositive or negative feelings between >onradin and rs de o((. 2nter asmany as you can in the a((ro(riate boxes below, with line references.

V 5 4disagreeable’ 5line 67

4hated her’ 5line 867



of packing cases# removal vans# etc. $see 6igures &1A and &1f3'. /tudents are asked to

think aout moving# cither the class as a whole or in small groups

: *ave you ever moved? Were you excited? de(ressed? nervous? etc. : Would those feelings change if you had to move often?

: /o things get lost when you move? : /o you en5oy ex(loring new territory or does it frighten you? : /o you (refer new things or old, wellCused and wellCloved things?

6ollowed ! similar questions aout sharing a house

: What kinds of things can cause friction if you are sharing a house? : /o you think time in the kitchen8bathroom should be rationed? : What do you feel about noise (roblems in a shared house? : What are the advantages8disadvantages of sharing? *ow do you feel about

this?

An alternative warmGup strateg! is writing followed ! oral feedack. /tudents are

shown pictures without comment# then asked to write down their reactions as

spontaneousl! as possile# in a few sentences# which are later compared and

discussed.

/tudents are asked to make their choices# then compare their answers {&&1} with their

neighourBs. 6urther discussion is often sparked ! estalishing a class profileB of

favourite oJects the teacher asks how man! students chose numer 1# numer &# and

so on# giving one mark for each choice# so that the overall favourites can e found

$see 7orksheet )*'. 7hichever warmGup activit! is used# it should take up aout 1*

minutes to half an hour. 4he rest of the lesson can then e devoted to a class reading

of the first section# 8onda!B.

1,*



Figure +' A{&&&}

1,)



Figure +'B

istening in class

/tudents do not !et have the te%t. 4he teacher gives them a list of questions to help

shape their listening 7hat is the stor! aoutI 7ho do we meet in itI 7hat is the

narrator likeI <e or she then reads to them# or pla!s a recording of# 8onda!B $threeG

andGaGhalf to four minutes'. 4he language in this first section is simple# and some of

the crucial words have {&&3} een presented in the warmGup session. 6or most upperG

intermediate or advanced classes no further preGteaching will e necessar!. /tudentslisten# then write comments on the stor! the! have Just heard. "n particular# the! are to

indicate what most struck them in it and what the! rememer most aout it.

After students have compared their impressions# first in pairs# then in general

feedack and class discussion# the! are given 8onda!B to read# and# for home

reading# the longer section# 4uesda!B. 4he teacher encourages students to speculate

aout the central character$s'# and# if possile# compare notes with others. "n

particular# learners are asked to note what new facts emerge aout the protagonist$s'#

and hisOherOtheir personalit!. "n 4uesda!B# contradictor! clues egin to e picked up

! the reader. 4o accompan! home reading# it is useful to give learners a focussingB

worksheet $see 7orksheet ))'. 4he class is asked to start uilding up a picture of the

narrator# which the! ma! want to revise as the stor! progresses.

1,+



Worksheet 31

"n the ne%t class# a similar procedure can e used. /tudents listen to 7ednesda!B

$three to threeGandGaGhalf minutes'. 4he language is ver! straightforward and most

suitale for listening comprehension. Ence again# students Jot down a description of

what the! have heard and their reactions to it. "n groups# the! compare reactions# and

their picture of the central character. 4he! are given 7ednesda!B and 4hursda!B for

home {&&*} reading. 4heir task is now to list and descrie the people who live in the

house# perhaps using a grid with the following headings

(eo(le in the house

agea((earancecharacter 8 (ersonalitywhat the narrator thinks of them

"f time is short# or with more advanced learners# the third listening activit! ma! e

omitted and students given the rest of the stor! to read# with the task of upGdating their

picture of the narrator. Etherwise# 6rida!B# a ver! short section# can e used for a

final listening session $under one minute'. /aturda!B and /unda!B are given for

silent class reading# followed ! group or general discussion of the readerBs final

impression of the protagonist# and of the stor!Bs themes the intensit! of conflict

generated in cramped quarters# the cruelt! of domestic warsB# the meaning of selfB oridentit!B.

1,

1magine you are moving into new Hdigs9 one room only@. Aou can take with you onlythree things from this list. Which would you choose?

. my radio8cassette (layer!. my own cutlery this is called Hsilverware9 in the story@

". my own (lates#. glasses wine glasses@$. my two favourite books%. my own sheets and =uilt or duvet&. a tea(ot or coffee(ot@'. the teddyCbear or other toy@ 19ve had since childhood6. a framed (icture of my mother8father8lover8child0. a good bedside reading lam(. my diary8notebook!. my calendar". other item name it@ ....................................



1,,



Worksheet 33 {&&}

{&&*}%arallel reading

/tudents who enJo! reading parallel stories could e given Patricia <ighsmithBs 4he

cries of loveB $in <le.en'. 4his is a stor! of two elderl! ladies who have shared a room

for so long that the! cannot manage to live apart# ut who spend their whole lives plotting increasingl! cruel acts of revenge against each other. En a formal level#

however# this stor! provides a striking contrast with 4he war in the athroomB# as it

is a fairl! straightforward thirdGperson narration. (omparison of the two stories can

thus e used in advanced classes to stimulate discussion of the effects of a writerBs

narrative strategies.

{&&)}1/ oems

Poems offer a rich# varied repertoire and are a source of much enJo!ment for teacher

and learner alike. 4here is the initial advantage of length man! poems are wellGsuited

to a single classroom lesson. 4hen again# the! often e%plore themes of universal

&22

)ne of the intriguing things about HThe war in the bathroom9 is that the reader hasdifficulty building a (icture of the narrator. The clues we (ick u( at the beginningare contradictory and confusing3 it is often necessary to go back and look moreclosely at what we have been told.Look at the following descri(tions and decide which one coincides most closely with

your (icture of the narrator. -dd any details of your own so that you end u( withyour view of the narrator9s background and character. Aou may end u( with anamalgamation of details from , !, " and #, (lus your own thoughts and hunches.

. The narrator is a disturbed, elderly lady forced to live with her middleCageddaughter who is also rather de(endent and shy. The old lady is very(rotective towards her daughter and not ha((y to be living in circumstancesfar below her former standard of living. The old lady is rather religious.

!. The narrator is a youngish woman in her late thirties (erha(s@ (robablyunmarried and a bit of an outsider. She has some mental (roblems (robablycaused by an overCrigid u(bringing. -s a result she is hy(erCsensitive andantiCsocial but reasonably selfCdisci(lined, tidy and clean. She dislikes

mess, es(ecially other (eo(le9s and is (ettyCminded. She (robably grew u(in a rural area.

". The narrator is (robably a young graduate student in her twenties who isunem(loyed and forced to live in a rented room. She is la;y and de(ressed,and lonely, but very sensitive and observant. She mocks herself by callingherself Hshe9 from time to time. She is sus(icious of men, and en5oys herfood. She seems to have middleCclass tastes, has regular habits and iscareful with money. She needs more (rivacy.

#. The narrator is (robably a writer in her fifties who has a s(lit (ersonality, isobsessed with cleanliness and (urity, is (aranoid and has (robably been inand out of mental hos(itals. She is frightened and also aggressive becauseshe needs a lot of (ersonal s(ace in order to remain calm. She issometimes cruel (erha(s her father was cruel to her@ but basically she is arather sad, com(liant woman who is not getting much out of life and iswithdrawing into herself.



concern and emod! life e%periences# oservations and the feelings evoked ! them.

4heir rilliant concision and strong imager! comine to powerful overall effect.

8oreover# poems are sensitivel! tuned to what# for language learners# are the vital

areas of stress# rh!thm and similarities of sound. Reading poetr! enales the learner to

e%perience the power of language outside the straitGJacket of more standard written

sentence structure and le%is. "n the classroom# using poetr! can lead naturall! on tofreer# creative written e%pression. "ndeed# poems are capale of producing strong

response from the reader# and this memorale intensit! motivates further reading of

poetr! in the foreign language.

7hen the teacher comes to select poems to share with the students# he or she will

need to take into account which poems are suited to their interests# language and

maturit! levels. ot all poems are serious or comple%. 4here are man! poems written

in a lighter vein# or with a fairl! simple narrative structure. 0oth these t!pes are wellG

suited to language learners# especiall! at the earlier stages. <owever# the teacher

should not e too hesitant aout working with more challenging poems# especiall!

ones he or she particularl! likes.

Providing that learners can e given help with the personal and linguistic resourcesthe! will need# the! will e ale to attain the fuller enJo!ment of a poem that comes

from a sense of sharing the poetBs created world and ecoming# as reader# a new

creator of meaning. Ence again# we feel that this kind of help can est e provided

through a range of group activities. "n particular# efore a poem is read or listened to

for the first time# it is often ver! important to plan a sustantial warmGup activit! to

arouse the learnersB curiosit! and involve them in the poemBs themes.

As far as is possile# we feel that the activities selected should encourage a sort of

productive e%ploration which feeds the confidence of the learners oth to develop

their own responses and to read and enJo! poetr! in the target language on their own.

4he aim# ultimatel!# is to individualise each studentBs e%perience of literature.

6or our illustrations in this chapter we have chosen Just a few of the {&&+} poems

which we have used to good effect in our teaching. 4he selection demonstrates a

variet! of approaches which can e used at different levels with students of different

ages and interests. "n Appendi% &# we have included a list of anthologies that ma! e

useful to language teachers.

;The @ing o' China<s daughter< (y Edith .itwell15

4his is a set of related activities designed to help students appreciate the l!rical and

melodic qualit! of poetr! as well as its metaphorical richness.

Warm!up

4he class is asked to recall an! songs or nurser! rh!mes the! particularl! liked as

children. 4he teacher can often start this off ! reciting or singing one that he or she

rememers with pleasure# or that his or her children especiall! enJo!. "n monolingual

classes# favourite rh!mes or songs are compared# and learners are asked to note an!

points of similarit! etween them. "n multilingual classes# students are encouraged to

recite or sing in theirG own language# so that other students can hear the rh!thm or

melod! of the original# then to e%plain meanings in Fnglish. Ence again# the class is

asked to look out for an! points of similarit! etween the various rh!mes recalled.

1* in The Fa!er Book of Modern @erse7 ed. 8ichael Roerts

&21



4he teacher then distriutes the te%t of three or four Fnglish nurser! rh!mes. /uitale

ones could e " saw three shipsB# " saw a ship aGsailingB# =avenderBs lueB# 4he old

woman tossBd up in a asketB# " haad a little nut treeB# etc. 5 the te%ts of these follow.

4he teacher reads them out to the class# then asks learners# in pairs# to list as man!

similarities as the! can etween the various rh!mes# and# if possile# etween these

and the ones previousl! rememered. $Recordings of sung versions are ideal# ifavailale.'

; saw three ships

" saw three ships come sailing !#

(ome sailing !# come sailing !;

" saw three ships come sailing !#

En ew 9earBs :a! in the morning.

And what do !ou think was in them then#

7as in them then# was in them thenIAnd what do !ou think was in them then#

En ew 9earBs :a! in the morning.{&&}

4hree prett! girls were in them then#

7ere in them then# were in them then;

4hree prett! girls were in them then#


And one could whistle# and one could sing#

And one could pla! the violin

/uch Jo! there was at m! wedding#


; saw a ship a-sailing

" saw a ship aGsailing#

AGsailing on the sea;

And ohK it was all laden

7ith prett! things for thee.

4here were comfits in the cain#And apples in the hold#

4he sails were made of silk#

And the masts of eaten gold.

4here were raisins in the cain#

And almonds in the hold#

4he sails were made of satin#

And the mast was made of gold.

La.enders !lue

&2&



=avenderBs lue# dill!# dill!#

=avenderBs green;

7hen " am king# dill!# dill!#

9ou shall e queen.

(all up !our men# dill!# dill!#

/et them to work#/ome to the plough# dill!# dill!#

/ome to the cart.

/ome to make ha!# dill!# dill!#

/ome to cut corn#

7hile !ou and " dill!# dill!#

@eep ourselves warm.{&&,}

The old woman tossd up in a !asket

4here was an old woman tossBd up in a asket

ineteen times as high as the moon;7here she was going " couldnBt ut ask it#

6or in her hand she carried a room.

Eld woman# old woman# old woman# quoth "#

E wither# E wither# E wither# so highI

4o rush the cowes off the sk!K

/hall " go with theeI A!# !GandG!.

4here is a feedack session when the class pools similarities noted. 4hese usuall!

include features such as repetition of ke! phrases# strong rh!thm# simple rh!mes#

recurring reference to kings# queens# precious things such as gold and silver# strange

happenings or transformations# e%pressions of love or happiness# vivid ut sometimes

m!sterious images# etc. 4he teacher elicits comments on whether students rememer

these features as eing appealing to them when the! were children# and whether the!

are so still.

4he teacher then asks the class to look more particularl! at this short nurser! rh!me

" had a little nut tree

othing would it ear

0ut a silver nutmeg $a .ariant .ersion ut a silver apple'

And a golden pear.

4he @ing of /painBs daughter

(ame to visit me#

And all for the sake

Ef m! little nut tree.

4he teacher reads the poem once or twice# and asks students to place a little mark# in

their cop! of the poem# over the words that are stressed. 4hese are then compared# an!

differences discussed# then learners read the poem softl! to each other# in pairs.

4he teacher then tells the class that an old professor was said to have een at work

for man! !ears on a ver! thorough and detailed interpretation of this poem. After hisdeath# however# nothing was found in his papers ut a few unintelligile scrilings;

&23



among these there was a list of words which could onl! e made out with difficult!.

4he teacher writes these words in a column at the leftGhand side of the oard $or on

different oards# if the classroom has more than one'

{&32}

hard8softediblerich, (reciousfruitful8barrenexotic8magicalattraction(ower love8sex

4he class is then asked# in groups of three or four# to choose an! two words# and tr! to

decide how the! relate to the poem. 7hen the! have agreed amongst themselves# one

of the groups goes up to the oard and writes his or her groupBs e%planation# as riefl!

as possile# against the appropriate column. 4he teacher can write a first sentence of

his or her own to start off the e%ercise# if students need an e%ample.

"t is est to treat this as a rainstorming e%ercise# in which odd or unusual

e%planations are welcomed# and to set a fairl! short time limit for it. 7hen time is up#

the class considers the various links made. Are an! not clearI /tudents are encouraged

to question memers of other groups aout what the! meant. Are there an! words or

sets not chosenI 7h! notI (an the class together suppl! an! e%planations for theseI

4he teacher then asks students to nominate the word or set that the! feel is most

important or most illuminating. 6inall!# the teacher asks students to sa! whether it is

possile to indicate what the concrete images could mean.

5eading the poem

4he preceding activities will proal! occup! the whole of a first lesson. At the

eginning of a second lesson# perhaps after a reak# or the ne%t da! or week# the

teacher tells students that he or she is going to read them a modern poem and that their

task is to list as man! differences as the! can etween it and 4he little nut treeB. 4he!

ma! wish to remind themselves of the nurser! rh!me ! rereading it quickl!. 4he

teacher then reads the poem out# perhaps twice# with lots of e%pression.

The ing of $hinas daughter

4he @ing of (hinaBs daughter#

/he never would love me

4hough " hung m! cap and ells upon

<er nutmeg tree.

6or oranges and lemons#

4he stars in right lue air#

$" stole them long ago# m! dear'

7ere dangling there.{&31}

4he 8oon did give me silver pence#

4he /un did give me gold#And oth together softl! lew

&2



And made m! porridge cold;

0ut the @ing of (hinaBs daughter

Pretended not to see

7hen " hung m! cap and ells upon

<er nutmeg tree.

/tudents note down differences and compare them afterwards with their neighourBs.

A class list is drawn up on the hoard ! a nominated student. 4hen the teacher

distriutes the te%t or displa!Gs it on the overhead proJector. /tudents# in groups of

three or four# read the poem# asking each otherBs help with an! difficulties the! might

encounter. 4he teacher writes on the oard three items cap and ells# oranges and

lemons# porridge cold. <e or she circulates# ensuring that students etween them have

picked up the references underl!ing these# to traditional lore the cap and ellsB is the

s!mol of the Jester or fool who was also often thought of as a ardB or stor!teller;

oranges and lemons feature in man! childrenBs songs as e%otic and precious fruit# and

as the name for a traditional childrenBs game; porridge also occurs in games and

rh!mes# as well as in the ver! wellGknown childrenBs stor!# 4he three earsB.Fach group is now set a doule task

1. Rememering the e%ercise the! did with the professorBs list of wordsB in the

preceding lesson# the! are ale to write a similar list of words# or paired

words# that would e important to an interpretation of the /itwell poem.

&. 4he! are to write one sentence which encapsulates the groupBs view of what

the poem is aout $for e%ample# one group wrote " am not important to the

person who is most important to meB'.

(omparison of ke! words chosen# and of the overall interpretation contained within

the sentence written# often increases studentsB appreciation of the poem as a whole.

"f there is time# a readingGaloud e%ercise can follow. 4he poem divides quite easil!

into fourGline sections# each of which is given to one group to prepare. /tresses are

marked as in the initial activit! with 4he little nut treeB. 4he teacher circulates and

helps with places where there is variation on the standard pattern $as in the three

stressed final words in 4he stars in right lue airB'. 7hen ever!one is read!# choral

reading is done ! each group in turn.

Follow!up

=earners are asked to look ack at all the vivid images in the poems the! {&3&} have

een reading sailing ships# the sun# moon and stars# gold# silver# girls singing and

dancing# a nutmeg tree# oranges and lemons# cap and ells# etc.# then choose the onethe! like est. 4he! are to write a short note $or poem# if the! wish' to a loved one#

telling him or her how the! feel# through the image chosen.

;My !a!a<s waltA< (y Theodore 9oeth0e1"

1) in The Fa!er Book of Modern @erse7 ed. 8ichael Roerts

&2*



4his poem is written in deceptivel! simple language and evokes strongl! the

amivalence of a childBs view of a parent. 4his is a theme within the e%perience of

most people.

Warm!up

4he students are asked to complete the following sentences in an! wa! that the! feel

is appropriate

- good father . . . - bad father . . .

-pon completion# comparisons are made in pairs and then the teacher asks for some

samples and these are written up on the oard. e%t# the teacher tells the class the title

of the poem and asks for guesses in terms of its likel! theme. 4hen he or she reads the

poem to the students having asked them to choose one word which captures their first

response to its contents. A ank of likel! response words is supplied where necessar!fearB# funB# tensionB# insensitivit!B# ull!B# dancingB# drunkenB# pleasureB#

m!ster!B. "nstead of preGpresenting an! difficult le%is# the teacher mimes or indicates

words like diHH!B# knuckleB# uckleB# countenanceB during the first reading.

My papas waltC

4he whiske! on !our reath

(ould make a small o! diHH!;

0ut " hung on like death;

/uch waltHing was not eas!.

7e romped until the pans

/lid from the kitchen shelf;

8! motherBs countenance

(ould not unfrown itself.{&33}

4he hand that held m! wrist

7as attered on one knuckle;

At ever! step !ou missed

8! right ear scraped a uckle.

9ou eat time on m! head

7ith a palm caked hard ! dirt#

4hen waltHed me off to ed

/till clinging to !our shirt.

Ence the students have heard the poem# the! select their word and choices are

compared and e%plained. 4hen the te%t of the poem is distriuted. An! remaining

vocaular! prolems are discussed after a silent reading and the students are asked if

the! wish to change their choice of word. Ence again# an! changes are discussed. 4o

help to clarif! the studentsB response# the teacher asks the students to make two

columns on a piece of paper with the headings positiveB and negativeB. <e or shethen reads out some of the words from the poem and asks the students to assign each

&2)



word to one of the columns according to whether the! feel it has a goodB or a adB

sense in the poem. 4he columns are then discussed and should reveal the amivalence

of words like eatB# atteredB. 4he students consider whether the father in the poem

is goodB or adB. 4heir views are related ack to the warmGup activit! and the

discussion is there! e%tended.

5eading the poem chorally

4his poem has a sutl! irregular rh!thm and rh!me which carr! additional meaning.

4he sutlet! can e drawn out ! encouraging the students to read the poem aloud.

4he following procedure is an enJo!ale wa! of involving the whole class and marks

an elaoration of the activit! outlined for " had a little nut treeB.

4he class is first divided into four groups 5 one group per stanHa. Fach group is

allotted a stanHa and e%amines it in detail. 8ain stresses are marked and groups circle

an! words which can e spoken in a wa! that reveals meaning $for e%ample# slid#

attered# scraped# waltHed# diHH!'. e%t# groups are told to quietl! drumB the stress

pattern of their stanHa with their hands until all drummers are in time. A conductorshould e appointed to keep disagreements to a minimum. 4hen the groups read out

their respective stanHas quietl!# led ! their conductor. 7hen each chorus is in

reasonale shape# the groups discuss possile improvements pauses# or other

modifications to their tuneB. Rehearsals continue for a little longer and then the

teacher announces that the concertB will commence. After an introduction ! the

teacher# the poem is read ! the {&3} choral groups in the correct sequence. 4he

performance is discussed and then individual memers of each stanHaGgroup are

invited to give solo renderings. 6inall!# the teacher gives a solo performance and there

is discussion of differences in the readings. 7ith confident groups# a recording of the

concert helps this discussion greatl!.

Follow!up

4his poem offers plent! of scope for followGup. 4he students can he asked to

improvise a conversation etween the child in the poem and his mother that same

evening# or etween the father and mother. 4his usuall! reveals assumptions aout the

relationships which are implicit in the poem. Alternativel!# the students can e asked

to draw up a list of qualities of the good fatherB and then to arrange them in order of

importance.

6or students who enJo! creative writing# a simple activit! starts when the teacher

asks the class to imagine that the! are !oung children again. 4he! must tr! torememer their world at that time and their perceptions of adults# especiall! their

father or a fatherGfigure such as a favourite uncle or rother. 4he! are asked to

complete a stanHa eginning thus

Father or uncle8brother, etc. as a((ro(riate@Aou make me feel . . .Aou give me . . .1 give you . . .1 wish . . .1 . . .

6inall!# there are several fine poems written aout famil! life from the perspective of

the child. 4hese can e used as a asis for st!listic contrast or as additional reading for

&2+



the students to do at their leisure. F%amples of such poems include 6ollowerB !

/eamus <eane!# /orr!B ! R. /. 4homas# 6amil! ReunionB ! /!lvia Plath.1+

;Tele!hone con%ersation< (y )ole .oyin0a1+

4his wellGknown poem vividl! illustrates the distastefulness of racial preJudice. 4henarratorBs anger at eing on the receiving end of its patronising attitudes is forcefull!

conve!ed. /ome of the vocaular! in the poem is quite challenging# ut the situation

is clear enough for it to he used successfull! with advanced classes.

Warm!up

0efore the! hear or see the poem# the students are asked to imagine a situation in

which a person is looking for a room and is aout to telephone a woman who has

advertised a suitale room in the newspaper. <alf of the class imagine that the! are

landladies. 7hat will the! want to know aout an!one who phones up aout the

roomI 4he other half are prospective tenants. 7hat will the! want to knowI Fach half

is given time to consider its questions. 4hen the teacher asks for questions from each

side. 4hese are written on the oard and discussed. 7ith suitale groups# the teacher

can encourage an improvisation of the telephone conversation and ask the rest of the

class for their reactions to the characters. "s the landlad! pleasantI suspiciousI coolI

"s the prospective tenant politeI timidI desperateI

5eading the poem

4he teacher reads /o!inkaBs poem. :ifficult words are given initial meaning through

mime or manner of deliver!. 7e do not like to preGpresent isolated vocaular! itemsas this spoils the integrit! of the first contact with the whole poem.

Telephone con.ersation

4he price seemed reasonale# location

"ndifferent. 4he landlad! swore she lived

Eff premises. othing remained

0ut selfGconfession. 8adam#B " warned#

" hate a wasted Journe! 5 " am African.B

/ilence. /ilenced transmission of

PressuriHed goodGreeding. >oice# when it came#=ipstick coated# long goldGrolled

(igaretteGholder pipped. (aught 1 was# foull!.

<E7 :AR@IB . . . " had not misheard . . . ARF 9E- ="D<4

ER >FR9 :AR@IB 0utton 0. 0utton A. /tench

Ef rancid reath of pulic hideGandGspeak.

Red ooth. Red pillarGo%. Red douleGtiered

Emnius squelching tar. "t was realK /hamed

0! illGmannered silence# surrender

Pushed dumfoundment to eg simplification.

1+

in $ontemporary British and 9orth American @erse# ed. 8artin 0ooth; #oem into #oem ! Alan8ale! and /andra 8oulding; $ollected #oems ! /!lvia Plath# ed. 4ed <uges# respectivel!.1 Reproduced in aleidoscope7 ed. 8ichael /wan

&2



(onsiderate she was# var!ing the emphasis

ARF 9E- :AR@I ER >FR9 ="D<4IB Revelation came.

9ou mean 5 like plain or milk chocolateIB

<er assent was clinical# crushing in its light

"mpersonalit!. Rapidl!# waveGlength adJusted#

{&3+} " chose. 7est African sepiaB 5 and as afterthought#:own in m! passport.B /ilence for spectroscopic

6light of fanc!# till truthfulness clanged her accent

<ard on the mouthpiece. 7<A4B/ 4<A4IB conceding

:EB4 @E7 7<A4 4<A4 "/.B =ike runette.B

4<A4B/ :AR@# "/B4 "4IB ot altogether.

6aciall!# " am runette# ut# madam# !ou should see

4he rest of me. Palm of m! hand# soles of m! feet

Are a pero%ide lond. 6riction# caused 5

6oolishl!# madam 5 ! sitting down# has turned

8! ottom raven lack 5 Ene moment# madamKB 5 sensing

<er receiver rearing on the thunderclapAout m! ears 5 8adam#B " pleaded# wouldnBt !ou rather

/ee for !ourselfIB

After the poem has een read with plent! of feeling and e!e contact the teacher asks

the students for their reactions. 4his should lead to the concept of preJudice# and more

especiall!# racial preJudice. 4he poem is then handed out and the teacher reads it for a

second time. 6ollowing that# the poem is e%amined in more detail through a range of

questions# for e%ample 7h! are the landlad!Bs words written in capital lettersI 7hat

words indicate the emotions of the two speakersI /tudents are encouraged to guess

the meaning of unknown vocaular! items. 4he teacher then asks the class what the

landlad! and the caller are thinking while the! are communicating with each other.

4he! are reminded that the actual words of the conversation do not seem to reflect the

emotion words that the! have alread! identified. A simple cartoon version of the

conversation is displa!ed on the overhead proJector $see 7orksheet )+' and the

students# in groups# consider the likel! contents of the thought ules. 4hen groups

are given copies of the cartoons and the! write in the thoughts. After that# groups

e%change cartoons. 6inall!# a short scene is enacted with one student pla!ing the

landlad!# another the prospective tenant and two additional voices eing the thoughts

of each.

&2,



Worksheet 34 {&3)}

{&3+}Follow!up

&12



Activities could suital! concentrate on creative writing. 4he students might imagine

themselves to e either the landlad! or the caller and write a letter aout the telephone

conversation to a friend or# in the callerBs case# a race relations organisation.

8ore amitiousl!# the students could uild up a group poem aout the landlad!.

6irst the teacher distriutes to groups of five students a sheet of paper with thefollowing written on it{&3}

(etaphor poem E 'he landlady-nimal@ She9s...Glower@ She9s.../rink@ She9s...Weather@ She9s...>olour@ She9s...

4he students are told that the poem the! are going to write is to e aout the landlad!

in /o!inkaBs poem. Fach student in the group chooses one of the categories in rackets. 4hat categor! then ecomes the asis for a metaphor aout the landlad!.

Fach student writes his or her metaphor sentence and then the groupBs collective

efforts are put together to form a fiveGline metaphor poem. <ere is an e%ample

The landlady

/heBs a lind peacock strutting in a small circle#

/heBs a faded rose with a rotten scent#

/heBs iced tea ehind lace curtains#

/heBs a frost against the summer sun#

/heBs the !ellow face of preJudice.

;The cou!le u!stairs< (y ugo )illiams1-

4he revit! of this simpl! written poem leaves plent! of scope for a detailed

e%amination of the effects it creates and the inferences availale to the reader.

Warm!up

/tudents are asked aout their neighours. :o the! have neighoursI <ow close to

their houseOflat do the! liveI 4he! are then asked to form pairs# and# using the grid

illustrated in 7orksheet )# to interview each other aout one or two of their

respective neighours. 6indings are discussed as the teacher asks different students

what the! discovered. 4he teacher then asks whether the! are affected ! what their

neighours do. :o the! tr! to keep up with the ?onesesBI :o the! go out together#

visit each otherBs housesI <ow would the! feel if one of their neighours leftI

5eading the poem1, in $ontemporary British #oetry# ed. 0lake 8orrison and Andrew 8otion

&11



/tudents are told that the! are going to hear a poem aout neighours {&3,} called

4he couple upstairsB. 4he! are given a gist question to accompan! the first listening

7hat has happenedI 4he teacher reads with plent! of e%pression and e!e contact.

Worksheet 35

After this first reading and the followGup to the gist question# the poem is displa!ed on

the oard or overhead proJector and the teacher reads it once more.

4he teacher now sa!s that he or she has a cop! of the poem with some notes and

questions written on it ! Fnglish students who used the class te%t in previous !ears

$see 7orksheet ),'. 4he students are asked# in pairs or threes# to stud! the notes and#

concentrating on the ones the! find most interesting# discuss what the! mean# and

whether the! agree with statements made. 7ith man! groups# at least &2 minutes must

e allowed for this. 7hen the groups are read!# the teacher invites comments aout

the notes and questions.

4his activit! is a wa! of getting the students to e%amine the poem in some detail on

their own. 4he situation is informal and the discussion is not teacherGcentred. 4henotes# handwritten and arrowedB into a cop! of the poem# make the process of

anal!sis visual and concrete. 4he Jotted down# openGended nature of the comments

gives students the feeling that the! can e more easil! e%plored or challenged. 4he

unanswered questions leave room for student contriution. "n short# this format uilds

{&2} initial confidence in the anal!sis of poetr! in a foreign language# and heightens

appreciation.

&1&

Work in (airs and com(lete the =uestionnaire about your (artner9s neighbours.

+eigh!&our

num&er

What aretheir

4o&s-

*ow longhave they

livedthere?

*owmany in

thefamily?

1nterests, hobbies

2ccentriciCties,

strangehabits

Dualities3friendly?nosy?

cheerful?etc.

.

!.

".



Worksheet 38

Follow!up

6ollowGup could include

;mpro.isation 4he teacher returns to the theme and asks the students to improvise the

conversation etween the couple downstairs and the man $now living aloneI' upstairs.

Writing /tudents are asked to imagine what is going on in the departing womanBsmind as she runs down the steps and# turning# Just catches a glimpse of the curtain

moving in the neighoursB edroom. 4his can e written in the form of a streamGofG

consciousnessB 5 that is# thoughts {&1} Jotted down as the! occur without an!

delierate ordering 5 or as a poem eginning with the line

Watching, always watching MMMMMMMMMMMMM.MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM..MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM..

6igure && shows e%amples of poems students have written.

&13



Figure ++A

Figure ++B

&1



{&&}

Figure ++$

;To women, as 'ar as I<m concerned< (y =? ? &awrence2/

4his poem# like the ne%t one# has proved popular with classes of adult learners or

students at the upper secondar! school level# ecause oth poems cr!stallise feelings

that lie close to the centre of man! lives feelings aout human relationships and the

games people pla!B in their dealings with each other. 4he! are an e%cellent stimulus

to discussionK

4o women# as far as "Bm concernedB is a short poem# consisting entirel! of

straightforward statements# with no linguistic prolems for advanced students. Enewa! of presenting it is to cut it up into its individual lines# and ask students in small

groups to decide on a possile order for them

The feelings you would like us both to have, we neither of us have.So if you want either of us to feel anything at allThe feelings 1 don9t have, 1 won9t say 1 have.The feelings (eo(le ought to have, they never have.The feelings you say you have, you don9t have.The feelings 1 don9t have 1 don9t have.you9d better abandon all idea of feelings altogether.1f (eo(le say they9ve got feelings, you may be (retty sure they haven9t got them.{&3}

&2 in Selected #oems

&1*



"t is important to stress that it is not necessar! to guess the rightB order the task is

rather to arrange the lines in a wa! that suggests some kind of progression. 6or

e%ample# students have sometimes arranged the lines to show a movement from m!

feelings# to !ours# to ours; or from the general to the particular; or from an idealised

view of the world to what it is reall!B like. 7hen this ordering has een done# each

group is asked to suppl! a title for its poem# then compare it with the results achievedin other groups. 4he task in itself usuall! sparks off a livel! e%change of views aout

what the poet is sa!ing. 4hese opinions can e further drawn out ! a continuumB

e%ercise of the kind descried in (hapter *. 7ith one corner of the room representing

total agreement and the other total disagreement# learners are asked to take up a

position along the wall in etween# there! showing the e%tent to which the! agree

with certain statements aout the poem# for e%ample

5 4he speaker in this poem is quite right in his attitude to feelings.

5 People who talk most aout feelings donBt have an! real feelings.

5 Perfect honest! etween people Just isnBt possile.

5 All social relationships are h!pocritical.

5 4he speaker is quite wrong to presume he knows what another person isreall!B feeling.

5 4he speaker is selfGsatisfied# not to sa! arrogant.

5 4he speaker is patronising towards the !ouB in the poem.

5 4he speaker is honest and tr!ing to uild up a good relationship with the other

person in the poem.

5 4he poetBs title suggests an antagonism towards women.

etc.

4he teacher encourages students to Justif! the position the! have taken# and question

others at different points aout the reasons for their decision.

Ene question which is often thrown up in the course of these activities concerns the

poetic qualities# or otherwise# of this particular work. "s it reall! a poemI And if so#

what e%actl! makes it oneI "f the teacher has not told the class that the statements the!

were ordering in the first phase came from a poem# he or she can ask them what kind

of te%t the! feel it is. >er! often# learners sense that it is a poem# ut the! are

sometimes worried ! the asence of conventional features imager!# metaphors#

rh!me# a stanHa pattern. "n a general class discussion# the teacher asks students to list

as man! aspects or qualities as the! can which mark this collection of sentences as a

poem. e%t# students in pairs tr! to work out a short definition of poetr!B which fits

the poem G or alternativel!# which e%cludes it# if learners think that it is not reall! a

poem at all. Afterwards# definitions are pinned up for learners to compare. 4he

teacher could at this point add a definition of his or her own# andOor one or morefamous ones# for e%ample{&}

What oft was thought 8 +ut ne9er so well ex(ressed 7o(e@

2motion recollected in tran=uillity Wordsworth@

- (oem should be (al(able and mute -s a globed fruit . . .

- (oem should not mean +ut be. -rchibald acLeish@

athematical formulae are satisfying because they ex(ress in a very shar( form avery wide law of nature. )ne ex(ression enca(sulates the motion of all the (lanets

&1)



and satellites around the earth. 1 find that very satisfying. 1 regard (oetry as beingakin to that. /. KingC*ele@

4he te%t of 4o women# as far as "Bm concernedB follows.

To women7 as far as ;m concerned

4he feelings " donBt have " donBt have.

4he feelings " donBt have# " wonBt sa! " have.

4he feelings !ou sa! !ou have# !ou donBt have.

4he feelings !ou would like us oth to have# we neither of us have.

4he feelings people ought to have# the! never have.

"f people sa! the!Bve got feelings# !ou ma! e prett! sure the! havenBt

got them.

/o if !ou want either of us to feel an!thing at all

!ouBd etter aandon all idea of feelings altogether.

;Bou and I< (y 9oger Mc*ough21

4his poem is on a similar theme# and can follow 4o women as far as "Bm concernedB#

if students have enJo!ed the discussion generated ! that poem. 9ou and "B is slightl!

more comple% linguisticall!# with some words or e%pressions that ma! e unfamiliar

to learnersGBtr! a new tackB# linkersB# placator!B# crocodile tearsB G and some

images whose connotations in Fnglish ma! have to e drawn out for students from

some other cultures dove and hawkB# olive ranch and thornsB. 4he discourse

pattern uilt up cumulativel! ! each succeeding stanHa is so strong# however# that the

conte%t usuall! helps learners get the sense of these e%pressions# with onl! minimal

help from the teacher# so that preGteaching is not reall! necessar!. 4he following

activit! aims at getting learners right into the situation# asking them to imagine what

the poet {&*} could have written so that the! can assess the strength and vividness of

the images in the poem.

4he teacher gives the class the title and first stanHa onl! of the poem $written on the

oard# on a handGout# or overhead proJector'. <e or she reads it out# e%plains an!

difficulties# then asks students to sa! what the poem is aout. 7ho could the !ouB

and the "B eI 7hat is their relationship likeI :o memers of the class recognise this

situationI :o the! ever feel misinterpretedI Are their own good intentions sometimes

seen as aggressive ! other peopleI :o the! feel the! sometimes distort or

misunderstand what others are tr!ing to communicate to themI4he teacher then gives the second stanHa# ut gapped# in the following wa!

Aou see both sides. 1.......................................... 1am (lacatory. Aou..........................................

<e or she e%plains difficulties# and asks for suggestions as to what could complete

these sentences. Luite often# the first attempt will produce a tooGsimple opposition

9ou see oth sides. " see neither B or " see only one " am placator!. 9ou are

.iolent7 refuse to gi.e in # etc. "n such cases# the teacher accepts the suggestions#&1 in Wa.ing at Trains

&1+



writes them down# then asks students to check whether the second stanHa is consistent

with the first. " see neitherB is a possi!le completion# ut does it continue the thought

" e%plain quietl! ut !ou hear me shoutingBI 7ould the thought have een different

if the poet had written " e%plain quietl! ut !ou shout I /tudents usuall! then revise

their first sentence to produce something like 9ou see oth sides. " think youre

!iassed =unfairDnarrow-minded>B " am placator!. 9ou think ;m insulting you D stirring up trou!le D am a trou!le-maker6

After this first communal writing effort# the teacher gives students in pairs the

gapped third and fourth stanHas# and asks them to fill in the missing sections

{&)} /ome sentences provided ! a multilingual class preparing for the (amridge

Proficienc! e%am are given aove# on the right. "t is clear from these that students oth understood the poem and responded to it with imagination and sensitivit!. After

comparing their solutions# the! were eager to read the poem. 4here were cries of

delight as students realised that the! had come ver! close indeed to the spirit of the

poem# ut satisfaction too at the vivid metaphorical e%pression of the original. 7ellB#

the! said# after all# he is a poet# isnBt heKB 4he te%t of the poem follows.

You and ;

" e%plain quietl!. 9ou

hear me shouting. 9ou

tr! a new tack. "feel old wounds reopen.

9ou see oth sides. "

see !our linkers. "

am placator!. 9ou

sense a new selfishness.

" am a dove. 9ou

recognise the hawk. 9ou

offer an olive ranch. "

feel the thorns.

&1



9ou leed. "

see crocodile tears. "

withdraw. 9ou

reel from the impact.

{&+}$!!endi 1 )ith eaminations in mind

/ome students who are reading works of literature in a foreign language will e

working towards a written e%amination# usuall! involving essa! writing. /ometimes

the essa!s will need to e written in the target language.

Fssa! writing and e%aminations are frequentl! a lonel! usiness. 4he element of

competition and the awarding of marks compound this isolation. "n our view# essa!

writing and marking need to e e%plored and shared so that the processes at work can

e etter understood. Fver! literature essa! is a form of communication etween

writer and reader. Poor marks indicate that the two of them are not in tune the writer

is not meeting the e%pectations of the reader. (learl! the teacherBs written comments

or class discussion of an essa! question will help students to understand what is

e%pected of them ut the teacher has man! other helpful options availale.

Asking students to set essa! questions enales them to appreciate how the working

of the question determines what will e relevant in the answer and also gives them a

greater sensitivit! to the sort of question that particular literar! works seem to

demand.

F%changing essa!s and then marking and reporting on them# or even marking and

commenting on their own essa!s# prior to handing them in to the teacher# can help

students to develop greater awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses.

0rainstorming for the relevant content of an essa! in groups prior to individual

writing is another wa! of restoring a social dimension to the planning of essa!s.7ith weaker groups# the teacher can suppl! a checklist of possile points for

inclusion in an essa!. /tudents can then e asked to prioritise the points and group

them# having first deleted an! that are considered irrelevant.

7e hope that some of the activities we have descried in this ook will help

students to have a more thorough asic understanding of the literar! work and a

strong sense of involvement with it. 4hese two factors will help to add sustance and

life to essa! writing in literature.

6or teachers seeking an attractive activit! that integrates man! of the aove

awareness e%ercises# the following simulation is offered. "t is versatile enough to e

adapted to different class siHes and requires a total {&} of aout two to twoGandGaG

half hours in all# although the various parts can also e done separatel!.

The Eaminations 7oard a simulation

4he idea for this simulation was orn out of a desire to make students more aware of

what the! are doing 5 and wh! 5 when the! write literar! essa!s to prepare for

e%aminations. "t can e done in part# or in full# according to choice and availale time.

Step ;C 'he su&!committee o$ the +ational 0,aminations "oard

&1,



/tudents are divided into small groups# each one representing a sucommittee of the

F%aminations 0oard# whose task is to write the questions to e set on an Fnglish

=iterature e%amination.

7e assume a class siHe of &2 for the purpose of illustrating the simulation# ut it can

e adapted to other class siHes $see the tale at the end of this appendi%'. 6our groupsof five students each receive

5 A tasksheet $e%ample follows'.

5 A sample F0 e%am paper# showing the kind of questions set.&&

/tudents read the instructions and the sample papers on other works of literature; then

the! write two questions for the e%am to e set on the work the! have een stud!ing.

:iscussion and writing take aout &2 minutes.

{&,}4asksheet 1

ote to teacher >ar! these categories evenl! so that two questions are produced in each categor!.6or e%ample group 1 5 $a' and $c'; group & 5 $' and $d'; group 3 $a' and $d'; group 5 $' and $c'.

{&*2}

Appendi% 1

&& 7e give two sample papersB of different levels# as e%amples one is on the short stor! /redni

>ashtarB ! /aki# with literar! questions set at a preGuniversit! level# for students who have eenstud!ing literature as part of a s!llaus; the other# on D. 0. /hawBs #ygmalion# has questions set for

advanced students not sitting a specificall! literar! paper ut an e%am with a literar! essa! as part of alanguage composition paper $for e%ample# (amridge Proficienc! in Fnglish'. 4eachers working for a

set e%am s!llaus might wish to include their own past papers at this stage of the simulation.

&&2

The e)am Euestions su!-committee

9ou are a memer of the e%am questions suGcommittee of the ational F%aminations

0oard.

9ou are meeting to devise two essa! questions for this !earBs F0 Fnglish =iterature

e%am. 4he two questions will e ased on

Lord o4 t0% 7#%& ) W##'( Go#dn,

4his ook has not een used on the F0 =iterature s!llaus efore. 4he tradition in

the F0 is to offer candidates a choice of one from four questions on each work on

the s!llaus.

4he four questions correspond to these four categories

a' Ene question on a character or characters in the work.

' Ene question on one of the maJor themes in the work.c' Ene conte%tB question 5 that is# using a short quotation from the ook as the

asis for interpretation and comment.

d' Ene free or open question with no restrictions.

9our suGcommittee is concerned onl! with two questions of t!pe $a' and $c' aove.

9ou can consult !our sheet of sample F0 questions on other works of fiction to get

some idea of the house st!leB. Please do not imitate an! of these questions.

9ou must sumit !our two questions after a ma%imum of 89 (nut%&" d&cu&&on.



{&*1}

&&1

NEB:EL:SA ;<:9=>

A4"EA= FNA8"A4"E/ 0EAR:

En,#&0 Lt%r'tur% S)##'u& A

4uesda! 1&th ?une 1,NN ,amGl&am 3 hours

PAPER ? SHORT STORIES

Answer three Euestions only from this paper& one Euestion only may !e selected from

each one of the sections A7 B and $6

SECTION A5 !Sr%dn V'&0t'r" ) S'$

1. Although 8rs :e Ropp is the victim in this short stor!# our s!mpath! lies with

the !oung o!# (onradin.B

:o !ou agree with this viewI :iscuss with detailed reference to the stor!.

&. Religion is one of the wa!s used ! human eings to dispose of their

enemies.B

:iscuss# with specific reference to /redni >ashtarB.

3. " thought !ou liked toast#B she e%claimed# with an inJured air# oserving that hedid not touch it. /ometimes#B said (onradin.

F%plain how this quotation relates to the stor! as a whole# and especiall! to the

depiction of the relationship etween the two main characters.

. :iscuss the wa! in which the author rings out the intensit! of the emotions

simmering in the :e Ropp household.



{&*&}Step >C 'he e,ecutive committee o$ the +ational 0,aminations "oard

7hen time is up and the first task has een finished# students are told to write down

the two questions set ! their group. Fach student now ecomes a representative of

his or her suGcommittee# sent to a meeting of the ational F%amination 0oardBs

e%ecutive committee.

4he teacher regroups &2 students into five e%ecutive committees of four students

each student coming from a different suGcommittee# and each ringing his or her

suGcommitteeBs two questions.

An eas! wa! of achieving this changeGover is as follows when the teacher gives out

tasksheets to the suGcommittees in step 1# he or she laels them A 5 0 5 ( 5 : 5 F#

giving one to each memer of the group. 7hen the second committee is formed# he or

she tells all the ABs to go together to one corner of the room# all the 0Bs to go to

another corner# etc. "n this wa!# five groups are formed# each consisting of one student

from suGcommittee 1# ringing with him or her questions $a' and $c'; one student

from &# with questions $' and $d'; one student from 3# with questions $a' and $d' and

one student from # with questions $' and $c'.

Fach memer of the new e%ecutive committee is now given 4asksheet &.

Regrouping# discussion and selection of questions should take aout &2 minutes.

&&&

NEB:EL:SB ;@:>

A4"EA= FNA8"A4"E/ 0EAR:

En,#&0 Lt%r'tur% S)##'u& B

7ednesda! 1th 8a! 1,NN &pmGpm & hours

PAPER = DRAMA

Answer two Euestions only from this paper& one Euestion from section A and one

Euestion from section B6

SECTION A5 #ygmalion ) G.B. S0'/

1. (ompare and contrast the characters of Professor <iggins and Alfred

:oolittle.

&. 7hat is the importance of (olonel Pickering in this pla!I

3. 4owards the end of the pla! <iggins sa!s to =iHa " presume !ou donBt

pretend that ; have treated !ou adl!IB

7hat do !ou thinkI as <iggins treated =iHa adl!I

. 4he wa! !ou speak is at least as important as what !ou are. :o !ou agreeI

:iscuss with reference to #ygmalion.



Tasksheet +

Step ?C 'he +0" plenary meeting

All students now meet together with the teacher as vote counter. Fach e%ecutive

committee reports its choices; then# the teacher nominates the final four on the asis

of which questions were chosen most often. An! two questions from the same

categor! which have the same numer of inclusions are put to an immediate vote.

{&*3}

Tasksheet ,

4his meeting should take no longer than 1* minutes. 4he final four questions are

recorded and sumitted to the F0 for inclusion on the Fnglish =iterature

e%amination paper.

4he first part of the simulation is now concluded. "t usuall! takes aout one hour.

4he ne%t step can follow immediatel!# if another hour is availale# or it can e done in

a later lesson# as appropriate.

Step @C 'he marking scheme su&!committee

4he class goes ack to its original four groups of five students. Fach group receives

5 4asksheet 3.

5 A list of criteriaB from the F0.

4he time allowed for this task is appro%imatel! one hour. Fach memer of the suG

committee should keep a cop! of the weighting decided.

{&*}

&&3

'he e,ecutive committee o$ the +ational 0,aminations "oard

Aou are the executive committee of the N2+, and you have been asked to make thefinal choice of four =uestions for this year9s 2nglish Literature examination. Aouhave eight =uestions submitted by the subCcommittees3 two for each of the

categories a@, b@, c@ and [email protected] final choice must be3 four =uestions in all, one for each category.Aou have 15 minutes to make your selection.

'he marking scheme su&!committee

Aou are a member of the N2+9s marking scheme subCcommittee. Aou are meeting toassign weighting to a number of =ualities which the N2+ seeks in literature essays.

Aour decisions will form the basis of the marking scheme for all N2+ examiners.The N2+ su((lies a Hlist of criteria9. Study the list and add any criteria which you

think are missing. Then assign marks to the criteria you consider im(ortant,remembering that each essay answer is marked out of a total of 100 marks.

Gor sim(ler calculations, you may wish to work in multi(les of ten.



Step C )omework

4he teacher asks the class to do a test run of the e%am paper questions ! choosing to

answer one as their homework.

Step HC 7ndividual marking o$ essays

7ithout prior discussion# the teacher asks each student to mark his or her own essa!#

using his or her suGcommitteeBs marking scheme and headings. 4he final mark out of

122 should e recorded. 4he teacher checks all {&**} the essa!s# marks them in his or

her own wa!# then discusses with the student# either in a written note or in an

individual interview# the differences he or she sees etween his or her marking

scheme and the studentBs selfGmarked total.

4his can lead on to a ver! useful discussion etween the teacher and the class# in

which the teacher estalishes his or her own view of what the realB e%amination

oardBs criteria would e for marking studentsB essa!s.

Adapting the simulation to di$$erent class siDes

0asicall!# the grouping for step 1 is done through multiples of four# with odd numers

slotted in to the four groups# as shown for class siHes of 13 and 1. 6or class siHes

aove &2# use multiples of the asic patterns given that is# for a class of & & % 1&;

for & & % 1# and so on.

$lass siCe Step ' group configurations Step + group configurations

A0 5 A0 5 A0 5 A0 AAAA 5 0000

&&

F0 marking criteria

$riterion What is meant !y this criterion Marksassigned

1. knowledge

of the ook

(andidate shows thorough and detailed familiarit! with the

work.&. essa!

structure

(andidate organises his or her essa! in a s!stematic and

logical wa!.

3. language (andidateBs use of language is accurate# varied and clear.

. illustration (andidate quotes from the ook to support arguments made#

ampl! and relevantl!.

*. relevance (andidate answers questions directl!# with no unnecessar!material.

). coverage (andidate deals with all main aspects of the topic set.

+. originalit! (andidate e%presses his or her own criticism and

interpretations# in a personal wa!.Su!-$ommittee can offer alternati.e criteria if they wish

.

,.



1& A0( 5 A0( 5 A0( 5 A0( AAAA 5 0000 5 ((((

13 A0( 5 A0( 5 A0( 5 A0(( AAAA 5 0000 5 (((((

1 A0( 5 A0( 5 A00( 5 A0(( AAAA 5 00000 5 (((((

1) A0(: 5 A0(: 5 A0(: 5 A0(: AAAA 5 0000 5 (((( 5 ::::

&2 A0(:F 5 A0(:F 5 A0(:F 5

A0(:F

AAAA 5 0000 5 (((( 5 :::: 5

FFFFF

{&*)}$!!endi 2 $ resource (an0 o' titles

=anguage teachers can# in favourale circumstances# help their students to read more

widel! ! setting up a class lirar! of suitale# unaridged literar! works. A catalogue

of titles might indicate appro%imate difficult! and include s!nopses designed to whet

the readerBs appetite. Eccasional visual displa!s of particular authors and their works G

including perhaps photographs# theatre programmes# critical reviews# film posters and

so on could serve oth to encourage interest and to ecome the asis of class proJects.

7here the possiilit! e%ists# film showings# poetr! readings# radio pla!s and theatre

visits will lend further encouragement to students e%ploring literature in the targetlanguage.

7ithin e%isting liraries outside the classroom# a list of suitale titles for language

learners could e made availale to students or displa!ed to guide their rowsing.

7hen students are using a lirar! independentl!# teachers might organise social

evenings or classroom sessions during which learners would talk aout ooks the!

had read and enJo!ed and perhaps read out favourite e%tracts. Alternativel!# students

could write rief reviews of ooks read# for displa!.

&&*



+ovels

Author and Title Le.el Language

difficulty

Length Brief description "eneral comments

?ohn 6owles#The $ollector

A 8 8 /olitar! !oung mankidnaps girl and holds

her captive

/uspense and ps!chological

interest.

7illiam Dolding#

Lord of the Flies

AO" 8 = A group of o!s

stranded on a desertisland struggle to

survive# learning itterlessons aout human

nature in the process.

A modern classic 5

universal themes#simple !et powerful

plot.

Draham Dreene#

%octor Fisher of

"eno.a

"OA / / 8an of great wealth

pla!s sinister gameswith his grovelling

entourage.

Fconomical st!le 5 a

powerful moderntale.

Patricia <ighsmith

The Talented Mr Ripley

A 8 8 9oung American in

"tal! murders his friend.

Dripping

ps!chologicalthriller.

Aldous <u%le!# Bra.e 9ew World

A 8 8 /anitised life in afuturistic societ! ased

on genetic engineering.

"ntriguing 5 uildGupof suspense 5 good

discussion potential.

/omerset

8augham# The

Moon and

Si)pence

A 8 8 Respectale anker

deserts home and wifeto pursue the 0ohemian

life of an artist.

"nteresting theme#

sustained ! a centralcharacter in a variet!

of settings.

Deorge Erwell#

Animal Farm

" / / Animals take over a

farm and thingsgraduall! go sour.

A wellGknown and

wellGloved allegor!.

Deorge Erwell#

9ineteen <ighty- Four

A 8 = A gloom! futuristic

vision of a totalitariansociet!.

A powerful novel

that rewards effort.

6. /cott 6itHgeraldThe "reat "ats!y

A 8 8 =ove# se%# corruptionand death in a high

societ! setting in 1,&2s

America

A sutle# evocativemasterpiece.

{&*}%lays

Author and Title Le.el Language

difficulty

Length Brief description "eneral comments

Fdward Alee#

The Sand!o)

A / / American couple

dispose of an elderl!mother.

0iting satire on

modern wa!s.

Ra!mond 0riggs#When the Wind

Blows

A 8 / Retired couple struggleto survive nuclear

attack on 0ritain.

(ontroversial# topicaltheme 5 knowledge

of Fnglish culturehelpful.

:avid <are# A Map of the

World

A 8 = A pla! written aoutreal events satisfies

none of its realB protagonists.

A wellGcraftedvariation on the pla!

within a pla!B theme.

<arold Pinter# Applicant

A 8 >/ A iHarre Jo interview. Dood length for classstaging# with few

props needed 5

amusing.

&&)



7illiam/hakespeare#

Romeo and 2uliet

A 8O: = A !oung coupleBs loveis thwarted ! their

feuding families.

-niversall! loved 5surprisingl!

accessile for foreignstudents.

D. 0. /haw# #ygmalion

A 8 = Professor of speechtakes on challenge of

transforming poor(ockne! girl to pass

her off as a duchess.

Period piece that isstill witt! and

entertaining# relevantto modern concerns

aout gender andsocial roles.

4om /toppard#The Real

;nspector ound

"OA / / A spoof of murderm!ster! pla!s# which

questions notions ofrealit!B versus

appearanceB.

>er! enJo!ale.

4ennessee

7illiams#The "lass

Menagerie

A 8 8 6amil! drama set in the

southern -/A amotherBs attempts to

marr! off her crippled

daughter.

8oving portra!al of

famil! relationships.

{&*,}7oo0s re'erred to in the tet

Alee# F. $1,)&' The ?oo Story and *ther #lays# ?onathan (ape.

Ashton# ?. and D. 0ott $1,)+' Read and Relate# (ornelsonG>elhagen and @lasing.

Atwood# 8. $1,' %ancing "irls and *ther Stories# >irago.

0allant!ne# R. 8. $1,&' The $oral ;sland # Penguin 0ooks.

0arrie# /ir ?. 8. $1,)+' The Admira!le $richton# <odder and /toughton.

0ooth# 8. $ed.' $1,1' $ontemporary British and 9orth American @erse# E%ford

-niversit! Press.0riggs# R. $1,3' When the Wind Blows# Penguin 0ooks.

0rontW# (. $1,+3' @illette# Pan 0ooks.

:ahl# R. $1,+2' Someone Like You# Penguin 0ooks.

:ahl# R. $1,)' More Tales of the (ne)pected # Penguin 0ooks.

6itHgerald# 6. /cott $ 1,*2' The "reat "ats!y# Penguin 0ooks.

6owles# ?. $1,)' The Magus# Pan 0ooks.

6owles# ?. $1,+)' The $ollector # Panther 0ooks.

Daskell# F. $1,++' 9orth and South# E%ford -niversit! Press.

Dolding# 7. $1,*# reprinted 1,3' Lord of the Flies# 6aer and 6aer.

Dra!# A. $1,' (nlikely Stories# 8ostl!# Penguin 0ooks.

Dreene# D. $1,+' The uman Factor # Penguin 0ooks.Dreene# D. $1,1' %octor Fischer of "ene.a# Penguin 0ooks.

<are# :. $1,3' A Map of the World # 6aer and 6aer.

<ighsmith# P. $1,+&' <le.en# Penguin 0ooks.

<ighsmith# P. $1,+)' The Talented Mr Ripley# Penguin 0ooks.

{&)2}<u%le!# A. $1,**' Bra.e 9ew World # Penguin 0ooks.

"rvine# =. $1,' $astaway# Penguin 0ooks.

=awrence# :. <. $ed. 7. F. 7illiams' $1,*2' Selected #oems# Penguin 0ooks.

8cDough# R. $1,&' Wa.ing at Trains# (ape.

8ale!# A. and /. 8oulding $1,*' #oem into #oem# (amridge -niversit! Press.

8alamud# 0. $1,*' Selected Stories# Penguin 0ooks.

8augham# /. $1,1,' The Moon and Si)pence# <einemann.

&&+



8orrison# 0. and A. 8otion $eds' $1,&' $ontemporary British #oetry# Penguin

0ooks.

ara!an# R. @. $1,' Malgudi %ays# Penguin 0ooks.

Erwell# D. $1,),' Animal Farm# Penguin 0ooks.

Erwell# D. $1,+2' 9ineteen <ighty-Four # Penguin 0ooks.

Plath# /. $ed. 4ed <ughes' $1,1' $ollected #oems# 6aer and 6aer.Pritchett# >. $1,' $ollected Stories# Penguin 0ooks.

Redamond# R. and <. 4enn!son $1,+)' $ontemporary *ne-Act #lays# <einemann.

Roerts# 8. $ed.' $1,)*' The Fa!er Book of Modern @erse# 6aer and 6aer.

/aki $1,&' The $omplete Saki# Penguin 0ooks.

/hakespeare# 7. $ed. D. 0lakemore Fvans' $1,' Romeo and 2uliet # (amridge

-niversit! Press.

/haw# D. 0. $1,),' #ygmalion# Penguin 0ooks.

/park# 8. $1,)3' The "o-Away Bird and *ther Stories# Penguin 0ooks.

/park# 8. $ 1,)+' The Mandel!aum "ate# Penguin 0ooks.

/tevenson# R. =. $1,+1' Treasure ;sland # Penguin 0ooks.

/toppard# 4. $ 1,+2' The Real ;nspector ound # 6aer and 6aer./toppard# 4. $1,3' The Real Thing # 6aer and 6aer.

/wan# 8. $ed.' $1,+,' aleidoscope# (amridge -niversit! Press.

4hornle!# D. (. $ed.' $1,*' *utstanding Short Stories# =ongman Droup.

4rollope# A. $1,+3' The <ustace %iamonds# Panther 0ooks.

7augh# F. $1,*1' Scoop# Penguin 0ooks.

7ells# <. D. $1,*' /elected /hort /tories# Penguin 0ooks.

7illiams# 4. $1,)' The "lass Menagerie# <einemann $and in Penguin Pla!s'.

7oo0s 'or the classroom 'urther suggestions

Anthologies o$ poetry

0ooth# 8. $ed.' $1,1' $ontemporary British and 9orth American @erse# E%ford

-niversit! Press.

<enri# A.# R. 8cDough and 0. Patten $ 1,)+' The Mersey Sound # Penguin 0ooks.

<unter# ?. $ed.' $1,)G1' Modern #oets '-1# 6aer and 6aer.

=ucie /mith# F. $ed.' $1,*' British #oetry since '801# Penguin 0ooks.

8aceth# D. $ed.' $1,+,' #oetry '8::-'841# =ongman Fnglish /eries# =ongman

Droup.

/ummerfield# D. $ed.' $1,)G+2' @oices '-,# Penguin 0ooks.

7ain# ?. $ed.' $1,+,' Anthology of $ontemporary #oetry #ost-War to the #resent #<utchinson.

{&)1} Anthologies o$ short plays

/hackleton# 8. $1,*' %ou!le Act7 Ten *ne-Act #lays on Fi.e Themes# Fdward

Arnold.

#ollections o$ short stories

A4<E=ED"F/

Adkins and /hackleton $eds' $1,2' Recollections Ten Stories on Fi.e Themes#Fdward Arnold.

&&



<adfield# ?. $ed.' $1,' Modern Short Stories '# :ent and /ons.

<unter# ?. $ed.' $1,)' Modern Short Stories# 6aer and 6aer.

/wan# 8. $ed.' Samphire and *ther Modern Stories# (amridge -niversit! Press.

/watridge# :r (. and :r (. A. 0itter $eds' $1,)' The Man with the Scar and *ther

Stories# 8acmillan.

4a!lor# P. $ed.' $1,+,' The Road and *ther Modern Stories# (amridge -niversit!Press.

-pdike# ?. and /hannon Ravenel $eds' $1,*' The Years Best American Short Stories

$annual'# /evern <ouse.

(E==F(4"E/ E6 /<ER4 /4ER"F/ 09 ":">":-A= A-4<ER/

0radur!# R. $1,*,' The %ay ;t Rained Fore.er # Penguin 0ooks.

:ahl# R. $1,),' iss7 iss# Penguin 0ooks.

:ahl# R. $1,+,' Tales of The (ne)pected # Penguin 0ooks.

Dreene# D. $1,+&' $ollected Stories# <einemann.

?o!ce# ?. $1,+' The %u!liners# 8acmillan.

=awrence# :. <. $1,+1' Short Stories# Penguin 0ooks.=essing# :. $ 1,+*' The Story of a 9on-marrying Man and *ther Stories# Penguin

0ooks.

=essing# :. $1,2' The "rass is Singing # Panther 0ooks.

8ansfield# @. $1,+3' Bliss and *ther Stories# Penguin 0ooks.

4hurer# ?. $1,+1' A Thur!er $arni.al # Penguin 0ooks.

Some modern novels

Achee# (. $1,)&' Things Fall Apart # <einemann.

Amis# @. $1,+,' Lucky 2im# Penguin 0ooks.

Atwood# 8. $1,2' The <di!le Woman# >irago.

0aldwin# ?. $1,' "o Tell it on the Mountain# (orgi 0ooks.

0aldwin# ?. $1,' Another $ountry# (orgi 0ooks.

0anks# =. R. $1,+1' The L-Shaped Room# Penguin 0ooks.

0ellow# /. $1,))' SeiCe the %ay# Penguin 0ooks.

0ellow# /. $1,),' erCog # Penguin 0ooks.

0radur!# 8. $1,+,' The istory Man# Arrow 0ooks.

0radur!# R. $1,+)' Fahrenheit 01'# Panther 0ooks.

0rookner# A. $1,*' otel du Lac# Dranada Pulishing.

:rale# 8. $1,),' The Millstone# Penguin 0ooks.

{&)&}:rale# 8. $1,++' The ;ce Age# 7eidenfeld and icolson.du 8aurier# :. $1,+)' 2amaica ;nn# Pan 0ooks.

Fllison# R. $1,+2' The ;n.isi!le Man# Penguin 0ooks.

Dolding# 7. $1,**' The ;nheritors# 6aer and 6aer.

Draves# R. $1,),' ;7 $laudius# Penguin 0ooks.

Dreene# D. $1,),' The Guiet American# Penguin 0ooks.

Dreene# D. $1,),' The #ower and the "lory# Penguin 0ooks.

Dreene# D. $1,+,' The uman Factor # Penguin 0ooks.

<emingwa!# F. $1,+)' The *ld Man and the Sea# Panther 0ooks.

<ighsmith# P. $ 1,+&' A Suspension of Mercy# Penguin 0ooks.

<ill# /. $1,+' ;m the ing of the $astle# Penguin 0ooks.

@ese!# @. $1,+3' *ne Flew *.er the $uckoos 9est # Pan 0ooks.=ee# <. $1,+' To ill a Mocking!ird # Pan 0ooks.

&&,



=odge# :. $1,+' $hanging #laces# Penguin 0ooks.

8arshall# ?. >. $1,2' Walka!out # Penguin 0ooks.

8urdoch# ". $1,),' The Bell # Penguin 0ooks.

8urdoch# ". $1,+&' A Fairly onoura!le %efeat # Penguin 0ooks.

aokov# >. $1,2' Lolita# Penguin 0ooks.

aipaul# >. /. $1,),' A ouse for Mr Biswas# Penguin 0ooks. aipaul# >. /. $1,2' A Bend in the Ri.er # Penguin 0ooks.

Rushdie# /. $1,&' Midnights $hildren# Pan 0ooks.

/alinger# ?. :. $1,),' The $atcher in the Rye# Penguin 0ooks.

/hute# . $1,)' A Town Like Alice# Pan 0ooks.

/hute# . $1,),' *n the Beach# Pan 0ooks.

/inclair# -. $1,)*' The 2ungle# Penguin 0ooks.

/park# 8. $1,),' The #rime of Miss 2ean Brodie# Penguin 0ooks.

/park# 8. $1,+2' The Ballad of #eckham Rye# Penguin 0ooks.

/teineck# ?. $1,+2' The #earl # Pan 0ooks.

/teineck# ?. $1,+' *f Mice and Men# Pan 0ooks.

7alker# A. $1,3' The $olor #urple# 7omenBs Press.7augh# F. $1,+2' The Lo.ed *ne# Penguin 0ooks.

7eldon# 6. $1,2' #ra)is# <odder and /toughton.

7eldon# 6. $1,&' Watching Me7 Watching You# <odder and /toughton.

7!ndham# ?. $1,),' The Midwich $uckoos# Penguin 0ooks.

7!ndham# ?. $ 1,+2' The %ay of the Triffids# Penguin 0ooks.

7!ndham# ?. $1,+2' $hocky# Penguin 0ooks.

Some modern plays

=eigh# 8. $1,3' A!igails #arty# Penguin 0ooks.

Erton# ?. $1,*' Loot # F!re 8ethuen.

Erton# ?. $1,+*' The "ood and Faithful Ser.ant # F!re 8ethuen.

Esorne# ?. $1,*+' Look Back in Anger # 6aer and 6aer.

Pinter# <. $1,)*' The Birthday #arty# F!re 8ethuen.

Pinter# <. $1,2' Betrayal # F!re 8ethuen.

Priestle!# ?. 0. $1,)*' An ;nspector $alls# <einemann.

/haffer# P. $1,++' <Euus# Penguin 0ooks.

{&)3}.elect (i(liogra!hy

Alderson# ?. (. and A. <. -rquhart $eds' $1,' Reading in a Foreign Language#=ongman.

0rownJohn# /. $1,2' %oes it a.e to Rhyme/# <odder and /toughton.

0rownJohn# /. $1,&' What Rhymes with Secret/# <odder and /toughton.

0rumfit# (. ?. $ed.' $1,3' HTeaching literature o.erseas& language-!ased

approaches F=4 :ocuments 11*# 0ritish (ouncil# Pergamon Press.

0rumfit# (. ?. $1,*' Language and Literature Teaching& From #ractice to #rinciple#

Pergamon.

(hristison# 8. A. $1,&' <nglish through #oetry# Aleman! Press.

(uller# ?. $1,+*' Structuralist #oetics# Routledge X @egan Paul.

:ought!# P. /. $1,)' Linguistics and the Teaching of Literature# =ongman.

Fagleton# 4. $1,3' Literary Theory& an ;ntroduction# 0asil 0lackwell. Forum# >ol. NN"""# o. 1# ?anuar! 1,* $issue devoted to the teaching of literature'.

&32



6owler# R. $1,)' Linguistic $riticism# E%ford -niversit! Press.

Datonton# F. (. and D. R. 4ucker $1,+1' (ultural orientation and the stud! of

literatureB# T<S*L Guarterly *# 1,+1# pp. 13+G3.

Dower# R. $1,)' (an st!listic anal!sis help the F6= learner to read literatureIB# <LT

2ournal # >ol. 2# o. &# April 1,)# pp. 1&*G32.

Drellet# 6. $1,1' %e.eloping Reading Skills# (amridge -niversit! Press.<olden# /. and R. 0oardman $eds' $1,+' Teaching Literature# Proceedings of the

1,) /orrento (onference# 8FPO0ritish (ouncil.

@och# @. $ 1,3' Rose7 where did you get that red/ Teaching great poetry to children#

>intage 0ooks# Random <ouse.

=eech# D. . $1,),' A Linguistic "uide to <nglish #oetry# =ongman.

8c@a!# /. $1,&' =iterature in the F/= classroomB# T<S*L Guarterly# >ol. 1)# o.

# :ecemer 1,&# pp. *&,G3).

8ale!# A. and /. 8oulding $1,*' #oem into #oem# (amridge -niversit! Press.

8ood!# <. =. 0. $1,)' Literary Appreciation# =ongman.

8ood!# <. =. 0. $1,+1' The Teaching of Literature# =ongman.

uttall# (. $1,&' Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language# P=4 ,#<einemann Fducational 0ooks.

4raugott# F. (. and 8. (. Pratt $1,2' Linguistics for Students of Literature# <arcourt

0race.

7iddowson# <. D. $1,+*' Stylistics and the Teaching of Literature# =ongman.

7iddowson# <. D. $ 1,' <)plorations in Applied Linguistics +# E%ford -niversit!

Press.

{&)}Indeaccuse and den!B# 1*+adapting literar! works# +G# ,2

agon! aunt columns# )3# 1,&G3angelBs advocatesB# 1&G3

authentic formats for writing# )&G*# 13

alloon deate# ,2G1 iographical activities# &3G+

iographical lieGdetectingB# &+

iographical montageB# &3

iographical sketch of author# &3G*ook on a postcard# theB# +# 1)&

call m! luffB# &+

character portra!al# ,G,# 11&G13chessoardB# ,# 132G&

choosing a moralB# ,G*2# &23codesB# +3G# 11&G1*# 1&G*# 1*)# 1+)

comparison activities eginnings# 31G3

summaries# *G)# 111G1&# 133Gconnectors# writing with# *+G

continuumB# +&# 1&,G32# &3cries for helpB# )1

critical forumB# listening activities# *

deates# +G*# 1*,G)2# &1+decision pointsB# *G*

diplomac!B# 1*,

discussion prompts

grids and worksheets# +2# +&# 122# 1*# 1+3G+# 1+G,# &2&G3# &2G*# &1G1,# &3G,

language work# 12 prioritising# 1,G,2

questionnaires# &2G1# &# +1# 122# 1*&# 1+*#&2+G,# &3G,

speculation# 3# 1*3doodle and listenB# 1*1G&

echoesB# 1)2

editorial suggestionsB# 3G*epitaphs# )3G# 1*G*

e%aminations# &+G**e%tensive reading# encouragement of# &*)

fantas! activities

character# 1*guided# 1# ,G*

with role pla!# 1*, see also improvisation

feud for thoughtB# 1)G*filling in the gapsB# +

flowchart# &11G1&fl! on the wallB# **G)

followGup activities# +,G,&# 1)1G&# 12G1# 1,G*#&22G1# &1+# &1,# &31G&# &3# &3+G# &2G&

guessing

iographical information# &)

lines of a poem# &G)

&31



here and thereB# +)G+

highlightschoosingB# *G)# 1)1

e%ploiting# *+home reading# with worksheets# 3G*1

"Bd do an!thing for !ou# dear# an!thing . . #

1G," know what !ou said# ut what did !ou meanIB#

12G3improvisation# +)G+# ,1G&# 1)1G&# 1++G# &3#

&2

inquestB# ,1G&# 1)1G&interview with the school counsellorB# 1)

Jigsaw listeningOreading# )+# &1+Just a minuteB# 3G# 1&G)

ke! wordsOsentences# 1,G&2# &1*G1)# &1# &&,G32# &&G3

language of love# theB# 1+3G)language work

figurative# 1*3G# 1+3G# &31grammar# *1# ,,# 11*G1)# 1&1# 1,G*2

performative function# *1# 1&G,# 12G3 proJects# *)# 1+2G1

vocaular!# *2# 1&&G3# 1+# 1# 1*2# 1)*G+# 13G# &2)G+

word puHHles# 13*G+listening activities

efore reading# &1G3# ))# 1*1G&# &&&G*followGup# 12G&with gist questions# &3G2

with grids# ))G+# &2G*

listening inB# &1G3literature

as authentic material# 3Gas cultural enrichment#

as language enrichment# G*on language s!llaus# &

for personal involvement# *G)selection of te%ts# )G+

love at first sightB# 1++

maintaining momentum# 3)G+meaning of signs# theB# 13+G

memor! e%erciseB# ,mime# &21G&

missing posterB# )*# 1&1mood setting# 1# ,G*

moviemakerB# +# 1&+G

nurser! rh!mes# 1# &&+G,

ordering activities# &,# )G,# 13,# 1*+# 1G,#

&2,# &&G3

parallel reading# )+G# 123G)# &&*

peace offeringB# 1G, persuasion activities# +*# 1&G,# 1*&# 1*+

plausile chainsB# 12pledgesB# 1*)

plotting movementB# 1*G+point of no returnB# &G3# 1)1

point of orderB# &,G32# &&G3 predicting activities# 32G1# 31# 33# *3G# &

questionnaires# &2G1# &# +1# 122# 1*&# 1+*# &2+G

,# &3G,quiHHes# ,# 1&1

reading aloud# )G,# &&,# &31# &33GreadingOlistening in sections# &22

reassessing# *3# 1)2# &2,

retelling a stor!# # 1&2ritual activitiesB# 1*3

role pla!# 33G# +)G+# ++# G,# ,G,2# 1)# 1++G

# &22G1Romeo and Eld (apuletB# 1+G2round roinB# )

rulesB# see codesB

school reportsB# 13G*sculptingB# 1G&# 13,G2

sealing the time capsuleB# 31selecting te%ts# )G+

sentence whispersB# &signpost questionsB# 3

simulation# 3# 11&# &G**snowall activities# *1G)# 12)G12# 1&)# 1)G,#

1+2G1solutionsB# 1+Gstar diagramsB# &+G# 122G&

summaries

comparison of# *# 111G1&# 133Gconnectors for# *+G

Jumled# )# 13,# 12# &2,G11ke! points for# )

oral# +2 progressive# *# )

snowall# 12)G,

teaching literature

aims# G12approaches# +G prolems# 11G1*

teachingnovels# ,3G

pla!s# 1)3G poems#&&)G+

short stories# 1,)G+team competitions# 3

television reportageB# &1

theme# using the# 1,# 1)G*# 1,1G3# &2# &&+G,#&3&G3# &3*

thought ulesB# *,G)1# &3)G+

titleOcover design# using the# 1+G1# +,G1# &2#&1+

&3&



trailersB# ++G# 1&1G&# &1,4>Oradio guides# )&

visual displa!s# *&G3# 12)G12# 1&)# 1G,#1)G,

visual prompts# 1G1,# 1,+G,# &&2G&

wall charts# *&G3# see also visual displa!swarmGup activities# 1)# 1+G&&# 1)G*# 1,1G3#

1,+G,# &2# &1*G1)# &1+# &1# &&2G1# &&+G32#&3&G3# &3*# &3

what could " killIB# 122what if . . . IB# 3# 1*3# 1)1

wordpla!Oswordpla!B# 1)*G+

worksheets

questionOanswer# 3G,# 3,G1true or false# 3

value Judgments# + see also questionnaireswriting

conversationsOdialogues# *G,# 1G/# 1*2G1# 1*,# 1+G2# &1+

diaries# **G)# 1&)essa!s# +# &13G1# &1,# &*G*

letters# +# 11)G1+# 1minutes of a meeting# 1&,

newspaper articles# )3# G,# 1**G)# &22G1notes# )1

poems# )1# 1&3G# &3# &3)G# &2G&

reports# )3# 1G*# &1

Documents

-Literature in the Language Classroom J.collie S.slater (1)