GBAMA10000001 Charles Dickens

7/28/2019 GBAMA10000001 Charles Dickens

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Charles Dickens

www.amazingpeopleclub.com

r: Katie J ones. © Pearson PHOTOCOPIABLE

Preparation Time: 5 minutes Learning Objectives: To learn about the writer CharlesDickens and learn new vocabulary from the text.

Completion Time: 40 minutes

Skill/Grammar: Reading, vocabulary Age/Level: Teens–Adults/Intermediate

1 Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Divide the class into groups and have a game of Scategories. Groups must come up with as

many English writers as they can (or English-speaking writers if that’s too hard). Then

reconvene the class. Each group takes it in turns to name a writer. If none of the other groups

named the writer then they get three points, if another group has also chosen that writer then

they only get one point.

• Tell the class they are going to read about Charles Dickens. Can they name any Charles

Dickens novels? (Oliver Twist , Great Expectations, etc.)

2 Scanning the text (5 minutes)

• Direct students to the text and the three comprehension questions. Ask them to scan the text

quickly and answer the questions.

Answers: a London b Easy c People

3 Reading and comprehension (10 minutes)

• Ask students to read the text in more detail and answer the comprehension questions.

Answers: a because he didn’t pay his debts; b yes he was; c yes, they’re still in print; d USA;

e a stroke; f Oliver Twist

4 Vocabulary focus (10 minutes)

• Ask students to match the word with the definition.

Answers: a ii; b iii; c ii; d i; e ii; f iii; g ii

5 Presentation task (10 minutes)

• Ask students to think about their favourite author or book and prepare a very short talk on it

(perhaps 1–2 minutes). Get them to either give the presentation to the whole class or a

partner or small group (depending on numbers, student confidence, etc.). There are some

questions to help them think about the topic. Monitor and help with any vocabulary. Feedback

on any common errors



Charles Dickens


r: Katie J ones.

Charles Dickens1812–1870

Charles Dickens is one of the most popularEnglish novelists. His novels and articlesaddressed social issues such as hypocrisy and injustice. He introduced his readers tothe dreadful living conditions of the poor in19th century Britain. The topics that he

wrote about often reflected his own personalexperiences of poverty, for example when he

witnessed his father being sent to prison forunpaid debts.

© Pearson PHOTOCOPIABLE

His books, which include titles such asOliver Twist ; Bleak House; A ChristmasCarol ; David Copperfield ; Dombey and Son;

Barnaby Rudge; The Old Curiousity Shop;and A Tale of Two Cities, have remained inprint. His vivid descriptions reflected thefact that he regularly walked long distances

through London. In the process, he observedthe people and places and gained information for his novels. A stroll in and aroundFleet Street and the Strand will give you an impression of the area. In his book Oliver Twist , which was set in and around London Bridge, Dickens describes thedreadful conditions and the penal conditions of the workhouses. Times havechanged, but the places and streets where Dickens walked to gain his informationstill exist. They are well worth a visit.

During the Victorian era, Charles helped make serialized fiction popular, when hepublished the highly successful book, The Pickwick Papers, in 1836. It attracted

wide spread attention with its easy-to-read style.

A popular author during his lifetime, as much as after it, Charles went on a numberof reading tours, including two to the USA. During the second of these tours, he

became ill. He died on 9th June 1870, after suffering a stroke.

The legacy of Charles Dickens lives on in film, on stage and in print. His life iscelebrated through a number of festivals in England and the United States.

Text © The Amazing People Club



Charles Dickens



1 Divide into groups. Think of as many English writers as you can in one minute. You will

score more points if other groups did not find the same writers.

2 Read the text quickly and answer the following questions:

a Where did Charles Dickens live?

b Were Dickens’s books considered easy or difficult to read?

c Did Dickens write about people or ideas?

3 Read the text again and answer these questions about Charles Dickens:

a Why was his father sent to prison?

b Was Dickens popular in his lifetime?

c Do people still buy his books?

d To which country did he go on tour?

e How did he die?

f Which book talks about the London Bridge area?

4 Vocabulary focus. Choose the correct definition for the following words:

a workhouse i a type of office

ii a place where poor people lived

iii a prison

b serialized i sold with breakfast cereal

ii printed in several parts

iii printed in one



Charles Dickens



c poverty i rich

ii poor

iii middle class

d hypocrisy i pretending to have certain beliefs

ii a type of disaster

iii stealing

e stroll i running for fitness

ii walking for pleasure

iii riding a horse

f debt i books you borrowed from the library

ii food you borrowed and now owe to someone else

iii money you borrowed and now owe to someone else

g vivid i boring

ii lively and bright

iii long

5 Prepare a very short presentation about your favourite book or author?

Here are some questions to help.

Where is the book set?

Where is the author from?

What does he/she write about?

Is he/she famous?

Now either present your talk to either a partner or the rest of the class.

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GBAMA10000001 Charles Dickens