New Year's Resolutions. Работа с неадаптированным текстом.
учебно-методический материал по английскому языку (9, 10, 11 класс)

Part 1

For this assignment I have chosen to design reading tasks based on the first two chapters from the book The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ by Sue Townsend, which was first published in 1982. I find this authentic text appropriate for the pre-intermediate group I am currently teaching for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the narrator (Adrian Mole) believes himself to be an intellectual and does not use slang which can hinder learners’ understanding to a great extent and should be avoided when teaching low-level students. Secondly, some students in the group are keen on reading unabridged books despite the necessity of using dictionaries extensively, and I expect them to enjoy the author’s hilarious humor. Moreover, the text does not contain lengthy sentences or too many unfamiliar words, which is crucial, as according to Harmer ‘both sentence length and the percentage of unknown words play their part in a text’s comprehensibility’. (Harmer 2007: 272). Last but not least, some of the topics we have discussed in class are celebrating New Year and emotions, and my tasks might encourage the students to practice the vocabulary items they have learnt throughout the course.

Part 2

LEAD-IN

PROCEDURE:

I will show the students a PowerPoint presentation  (see Appendix 1) and allow them 3 minutes to discuss the questions on the slide in pairs, then I ask them to share about their partners (3 minutes).

AIMS:

• To generate students’ interest in the topic.
• To set up expectations in the students about the text they are to read.

RATIONALE:

By getting the students to discuss their own post-New Year experiences I hope to engage the students’ interest. Making an explicit link between the topic of the text and students’ own lives is an essential element of any reading activity (Scrivener 2011: 267) I also expect to set up some expectations in them about the contents of the text they will be reading. As Harmer says, prediction is a crucial factor in reading because it enables our brain to process information more effectively (Harmer 2001: 70).

READING FOR GIST

PROCEDURE:

 After pre-teaching the words sleeve (for a record), apron, RSCPCA, rigging, spot, boil, rotten. I will ask the students to read the questions on the next slide (see Appendix 2) and to skim the text for 2 minutes. Then the students will discuss the questions in pairs (2 minutes), after which I will encourage some individual students to share their ideas with the whole class (2 minutes).

AIMS:

• To enhance students’ reading for gist skills.
• To activate students’ knowledge of basic vocabulary.

            RATIONALE:

            Even taking into account the shortness of the sentences and the ‘decency’ of Adrian’s style, the text is still quite challenging for pre-intermediate students. However, the knowledge of some basic vocabulary will enable the students to work out the answers to the questions and get a sense of achievement. This task will also make the students realize that, as Scrivener says, it is not always important to read texts word-by-word in order to process information successfully (Scrivener 2011: 264).

READING FOR DETAIL

PROCEDURE:

I will get the students to read the 10 statements on the handout (see Appendix 3) and allow them 7 minutes to read the text again, more thoroughly this time, and to individually work out if the statements are true or false. I will also draw the students’ attention to the fact that they have to explain their choices and to use the text to justify their answers. Then I will ask them to discuss their answers in pairs for 4 minutes. Then we will discuss the task as a whole class. In order to perform this activity in a more dynamic fashion I will ask the students to nominate each other to say the answer. This will keep the students focused during the WCF (5 minutes).

AIMS:

• To enhance students’ reading for detail skills.
• To get students to read the text carefully and to pay closer attention to the language.
• To ensure a deeper understanding of the text on the students’ part.

            RATIONALE:

            According to Scrivener, reading for detail is not the most common way in which we read texts in everyday life (Scrivener 2011: 264). However, I am strongly convinced that it is quite appropriate as far as reading literary texts is concerned. Students need to realize from the very beginning that scanning and skimming texts, no matter how practical these techniques are, are not the only available options. ‘We have to understand what the words mean, see the pictures the words are painting’, otherwise we ‘just scratch the surface of the text’ (Harmer 2001: 70). Besides, I designed the task in a way in which it is possible to complete it successfully without knowing all the words. The students might get extra motivation when they see that they are actually able to understand and discuss an authentic text. Finally, I hope they will find some passages (when going back over them) entertaining, which will inevitably contribute to their overall motivation. If one finds something amusing, they are more liable to memorize it better and to crave similar language learning experiences.

Part 3

PRODUCTIVE SKILL TASK

PROCEDURE:

As a follow-up activity for my reading tasks I will provide each student with a form (Appendix 4) to fill in and get them to write down their New Year resolutions (5 affirmative sentences + 5 negative sentences in the Future Simple). I will allow the students 5 minutes to complete the forms. Then I will allow the students 10 minutes to discuss their New Year resolutions with their peers. They will be walking around the classroom and their objective will be to talk with at least two people. I will also draw the students’ attention to the importance of extra questions (e.g. Why do you want to do this?). Then I will ask the students to share the most interesting facts about their partners.

AIMS:

• To enhance students’ speaking skills in the context of promises and on the spot decisions.
• To improve rapport between the students.   

            RATIONALE:

 This follow-up activity is beneficial for my students as, being related to the material they have learnt  since the beginning of the course, it will encourage them to activate both the grammar and the vocabulary items which they have been taught and will enable me to assess their overall progress. I particularly like the idea of special forms for the students to fill in as this will help them assemble their thoughts before talking with each other. Talking spontaneously without any preparation even in L1 is not an easy task, let alone in the language they are struggling to learn (Harmer 2001: 91)

Word count: 1117

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• J. Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, CUP, 2007
• J. Harmer, How to Teach English, CUP, 2001
• J. Scrivener, Learning Teaching, CUP, 2011

MATERIALS

An extract from the book The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾  by Sue Townsend, first published in 1982 (see Appendix 5)

APPENDIX 5

Thursday January 1st 

Bank Holiday in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales 

These are my New Year’s resolutions:

1. I will help the blind across the road.
2. I will hang my trousers up.
3. I will put the sleeves back on my records.
4. I will not start smoking.
5. I will stop squeezing my spots.
6. I will be kind to the dog.
7. I will help the poor and ignorant.
8. After hearing the disgusting noises from downstairs last night, I have also vowed never to drink alcohol.

My father got the dog drunk on cherry brandy at the party last night. If the RSPCA hear about it he could get done. Eight days have gone by since Christmas Day but my mother still hasn’t worn the green lurex apron I bought her for Christmas! She will get bathcubes next year.

Just my luck, I’ve got a spot on my chin for the first day of the New Year!

Friday January 2nd 

Bank Holiday in Scotland. Full Moon 

I felt rotten today. It’s my mother’s fault for singing ‘My Way’ at two o’clock in the morning at the top of the stairs. Just my luck to have a mother like her. There is a chance my parents could be alcoholics. Next year I could be in a children’s home.

The dog got its own back on my father. It jumped up and knocked down his model ship, then ran into the garden with the rigging tangled in its feet. My father kept saying, ‘Three months’ work down the drain’, over and over again.

The spot on my chin is getting bigger. It’s my mother’s fault for not knowing about vitamins.

Saturday January 3rd 

I shall go mad through lack of sleep! My father has banned the dog from the house so it barked outside my window all night. Just my luck! My father shouted a swear-word at it. If he’s not careful he will get done by the police for obscene language.

I think the spot is a boil. Just my luck to have it where everybody can see it. I pointed out to my mother that I hadn’t had any vitamin C today. She said, ‘Go and buy an orange, then’. This is typical.

She still hasn’t worn the lurex apron.

I will be glad to get back to school.

                                                                                                        © https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Diary-Adrian-Mole

APPENDIX 3

Read the text again and decide if the statements are True (√) or False (×). Correct the false statements. Find information in the texts to justify your opinions.

1. Adrian has a problem with his face.
2. Adrian doesn’t like drunk people.
3. Adrian gave his mother bathcubes for Christmas.
4. Adrian wants to be better-organized in the future.
5. Adrian believes his parents should drink more alcohol.
6. The dog broke something which belonged to his father.
7. Adrian didn’t sleep well on Friday night because the dog slept in his bed.
8. Adrian’s father is always calm and polite.
9. Adrian’s mother doesn’t care much about his health problems.
10. Adrian doesn’t want to go to school.

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APPENDIX 4

MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS:

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APPENDIX 6

Reading for gist:

1. Adrian is a teenager (He mentions his parents, school)
2. Adrian is not happy in the first few days of January (He feels rotten, he’s got a spot on his chin, he doesn’t sleep well).

Reading for detail:

1. T (A spot on his chin, he thinks it is a boil)
2. F (One of his New Year resolutions is never to drink alcohol. His parents’ drinking habits upset him)
3. F (He gave her an apron. He wants to give her bathcubes next year)
4. T (I  will hang my trousers up, I will put the sleeves on my records)
5. F (Their drinking upsets him. He worries that he might go to a children’s home)
6. T (It knocked down his father’s model ship)
7. F (The dog barked in the garden at night)
8. F (He shouted at the dog, he used a swear word)
9. T (When he complains to her about lack of vitamins, she says ‘Go and buy an orange, then)
10. F (He says he will be glad to be back at school)