The following activity could be useful at
the end of a module, in order to extend specific structures and functions
already learned by the students, but also to revise and reinforce them.
Pre-Requisites: students can construct phrases on
familiar topics with sufficient ease and can make themselves understood in
short contributions; they can expand learned phrases through the recombination
of their elements and adapt them to particular situations, thanks to lexical
substitutions.
They can link words and sentences
through simple connective devices and they can communicate on routine matters.
Students have the main tools to
carry out the activity, according to vocabulary, structures (particularly past
simple) and functions (talking about past events, past consequences, narrative
events, biographical events, historical events).
Aims:
-
testing
pre-requisites
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revising
and reinforcing grammar structures and functions
-
widening
vocabulary
-
practicing
linguistic skills
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developing
knowledge about different story genres and different text types
-
motivating
students and stimulating curiosity
-
skimming
a text
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scanning
a text
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understanding
and recognizing reference (anaphora/cataphora)
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checking
contextual comprehension
-
finding
out cause-effect links
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using
link-words according to their function
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refining
capabilities of synthesis/analysis
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using
connective devices also in order to produce a coherent text
Strategies: the teacher wants to promote
discussion, starting inductively from a topic, an idea; L2 is built up
according to an oral and written perspective, through guided and free
activities.
Well-selected materials and
contextualized situations help to convey meaning.
Warm-up
- Here you have a list of adjectives:
sad, boring,
frightening, exciting, ridiculous,
funny,
fantastic, moving, interesting, involving
- Use them to describe the following
story genres:
ghost story,
detective story, love story/romance, science fiction novel, horror story/novel,
adventure/travel book.
- Could we consider a ghost story, which
should be frightening, also funny and ridiculous? Is it possible to find out a
link between fear and laugh? Which one?
Reading
- Read the extract from
the Canterville Ghost, by O. Wilde:
Later that night, Mr Otis was awakened by a
curious noise that came from the corridor outside
his room. It sounded
like metal clanking and
seemed to be getting
closer to his door. He got up,
lit a candle and
looked at the time. It was exactly
one o’clock. He
picked up a small bottle
from his night
table and opened the door. There
was an old man with a
terrible appearance standing
in front of him.
His eyes were red and he had long
grey hair. His
clothes were from another century
and were dirty and old.
There were heavy
manacles with chains
on his ankles and wrists.
“My dear sir,”
said Mr Otis, “I must insist that you
put some oil on your
chains. Then you won’t make
so much noise, and I’ll
be able to sleep peacefully.
Here’s a bottle of
Tammary Rising Sun Lubricator.
It is an excellent product. I shall leave it here by
my door and will be happy to obtain more if you
need it.” The
American minister put the bottle on a
marble table in the
corridor and closed the door of
the bedroom.
The Canteville Ghost
stood still for a moment in a
state of extreme
indignation. Then, he picked up
the bottle and threw it
violently against the floor,
breaking it. He
turned and ran down the corridor,
groaning and emitting
a green light. When he
reached the top of
the great staircase, a door
suddenly opened. Two
small figures appeared and
a large pillow almost
hit him on the head. He
decided to escape by
disappearing, and the house
became silent again.
He reappeared in a small secret chamber in the left
wing of the mansion.
It took a few minutes for him
To recover from the
shock. He needed to evaluate
his position. This was the first time in a brilliant
three-hundred-year
career that he had been insulted
in such a rude
manner.
- When and where does the scene take
place?
- How many characters are there?
- What do you think is their
relationship?
- Find out a title for each
paragraph.
- Complete the following chart
writing down all the words of the extract dealing with three main semantic
fields:
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Hearing
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Body
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House
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Noise
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Eyes
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Room
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- The text makes use of the past
simple. Underline all the verbs and write down their base forms.
- Mr Otis’ behaviour towards the
ghost is unusual. Why?
- Does this extract fulfil the
typical requirements of a ghost story? If not, why?
Listening
- Listen to another extract from the
story describing the second appearence of the Canterville Ghost.
After-listening
- Are these statements true (T) or
false (F)?
- The second appearence of the ghost was
on saturday night.
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- They had gone to bed.
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- The Canterville Ghost was seated in a
high-backed chair.
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- He was laughing.
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- The twins didn’t hear him.
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- The Minister covered him with his
revolver.
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- Listen again and check your
answers.
Speaking
- Let’s imagine a simple dialogue
between Mr Otis and the Ghost. In pairs, try to act it.
Writing
- Here you have a list of
link-words:
then, however, the only result, and,
but, although, then, yet, so, that’s how, instead
- Classify them according to their
function
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Cause
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Consequence
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Time sequence
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Concession
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- Now use them to write a summary of
the extract.
- Try to invent the end of the story
and write it in no more than 30 words.
- Compare your end with your
schoolmates’.
Listening
- Now listen to the real end of the
story.
Annafrancesca
Naccarato