A. WE START IN THE MIDDLE OF THINGS AND ONLY AFTERWARDS LOOK AT WHAT WENT BEFORE
TWO GROUPS: A DIFFERENT STORY IS TOLD TO EACH GROUP - ALL GROUP MEMBERS RETELL THEIR STORY TO ONE PARTNER FROM OTHER GROUP
STORY ONE
As Nasruddin emerged form the mosque after prayers, a beggar sitting on the street solicited alms.
The following conversation followed:
- Are you extravagant? asked Nasruddin.
- Yes Nasruddin. replied the beggar.
- Do you like sitting around drinking coffee and smoking? asked Nasruddin.
- Yes. replied the beggar.
- I suppose you like to go to the baths everyday? asked Nasruddin.
- Yes. replied the beggar.
- ...And maybe amuse yourself, even, by drinking with friends? asked Nasruddin.
- Yes I like all those things. replied the beggar.
- Tut, Tut, said Nasruddin, and gave him a gold piece.
A few yards farther on. another beggar who had overheard the conversation begged for alms also.
- Are you extravagant? asked Nasruddin.
- No, Nasruddin replied second beggar.
- Do you like sitting around drinking coffee and smoking? asked Nasruddin.
- No. replied second beggar.
- I suppose you like to go to the baths everyday? asked Nasruddin.
- No. replied second beggar.
- ...And maybe amuse yourself, even, by drinking with friends? asked Nasruddin.
- No, I want to only live meagerly and to pray. replied second beggar.
Whereupon the Nasruddin gave him a small copper coin.
- But why, wailed second beggar, do you give me, an economical and pious man, a penny, when you give that extravagant fellow a sovereign?
- Ah my friend, replied Nasruddin, his needs are greater than yours.
STORY TWO
There was a poor family living in Ireland during the times of the potato famine.
An old man and his wife, who was blind. Their daughter and her husband, who had been waiting for a baby that wouldn't come.
Potatoes was practically all they had tp eat. The young man always went to get some potatoes from the garden every day.
One day, when he came out into the garden there was a strange smell in the air.
- Oh, my God, I hope our potatoes haven't gone bas as well.
When he saw the potatoes they had all gone black and squelchy, stank to high heaven.
In the moment of his despair he herd a little voice behind him. It was one of the 'little people' (a leprechaun).
- What's the matter?
- Look at the potatoes! They've all gone bad. We have nothing to eat!
- Yes, I can see that. But I can give you a wish.
- Only one wish?
- Yes, only one wish this time, I'm afraid.
- Can I first discuss it with my family?
- Of course! I'll be here at the same time tomorrow.
And ffft off he was!
His mother-in-law said:
-Wiah for my eyesight. I want to be able to see again.
His wife said:
-No, don't do that. Wish for our baby!
But the old man said:
- No we must think. We need gold. To buy food with.
The following morning the leprechaun was already there waiting for him.
-Well, have you made up your mind?
- Yes, we have. Only one wish?
- Only one. As I said yesterday.
- Well it is this: My mother-in-law would like to see my wife's baby in a golden cradle!
B. WRITING EXERCISES
Writing Exercise 29.
MEMBERS OF CLASS DICTATE SINGLE WORDS FROM THESE STORIES TO THREE OR FOUR VOLUNTEERS WHO WRITE THESE WORDS IN COLUMNS ON THE BLACKBOARD.
(The children always know which story the word comes from. Each word is like a mosaic stone from a big picture!)
- READ THROUGH THESE WORDS. CROSS OUT ANY DOUBLES, TRIPLES.
(This means the class are reading!)
- DO WE ALL AGREE WITH HOW THESE WORDS ARE SPELT? The question is not "right" or "wrong" but "Can we agree?"
(Class reading again!)
- LET'S TAKE THE FIRST WORD. WHAT WAS THE WORD BEFORE IT; OR AFTER IT?
(Grammar in practice!)
- THE SAME FOR AS MANY WORDS ON THE BLACKBOARD.
- WHO CAN REMEMBER HOW EACH OF THE STORIES BEGAN?
- GRADUALLY RECONSTRUCT THE TWO STORIES.
- WRITE OUT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN REMEMBER.
(A writing exercise par excellence!)
- LEARN THEM BY HEART.
(Some will do precisely that, others will remember the inner pictures)
- Recite and/or write out story by heart.
PRECEDING WRITING EXERCISES 1 - 28 (selection):
1. Write a very short sentence on the board - with words spaced out. Then children suggest a word at a time to make the sentence longer and longer.
2. Teacher prepares a very long sentence and writes it up on the board. Children suggest single words that can be crossed out.
3. Every child says what its favourite animal is – In a second round the children say about "their" animal what it IS LIKE (e.g. My donkey is fat). Then in a third round the children say what their fat donkey IS DOING right now (or what it ALWAYS DOES, every morning etc). Finally the
sentence is written down (as well as any others they can remember from their classmates).
4. Write down a list of questions to ask a child in front of a class who 'is' some animal for a guessing game". (Have you got six legs?)
5. Teacher (or child who can) dictates a short text about herself. The class write down what is dictated but change those parts that are not right for them.
6. WRITE 'SIMPLE-SIMON'-TYPE COMMANDS ON SLIPS OF PAPER - FOLD AND PUT IN BASKET - ONE CHILD TAKES SLIP AND CARRIES OUT COMMAND -
CLASS WRITES DOWN WHAT THEY THINK IT SAYS ON THE SLIP! - CHILDREN READ OUT THEIR 'THEORIES' UNTIL THE 'ACTOR' CAN SAY "THAT'S IT!"
(N.B.This is reading what children hve written themselves!
7. Negative statements that are true (The sun never rises in the west; corks don't sink)
8. Positive statements that are true (Cats like chasing birds).
9. Sequencing a series of sentences written on a sheet of paper in the wrong order. (Gettinga wolf, a goat and a basket full of cabbage across a river, one item every time, wolf never alone with goat, goat never alone with cabbage).
10. How to boil an egg? Make a list of steps (Take a pan, put in some water etc).
11. Tell the same 7-sentence story 4 or 5 times (this can be done by different children like "stille Post") and make notes of the differences.
12. Tell the children a short anecdote or mini-story told in their first language; they then write it in English.
13. Sit in a circle and get the children to "tell" a story only using one, two, or three words. Afterwards everyone writes the story they heard.
14. Write out instructions on how to get from the classroom to the nearest bus-stop, for instance.
15. Write a question to your neighbour in 7 words on a sheet of paper. They then exchange sheets and answer the question in 7 words, handing back the sheet with the first question and answer. Next write a follow-on question in 6 words, then the same procedure as before. Till they get to a one-word question and a one-word answer.
17. Hang up a poster showing a landscape or a street scene and describe it. ("In the foreground …;to the left of the post-office there is butcher's shop, etc).
18. Draw a set of three pictures showing the same action:
- just before it happens using GOING TO (e.g. is going to comb her hair)
- while it IS HAPPENING (e.g. is combing her hair)
- just after it HAS HAPPENED (e.g. has combed her hair).
20. Write down as many questions as you can to which the answer is always "Four".
28. Children think of words of things in their bedrooms. Volunteers write these up on the blackboard.
C. FIRST WRITING BOOK
During the first few months in Class 4 the children copy their 'favourite' verses, rhymes, songs, stories, conversational exchanges, speech exercises, language learning games, circle games, finger plays, the repetitive parts of stories into their 'First Writing Book'.
1. For 15 minutes in every one of their three (!) weekly lessons the children copy WHOLE TEXTS, off the blackboard (whiteboard, flipchart etc.).
2. We don't write single words during this time.
3. We write only texts they know "by heart", have "in their ear"!
4. During this time children will recognize the verses and with a bit of luck will be able to "read", recite or sing them.
5. When the first children have written for two or three weeks we start helping them to "NOTICE" REGULAR SPELLINGS that are "always" pronounced the same way, for example: A, E, O, I, U in short one-syllable words!
6. The word-shape CONSONANT-SHORT VOWEL-CONSONANT can be written more or less as children hear it:
For example: bet, bit, hot
the cat sat on the mat
This is my chin, my chin, my chin
tick tock, the clock
In the word-shape CONSONANT-SHORT VOWEL-CONSONANT the English A (æ) and U (ʌ) may cause confusion.
We try to get the children to discover those two typically English sounds and their spellings as quickly as possible:
rat-tat-tat
Jack
let's get the fishing-net
puff, puff, puff
how much are those buns?
7. SPELLING PRACTICE FOR SHORT VOWELS (later this will be SPELLING RULE 1)
To strengthen the first two steps the children write from hearing.
First begin with words ending in VOICELESS CONSONANTS so as to keep really short vowels:
the cat sat on the mat
let the net get wet
he hit it and it bit
it has not got a lot of dots
cut the nuts into a cup
We could also use the following:
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter
But, she said, the butter’s bitter,
If I put it in my batter,
It will make my batter bitter,
But a bit of better butter,
That would make my batter better.
If the children get the hang of this they will enjoy these "dictations" - many children will get everything right simply by listening and writing accurately! You or some of the pupils can make many more of these "listening exercises" yourselves!
8. DOUBLING OF CONSONANTS AFTER SHORT VOWELS (later this will be SPELLING RULE 2)
Rule: When the short vowels come in words of more than one syllable the consonants need doubling:
For example:
bat - battER
bet - bettER
bit - bittER
but - buttER
bed - beddING
bud - buddING
hap - happY
pig - piggY
sop - soppY
sob - sobbED
9. NOT DOUBLING THE CONSONANTS (later this will be SPELLING RULE 3):
LONG VOWELS come if we do not double the consonants in words of more than one syllable:
patter...later
better...Peter
bitter...biting
Bonnie.. phoning
funny...fuming
10. The
LONG VOWEL SOUNDS come when a
SILENT E follows the RULE-1 words (later this will be SPELLING RULE 4):
Put the following words side by side by side:
mat... mate
sit ... site
not ...note
fun ...fume (F-YOU-M)
and we "discover" the "rule" that long A, I, O, U appear when a SILENT "E" comes after the short words!
11. The second exercise has words ending in
VOICED CONSONANTS which LENGTHEN the short vowel (later this will be SPELLING RULE 5):
the bad lad had bag
she fed the hen in bed
it hid the fig in the bin
the mob nod to the dog and the hog
the cub dug in the mud
12. Also LONG VOWELS become SHORTENED before
UNVOICED CONSONANTS (later this will be SPELLING RULE 6)
made mate
feed feet
bide bite
road rote
code coat
hood foot
good put
booed boot
D. READING PRACTICE
1. The teacher writes out a series of complex commands on the blackboard before the lesson begins and covers them with a flip-chart sheet. Then she shows one command at a time to a count of 6 or 7 and the children who have understood carry out the action.
2. Teacher writes a very long sentence on the board while children look on. Children are then asked to suggest a word that could be left out without changing the core meaning of the sentence. At some stage near the end more that one word will have to be eliminated in one go.
3. Read the following as clearly phrased for meaning as possible:
He drove to work after he had finished working in the garden.
You'll find the apples next to the oranges on the shelf over there.
Maggie must have been visiting her aunt in Springtown last weekend.
Could you pass me the mustard, please?
They have been considering buying a new car as soon as they have saved enough money.
By the time he receives this letter, I will have caught the train to Paris.
Following closely behind the herd was a group of filthy, disgusting vultures.
I'll make sure to give him a ring the next time I'm in town.
Not only are the exams required, but they are also absolutely imperative for your further education.
Hey, have you seen the new film with Bruce Willis? You know, the one where he's supposed to be a sensitive doctor.
4. Put the stress on a different word changes the mean each time:
Do you want to stay here?
DO you want to stay here?
Do
YOU want to stay here?
Do you
WANT to stay here?
Do you want to
STAY here?
Do you want to stay
HERE?
5. Now do the same for:
Can you come to lunch today?
Must he go now?
Is Mary going to wear that hat?
6. Long and short vowels, voiced and unvoiced consonants. Read carefully:
A bat sat in a cap in the back of the cab.
Ned had a hat on his head.
He said Nag was sad.
The mad cat sat on the mat.
Harry had a bat in this hut but not in his hat.
A match doesn’t give much light.
It’s fun to have a fan.
Can you carry the curry and put it in the pan?
I’ll bet you Sid hasn’t fed his pet.
Minnie’s pet has hidden itself in the hedge.
The wretch is very rich.
Ken hates making his bed.
Kate doesn’t want to get her head wet under the gate.
You will get your cape wet this way.
It’s Johnny’s job to chop the meat.
Georgie had a badge on his hat.
Fetch the cheese and jam. Jack’s jumped off the bridge, the chump.
The doctor chap gave me jab.
I saw a fairly lovely fairy in the valley.
Vicky, can you follow that fat fellow in the Rover this evening?
He dropped some food on his foot. As a rule you shouldn’t shoot a coot.
You could pull on some boots when the moon is full.
The cook has put a book by the pool.
E. RHYTHM - METER (METRE) - BEAT (NOT TO BE CONFUSED!)
The LENGTHS of the SYLLABLES vary from line to line. They constitute the RHYTHM or FLOW of the poem. The long syllables (which usually end in VOICED CONSONANTS) are in upper case:
Jack and
JILL went up the
HILL (two long sylables)
To fetch a
PAIL of water;
(one long syllable)
Jack
FELL DOWN and broke his
CROWN (three long syllables)
And
JILL CAME TUMbling after.
(three long syllables one after the other!)
The POETIC METER is basic structure of a line of poetry. The bold syllables are STRESSED causing a regular BEAT:
Jack and
Jill went
up the
hill
To
fetch a
pail of
water;
Jack fell
down and
broke his
crown
And
Jill came
tumbling
after
The pattern of STRESSED-UNSTRESSED is called FALLING RHYTHM,
The pattern of UNSTRESSED-STRESSED is called RISING RHYTHM.
F. GRAMMAR
These patterns (of STRESSED-UNSTRESSED/FALLING - and UNSTRESSED-STRESSED/RISING RHYTHM) play an important part in the way the English Language gives a subtle emphasis to certain verb forms, thereby also determining the GRAMMATICAL MEANING of a particular Tense!!Here are some examples, but I am fully aware there should be many more to make this good!
1. Infinitives (especially clear in infinitives with 'TO') are RISING RHYTHM which gives them emphasis (or prominence) unlike the ING-Forms, which are FALLING RHYTHM making them merge more into their surroundings. Compare:
I saw the cat
COME down the stairs. (completely)
I saw the cat COMING down the stairs. (on the way down only)
2. George Best
gets the ball, he
drives it before him,
passes it to Bobby Charlton who
shoots. Goal!
These are all actions happening at the moment of speaking but they are all COMPLETED (ONE AFTER THE OTHER)!
3. Oxford IS ROWING beautifully. Cambridge is three lengths behind. It's a wonderful day. The sun IS SHINING. Thousands of people ARE WATCHING. Ah, now they'RE APPROACHING Hammersmith Bridge.
Here the actions described are on-going (and happening simultaneously)!
4. Yesterday I was playing the violin when the telephone
rang. I
put down the violin and
went to answer the phone.
What was I doing? (I was playing the violin).
What
did I do? (I
put down the violin. I
went to the phone to answer it).
The verb form in bold print give the verb emphasis and express completed actions.
5. I began TO LEARN my French words as soon as I got home.
(The Infinitive gives LEARN emphasis).
I began LEARNING French when I was three.
(The ING-Form is merged to BEGAN giving BEGAN the emphasis).
6. Compare:
Do you like SAILING. Would you like TO SAIL.
In the first action is more on the level of the idea of it; in the second there's a real possibility of actually doing it!
7. Compare:
Do you remember SITTING on that park bench? Did you remember TO SIT on that park bench?
What's the difference?
