Тема урока «Why is English so popular?»*
Ролевая игра в форме конференции
Учебник английского языка для 8 класса общеобразовательной школы - K. Kaufman M. Kaufman «Happy English. Ru» издательство ТИТУЛ – 2008; Unit 3, Lesson 7.
Цели урока:
1) познавательный аспект – формирование социокультурной компетенции;
2) развивающий аспект – развитие навыков групповой работы, способности к высказыванию собственного мнения,
3) воспитательный аспект – формирование терпимого отношения к мнению другого человека, потребности осознания своего права на собственную позицию, повышение интереса учащихся к изучению английского языка;
4) учебный аспект – совершенствование навыков диалогической и монологической речи.
Оборудование: компьютер, проектор, экран, трибуна, визитные карточки участников конференции, программа конференции.
Characters:
Helen Kulazhenkova, chairwoman, a journalist, Moscow, Russia
Russell Brundon, a sociologist, London, Great Britain
Eugene Ivanov, a student, Moscow, Russia
Diana Forbes, a journalist, Canada
Nora Bamridge, Professor of Linguistics, Bern, Switzerland
Maurice Gandhi, a historian, India, Wesley Brinks, a rich businessman, the USA
Anna Belova, a translator, Russia
Valentina Dolganina, a teacher of a secondary school, Russia, students in class 8-а
Program:
Russell Brundon, a sociologist, London, Great Britain
«English is the Latin of the 21st Century»
Eugene Ivanov, a student, Moscow, Russia
«Great Britain is the Motherland of the English Language»
Diana Forbes, a journalist, Canada
«The Importance of Learning English»
Nora Bamridge, Professor of Linguistics, Bern, Switzerland
«The roots of the English Language»
Maurice Gandhi, a historian, India
«English is so popular because the United Kingdom used to have a Big Empire»
Wesley Brinks, a rich businessman, the USA
«English is so popular because it is the Language of America»
Anna Belova, a translator, Russia
«English is so popular because it is easy to learn»
Valentina Dolganina, a teacher of a secondary school, Russia
«How to learn English at school and at home - some pieces of advice»
Students in the 8th form, Russia (take part in the discussion)
Примечание. Автор предлагает свою версию урока, предложенного в учебнике. Это урок обобщения материала, изученного ранее.
Ход урока:
Chairwoman: Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Russian Federation and Great Britain Association it is my honor and duty to declare the Conference open. The theme of the Conference is «Why is English so popular and how to learn English at school». (На экране тема конференции)
International scientific and cultural cooperation improves understanding between peoples. It helps exchange knowledge. It serves the cause of peace. I suggest we pay attention to the program of our meeting.
На экране программа конференции (см. предыдущую страницу)
There are 8 people on the list. They are going to speak today. Besides, some pupils of class A were invited. They came here with their teacher Ms Dolganina. They would like to take part in the Conference and ask some questions.
The schedule is very busy: reports, discussions, videos, slides, films. All members are attractive and hard-working. We are going to work hard at the Conference. I think we should create a friendly atmosphere and give the floor to our guests. Who is the first to give a talk? (Поднимает руку социолог)
Excuse me, are you Mr. Russel Brundon, the sociologist from London?
Mr. Russel Brundon: Yes, I am. (Выходит к трибуне) Let me introduce myself. I am Russel Brundon, the sociologist from London. I think that the theme of our discussion is very urgent today, especially in Russia and especially for Russian students.
Примерная речь социолога:
Two thousand years ago, Latin was the world’s most important international language. Today this title belongs to English. It’s a global language of travel, business, pop culture, sport and science.
Over one billion people speak English. That’s almost one fifth of the world’s population. For over 400 million it is their first language. For the other 600 million it’s either a second or a foreign language.
Today, in fact, over 250 million people are learning English. That’s more than the population of the USA. Now English is spoken practically all over the world, it has become the world’s most important language in politics, science, trade and cultural relations. It is spoken as mother tongue in Great Britain, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Besides, a lot of people speak English in Japan, India, China, Africa and many other countries. English is one of the official languages of the United Nation Organization. Half of the world’s scientific literature is in English. It is the language of computer technology.
Problems of the 21st century, such as problems of war and peace, democracy, ecology and demography cannot be solved if people do not speak the same language. So, I must say that every educated person needs to know English.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mr. Brundon. You are a brilliant speaker. And I want the audience to ask Mr. Brundon some questions.
Возможные вопросы и ответы:
— Mr. Brundon, what nationality are you?
— My mother is French. My father is American. I have been living in London for many years.
— What languages do you speak?
— I speak German and a little French. English is my native tongue.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mr. Brundon. It was interesting to listen to you. And welcome to Russia. (Социолог занимает место в зале)
Chairwoman: English is the main subject of the talking today. It’s really a global language. But before learning a language we should get to know the native land of the language.
Let me introduce one Russian student to you. This is Mr. Eugene Ivanov from Moscow, Russia. He is studying English and especially interested in the Motherland of this language.
A Russian student: How do you do, everybody! I’m going to tell you some words about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is really a great, beautiful and very rich country.
Примерная речь студента из России:
Great Britain is situated on the British Isles. It consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The British Isles lie to the north-west from the coast of Europe. The total area of Great Britain is over 244.000 square kilometers. Its population is about 55 million.
The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea. There are many rivers in Great Britain. The longest river in England is the Severn, and the deepest is the Thames, on which the capital of Great Britain, London stands. All mountains in Great Britain are in the north and west. They are not high. North-West England is also famous for its beautiful lakes.
Great Britain is a Parliamentary monarchy. The power of the queen is limited by the Parliament. Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. The weather is very changeable and the nature is very beautiful in Great Britain.
Mr. Ivanov: In order to make my speech more convincing I would like to show you a short film about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Демонстрируется фильм.
Mr. Ivanov: And now I would like our guests to ask the students of class 8b some questions.
Вопросы ученикам задают гости (профессор лингвистики, историк, социолог, бизнесмен и т.д.)
Примерные вопросы и ответы:
— Where is Great Britain situated?
— Great Britain is situated on the British Isles.
— What is the capital of the country?
— London is the capital of Great Britain.
— What is the official language of the country?
— The official language is English.
— What can you say about the population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
— The population is about 58 million people.
— What is the queen’s name?
— Her name is Elizabeth.
— Why do tourists like to visit Great Britain?
— It is a very beautiful country. There are many wonderful sights there.
Mr. Ivanov: Thank you, I believe that you, my dear boys and girls, will be successful in studying English.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mr. Ivanov. Now we have a good idea about the Motherland of the English language. But, nevertheless, I don’t understand why everyone in the world should study English.
Один из участников конференции поднимает руку.
Mrs. Forbes: May I speak, please?
Chairwoman: Yes, please.
Mrs. Forbes: Let me introduce myself. I’m Diana Forbes, a Canadian journalist.
I must say that we live in the information age. Almost all the international sources are in English. The international television and radio networks CNN and the BBC broadcast to more than 210 countries. All the programs are in English. In the year 2000, nineteen out of twenty of the most popular movies in the world were American. More than a billion websites in the Internet are in English. About a billion and a half people in the world understand English. More than a billion are learning it.
English is not only the national or official language of thirty states which represent different cultures but it is also the major international language of communication in such areas as science, technology, business and mass entertainment. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations Organization and other political organizations. It is the language of literature, education, modern music, international tourism.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mrs. Forbes. Are there any questions from the audience?
Возможные варианты вопросов участников конференции:
— What is the official language in Canada?
— There are two official languages in Canada – English and French.
— What language is more important?
— English, of course. More and more people in the world speak English not French.
— What languages do you speak, Mrs. Forbes?
— I speak English, French and a little Russian.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mrs. Forbes. And now I’m going to give the floor to Mrs. Bamridge, from Bern, Switzerland, Professor of Linguistics.
К трибуне выходит профессор лингвистики из Швейцарии
Chairwoman: Happy to meet you, Mrs. Bamridge.
Mrs. Bamridge: Happy to meet you too. How do you do, everybody. I think that English is so popular because it has words from other languages. It is like many European languages and that’s why people can learn it easily.
Речь лингвиста сопровождается презентацией на экране
A lot of English words are like German. The grammar is also very similar.
Compare:
Meine Freundin ist neun Jahre alt. (German) – My friend is nine years old. (English)
Wir gehen in die Schule. (German) – We go to school. (English)
Sie ist interessant. (German) – She is interesting. (English)
Scandinavian words in English: anger, cake, call, egg, get, give, kick, kill, score, scrub, seat, skill, skin, skirt, sky, take, they, them, their, ugly, want, window, husband.
Latin words in English: street, kitchen, cup, cheese, wine, angel, wall, paper.
French words in English: country, court, crime, prison, religion, prince, princess; royal, adventure, change, fruit, letter, literature, magic, male, female, mirror, question, special.
The roots of the English language
In fact, English is a Germanic language. The Anglo-Saxons contributed to the formation of English most of all. English grammar is still very similar to German. There are also a lot of French words in English from when William Duke of Normandy became the King of England in 1066. You can find a lot of Scandinavian words in English too. They came from the times when the Vikings raided Britain. The English alphabet came from Latin. Christian monks, who spoke Latin, brought it to England from Ireland.
It is very strange, but the Celtic language didn’t contribute many words to modern English.
We can only find Celtic words in the names of places and rivers such as: Dover, Kent, Avon and the Thames, for example. So, I think that English is so popular because it has many words from other languages.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mrs. Bamridge. Are there any questions from the audience?
Возможные варианты вопросов участников конференции:
— How long have you been interested in foreign languages?
— I have specialized in this work for ten years. My interest in foreign languages never lessens. (Не убывает)
— Do you think a man should know many foreign languages?
— I’m sure, the more languages a man knows, the more successful his career is.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mrs. Bamridge. Your report was really interesting. Now it’s your turn Mr. Gandhi.
К трибуне выходит историк из Индии
I think English is so popular because the United Kingdom used to have a big empire. The British had colonies all over the world, and all the people in the colonies had to speak English. My country, India, is an example. Let’s look at the map.
На экран проецируется карта мира.
The beginning of the British Empire was in 1583 when Queen Elizabeth I sent her ships to explore new lands and continents. The expeditions were always successful. More and more lands became the part of the British Empire. At that time Doctor Dee, the Queen’s magician and astrologer, said the famous words: “British Empire”. He was right.
Britain had the largest empire in the world. People said about it: «The sun never sets on the British Empire». It was true: the empire was so big that it was always daylight in some part of it. Its territories were on every continent and ocean.
By the beginning of the 20th century the British Empire had a population of 400-500 million people (about a quarter of the world’s population at that time), and covered about 30 million square kilometers.
Some of the countries that used to be British colonies or territories are: the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, large parts of Africa, the Caribbean, the Far East, the Middle East and some islands in Europe.
In the 20th century, even though Britain’s role as a world power has declined considerably, the hegemony of the USA has meant that the English language has almost achieved the status of a world language.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mr. Gandhi. You are a brilliant speaker. Are there any questions from the audience?
Возможные варианты вопросов участников конференции:
— Mr. Gandhi, Why are you taking part in this conference?
— I’ve come to this conference because I want to explain the importance of learning English to Russian students.
— Is it necessary to learn English for those who are going to live in Russia?
— Yes, it is, I’m sure because understanding and speaking a foreign language became necessary while applying for a good and well-paid job.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mr. Gandhi. And now a rich American businessman, Mr. Brinks is going to give a speech.
Mr. Brinks: How do you do, everybody. I’m glad to meet you. I think that English is so popular because it is the language of America. The world has to understand America because it is one of the biggest and strongest countries. Everybody wants to do business with America. Do you know that.
1. Six out of ten richest people in the world are Americans.
2. The whole world eats in American restaurants: McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut.
3. The whole world wears American jeans such as Levis.
4. Hollywood is the biggest film producer in the world. The most popular films in the world are American.
5. The dollar is the most popular currency in the world.
6. The USA is the world leader in science and technology.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mr. Brinks. Are there any questions to the speaker?
Возможные варианты вопросов aмериканскому бизнесмену:
— What foreign languages do you speak?
— I don’t have much free time to learn languages. I can speak English and it is enough for me and my business.
A Russian translator: May I speak? I think that the speech of Mr. Brinks is very ambitious. I’m afraid, he is not right. There are some other reasons of learning English. And I’m going to speak about them in my report.
Chairwoman: Thank you, Mr. Brinks. You gave some interesting information for the audience. Mrs. Belova, we are ready to listen to you.
Mrs. Belova: Let me introduce myself. I’m Anna Belova, a Russian translator. I think that English is popular because it’s easy. And I can prove it. Let’s compare English with Russian, for example.
Речь Анны Беловой сопровождается презентацией.
Plurals are easier. You just have to add an –(e)s in the end.
Compare: Tables, books, trees. – Столы, книги, деревья.
Genders are simpler. In English you use “she” for women, “he” for men and all other words are “it”. In Russian we have tree (it), table (he), book (she), room (she). It’s very difficult.