Reading
Reading
will serve to develop your understanding of
British/Irish/Australian/American literature and culture, as well as
to strengthen your comprehension, analysis, and interpretation.
We
shall start with Australian
author (The Book Thief) Markus Zusak's I am the Messenger1
:Ed
Kennedy, 19, is a cab driver who gets no respect (and actually feels
like he doesn't deserve any). He lives in a shack with a stinky,
coffee-drinking seventeen-year-old dog named the Doorman. He's in
love with his friend Audrey but she refuses to love anyone and won't
sleep with Ed because she "likes him too much."
Ed
becomes a hero when he points a gun at the most incompetent bank
robber the world has ever seen. Soon after, he receives his first
message --- an Ace of Diamonds playing card with three addresses and
times written on it. Ed realizes that this is more than an
invitation; it's an assignment, and he feels compelled to respond. Ed
transforms from a self-absorbed (although funny and likeable) lout
into a genuine hero, reaching out in an
unsentimental way to the others he's directed to find on the cards he
receives. Sometimes his successes are sweet and simple but others are
sickeningly painful and incomplete. Always lurking beneath the
riveting story is the mystery --- who sends Ed his "assignments"
and why?
We
will go
on
with The
Giver2
by
Lois Lowry. Imagine a society where no one can see in colour
- everything is monochromatic. Imagine a society where spouses are
selected, children are assigned parents, names are predetermined,
and jobs are selected for its citizens. In The Giver, these decisions
are the responsibility of a committee of elders. You will not find
hills or snow, either: hills make transportation difficult, and snow
makes the growing season shorter. Everything is perfect. There is no
hunger, poverty, or war. Lois Lowry portrays her idea of a utopian
society. The Giver is a fascinating, thought-provoking book about a
fictional society. It will provide you with many opportunities to
discuss major issues about the society portrayed in the Giver aw well
as our
society, discussions that will be held in class, in small groups,
will fuel ideas for a major writing.
Through
a number of different writing assignments—from specific and guided
responses to the literature works we will be studying to more
creative essays - your writing ability will be challenged and
evaluated. Being able to express oneself in fluent and correct
English is a skill which needs frequent practise and plenty of
corrections, but I am confident students who do the assigned
homework regularly and carefully will achieve this goal.
Grammar3
We
will devote one period a week to grammar. Grammar topics will be
introduced through a variety of material especially created by your
team of English teachers and through course books we have in class
collections. They will be seen in context then practised, exercised
and hopefully mastered in your grammar book Oxford
English
Grammar Course1,
which meets the CEF requirements (up to B1 level). You should expect
to be assigned grammar exercises as homework every
week.
1
Michael
Swan, Catherine Walter: Oxford English Grammar Course Intermediate,
with
answers, OUP,
latest edition
In
order to increase your proficiency in English for daily written and
oral language, vocabularies will be studied by theme-related chapters
(16-32) and will lead to situation role-plays, listening activities,
letter writing or
Use
flashcards if you have trouble remembering difficult words. You will
be able to review your vocabulary on the bus, during recess, ... or
to group words according to the theme you are studying. Pay a special
attention to phonetics, many tests may involve dictation/oral
comprehension/expression.
Knowing your vocabulary is a good thing, but being able to come out with the exact word you need is better. Therefore, role-plays and oral activities (some of them prepared, some not) will offer you many occasions to express yourself. Your imagination will be at work. Major oral presentations in front of the class (at least one each semester, in pairs or groups, will challenge your speaking skills.
Remember
that
you
are not allowed to read, only notes and keywords will be accepted.
You will also be expected to present summaries/activities in
connection with the books we read. While reading a book, all
activities which involve sharing information with your classmates or
presenting feedback on a chapter you have read, alone or in group,
will give you opportunities to practise your oral expression. Always
make the effort to ask your questions in English! It's rewarding.
Listening
and understanding
During
classes, I speak English only so your listening skills will be
constantly challenged. We will watch films in connection with the
novels we read in their original version. You can practice at home
watching most TV series in English. Going to our brand-new
language laboratory will also enable you to practice your interactive
communication skills. Watching and listening to the latest news on
the BBC (radio or TV) will be part of the curriculum. lf you have
trouble understanding what I say, you are most welcome to ask me to
repeat, I will do so. I am ready to find alternatives to let my
explanations sink into your mind - other words, gestures, drawings,
... - but bear in mind French should be avoided as much as possible.
However, as soon as the bell rings, feel free to come to my desk and
ask for extra explanations, then we may chat in French.
Most of the material which I hand out to students will be found on my website, allowing students to access a document even if they have been absent or if it happens to be lost :-( . Plenty of useful information is waiting for you either on my personal website5or on the English Department's6 for instance if you are looking for a “séjour linguistique” or more general help (grammar exercises on line, listening activities ...)
Please be sure to come to class prepared (ready for tests, exercises done, assignments due and chapters read), with all the necessary equipment for each lesson. I hand out a lot of photocopies, make an effort to organize them into files so as to find them easily when needed. click on documents to access the files
Tests and marks
Vocabulary tests will be grouped in a pack of 9 and their average multiplied by 3 will give you 3 full marks, equivalent to any other mark you will get in grammar, reading comprehension, ... . As you will have a few more tests than the 9 required ones, you will be allowed to leave out one or two marks (the worst ones of course) if you have attended all tests at the end of the school year. If you miss one or two vocabulary tests, every mark will count then.
In addition to the vocabulary tests, expect about 3-4 tests in each category (grammar, reading comprehension, writing, speaking and listening).
I hope this will be a good year for you in English. Good luck! Martine Guignard
You
also have the opportunity to contact me by e-mail7.
3Oxford English Grammar Copurse, Intermediate , with answers, 2017
4 Claude
Gosset: Petit vocabulaire actuel, edition OPHRYS, 2016
6:
http://www.gymnasedubugnon.ch/enggybn/file
7martine.guignardschneider@vd.educanet2.ch
No comments:
Post a Comment