1 M English focuses on developing strong reading and writing skills as well as improving your oral English (listening and speaking) in addition to mastering grammar and vocabulary at a lower intermediate level.
Reading
Reading
will serve to develop your understanding of British/Irish/American
literature and culture, as well as to strengthen your comprehension,
analysis, and interpretation.
We
will start with Irish author John Boyne's amazing novel about
Germans and the Holocaust
from the point of view of a young boy
:TheBoy in the Striped Pyjamas 1
The
year is 1943. When Bruno returns home from school one day, he
discovers that his family must move from their home to a new house
far away, where there are no neighbours and nothing to do. A tall
fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts
him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. Bruno
decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets
the eye, so sets out to explore...
The
excellent 2008 film directed by Mark Herman is very truthful to the
book and you will certainly shed a few tears over Bruno's moving
story.
We
will go on with
TheGiver2
by
Lois Lowry. Imagine a society where nobody 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 essay writing .
Writing
Through
a number of different writing assignments – from writings based on
grammar topics to narratives and a descriptive essay in form of a
“spy mission” you will practise your writing skills. You will
also be writing about literature in many creative ways. You should
expect to write once or twice a month , whether in quick exercises
(summaries or notes taking ) or for a major class writing. Major
essays may require outline and drafts at home but are assigned well
in advance, so organize your work in order not to be overwhelmed with
other homework.
While
reading the novel mentioned above , I expect you to do the assignment
that goes with it. Take every opportunity to express your writing
skills during quick assignments I give you in class, which I am
always willing to correct. At the end of a course, I may also collect
writings done in class to assess them with a mark.
Grammar3
Grammar
topics will be introduced in context then practised ,exercised and
hopefully mastered in the Golden Grammar Book. You should expect to
be assigned grammar exercises as homework every week. Most of the
grammar exercises are self-corrected, so be sure to come to class
with questions on matters that are unclear to you. Highlight or
underline any sentence which you haven't understood while doing your
exercises, I shall answer your questions.
Your
first year of English in high school will cover basic tenses - those
you know already (Present, Past, Present Perfect, simple and
continuous forms) Imperatives, Participles, Interrogatives as well
as Articles, Adjectives, Pronouns and Nouns. Summaries of every
grammar chapter can be downloaded and printed from the English Bugnon
Website under English BugnonGrammar4U4
Vocabulary5
In
order to increase your proficiency in English for daily written and
oral language, vocabularies will be studied by theme-related chapters
which may lead to situation role-playing, listening activities or
quick writing. Be ready to learn about two-three pages every week and
have a final test on every one or two chapters. The average number of
pages for a test should be around ten. Vocabulary tests might take
the shape of listening tests as well. You must obtain 75% of the
points to reach the average in vocabulary tests.
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 will involve dictation/oral
comprehension/expression as well.
Speaking
Major
oral presentations in front of the class (at least one each semester,
on English-speaking countries in the world and on bands or singers of
your choice), in pairs or groups, will challenge your speaking
skills.
Remember
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 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. If 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.
Website
Most
of the material which I hand out to students can be found on my
website6,
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 website on the English Department's for
instance if you are looking for a "séjour linguistique",
an exchange program or more general help (excellent on line
dictionary, extra-exercises on line, listening activities,... ) or
on Google Drive.You always have the opportunity
to contact me by e-mail7
Tests
and marks
Vocabulary
tests will be grouped and their average (decimal, unrounded)
multiplied by 3 will give you 3 full marks , each one equivalent to
any other mark you will get in grammar, reading comprehension, ...
.You will have an extra vocabulary test so you will be allowed to
leave out the worst mark if you have attended all tests at the end of
the school year. ln addition to the vocabulary tests mentioned above,
expect 2 tests at least in each skill (reading comprehension,
writing, speaking and listening) plus 3-4 tests in Use of
English(=grammar). All the tests weigh the same , except vocabulary
tests (keep your marks updated!).
In
case of absence or illness,
it is each student's responsibility to inquire about the material
received or the assignments due.
Teacher’s
word
Please
be sure to come to class prepared (which means ready for tests ,
exercises done or 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.
Switch off your cell phones and open your mind.
Finally,
if you find yourself in trouble, academically or otherwise, please
come and see me sooner rather than later so we can work together to
find a way to get you back on track. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
I will make time to see you one-on-one. I hope this will be a good
year for you in English
Martine
Guignard
1John
Boyne: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Random House, 2006
2
Lois Lowry : The Giver, HarperCollins 2014
3
T.Spencer:The Golden Grammar Book, fourth edition, 2014
5.
Bescherelle
anglais: le vocabulaire, edition Hatier, juin 2008
7.
my email: martine.guignardschneider@vd.educanet2.ch
PW google drive ; English2
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