TALENDAG Mechelen 2013

WORKSHOP BY JEREMY BOURNE

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

PUPILS’ WORKSHEETS

1. Watching, listening and speaking CLIP 1 : Opening scene

Watch the clip and then summarise what happens in this introductory scene. Think of characters, setting and storyline.Some characters do actually appear in the scene, others are referred to.Include all of them.Before reporting your summary to the rest of the class, take a few notes in the space below before you answer.

2. LANGUAGE TASK Watching, listening, speaking, predicting, character analysis and vocabulary extension CLIP 2: Toad locked up

2.1. Watch and when the teacher stops the film, predict what is going to happen. Take a few notes in the empty space.

2.2. CHARACTER ANALYSIS and descriptive speaking skills

Look at the list of adjectives on the next page and tick the appropriate ones to describe the main characters. Some apply to more than one character.

LANGUAGE TASK: DISCUSS YOUR IDEAS WITH A PARTNER. You may AGREE or DISAGREE with each other. If you disagree, justify your choices.

MAKE SURE YOU DO IT ALL IN GOOD ENGLISH! So remember how you make your point in a discussion in a polite and tactful way. Also, use phrases like: in my opinion, I believe, I find, I don’t agree…

Use a monolingual dictionary where necessary. Recommended :Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, also available on www.ldoceonline.com

Rat Mole Toad Badger

Silly

Wise

Horrifying

Conceited

Amiable

Timid

Eccentric

Sensible

Industrious

Stodgy

Barbaric

Irresponsible

Volatile

Generous

Shy

Affable

Reckless

Grumpy

Practical

Obedient

Enthusiastic

Friendly

Mischievous

Impulsive

Helpful

Severe

Cunning

3.Some extra language task suggestions INTEGRATION of communicative skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking), and linguistic skills, intercultural competence and research competence:

a) cultural-historical knowledge

Collect as much information as you can about the BOOK (when, who, why…?) online and in any other resources. Make notes and then present to the rest of the class what you believe are the most interesting and relevant pieces of information you have found before reading and/or watching the actual book and/or film.

Some very typical English objects are mentioned in the opening scene.Explain in your own words what they are. Use a dictionary where necessary.

E.g. a G&T, a cricket bat, togs…

b) culture study on an interactive level

how to greet (new) people. Write down a few possible greetings that you know or which you have heard in the film. Then make up a short dialogue, in which you create a similar story as the beginning of the film and which includes both formal and informal greetings of some people who may, or may not, have met before. Practise with people sitting near you.

Note: Remember the difference between:

‘How do you do?’ and ‘How are you?’Add a few more possible openings that you are familiar with.Include them in your dialogue in the proper way.

Also make people feel welcome (think of Rat and Mole) in your house, garden, or any other sort of environment of your own choice.

how you make your point in a discussion in a polite and tactful way.

British understatements: What are they? And how do you interpret them? (cf. Bradley Wiggins, who was often misunderstood by the foreign press).

politeness (e.g. much more frequent use of ‘please ‘ than we do in Dutch!)

5 GROUP WORK Language task: Reflect and speak about yourself to a small group, using newly acquired vocabulary.

5.1 Who is nicest? Who do you like most?

5.2 Decide who you are most like and give reasons why to the people immediately around you. Use as many new words as possible. Try this without looking at your notes.

5.3 Split into 4 groups of rats, moles, toads and badgers. Be prepared to comment on your choices to the teacher and your class mates.

6 CLIP 3 Trial scene TRUE or FALSE?

Tick the correct box to indicate if the clip you have just watched is an example of:

TRUE FALSEa) A pasticheb) A parodyc) A caricatured) Infotainmente) A realistic dramaf) A spoof

You will find a list of definitions of these text types below to help you decide. LIST

1. A pastiche: a piece of work purposely made in the style of another piece of work (not necessarily humorous)

2. A parody: a piece of work intended to amuse, purposely copying the style of a known piece of work

3. A caricature: a representation of someone or an event by which parts of their characters are made noticeably odder or more amusing than they really are, in other words: an extreme form of parody

4. Infotainment: a documentary dealing with important subjects in a way that people can enjoy

5. A realistic drama: a true dramatic representation of an event

6. A spoof: a funny untrue copy or description

NOTE: An extra language task could be a role-play, in which they re-write the trial (e.g. Toad has appealed against his sentence and the case has been re-opened), and play it in front of the class.

7 CLIP 4 Scene 9 Prison scene

8.1 Preparation of language task in 8.2Language study

- archaic language: ‘my togs’, ‘gaoler’ etc.

- different accents (standard, regional and class accents)

- register, e.g. informal and informal speech, colloquialisms and slang

8.2 The Actual LANGUAGE TASK: LISTENING and LANGUAGE STUDY Listen carefully to each of the characters in the clip. They all have their

own variety of English.Tick the correct box to indicate who speaks with either a standard accent, some kind of regional accent, a class/education-related accent (also known as RP, or the Queen’s English) or a combination of any of these.

If any are regional, where do they originate? Discuss with others.

Neutral/ Standard

Regional Class /Education related

MoleBadgerRatGaoler’s DaughterToadThe Weasels

Try and produce some of the different accents (sounds) and any other speech varieties that you picked up from the clip you have seen.

8.3. LANGUAGE TASK: persuasive dialogue + acquiring and activating (new) vocabulary

Pair work

a) Do you sympathise with Toad ? Tell your partner why (not). Give at least three good reasons that could persuade other people to share your point of view.

b) Would you like him as a friend? If so, why? If not, which of the others would you prefer to be friends with?

Before you answer the question in b), discuss with a speaking partner what makes a good friend (in general). Which characteristics should they have? Name at least 4, and write them down in the space below.

Preparation:

Think about the way Toad comes across in this scene. Use as many of the words and phrases in the chart below as possible.

Again look up any you don’t know in a monolingual dictionary.

Tick the ones you are going to use:

Applies to Toad Doesn’t apply to Toad

Humble

Whingeing

Snobbish

Grateful

Spoilt child

Appreciative

Moaning

Depressed

Funny

Dignified

Docile

Unreasonable

Petulant

Independent

Arrogant

Kind to other people

Sensible 1

Selfish

9 CLIP 5 Final scene9.1 LANGUAGE TASK: forming and expressing an opinion + reading, listening and watching, writing, vocabulary and grammar

1 Warning! ‘Sensible’ has a different meaning from French.

a) Listen to the ending of the story as it appears in the book, read by a famous English writer, called Alan Bennett (He also produced it for the theatre in 1991).

b) Compare the differences in adaptation between the original book and the film (Monty Python). Which is the most fitting, exciting, satisfactory, or just simply feeling right,… in your opinion? Express that opinion to the rest of the class and compare it with other ideas by your schoolmates.c) Based on what you said in b), now write a short review of between 120 and 150 words.

9.2 LANGUAGE TASK: communicative skills (esp. writing) + linguistic skills (vocabulary, grammar, appropriate structures for persuasion)Write an e-mail to a friend to persuade them to buy the DVD for a friend whose birthday comes up next week. Choose the adaptation that YOU prefer (either the Monty Python version, or the one with Matt Lucas). Give a few reasons why you are convinced the birthday boy or girl will like it. Use as many arguments as possible.The e-mail should be between 100 and 120 words and may be informal, but you must use full words and cannot use the language of texting or twitter.

Summary:

Mole has a sudden case of spring fever, gives up on his house-cleaning, and wanders in the fields and meadows. He finds himself by a river (he has been such a stay-at-home that he has never seen it before) and meets the Water Rat, who invites Mole into his boat, something else he has never seen before. "Believe me, my young friend," Rat says dreamily, "there is nothing —absolutely nothing —half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

A world of friendships, the joy of carefree wandering, of picnicking, and playing has opened for Mole. Half way through the book, the Mole, the Water Rat and the Badger go to Toad Hall to try to help their friend Mr Toad who has a bad habit of reckless driving. Toad has quite a few adventures. His irresponsible living and extravagance lead to the loss of his home to the barbaric stouts and weasels. The four friends go to battle to regain Toad Hall. The book ends with a banquet where all the friends rejoice at Toad’s return.