I have an American dream! Project for a learning unit

SSIS VENETO - IX CICLO – INDIRIZZO LINGUE STRANIERE – a. a. 2008/2009
Classe 46 I
TESI DI ABILITAZIONE
I have an American dream!
Project for a learning unit
with a double focus
on language and culture
Specializzanda: Martina Battaglia
Matricola: R11289
Relatrice: prof.ssa Michela de Rienzi
2
INDICE
Motivazione delle scelte operate ……………………………………………………………..... 5
Lesson plan – overview ………………………………………………………………………… 9
Lesson plan – detailed description ………………..…………………………………………… 13
First lesson ………………………………………………………………………. 13
Second lesson ……………………………………………………………………. 15
Third lesson ……………………………………………………………………… 18
Fourth lesson …………………………………………………………………….. 21
Fifth lesson ………………………………………………………………………. 24
Sixth lesson ……………………………………………………………………… 27
Seventh lesson …………………………………………………………………... 29
Appendixes ……………………………………………………………………………………… 31
Appendix 1: I have a dream ……………………………………………………... 31
Appendix 2: Famous faces ………………………………………………………..32
Appendix 3: The American dream …………………………………………….. 33
Appendix 4: Homer’s brain ……………………………………………………. 34
Appendix 5: Test about the Statue of Liberty …………………………………… 35
Appendix 6: Life in Hell – comic strips ………………………………………… 37
Appendix 7: Bruce Springsteen’s song American Land ….…………………….. 38
Appendix 8: Cards with the key-words .………………………………………….39
Appendix 9: The final written test ………………………………………………. 40
Appendix 10: Indications for the assessment ……………………………………. 42
Appendix 11: Evaluation grid – written production …………………………….. 43
Bibliografia essenziale ………………………………………………………………………….. 45
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4
MOTIVAZIONE DELLE SCELTE OPERATE
INSEGNARE OVVERO L’ARTE DI ACCETTARE SFIDE
Il gruppo di SVT ha fatto riflettere gli abilitandi dell’indirizzo LS del nono ciclo SSIS
nell’incontro del 23 gennaio scorso sulla constatazione che insegnare implica scegliere1. Questo è il
nodo da cui si è sviluppata una ricca discussione negli incontri di tirocinio indiretto all’Istituto
Scalcerle di Padova in questo secondo anno. Qui si presentano brevemente in tre punti le chiavi di
volta di questa proposta di apprendimento. Si tratta di un percorso nel quale si sono accettate delle
sfide che si sono palesate come tali proprio nel momento della scelta operativa:
1. abbinare, coordinandoli, obiettivi linguistici e obiettivi culturali,
2. proporre un tema linguistico e uno culturale affini,
3. rimotivare una classe con competenza linguistica relativamente bassa “alzando il tiro”
invece che abbassandolo sugli obiettivi di apprendimento.
1. Perché proporre un percorso con un doppio focus linguistico e culturale?
Nel corso SSIS di didattica delle culture straniere del primo semestre del secondo anno si
sono affrontate una serie di questioni estremamente feconde come, ad esempio,
quella relativa alla distinzione tra civiltà e cultura,
quella della possibilità di definire la cultura come una disciplina insegnabile e
quella del rapporto tra l’insegnamento della lingua e della cultura nella programmazione
didattica.
Uno dei testi fondamentali di riferimento a questo proposito è stato il CARAP2. Si tratta del quadro
di riferimento curato dall’ECML di Graz il cui titolo completo in inglese è Framework of reference
for pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures. Questo documento è stato pubblicato nella
sua seconda versione nel luglio 2007 come risultato di un progetto a medio termine (2004-2007) del
Consiglio d’Europa per le lingue come strumento di coesione sociale3. La puntualizzazione
contenuta nel titolo che si possa parlare di approcci plurali nei confronti di lingue e culture ha
1
Il gruppo dei SVT di Padova ha preso spunto a questo proposito da Scrivener J., Learning teaching, Macmillan
Heinemann 1994, p. 10: The act of teaching is essentially a constant processing of options.
2
L’acronimo sta per il francese cadre de référence pour les approches plurielles.
3
Il
documento
completo
è
scaricabile
in
formato
.pdf
alla
pagina
http://carap.ecml.at/Portals/11/documents/C4pub2007E_20080302_FINAL.pdf. La descrizione del progetto dell’ECML
ad
esso
relativo
si
trova
invece
all’indirizzo
http://coordination.ecml.at/Portals/3/documents/DM1_CARAP_ProjectDescription_ETem.pdf.
5
portato a pensare che per i professionisti della didattica delle lingue moderne la questione del
rapporto tra i due ambiti non sia rimandabile. A conferma dell’importanza della relazione tra i due
aspetti si veda quanto espresso nel documento sulle scelte operate per la definizione delle
competenze e degli obiettivi linguistici e culturali a pagina 53 del CARAP stesso:
“1.1. Language and culture - a justifiable dichotomy
In our lists we have separated the descriptors related to language and communication
from the ones related to culture. This does not mean that we think that language
and culture work in a separate way in language use and discourse in situation, or
that we do not recognise the key role of the link between language and culture in
the development of communicative competence. If we separate language and culture
it is to make it easier to draw boundaries around the key concepts and make them more
explicit, as well as to facilitate the nature of the knowledge constructed by pluralistic
approaches: if we distinguish them in this way the lists become clearer and easier to
understand. And, finally, the separation of the contexts has a pedagogic objective; to
make it easier to analyse and assess what is done in education, even though they are
certainly global, with language and culture intermingled in actual practice.
However, since the two aspects are so closely linked it has not always been easy to
decide where to place the descriptors in one or the other of the two major sections
of our list. […] These decisions do not mean a real separation, but simply an
alternative focus on one or another of the two aspects.”
Per rispettare e riconoscere l’essere “intermingled” delle due questioni linguistica e culturale
si è deciso di accogliere la sfida di un percorso integrato di lingua e cultura inglese in cui la
glottodidattica possa permettere un accesso particolare alla questione della didattica della cultura.
2. Quali temi e quale target?
Una volta abbracciata la scelta del doppio focus si è resa necessaria una profonda riflessione
sull’abbinamento significativo tra un argomento linguistico e uno culturale. Si è deciso
contestualmente di proporre un percorso non solo idealmente attuabile ma anche praticamente già
testato almeno in parte. Per questo la classe quinta destinataria del progetto è una classe reale con
cui chi scrive sta tuttora lavorando in un istituto d’arte. Si propone come abbinamento tematico
quello del periodo ipotetico di secondo tipo e del sogno americano. Anche il motivo di questa scelta
è sorto da una lettura attenta del CARAP. Infatti si è compreso che una competenza-chiave per
proporre un approccio efficace all’alterità in ambito culturale è la numero 13.2.2 relativa al savoirêtre4:
13 Readiness to set in motion a process of linguistic / cultural decentring / relativising
13.2.2.
4
Readiness to put oneself in another person’s place
Cfr. CARAP, p. 67.
6
Pensando a questo punto nodale si sono progettate una serie di attività con il periodo ipotetico con
“If I were…,…”, prima in chiave semplicemente ludica e poi con un’attività di vero e proprio
decentramento prospettico5. In questo modo si è potuta garantire, da un lato, la gradualità nella
complessità degli output richiesti e, dall’altro, l’armonia tra i due focus. Per aggiungere una sfida
ulteriore al percorso scelto va osservato che la classe destinataria del progetto all’inizio dell’anno
scolastico aveva un profilo medio di competenza linguistica attestabile attorno all’A2 del CEFR e
non era particolarmente motivata all’apprendimento della lingua. Per la classe imparare l’inglese
equivaleva esattamente ad incamerare meccanicamente regole di morfosintassi.
3. Come rimotivare all’apprendimento della lingua inglese?
Dopo un’analisi della storia della classe in relazione alle precedenti esperienze di
apprendimento della lingua e una lettura mai scontata né da sottovalutare del P.O.F.6 della scuola si
è deciso di percorrere la strada della scrittura cooperativa7 creativa e dell’approccio awarenessraising per le regole grammaticali. La classe che a settembre si presentava già annoiata all’idea di
riprendere con lo studio dell’inglese aveva bisogno di rivedere la disciplina sotto una veste diversa8.
Per questo si è deciso di proporre spostamenti dall’aula tradizionale alla luminosa e spaziosa
biblioteca e ai laboratori informatici per eseguire attività che potessero assomigliare di più, nella
natura della loro conduzione ed esecuzione in classe, alle amatissime esercitazioni dei laboratori di
fotoincisione, fotografia, tecniche grafiche e plastica. L’inglese doveva avere di più a che fare con
la filosofia dell’istituto scoperta nel P.O.F. sia nei contenuti che nel modo di apprenderli. Per questo
nel presente lavoro è stato introdotto molto materiale visivo, è stato chiesto agli studenti di produrre
fumetti, di creare slogan e di inventare frasi fantasiose con la sfida a chi riusciva a suggerire le
5
Il decentramento è la competenza che descrive la caratteristica principale degli approcci plurali. Esso implica un
cambio di prospettiva. Questa competenza si può sviluppare solo grazie ad un concorrere di savoir, savoir faire e savoir
être (cfr. CARAP, p. 33).
6
La puntualizzazione sull’importanza del P.O.F. deriva da alcune esperienze rivelatrici avute nei percorsi di tirocinio
diretto in aula e extra-aula avute in questo biennio SSIS.
7
Si veda a questo proposito la tabella relativa al creative writing a p. 62 del CEFR. L’attività potrebbe essere assimilata
con una attribuita al livello B1: “can write accounts of experiences, describing feelings and reactions in simple
connected text”.
8
Vale la pena qui di ricordare che l’approccio con cui un docente nuovo si può proporre efficacemente in classe è
quello ad hoc di Wallace di cui nell’incontro di tirocinio indiretto all’Ist. Scalcerle a Padova del 27 febbraio scorso
secondo cui: The Ad-hoc Approach is essentially an eclectic variation of the ethnographic approach, which allows itself
to use any means, quantitative or non-quantitative, to examine whatever seems relevant to reflect on professional action
(Wallace, J. Training Foreign language Teachers: A reflective approach, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge1991
p. 81, cit. nella presentazione Power Point della prof.ssa Ornella Fortuna). L’analisi del P.O.F. e dei precedenti
programmi svolti dalla classe si inseriscono sicuramente tra gli elementi rilevanti per riflettere sull’azione professionale
e comprendere la classe.
7
proposte più stravaganti. Per dare un’idea del cambio di prospettiva grazie all’uso ludico9 della
lingua che i ragazzi hanno sperimentato si vedano alcune delle loro frasi:
I would like to have a billion dollars to buy an old house with a gate like those of
churchyards.
I would like to have a billion dollars to buy a field in Holland to plant tulips.
I would like to have a billion dollars to buy a fantastic villa with toilets in diamond.
I would like to have a billion dollars to buy seven girls, one for each day of the week.
If I were Madonna, I would be “like a virgin”!
If I were Madonna, I would sing and earn money for it but if I were Camilla Parker
Bowles, I wouldn’t sing and be rich all the same!
Scrivener spiega che insegnare implica scegliere. Insegnare implica lanciare sfide cognitive e al
contempo avere il coraggio di accettarne.
9
Sull’utilità dell’uso ludico della lingua nell’apprendimento si veda il CEFR alla p. 55-56.
8
Lesson plan - overview
Title
Topic
Target
audience
Expected time
I have an American dream!
Project for a learning unit with a double focus on language and culture:
the second conditional and the American dream
•
School level: upper secondary
•
School type: Istituto d’Arte
•
Class: 5th year (24 students,14 girls and 10 boys) – real class
•
Language level: A2 ( productive skills) – A2+ (receptive skills)
•
Language exposure: only two hours/week (each hour lasts 55’)
7 lessons (the last one is for the final test)
In November, after the first module on revision of the fundamental points of the
language programme:
•
tenses [simple present, present continuous, simple past, present perfect,
future forms (will, be going to, present continuous)],
Period in the
school year
•
time and place prepositions,
•
frequency adverbs,
•
personal pronouns (subject and object),
•
possessive pronouns and adjectives,
•
wh-pronouns and adverbs
•
short answers and question tags
•
comparative and superlative adjectives.
By the end of the learning unit the T wishes to
General aims
•
Improve the SS’ awareness of cultural issues
•
Improve the SS’ interest in US culture and Otherness in general
•
Improve the SS’ critical skills
Educational objectives
By the end of the learning unit the SS should
Objectives
•
Have improved their ability in working in groups and in plenary
•
Have improved their ability to express their opinions and respect the
others’
Linguistic objectives
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By the end of the learning unit the SS should
•
Have learned how to express desires using the second conditional
•
Have improved their writing (acrostics, second conditional sentences,…)
•
Have improved their reading (comic strips, lyrics, …)
•
Have improved their listening of a song in English
•
Have improved their speaking
Cultural objectives (savoir – savoir faire – savoir être)
By the end of the learning unit the SS should
•
Have learnt what the American dream and the self-made man are
•
Have learnt to consider monuments like the Statue of Liberty cultural
symbols
•
Have learnt to consider photographs, videos, songs, comic strips as
manifestations of culture10
•
Have learnt to develop a competence of decentring (If I were an Italian
immigrant,…)
•
Have learnt the relation between manifestations of culture and values
using the iceberg metaphor11
Pre-requisites
Linguistic prerequisites
The SS should already
•
Have revised the programme of the previous years (see the details in
period)
•
Have a language competency at A2 level in the productive skills and a A2+
level in the receptive skills
Cultural prerequisites
The SS should already know
•
that there are different cultures with different values
•
that there are cultural symbols
Technical prerequisite
The SS should already be able to
•
10
Find information on the Internet using search engines
L’espressione “manifestations of culture” è quella utilizzata a questo proposito a p. 61 del CARAP.
11
Cfr. questo obiettivo con quanto espresso al punto 10.2, p. 51 del CARAP: “Possesses a system for interpreting
specific features of a culture {meanings, beliefs, cultural practices…}.”
10
•
1st lesson: classroom and library
photo “I have a dream” (1 copy appendix 1)
the monolingual and bilingual dictionaries of the library
•
2nd lesson: classroom
“Lola’s letter” and “If I were…” (1 copy for each S of appendix 2)
•
3rd lesson: classroom
a copy of the images (Homer Simpson, Donald Duck, Scrooge Mc Duck, Mr
Burns)
“From rags to riches: the American dream” (1 copy for each S of appendix 3)
OHP and the transparency of Homer’s brain (appendix 4)
•
4th lesson: computer lab
computer, projector and file with the video of the Statue of Liberty
Equipment
test about the Statue of Liberty (appendix 5)
.doc file with the activity C in each computer of the lab
•
5th lesson
blackboard and chalk
Groening’s comic strip + Springsteen’s song (a copy for each S of appendix
6 and 7)
CD with the song and CD-player
•
6th lesson
OHP
cards with the key-words (appendix 8)
•
7th lesson
copy of the worksheet (a copy for each S of appendix 9)
All the skills are involved. A particular focus is put on oral and written
Skills involved
production.
From the 1st to the 6th lesson the T gives feedback to the SS’ output considering
Assessment
the criteria listed in appendix 10. In the last lesson there is the final written test.
The evaluation grid is in the second part of appendix 10.
11
12
Lesson plan – detailed description
FIRST LESSON
A. LEAD-IN: “I have a dream” (10 minutes)
The T shows the SS the photo in appendix 1 and asks them:
•
Do you know this man?
•
Who is he?
•
Who is he talking to?
•
What can you read in the photo?
•
What do you think his dream was?
•
What are your dreams?
B. Group work (in the classroom and at the school library) (25 minutes)
The T explains the task: the SS are going to learn how to express desires in English. The T dictates
the following sentences to the class:
A. I would like to have a billion dollars to….
B. I would go … (Where? When?) with a time-machine.
C. If I lived in a Scottish castle, I would …
Then they are asked to go to the school library (with the T) and work there for the rest of the
lesson. There they take the (monolingual and) bilingual dictionaries and work in the groups of 4
indicated by the T. They have to invent together a possible conclusion for the sentences above. The
SS are asked to be as original as they can making a list of
•
6 things they would do with a billion dollars (sentence A.)
•
2 places and periods they would visit with a time-machine (sentence B.)
•
2 things they would do in a Scottish castle (sentence C.)
The T checks the groups’ activities and gives them advice on how to take advantage of the
information in a dictionary if they need it.
C. Presentation of the SS’ results (in the classroom) (20 minutes)
13
The T asks the SS to read some of their sentences to the rest of the class, gives them general
feedback (see appendix 10 for the criteria) on their group work and writes down the most original
ideas on the blackboard.
Variations
The T can
•
ask the SS to work on their own or in pairs instead of working in groups,
•
ask the SS to go to the computer lab to work with online dictionaries
www.wordreference.com or www.ldoceonline.com instead of using paper dictionaries.
14
SECOND LESSON
A. Observation (10 minutes)
The T asks the SS to reflect on their sentences for the activity
of the previous lesson:
•
What is the speech act they developed the last lesson?
Expressing desires/ telling their dreams /…
•
What mood did they use? Conditional
B. Inductive process (10 minutes)
The T asks the student to underline the conditionals they have used
•
What comes after “would”? the base form
The T asks the SS to guess how the negative and the interrogative forms are in the conditional
present. They should already know the answer from “would you like?” and “I wouldn’t like” (they
have already studied it with “some and any”).
If they cannot remember, the T can elicit the answer asking the SS to make an offer in English.
Examples:
invite somebody to see Tiziano’s exhibition in Venice.
Would you like to see Tiziano’s exhibition in Venice with me?
ask somebody to join a photography show with Cameron Davidson12.
Would you like to join a photography show with Cameron Davidson?
invite somebody to visit the labs of photoengraving in your school.
Would you like to visit our labs for the photoengraving classes?
C. Quick pair work: play the teacher! (10 minutes)
The T asks the SS to play the T in pairs: the SS correct the mistakes in the e-mail written to
Anastacia by Lola (see appendix 2). The T tells the SS that there are seven mistakes. The T asks
the SS to read the corrected e-mail and makes sure that everybody has caught the point.
12
C. Davidson is a famous aerial photographer in the USA. In December the SS read an interview to him published in
the online magazine Popphoto.com.
15
D. Language analysis (5 minutes)
The T asks the SS to reflect on the sentence they used in the previous lesson:
If I lived in a Scottish castle, I would hunt ghosts all night long.
•
How many verbs are there?
•
Which one is the main verb? What mood and tense is it?
•
What about the other verb? What tense do you think it is?
E. Deduction of the general rule from the language they have already used (5 minutes)
The T asks the SS to find the rule for “if clauses” (second conditional).
If there are two verbs how many clauses are there in the sentence?
What tense do you find after “if”?
Is it the main or the subordinate clause?
What tense do you find in the main clause?
The T asks the SS to check their rule in the grammar reference. If they are right, they get the
possibility to dream in English!
F. Explanation of the homework: If I WERE…, I would… (10 minutes)
The T asks the SS to tell her/him what they already know about the four people in the worksheet of
appendix 2 (Bill Gates, Madonna, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Camilla Parker Bowles) in order
to fill it in. The T then explains the homework in appendix 1 “If I were… I would…” and makes
the SS know how the verb “be” is in the subordinate clause (“if I were”). S/he can test their
comprehension with some sentences like the following:
If I were a famous artist, I would …. And what would you do if you were a graphic designer?
G. Chain story (5 minutes)
The T starts a chain story with a second conditional, one after the other the SS are asked to invent
another sentence using the main clause of the person before in their own subordinate. The T could
start the game like this: If I were an animal, I would be a bee.
Student A: If I were a bee, I would be very noisy.
Student B: If I were very noisy, nobody would like me.
Student C: If nobody liked me, I would be sad.
Student D: If I were sad,….
The last S could either invent the final sentence or simply put together the first subordinate and the
16
last main clause.
H. Homework assignment
The T asks the SS to write a text about their dreamworld describing it with sentences like “in my
dreamworld there would be…/ there wouldn’t be…”. (10 lines at least). In the following lesson
s/he asks some of them to read their texts to the class and let all the class vote the best dreamworld
saying “We would like to live in X’s dreamworld”.
Variations for the activity G
The T could
•
ask them to say what they would ask the genius if they had three desires. Since they love
drawing the T could let them draw a genius/lamp on the blackboard and write down their
ideas around it.
•
simply make some exercise from the grammar reference/workbook
17
THIRD LESSON
A.
Lead-in: wonderful worlds and famous faces (10 minutes)
The T asks two SS to read the texts they have written about their dreamworld and asks the class
to vote for the best one: where would you like to live? S/he gives some feedback as far as
originality, cohesion, coherence and accuracy are concerned. In particular s/he focuses the SS’
attention on the present conditional forms to express desires. Then s/he shows the SS these four
images (on a sheet) and asks them the following questions.
•
Who are they?
•
Who are the characters drawn by Matt Groening and by Walt Disney?
•
Where do they live?
•
What would they do if they were here?
•
What do Homer and Donald Duck have in common?
•
What do Scrooge McDuck and Mr Burns have in common?
•
Have you ever heard the phrase “American dream”?
B. Global input: the American dream (20 minutes)
The T hands out a copy of appendix 3 (From rags to riches: the American dream) for each S
and asks some SS to read the text aloud. S/he asks the SS if everything is clear and then asks
them to find out 10 key-words to define the American dream (first question in the worksheet)
and helps them understand what a “self-made man” is with the second question in the
worksheet.
C. Follow-up: Homer vs Scrooge McDuck (15 minutes)
The T projects the image of appendix 4 on the wall and asks the SS to read aloud what they
18
see in Homer’s brain and asks the SS to say if it represents a good example of the icon for the
American self-made man. S/he takes notes of their ideas on the blackboard writing key-words
in a spidergram. The final output on the blackboard could look like the following:
No
self-made man
No proportion:
“family” small
and “sleep” big
Lazy
No good
citizen
Homer
Simpson
<
No good
example for
his children
Only
trivial
interests
Life depending on
external luck - no
strive to improve
Then s/he asks the SS to compare Homer’s with Scrooge McDuck’s ethics. In order to elicit the
comparison between the two characters s/he invites the SS to use the conditional present:
Homer would never work and McDuck would never stop working hard,…
D. Homework assignment: If I were an Italian immigrant, I would look for… (5 minutes)
The SS are asked to answer the following question writing a spidergram like the one about
Homer Simpson:
Describe your American dream: imagine you
are in the end of the 19th century, if you were
an Italian immigrant, what would you look
for in the USA?
The final result could be as follows:
19
In the following lesson the T asks some of the SS to read their spidergrams.
20
FOURTH LESSON
computer lab
A.
Lead-in: watch a 4-minute video (5’ – individual work)
The T lets the SS watch the video “The Statue of Liberty: a
tribute” using the OHP. The video simply shows images with
some captions (it is very easy to follow even for A2 SS).
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=hSch_IzTFIk&feature=related
B. Analysis 1: a test on the Statue of Liberty (15’ – individual work + discussion in plenary)
S/he asks the SS to do the test in appendix 5 about the video and their previous knowledge of the
Statue of Liberty (individual activity).
The T asks how many profiles 1, 2 and 3 there are, s/he corrects the test giving some basic
information about Bollywood and lets the SS watch the video once again to let them check the title
of the films.
The T asks the SS the following questions:
•
How many films of the ones mentioned can you remember?
•
Have you ever watched any of them?
•
Is there a symbol similar to the Statue of Liberty in Italy?
C. ANALYSIS 2: Look for the Lady in the Net! (15’)
The T asks the SS to work in groups of three to find out some information from the Internet to fill
in the table:
How old the Statue is
Where it comes from
Materials
Dimensions
Important events related to the Statue
21
How people can visit it
Costs & opening times for a tour
Useful websites
D. GLOBAL INPUT: symbols are “the tip of the iceberg”! (15’)
The T asks the SS to answer the following questions:
•
Can you find other national symbols?
•
Are there symbols in your town?
The T lets the SS reflect upon the existence of a great quantity of symbols.
•
Why are there so many?
•
Where do symbols come from?
•
What is their function?
The T collects the SS’ ideas on the blackboard and does not give
any feedback on the last three questions. In order to fully
understand the problem the T shows the SS this image (s/he can
either show it on a sheet of paper or draw it on the blackboard).
The T asks the SS to describe the image and elicits the following:
iceberg
small tip
the biggest part is hidden - below the waterline
The T explains that culture is often defined as an iceberg: when
you look at an iceberg you can see only a very small part of it. The
part you can see is based on a much wider and bigger basis. It is from that hidden basis that the tip
of the iceberg comes. You can understand the tip of the iceberg/culture only when you take in
consideration that it comes from something else which you cannot see.
What is the hidden part of a culture?
What is the part of culture you can see?
The T elicits the following:
The T elicits the following:
beliefs
symbols
values
clothes
ideas
food
…
music
…
Further questions: let’s go back to the blackboard and to the Statue of Liberty,
22
Can you see it?
So where is it in the iceberg? Tip or basis?
What is below it?
The T elicits the answer “the idea of liberty/freedom”. One of the official founding values of the
USA is freedom.
E. HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: write an advert for tourists on the Statue of Liberty (5’)
The T asks the SS to describe the Statue of Liberty in a text using the information they have
gathered (minimum length 10 lines). The text is an advert for tourists. In the text there must be an
acrostichon, too. The T elicits the meaning of acrostichon with an example like the following:
Can
One like you
Miss
E opportunity to come
th
To
One of the most exciting cities in the world?
New
York is waiting for you!
Variation
If the T has some minutes left s/he can explain to the SS that “the tip of the iceberg” is also an
idiomatic expression in English and s/he can give or ask for some examples of things that are only
a little tip of a bigger iceberg.
For example: fat children – unhealthy eating habits.
23
FIFTH LESSON
A. LEAD-IN: Let’s go back to the North Pole! (5’ minutes)
The T draws an iceberg on the blackboard and asks the SS to set the position of the following items
(above or below). S/he could ask it using an hypothetical sentence like this:
if we were on the waterline, what would we see over and under the water?
Kilt – definition of obscenity – drama – role of parents – dance –
games –Statue of Liberty – idea of freedom – TV programmes
The T says that the SS are going to analyse two different expressions of the American culture: a
comic strip and a song and they are going to try and find what lies below.
B. GLOBAL INPUT & ANALYSIS: COMIC (stars and) STRIP(e)S (20 minutes)
S/he hands out the paper sheet with the comic strip on the left and the text of the song on the right
(a copy of appendix 6-7 for each S). S/he asks the SS to number each comic box and then look at
the drawings:
Can you see the cartoonist’s name? can you recognize his style? What else did he draw?
Where is the story set?
Who is the main character? What is it doing?
How many comic boxes are there? Is the scene different from one to the other?
Which boxes contain words and how many contain thoughts?
Then s/he asks them to look at the written part (speech/thought balloons). S/he asks the SS to read
a comic box each and helps them translating them (particular expressions they may not know: how
come = why, to run = organize). While reading the SS are asked to find out the adjectives and in
the end s/he asks them:
What adjectives have you found?
What is the title of this comic strip?
What happens in the last four boxes?
Does this comic strip give a positive view of reality?
Why was school invented?
According to this comic strip, is the school system reaching its goal?
24
C. GLOBAL INPUT & ANALYSIS: AMERICAN (dream)LAND (20 minutes)
The T lets the SS listen to the song “American land” by Bruce Springsteen 13 (4’30) once. The SS
follow the lyrics with the text to the right of the comic strip. Then s/he asks the SS what the song is
about. If they cannot say s/he lets them listen to the first 6 seconds of the song again when B.
Springsteen clearly says “the immigrants’ song for New York city”: the song is about the
immigrants’ dreams when they left for America. First of all the T asks the SS to find out the
refrain. Secondly the SS are asked to find out the lines with the following meaning (the
expressions are underlined in the text they can get the answers by quickly scanning the lyrics):
a. In America all the women have elegant dresses
b. In America there is people drinking alcohol all night long
c. In America there are natural resources in the streets
d. I arrived in America with a ship
e. Every self-made man can find his fortune in America
f. We worked to build the buildings of the cities in America
g. There are immigrants from all nationalities in America
Thirdly the stanzas are silently read by the SS and explained in Italian if their meaning is not
clear.
Then the T asks
What is the description of the American dream you can find in the song?
What are the desires of the immigrants before leaving?
What happens when they arrive?
What happens to them in the end?
Is Springsteen’s view of the American dream realistic? Is he critical?
D. SING THE SONG (5 minutes)
The T lets the SS listen to the song again and invites them to sing it together with him/her. This
activity is meant on the one hand to elicit a further reading of the lyrics and on the other to improve
the SS’ pronunciation and intonation making them more conscious of the so-called prosodic
qualities of the language14. The T can ask them if they can say anything about the rhythm of the
song: it sounds really like the traditional Irish songs the SS may have listened to for example in the
13
The
audio
has
been
taken
from
the
file
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=17899404#.
14
See p. 89 of the CEFR about non-verbal communication.
25
downloaded
from
film Waking Ned. Can they see why Springsteen has chosen this Irish rhythm? Do they like it?
E. HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT (5 minutes)
The SS are asked
to write a sentence summarizing each stanza of the song and
to draw a comic box in Groening’s style adding another thought balloon about school with
the anthropomorphic one-ear rabbit of Life in Hell. They have to draw it on a transparency
together with the acrostic about NY they had to write for this lesson.
26
SIXTH LESSON
A. FEEDBACK: You are the advertisers and the
cartoonists! (20 minutes)
The T asks some SS to show the rest of the class their acrostics
and their comic boxes. S/he gives some feedback (no marks)
considering the criteria specified in the appendix 10. In the end
the three best acrostics and the funniest comic boxes are voted
by the class.
B. FOLLOW-UP: Open discussion about the two cultural expressions (10 minutes )
The T tells the SS that both Groening and Springsteen are Northern American artists.
•
Do you think they are free to express their opinions in the USA?
•
What do they say about the USA in the works we have seen?
•
Do you think “Life in Hell” and “American land” are a tip of the iceberg for
US culture?
•
If so, what is below the waterline (what ideas are the bases for it)?
•
Are they free cultural expressions?
•
Does it mean to you that there is the possibility to criticize the US system in
the United States?
This series of questions is aimed at letting the SS understand that if there are free forms of criticism
of the symbols and the institutions in a country then they can acknowledge that in that country
there is for sure some form of freedom of expression.
C. PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL TEST (10 minutes)
The T asks eight SS to come out one after the other to revise what they have seen so far. S/he gives
them one card each with a word in it (appendix 8). Everyone of these eight SS must not show their
card to anybody. The words are:
American dream
Self-made man
Tip of the iceberg
New York
27
Bruce Springsteen
Immigrant
Statue of Liberty
Matt Groening
The SS have to invent a definition for the word they have been given.
Examples:
It’s the immigrants’ dream. According to Bruce Springsteen it is an illusion.
It is a poor man. He arrives in America and works hard. He becomes rich. He is like Mr
Scrooge or Mr Burns.
The small part of the iceberg. You can see it.
The rest of the class has to guess it by giving the possible solution with the second conditional:
If I were you, I would have got the word…
D. PORTFOLIO: What have we learnt so far? (15 minutes)
The T asks the SS to recall what they have learnt in these 6 lessons. S/he can ask the SS that have
not been chosen for the activity of inventing definitions.
The T tries to elicit the following:
1. the second conditional: what structure? (subordinate clause: if + simple past, - main clause:
present conditional);
2. the second conditional to… (express desires)
3. the American dream as… (the immigrants’ dream when they were leaving for America)
4. Mr Burns and Scrooge Mc Duck as the personification of… (the self-made man)
5. Donald Duck and Homer Simpson as the… (anti-self-made man)
6. the Statue of Liberty as a strong cultural… (symbol) for… (American values)
7. the tip of the iceberg as a metaphor for… (the relation between symbols and values)
8. acrostics (what are they?)
9. comic strips and songs as… (cultural expressions/manifestations)
10. criticism as a form of freedom of… (expression)
The SS are explained that the test will be about these language and cultural points they have seen.
The T asks if any further clarification is needed.
28
SEVENTH LESSON
A. FINAL TEST (55 minutes)
The T hands out a worksheet for each S of appendix 9. S/he
makes sure that the instructions are clear for everybody. S/he
checks the SS while filling in the worksheets and collects
them in the end. In order to assess them s/he uses the
indications on appendix 10.
29
30
Appendixes
Appendix 1
For further information on M. L. King’s famous speech “I have a dream” the T could use as
reference this webpage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream.
31
Appendix 2
Quick pair work: play the teacher, correct Lola’s e-mail!
Dear Anastacia,
I have a question for you… I have a dream: I would like to becoming a famous singer like
you but I don’t would like to study in one of those expensive music schools. I would like learnt on
my own and join a rock band. With them I earn would a lot of money and I would to play and to
sing on TV. What do you would do if you were me? Thank you very much,
Love
;-) Lola
_________________________________________________________
homework
If I were…, I would…
Name: Bill Gates
Name: Madonna
Profession:
__________________
__________________
Profession:
__________________
__________________
He lives in
__________________
__________________
She lives in
__________________
__________________
Name: Arnold
Schwarzenegger
Name: Camilla Parker
Bowles
Profession:
__________________
__________________
She is_____________
__________________
He lives in
__________________
She lives in
__________________
__________________
1) Find some information to fill in the brief description of these 4 four famous people (where do
they live? Who are they? What do they do?).
2) Choose two of them and answer the question:
What would you do if you were Madonna/…? If I were Madonna, I would…
(Write at least 5 sentences for each)
Useful vocabulary: strange hats – aerobics – take decisions – politician – invest on…
32
Appendix 3
From rags to riches:
the American dream
“The American Dream (The
Dream) is a phrase referring to
the supposed freedom that
allows all citizens and all
residents of the United States
to pursue their goals in life
through hard work and free choice. The phrase's meaning has
evolved over the course of American history. The Founding
Fathers used the phrase, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness." The American Dream often refers to the
opportunity for immigrants to achieve greater material
prosperity than was possible in their countries of origin.
America has been viewed as a land in which one's prospects
in life are defined by one's talents and energy rather than by
For many immigrants, the
Statue of Liberty was their first
view of the United States,
signifying freedom and personal
liberty. The statue is the
American Dream icon.
one's family wealth or political connections. This hope
includes the opportunity for one's children to grow up and
receive an education and its consequent career opportunities.
It is the opportunity to make individual choices without the
restrictions of class, caste, religion, race, or ethnic group.”
•
Find out ten key-words in this definition.
•
The ideal man for the American dream is the self-made man. Can you guess who the self-made
man is? Tick the typical features of a self-made man.
1. Lazy
3. self-confident
5. courageous
7. enterprising
2. hard-working
4. independent
6. mommy’s boy
8. whiner
Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream
33
Appendix 4
http://journeyhomeburke.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/homer-brain-large.jpg
34
Appendix 5
Test about the Mysterious Lady called “Statue of Liberty”
What kind of video is this?
1. A tribute with scenes from some films
2. A trailer for a sequel of a film on the
Statue of Liberty
3. An advert for tourists about the Statue of
Liberty
4. A documentary on the history of the
Statue of Liberty
What is Bollywood?
1. a place in California where films are made
2. the poles apart town of Hollywood
3. the fusion of Hollywood and Buenos
Aires, a word used to describe America as
one big continent
4. the fusion of Hollywood and Bombay, a
word used to describe the films produced
in India
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
1.
2.
3.
4.
In Washington D.C.
In San Francisco.
In the Liberty Island, NY.
There are two: one in Hollywood and one
in Bollywood!
1.
2.
3.
4.
in Planet of Apes
in Ghostbusters II
in Titanic
in Blue Buddies against Mozilla
It has always been connected…
1. to the role of the FBI in finding the
solution for any mystery
2. to the main electricity system in the
USA… this is the reason why she
enlightens the world!
3. to the strive for unity in the world
4. to the promise of liberty for anybody who
believes in the American dream
What is the value represented by the Statue? It
is a symbol for…
1.
2.
3.
4.
national pride
American idea of self-made man
freedom
democracy
What does the statue hold in her hand?
1.
2.
3.
4.
A sword
A torch
A rudimental match
An ice-cream
In which film does it appear as a living statue
walking round the city and frightening the
people?
35
Solutions for the test
1-4-3-2-2-4-3
Profiles
PROFILE 1: If you have from 1 to 3 right answers you are really lucky
because you are going to learn a lot of new things!
PROFILE 2: If you have from 4 to 5 right answers you must be extremely
happy to take part in the lesson because you will become a real expert of
American symbols.
PROFILE 3: If you have from 6 to 7 right answers you are in the right place
today: you will make full use of what you already know and discover new
unexpected things!
Appendix
6J
37
Appendix 7
AMERICAN LAND15
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is this land America? So many travel there!
I'm going now while I'm still young: my darling, meet me there,
Wish me luck, my lovely, I'll send for you when I can
And we'll make our home in the American land
5.
6.
7.
8.
Over there all the woman wear silk and satin to their knees
And children dear, the sweets, I hear, are growing on the trees
Gold comes rushing out the rivers straight into your hands
When you make your home in the American Land
9. There's diamonds in the sidewalk there's gutters lined in song
10. Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
11. There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
12. Who will make his home in the American Land
13. I docked at Ellis Island in a city of light and spires
14. She met me in the valley of red-hot steel and fire
15. We made the steel that built the cities with our sweat and two hands
16. And we made our home in the American Land
There's diamonds in the sidewalk there's gutters lined in song
Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American Land
17. The McNicholas, the Posalski's, the Smiths, Zerillis, too
18. The Blacks, the Irish, Italians, the Germans and the Jews
19. Come across the water a thousand miles from home
20. With nothin’ in their bellies but the fire down below
21. They died building the railroads worked to bones and skin
22. They died in the fields and factories names scattered in the wind
23. They died to get here a hundred years ago they're still dying now
24. The hands that built the country were always trying to keep down
There's diamonds in the sidewalk the gutters lined in song
Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American Land
Who will make his home in the American Land
Who will make his home in the American Land
Copyright ©2006 Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)
15
Springsteen wrote "American Land" and performed it in New York and New Jersey. The song was inspired by "He
Lies in the American Land," a poem by a Slovakian immigrant steelworker that Pete Seeger later translated and set to
music.
38
Appendix 8
American dream
Self-made man
Tip of the iceberg
New York
Bruce Springsteen
Immigrant
Statue of Liberty
Matt Groening
39
Appendix 9
Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Class: _____________
ENGLISH TEST
1. Match the sentence halves:
1) If I were an immigrant docked at Ellis
a.
I would visit him.
b.
Its tip would become smaller.
2) If Matt Groening lived here,
c.
We would publish them .
3) If our class drew wonderful comic
d.
I would be full of hopes and
Island,
strips,
expectations.
4) If the iceberg melted in the sun,
____/4
2. Write 4 sentences completing the following.
If I were an immigrant docked at Ellis Island, (Where would I go? What would I like to do?)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____/8
___________________________________________________________________
3. Read the following lines taken from “American land” by B. Springsteen and then
answer the questions:
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Over there all the woman wear silk and satin to their knees
And children dear, the sweets, I hear, are growing on the trees
Gold comes rushing out the rivers straight into your hands
When you make your home in the American Land
There's diamonds in the sidewalk there's gutters lined in song
Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American Land
a. What do women wear in America?
____________________________________________________________________
b. What line states that there is a fortune for any serious person?
____________________________________________________________________
c. What do the lyrics tell the children?
____________________________________________________________________
40
d. What are the natural resources mentioned here?
________________________________________________________
____/4
4. Give a definition to the following concepts:
a. American dream:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
b. Self-made man:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
____/6
5. Sketch an iceberg and decide which of the following are above and below the waterline
writing the numbers above or below it.
Remember: Iceberg = metaphor for culture
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Statue of Liberty
Expressions of criticism
Freedom of expression
Comic strips
Sense of liberty
Values
Declaration of Independence
Songs
Democracy
Eating habits
_______________________________________
___/10
6. Comment this image by using the two expressions given: self-made man - hard-working
What can you see in this picture?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
____/8
final score: ______/40 ____________________
41
Appendix 10
Indications for the assessment
Feedback for the activities
General criteria to be taken into account
• accuracy
• creativity
• cooperation (the groups are to be monitored during the
activity)
General criteria to be taken into account:
• communicative efficacy
th
6
activity
Homework:
• range
lesson
A
• creativity
• accuracy
cooperative
activity
creative
1
lesson
C
written
production
st
Assessment for the final written test
Exercise 1
1 punto per ogni abbinamento corretto
___/ 4
Exercise 2
per ogni frase 1 punto per la correttezza morfosintattica e ortografica e 1 ___/ 8
punto per il contenuto (coerenza con il tema ed efficacia comunicativa)
Exercise 3
1 punto per ogni risposta pertinente
___/ 4
Exercise 4
3 punti al massimo per ogni definizione (criteri da tenere in ___/ 6
considerazione: contenuto, lessico, morfosintassi16)
Exercise 5
1 punto per ogni risposta corretta
___/ 10
Exercise 6
1 punto per ogni uso appropriato delle due espressioni date e 2 punti al ___/ 8
massimo per ognuno dei seguenti parametri: comprensione, contenuto,
elaborazione, morfosintassi.
Totale: ___/40
Griglia di corrispondenza punteggi - voto
Punti 40 36 32 28 24 20 16 12
Voto
10
9
8
7
16
6
5
4
3
8
2
I criteri corrispondono ai parametri qualitativi europei del CEFR relativi alla produzione in LS: lessico e correttezza
(range e accuracy) e ai parametri di valutazione relativi alla produzione scritta in lingua inglese adottati dal
dipartimento (si veda, in particolare, la voce “contenuto”).
42
Appendix 11
EVALUATION GRID FOR THE WRITTEN PRODUCTION
(dipartimento di inglese)
Indicatori
Descrizione dei livelli
Punti
complete e pertinenti
5
Contenuto:
abbastanza complete e pertinenti
4
qualità e quantità delle
fondamentali e quasi sempre pertinenti
3
informazioni
incomplete e imprecise
2
inadeguate e non pertinenti
1
originale - discorso ampio e ben articolato
5
personale - discorso coerente e coeso
4
essenziale - discorso ordinato
3
povera - discorso disordinato
2
inadeguata – discorso privo di organizzazione
1
corretta
5
con errori occasionali
4
con errori che non pregiudicano la comprensione
3
con errori che rendono difficile la comprensione
2
con gravi errori che impediscono la comprensione
1
appropriato, ricco e vario
5
vario, con qualche lieve imprecisione
4
essenziale con ripetizioni e imprecisioni
3
impreciso e limitato
2
inadeguato
1
approfondita, completa e dettagliata
5
completa e dettagliata
4
globale
3
incerta e parziale
2
assente
1
puntuale e significativa
5
completa
4
essenziale
3
incompleta
2
inesistente
1
Elaborazione
Organizzazione
Morfosintassi
Lessico
Comprensione del testo
Sintesi
43
2. Descrittori per gli indicatori della griglia
Indicatori
Descrittore
Il contenuto si riferisce alla capacità di offrire in un testo sia la
qualità che la quantità delle informazioni.
In questo testo, in particolare, si analizzeranno tutti e tre i seguenti
Contenuto
punti:
1. la presentazione del testo che si commenta
2. il resoconto delle riflessioni in classe
3. il commento personale
L’elaborazione si riferisce alla capacità di riformulare in maniera
Elaborazione
Organizzazione
originale i contenuti rispetto al testo e agli spunti forniti.
L’organizzazione si riferisce alla capacità di strutturare il testo con
una sequenza logica facilmente riconoscibile dal lettore.
Morfosintassi
Lessico
La morfosintassi si riferisce alla capacità di usare lo strumento
linguistico in modo corretto.
Il lessico si riferisce alla capacità di usare il patrimonio di parole
della lingua con appropriatezza.
La comprensione si riferisce alla capacità di dimostrare con il testo
Comprensione
scritto di aver colto il senso delle consegne, del testo da analizzare,
della riflessione avvenuta in classe.
La sintesi si riferisce alla capacità di individuare i punti
significativi. In particolare in questo testo tale capacità è richiesta:
1. nella presentazione del testo da commentare,
Sintesi
2. nella presentazione della riflessione sul tema avvenuta in
classe,
3. nel commento al testo.
3. Griglia di corrispondenza tra punteggi e voto
Punti 30 27 24 21 18 15 12
Voto
10
9
8
7
44
6
5
4
9
6
3
2
BIBLIOGRAFIA ESSENZIALE
Balboni P.E., Le sfide di Babele. Insegnare le lingue nelle società complesse, Torino, Utet
Libreria, 2003
Balboni P. E., Nozionario di Glottodidattica, Università Ca’Foscari di Venezia,
http://venus.unive.it/italslab/nozion/nozindic.htm
Bottin C., moduli pubblicati per il corso online di “Didattica delle culture straniere”, SSIS
Veneto, indirizzo Lingue Straniere, a.a. 2008-2009
Candelier M., et alia, CARAP – version 2, ECML, Graz, 2002
COE, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching,
Assessment, Modern Languages Division, Strasbourg, Cambridge University Press, 2001
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Linguistic/Source/Framework_EN.pdf
Hofstede G., Cultures and Organizations, HarperCollins Business, 1994
Hopkins A., Users’ guide for textbook and materials writers, in Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. A Guide for
Users, a cura di Bailly, S. et alia, Strasbourg, Language Policy Division, pp. 201-232, 2002,
www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/documents/Guide-for-Users-April02.doc
Scrivener J., Learning Teaching, Macmillan Heinemann, 1994
SVT, materiali prodotti per il gruppo dei tirocinanti di Padova, indirizzo di Lingue
Straniere, SSIS Veneto, nono ciclo, a.a. 2008-2009
45