Magazines english 1 september 2013 no 12

Tiếng Anh và mức độ quan trọng đối với cuộc sống của học sinh, sinh viên Việt Nam.Khi nhắc tới tiếng Anh, người ta nghĩ ngay đó là ngôn ngữ toàn cầu: là ngôn ngữ chính thức của hơn 53 quốc gia và vùng lãnh thổ, là ngôn ngữ chính thức của EU và là ngôn ngữ thứ 3 được nhiều người sử dụng nhất chỉ sau tiếng Trung Quốc và Tây Ban Nha (các bạn cần chú ý là Trung quốc có số dân hơn 1 tỷ người). Các sự kiện quốc tế , các tổ chức toàn cầu,… cũng mặc định coi tiếng Anh là ngôn ngữ giao tiếp.

ри вну т выложено группой vk.com/create_your_english н о м ера Cод D упа дост ной и к ктрон к элеверсии No 12 Жуурн Ж уррннал ал для ля теехх, ккт кто то пр прееппод под одааеет и из изуч учааееет т ааннгл нгл глий ийск ский ий язы зык eng en g 1ssep epte tem mb be err rru У Уч ч ебн еб е бн но о -м -ме етт од оди ич че есск ск ки и й жу жу р рн н ал ал А Ан н гл г л ийск и й сск ий ки ий й я зы зык Voices in the Mist The time draws near the birth of Christ: The moon is hid; the night is still; The Christmas bells from hill to hill Answer each other in the mist Four voices of four hamlets round, From far and near, on mead and moor, Swell out and fail, as if a door Were shut between me and the sound: Each voice four changes on the wind, That now dilate, and now decrease, Peace and goodwill, goodwill and peace, Peace and goodwill, to all mankind Alfred Lord Tennyson MERRY CHRISTMAS! декабрь 2013 1september.ru АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК Подписка по каталогу “Почта России” Индексы: 79002 (бумажная версия), 12630 (электронная) выложено группой vk.com/create_your_english INSIDE TEACHERS FORUM Spirit of Christmas Are Children Given Too Many Toys? METHODS OF TEACHING The Mystery of One .5 Фонетическая битва на уроке английского языка Debates: The Internet – Are We Really All United? CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES Рождество и Новый год 12 Activities for a Christmas Party 15 Любимые праздники детей 16 Christmas Worksheet 19 Christmas Quiz 19 Christmas Acrostic Poem 20 New Year Role Play 20 LESSON PLANS Christmas Traditions 21 CREATIVE WRITING Christmas Journal Writing Topics 23 GOOD NEWS Every Day Is Christmas 24 TOPICAL JOURNEY Christmas 27 SCHOOL THEATRE Cinderella 39 Веселое Рождество 42 Christmas in Ozland .45 TESTS Christmas Test 49 Five-Minute Tests 49 TEXTS FOR READING The Children's Christmas 52 Christmas Memories .53 A Christmas Tale 54 YOUTH ENGLISH SECTION Between the Continents: American Reality with Russian Eyes 56 This sign indicates additional materials on CD Front page: Giuseppe Arcimboldo Rudolf II as Vertumnus Unless otherwise indicated images in this issue are from shutterstock.com выходит раз в месяц Издание основано в 1992 г Главный редактор: Алёна Громушкина Консультанты: Stephen Lapeyrouse, Erin Bouma Научный редактор: Г.Гумовская Корректура: М.Гардер Набор, верстка: Г.Струкова ИЗДАТЕЛЬСКИЙ ДОМ “ПЕРВОЕ СЕНТЯБРЯ” Главный редактор А.Соловейчик (генеральный директор) Коммерческая деятельность К.Шмарковский (финансовый директор) Развитие, IT и координация проектов С.Островский (исполнительный директор) Реклама, конференции и техническое обеспечение П.Кузнецов Производство С.Савельев Административно-хозяйственное обеспечение А.Ушков Педагогический университет В.Арсланьян (ректор) ГАЗЕТА ИЗДАТЕЛЬСКОГО ДОМА: Первое сентября – Е.Бирюкова ЖУРНАЛЫ ИЗДАТЕЛЬСКОГО ДОМА: Английский язык – А.Громушкина, Библиотека в школе – О.Громова, Биология – Н.Иванова, География – О.Коротова, Дошкольное образование – Д.Тюттерин, Здоровье детей – Н.Сёмина, Информатика – С.Островский, Искусство – О.Волкова, История – А.Савельев, Классное руководство и воспитание школьников – М.Битянова, Литература – С.Волков, Математика – Л.Рослова, Начальная школа – М.Соловейчик, Немецкий язык – М.Бузоева, ОБЖ – А.Митрофанов, Русский язык – Л.Гончар, Спорт в школе – О.Леонтьева, Технология – А.Митрофанов, Управление школой – Е.Рачевский, Физика – Н.Козлова, Французский язык – Г.Чесновицкая, Химия – О.Блохина, Школа для родителей – Д.Тюттерин, Школьный психолог – И.Вачков Подписные индексы По каталогу Почта России: бумажная версия 79002; электронная версия 12630 Учредитель: ООО “Чистые пруды” Зарегистрировано ПИ № ФС77-44339 от 21.03.11 в Министерстве РФ по делам печати Подписано в печать: по графику 13.11.13, фактически 13.11.13 Отпечатано в ОАО “Первая Образцовая типография” Филиал “Чеховский Печатный Двор” ул Полиграфистов, д 1, Московская область, г Чехов, 142300 Сайт: www.chpd.ru E-mail: sales@chpk.ru Факс: 8(496)-726-54-10, 8(495)-988-63-76 Цена свободная Заказ № Тираж 25017 экз Адрес редакции и издателя: ул Киевская, д 24, Москва, 121165 Телефон: (499) 249-0640 Тел./факс: (499) 249-3138 E-mail: eng@1september.ru Отдел рекламы: (499) 249-9870 www.1september.ru Издательская подписка: (499) 249-4758 E-mail: podpiska@1september.ru выложено группой vk.com/create_your_english TEACHERS FORUM Spirit of Christmas “Bah, humbug,” said Scrooge and shut the door on Christmas Like the misanthrope in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, I find myself wanting to avoid Christmas, with its sentimentality and tinsel In England, my brother Michael is the exact opposite He’s dreaming of snow and counting the days to Christmas In the narrow streets of York, he’s doing his Christmas shopping, searching for exotic little stocking fillers (small presents to go in the Christmas stocking) – hand cream with hibiscus and honey; soap with citrus and saffron I wish he wouldn’t; I wish he’d stop it I keep suggesting we mark Christmas by giving our money to charity instead Our motivation is the same but our approaches differ We both remember the intensely happy Christmases of childhood, when we put up the Christmas tree to the sound of carols on the radio, woke early to open presents from Santa Claus and feasted on Mum’s delicious, fruit-stuffed Christmas cake Now adults, we still want to honour Christmas, but how? Michael believes in tradition Annually, he tries to recreate the magic I know there’s a fine line between tradition and habit; that magic cannot be manufactured and repeated I would rather keep the memory of past joys than deaden Christmas, the holy time of wonder, goodwill and redemption And so this year I’ll be alone in Moscow on Christmas Day, 25 December I’ll be at work, on duty, giving my colleague the chance of a Christmas holiday with his young daughters They say Christmas is for children and it’s true Celebration will come for me but it’s not a date in my diary I go with the flow I am open to fresh delight I learnt lear le arnt ntt tthi h s wi hi ith hm y Ru R ssia iaan husband Vitaly, when his this with my Russian ch chil hiilldr dren ren nw e e sm er maalll l H w as ddivorced and we could not children were small Hee wa was aalways al lw waays y have access to his kids on theeiir birthdays or New Year th their O Ou Our happiness was spontan neous It happened when it happened This is not to belittle the yearning of my brother, offering the gifts of his heart – an e echo down the ages of th he gold, frankincense and the m r that the kings brought my myrrh t the t crib to A of us are children, All eve the old miser Scrooge, ev even whh had really only lost the w who ccoon connection to his boyhood In our o different ways, we try In car ar the light and keep alive too carry tth he Christ-child Ch Ch the within Helen Womack ARE CHILDREN GIVEN TOO MANY TOYS? Retailers are starting to gear up to sell the latest generation of Christmas toys, but some campaigners are advocating a change in attitude Do some Western children have too many toys, asks Joanne Furniss I stood in the playroom holding an empty suitcase We were emigrating and could only pack a few toys to keep us going until the rest arrived by ship months later In went the Story Cubes – ingenious picture dice that inspire stories, drawings or full-scale theatrical productions Both kids are “crafty”, so in go pom-poms, pipe cleaners and paper punches Next, a kingdom of animal figurines marches two-by-two into the case I subject the rest to an eligibility test before I transport them half way round the world from Switzerland to Singapore – has either child shown the slightest interest in the toy in the past month? An ancient game of Pass the Pigs passes muster A bucket of unisex Duplo and then, after a tantrum, a second bucket of pink Duplo At the last minute, I spot a “snakes and ladders” game that my son enjoys (provided he gets to take all the turns) But the rest has not been touched in a month – and the shelves are still packed with dolls and jigsaws and trains and kazoos and knitted muffins and the emergency vehicles of several nations and enough wooden blocks to build a bridge to Singapore So why we have so many toys? Psychologist Oliver James, author of the parenting book Love Bombing, believes children don’t “need” a vast panoply of toys “Most children need a transition object,” said James, “their first teddy bear that they take everywhere But everything else is a socially generated want.” It seems we are keen to generate our children’s wants – the Toy Retailers Association reports that the British alone spend £3bn each year on toys At London’s V&A Museum of Childhood, Catherine Howell oversees a collection that includes a 400-yearold rocking horse and Buzz Lightyear She agrees that children typically have far more toys than any previous generation continued on p English December 2013 English TEACHERS FORUM December 2013 The Toy-Tree Nursery • In 1990s two German researchers, Elke Schubert and Rainer Strick conducted experiment where toys were taken away from Munich nursery for three months • After short period, researchers say children re-adjusted and their play became more social and creative • Schubert and Strick wrote up their findings in book, Der Spielzeugfreie Kindergarten (The ToyFree Nursery) But while spin-off merchandising has been a huge hit ever since Star Wars figures appeared in the 1970s, Howell says traditional toys like dolls and building blocks have retained a consistent popularity “A child always comes back to a set of bricks because it allows them to use their imagination.” According to James, toys that pre-determine play – and this is especially true of merchandising – offer limited possibilities for fun So while Buzz Lightyear can only ever be a space ranger, a doll might become a hungry baby, a tea party guest – or a space ranger – depending on the child’s desires These prescriptive toys could even be damaging, says James “Young children discover their identity through fantasy play If their toys offer a limited repertoire, this process is eroded.” It is the “play value” that is most important, says Liat Hughes Joshi, author of Raising Children: the Primary Years “There are enormous benefits to toys – they bring joy, creativity and learning.” She sees three factors that make a brilliant toy: “Social value – a dolls’ house allows children to play together, versatility – Lego bricks can be made into anything, and durability – such as a wooden train track that the child will use for years.” But how many toys is too many? Those who advocate fewer toys say it is not just the nature but also the sheer number that threaten to overwhelm our children And for parents who think that sibling rivals will bicker less if they have a wide choice of nov- A selection of toys in Joanne Furniss’s home elties – more toys could actually make them more selfish Joshua Becker, a father of two who writes about how to simplify both home and lifestyle, says: “People co-operate better and share when resources are limited, and the same is true for children.” This minimalism extends to the whole Becker family, with the kids given a confined space to store their toys, forcing them to adopt a “one in, one out” policy He sees his kids “filling their time with creativity” – taking their scooters to the park, practising baseball and football, inviting friends over to play with dolls, and devising art projects In addition, he says, they develop longer attention spans, take better care of their possessions and grow more resourceful Crucially, Becker hopes these habits will last a lifetime “The children realise they don’t have to conform and be consumed by consumerism.” In his book Affluenza, James outlines how the populations of the UK and the US suffer a high degree of emotional distress related to the kind of materialism that Becker rejects Meanwhile, residents of continental Europe are only half as likely to be plunged into misery by their frustrated desire for more stuff Is it a coincidence that the educational cultures of mainland Europe promote real-life learning experiences? The forest playgroup – or Waldspielgruppe – is a rite of passage in Switzerland, where I lived for seven years Starting at age three, my kids toddled off to nail their lumberjack skills with normalsized hammers and saws They built fires, cooked food and collected soggy pine cones There was not a toy in sight Just contented children – and a wealth of pine cone-themed ornaments Now that Swiss cold-snaps have been replaced by Singaporean monsoons, I’m grateful I didn’t leave all the toys behind Maybe the kids don’t need them – but their busy parents The move forced us (willingly) to minimalise, and with all those empty packing boxes waiting to be colonised, we’re not short of ways to play more with less Source: BBC News METHODS OF TEACHING THE MYSTERY OF ONE Depending on the structure of our own native language, we EL teachers can usually pinpoint some grammar aspects of the English language which may prove to be difficult for our students Articles will probably head the list for some countries For example, both in Russian and in Japanese, there are no articles at all Consequently, students may either leave them out altogether, or use them on a fifty-fifty basis, or make some mistakes in their usage What makes this theme even more difficult is the fact that there are almost no noun categories without exceptions to the rule “Do not use any articles before a city or town name”, we may instruct What about the Hague? We may find the explanation for the place name, but we cannot explain why this particular town’s name is to be preceded by the definite article, if all the others are not The Passive Voice, the Modals, the Conditionals… Can we really name at least one tense form, or one mood which does not cause problems? And let us not forget about phonetics Teaching one’s students how to pronounce “th” or any long vowel may be a continuous nightmare There are also a few little things which sometimes escape notice, yet which are very important One of them is the little word “ONE” It can be a noun, an adjective or an indefinite pronoun • As a numeral, ONE is probably among the very first words a child learns in any language We teach our class how to count, and give them simple exercises to memorize the words And so they all remember that “one” means 1, single • Another meaning of ONE is “only”; it is usually preceded by the definite article: the one man (= the only man) who can it • ONE may mean a single element in a group of people or objects: I only need one of those These examples demonstrate the usage of ONE in the meaning, one, single, Students recognize it and if necessary, translate it as ONE • ONE also often means a person, used when the speaker wants to generalize, or does not want to use a name or personal pronoun: One should not talk at a written exam In Russian, such phrases are translated impersonally, that is, there is no pronoun, no subject proper; the construction is totally different We cannot translate it back into English because there are no analogues When students try to translate any such sentence beginning with ONE, using the familiar meaning single, 1, they get lost • ONE may mean an item; it is often used instead of a noun: 1) I’m going to buy some rolls for breakfast – Can you buy me one? 2) Which dress you like best? – The red one 3) This item (use any noun here) is broken! – Get a new one! It is such a familiar, such a simple phrase in English, yet it creates a host of difficulties for a Russian learner of English While it is possible to understand the first example even if one does a direct translation and says single, (one roll), the second example becomes practically senseless if a student tries to incorporate both “red” and “one” into a translation And example may leave them completely perplexed No, we teachers not mentally translate every single phrase from English into Russian, but students often It takes a long time for them to achieve the level of English, and the level of understanding, before they realize that it is not necessary to translate every word from the target language into their native language, in order to understand it well What we with ONE in such cases? I usually teach my students that it is best not to translate it at all, just omit it, which is grammatically correct in their native language • ONE is often used when we mean a specific person or thing: he/she/it is the one I mean/ not the one I mean An illustration of any sort, be it a story, a video clip, a picture, will help your students to understand and remember any difficult topic When I was eight, my elementary school EL teacher told us a story about the Queen of Great Britain, which I often use with my own students The Queen, she said, uses “We” when she makes a statement, as in, “We the ruler of this realm” Being a very polite and modest person, she uses “One” when speaking of herself, as in, “One had to memorize a lot of people’s names as a princess” We were charmed We understood the concept: a princess needs to learn things, too We realized that one should not always shout “I!” where an impersonal construction could be used Most importantly, we learned that this familiar little word, ONE, may have several meanings, and carried the knowledge with us through life Many teachers know how difficult, and even next to impossible it is to make a student accept and remember a new concept after they had al- English December 2013 English METHODS OF TEACHING December 2013 ready memorized a certain meaning or form If they recognize the word ONE only as meaning single (1), the phrase, “One should continue developing one’s language skills even when one has reached an advanced level” will remain a mystery One More Little Thing THING is one of the fundamentals, one of the mainstays of any vocabulary When we are at a loss for a word or not know the name of an object, this is what we say, as in, “Can you give me that thing please?” It is also one of the first words a learner memorizes, usually in its primary meaning, “object” Once it is assimilated, it is very hard to change the perception, and to explain the difference in its usage When students begin to read and to understand the gist of a book or a film, they bring in examples which they find baffling, partly because they have not reached the professional level yet, and still tend to mentally translate everything from English into their native language Thus, every single lexical unit needs an equivalent, yet very often, there aren’t any For a Russian learner of English, THING presents two major problems One is purely phonetical: since in Russian, there is neither /th/ nor /ing/, they would often mispronounce it and say “sin” As a consequence, though they always recognize it in writing, they may not identify it in oral speech This problem is solved by training, and by listing numerous examples which show the importance of the correct pronunciation The other problem is connected to the meanings of this versatile polysemous word While in English, it is necessary to use “thing” in various contexts, in Russian, either a differ- ent word is used, one that does not mean “object”; or one requires no words in many cases And so students may get stuck when faced with some common phrases: • Things have changed • Things aren’t what they used to be • The first (good, bad, main etc.) thing is • It comes to the same thing • One little thing • The right (wrong) thing to • A thing or two We can continue the list practically ad infinitum And then, of course, we come across multiple examples where THING means a person • The bright young thing • The poor thing • You horrible thing • The old thing is still quite sharp The latter sentence actually presents a host of difficulties, since it can be used both for objects and for people It is a good instance of helping students realize that the context is important for understanding If a passage they are reading is a description of, say, knives, then “thing” means an object If it is a characteristic of an old man or woman, then “thing” is used instead of “person” Is it at all possible to simply evade the word when speaking, and substitute the ones that are meant, like the names of objects and/or people? Yes and no I’ve had a few students who were adept at omitting all the problem sounds wherever possible, thus eliminating the need to use “thing” in most cases Their speech lacked spontaneity, and sounded a bit too formal occasionally “I am sorry it happened to you” instead of “You poor thing!” is perfectly understandable and grammatically correct It does not hinder communication But in order to understand the person one is listening and speaking to, one should really be able to use the basics correctly “That thing you are saying? One usually doesn’t”, said an American lecturer to a group of Russian EL teachers Their faces were a study in perplexity I would suggest that my readers decipher his meaning, and offer this neat little phrase to their students at a lesson By Nina M Koptyug, Ph.D., Novosibirsk METHODS OF TEACHING ФОНЕТИЧЕСКАЯ БИТВА English December 2013 на уроке английского языка Занятия по фонетике часто сводятся к повторению тех или иных звуков или их комбинаций вслед за учителем Это, безусловно, необходимая часть фонетического практикума, но не исчерпывает всех возможностей учителя Мы предлагаем учебную карточную игру “Фонетическая битва”, разработанную для закрепления материала по теме “Чтение гласных Открытый и закрытый слоги” Для успешного участия в игре учащимся необходимо уметь распознавать виды слогов, каждый раз читая слова на своих карточках, а также следить за действиями других участников, что обеспечивает внимательное отношение к материалу Для игры необходим набор из 54 карточек Мы рекомендуем взять следующие слова: all, bad, bag, ball, bed, big, bike, bite, cake, call, chalk, computer, cucumber, dislike, dog, duck, duty, free, get, go, grandchildren, hall, he, hi, hot, hotel, hug, I, lake, lampshade, like, location, mall, mat, mix, napkin, no, parrot, pencil, pilot, pupil, rename, reset, rewrite, robot, rose, same, she, sit, stone, sunset, take, tall, top Выбор слов обусловлен необходимостью равномерно распределить количество примеров с открытыми и закрытыми слогами, а также особенностями правил игры В таблице те же слова распределены в соответствии с фонетическими принципами Обратите внимание, что одно и то же слово в таблице повторяется несколько раз, если в нем есть несколько гласных звуков В этой связи для изготовления набора лучше пользоваться словами по алфавиту, приведенными выше Правила игры: Каждый игрок вначале игры получает из набора карточек в произвольном порядке Первый игрок кладет карточку с любым словом или несколько карточек с одним и тем же звуком (например, top и log) Второй игрок должен покрыть эти карточки словами с той же буквой, но противоположным – открытым или закрытым – слогом (например, go на top) Он также имеет право перевести ход на третьего игрока, используя слово с тем же звуком (например, not) Если ход переведен, то третьему игроку необходимо покрыть все предыдущие карточки или, в свою очередь, перевести ход Помимо этого, игроки могут подкидывать односложные слова со всеми звуками, которые участвуют в данном раунде, при этом количество передаваемых карточек не должно превышать того количества, которое есть у отбивающегося Важное ограничение заключается в том, что подкидывать карточку или переводить ход можно только с односложными словами В игре предусмотрена особая группа слов, где “a” читается перед “l” как “o” Это рассматривается как особый случай, и такие карточки могут покрыть любые другие (по аналогии с традиционной карточной игрой их можно назвать козырями) Сами эти карточки можно покрыть либо аналогичными, либо любыми многосложными словами После каждого раунда игроки добирают снова до карт В игре есть ряд многосложных слов, которые можно применять в разных игровых ситуациях, используя любой из слогов В одном слове может быть одна и та же буква в открытом и закрытом слоге (например, dislike) или разные буквы (например, grandchildren) Такие карточки целесообразно беречь для обороны, но если начинать с них ход, то защищающийся вправе выбрать, какой из звуков он хочет покрыть Все эти ограничения обеспечивают динамичную игру, не давая карточкам накопиться в руках одного участника Выигрывает тот, у кого к концу игры не остается карт Практика показывает, что ребята с интересом включаются в игру, быстро вникают в правила и начинают поправлять друг друга, все время произнося при этом слова Активная позиция игроков дает возможность закрепить правила чтения гласных в открытом и закрытом слогах за три-четыре игры Пётр Степичев, к.п.н, доцент ИИЯ МГПУ Таблица Состав учебного набора Буква Открытый слог Aa lampshade, cake, lake, location, same, take, [ei] [æ] rename Ii dislike, hi, bite, bike, I, like, rewrite, pilot [ai] [i] Ee reset, rename, he, rewrite, free, she [i:] [e] Oo robot, location, hotel, stone, rose, no, go [əu] [o] Uu cucumber, duty, pupil, computer [ju:] [A] Особое чтение гласных: tall, mall, hall, call, ball, chalk, all Закрытый слог lampshade, bag, bad, mat, napkin, grandchildren, parrot dislike, pupil, mix, big, sit, pencil, napkin, grandchildren reset, sunset, bed, get, pencil, grandchildren robot, parrot, pilot, hot, top, dog, computer cucumber, sunset, hug, duck Фото автора English METHODS OF TEACHING December 2013 THE INTERNET – ARE WE REALLY ALL UNITED? INTRODUCTION DO DEBATES HELP TO IMPROVE SPEECH? Nowadays the ability to speak English and to express one’s thoughts in a correct way has become one of the most important goals of teaching English It’s obvious that to be successful a person needs to (and has to) communicate with people from other countries We’re lucky enough to have English as an international language It’s easy to learn, sometimes it’s even fun to study English at school and courses But as a teacher of English, I see a problem in this sphere: in Russia we don’t have a real opportunity to practice English outside school or courses, i.e there are few native speakers in our country Students can’t just go out to the streets and speak English with whoever they like The situation is different in Europe, where it’s much easier to practice language outside a classroom Unfortunately, short foreign trips cannot help Russian students much, either for many reasons To my mind, the only way out of this dilemma is to give them the chance to speak English at school as much as possible So I suggest we should use debating during or after our lessons In short, debating is a great opportunity to speak out in English, to listen to other teens and to share opinions Debate is an academic argument held following certain rules which are: 1) respect your opponent; 2) first listen, then speak; 3) be prepared with arguments and counter-arguments; 4) be ready to ask and answer questions; 5) always be polite The main aim is to persuade the jury (which, in class, is the teacher) that their opinion is the only right one The process of argumentation is quite attractive to teenagers They always show a high level of motivation during debates even if they don’t have enough lexis or grammar structures in their active use I have tried conducting debates with the students of the 8th, the 9th and the 10th grades, and all of them show interest in such tasks So let me provide a lesson plan with 10th grade students The topic was chosen through discussion and voting The process and the preparation will be shown below Aims of the series of lessons on debating: • to practice oral speech in English; • to use the words and grammar structures on topic; • to learn how to cooperate with and to oppose groupmates; • to learn how to express an opinion and give arguments supporting it; • to learn how to ask tricky questions and to give answers to them; • to research the debate topic on the Internet Process 1st stage – to research the topic At this stage, students with the help of the teacher research as much information on the topic as possible In “the Internet” topic we include diagrams and charts, tables and quotes about the Worldwide Web For example, students may find research data on the number of Internet users by countries, the number of teenagers using the Internet in Russia or other countries, and the main purposes of surfing the Internet, etc The next step is to divide the class into two teams who are pro and on the issue In other words, students should answer the question of the topic “Are we really all united via the Internet?” Those who support the idea and whose answer is ‘yes’ go the “Government” team Those who answer ‘no’ go to the “Opposition” team Both teams choose their leader (or main speaker) The trickiest moment at this stage is to involve all the students, not only the speakers So the teacher should distribute tasks to other members of the teams, such as to collect the research data, to provide arguments for the speaker and to prepare questions to challenge the opposing team (see Appendix 1) It’s obvious that the “Government” team should find arguments to prove that the Internet is really useful for all people and that it helps all of us to unite And the “Opposition” team should develop arguments to prove that the Internet, on the contrary, destroys real communication and separates people My students have developed their arguments as follows “Government”: • The Internet really makes our life easier We can search for necessary information; we can read books, watch TV and movies Our possibilities are unlimited! • When you are depressed, you just need to take some simple steps and talk to anyone who is able to understand you And it really helps! • One can find people who are on the same wave-length or have the same hobby • We share news every day, and the Internet is the perfect place to it • Shopping via Internet also unites people And it’s hard to disagree with the fact that when you buy something from another person, e.g on E-bay, you get to know each other and it’s a possibility not only to save money, but also it’s a chance that you’ll make another friend • The Internet helps you to be a person of the world, by which we mean find international relationships in everyday life You may live in Russia, but have a lot of friends from other countries You can learn many foreign languages or just improve your English • Nowadays the Internet is the primary and fastest way to get in touch with people It’ll take only a second to deliver your mail or your call via Skype to a person no matter where they live! METHODS OF TEACHING English December 2013 “Opposition” • Nobody would deny that one can easily find necessary information on the Internet But what sort of information is it? Does anyone check it? Is it verifiable? We doubt that, as online information has usually not gone through the same checks as newspaper articles or books • We have all got accounts in various social networks But are you sure that your personal information won’t be accessible to just anyone? No one wants their personal photos to become public • Your money can be easily stolen via the Internet, as you have to type your passwords into different sites Nowadays it’s not a problem to find out your passwords and bank account numbers to steal all your money • People choose false names, create false personal profiles and are free to say whatever they like with the anonymity of the Internet They often speak very bad and immoral things, partly because they are hidden behind a false identity Besides, few people would ever say such unacceptable things in reality under their true names • It’s harmful for your mental and physical to spend so much time chained to the computer You would better to go outside and breathe fresh air or listen to birds singing instead of spoiling your eyesight and bones • The Internet has its own language which is different from the language all of us speak in real life Besides that, “cyberspace” is another life and another time, and very often a person may lose themselves there • If people spend a lot of time on the Internet, they lose the desire and ability to help other people, to support them in difficult situations As a result, they lose emotional touch with their friends and become social outcasts because helping others is an essential part of every person’s life • After spending a lot of time surfing the Internet and chatting there, some people get angry and rude and may start to bully others, as it is considered a normal way of interacting there Also people, especially teenagers, become very nervous, as the Internet can seriously hurt people’s feelings • It’s no longer necessary to go out of one’s flat or house even to get food, as one can easily order food on the Internet and it’ll be delivered directly to your door As a result, instead of growing closer, people become isolated, lose friends and have serious problems with their physical and mental health At the 1st stage, the teams also have to write speeches using linking words and the logical structure of an essay In their speeches, they have to introduce their opinion, enumerate their arguments to support it and to draw conclusions to prove their opinion is correct one If students wish, they may also make a slide-show with the pictures or diagrams they have found, proving their argument When all the speeches are prepared and checked by the teacher, the slide-show is made and the questions for the opponents written, we may move to the 2nd stage – debating 2nd stage – Debating On the day of the debate, students decorate the classroom or school hall with the pictures of famous politicians debating, diagrams, quotes about the Internet and quotes about debates The topic of the debates should be written on a big poster Students from other grades and other English teachers may be invited to attend The desks in the classrooms should be moved aside, and only two tables for the two teams should be placed in the center of the room Papers with the names of the teams (“Government” and “Opposition”) should be placed on these tables If slide-shows are used, a projector and computer will also be needed A Timekeeper should be chosen from among the students His/her task is to tell the teams when their time is up When everything is ready, the teacher (who is also the main judge) gives an opening speech explaining in English the aims and procedure of the debates (see Appendix 2) Then the debates begin The first team to speak and to provide arguments for their opinion is the “Government” team, the “Pro” position They have seven minutes for their speech The “Opposition” listens carefully and takes notes, then asks tricky questions trying to refute the arguments provided Then the “Opposition” team is to speak for seven minutes, presenting their “Con” arguments Then the “Government” has their turn to crossexamine the opposing team for five minutes In the end, the result of the debates is announced The winning team may have a closing word on debates The members of the winning team may get Certificates of Achievement signed by the teacher and/or by the head-teacher of the school There are certain criteria for assessing the teams’ work, such as: • Speech (persuasive, emotional or not) • Slide-show (colourful, well-designed, supportive or not) • Questions for the opponents (on topic, problematic or not) • Ability to answer the questions, to cooperate with the opponents The full evaluation template is in Appendix 3 Conclusions and Reflections It goes without saying that debates won’t be a piece of cake for all 10th graders, as they all have different levels of active and passive vocabulary, as well as different social and communicative abilities Not all of them are able to be leaders Not all of them can easily express their opinion even in their native language That is why the teacher is the first person to help students to overcome these difficulties English METHODS OF TEACHING 10 December 2013 Firstly, the topic should (and even must) be urgent and attractive for the students, it should be something involving their real life, as their judgments should be based on their life experience Secondly, the procedure of the debates should be clearly explained or even demonstrated to the students Thirdly, students should be motivated to take part in debates It is not a usual task for them, so most certainly they will be interested in debates right away The members of the winning teams may also take part in Moscow Debating contests organized by a number of schools of different districts The teacher should explain to the students that taking part in debates not only helps to improve their English speech or to make them more fluent, but also gives them opportunities to meet other teenagers who the same thing, and to make friends with new people Besides, the ability to reason one’s opinion on a certain problem, the ability to see the problem from different angles is certainly useful in everyday life and might be useful in their future career (such as politics, law or journalism) My personal and professional experience in the use of debates in my lessons proves that debates help: 1) the teacher to motivate students to study English; 2) the students to discover their hidden abilities and to practice English, which is an essential part of modern language education A person should know a language to such an extent so that he/she is able to speak freely and effectively this language no matter what the communicative situation is Appendix Suggested Structure of an Effective Team 1) Leader – the main speaker The functions in the team are: to be ready to speak spontaneously to support the team’s point of view, to generate ideas and arguments, to control other members of the team It goes without saying that the leader should be an A student in English 2) Speechwriter – a person who is responsible for making a speech for the leader (with their help), for making a list of tricky questions for the opposing team 3) Creative manager – a person who is responsible for designing a colourful and illustrative slide-show to support the point of the team, for decorating the room before the debates 4) Researchers – a person or a group of people responsible for providing factual material for the speech, such as diagrams, charts, quotes, examples, data and figures Appendix Suggested Debating Procedure with Timing 1) 10 minutes – Opening word given by the teacher The aims, the procedure, the timing and the expected results are commented It would be great if the teacher has a slideshow to support the speech A good amount of humour is always welcome to dispel tension 2) minutes – Government presentation The Leader gives the speech (i.e he/she actually speaks, not reads his speech) to support the teams’ point of view 3) minutes – cross-examination by the Opposition The Opposition asks tricky questions on the topic trying to refute the Government’s arguments 4) minutes – Opposition presentation The Leader gives the speech (i.e he/she actually speaks, not reads his speech) to support the teams’ point of view 5) minutes – cross-examination by the Government The Government asks tricky questions on the topic trying to refute the Opposition’s arguments 6) minutes – announcing the results of the debates and the winning team; Victory ceremony; closing word * One timekeeper is needed to tell the teams when their time is up Appendix Table of Evaluation Template Team Speech (persuasive, emotional or not) Slide-show (colourful, well-designed, supportive or not) Questions for the Opponents (on topic, problematic or not) Ability to Answer the Questions, to Cooperate with the Opponents (respect, politeness) Max 10 points Max 10 points Max 10 points Max 10 points TOTAL Government (students’ names) Opposition (students’ names) By Maria Titova, Lyceum No 1158, Moscow TEXTS FOR READING CHRISTMAS MEMORIES My first clear memory is first grade when I gave my Christmas present, a big blonde doll named Nancy, to an Alaskan Orphanage in January Our first grade class was asked to donate one of our presents to an Eskimo orphanage In their thank you letter, the children all remarked how much they liked the doll I got such a boost as a giver at a young age and it has helped shape my whole life Our family had its celebration on Christmas morning I don’t think we got up so early, but we didn’t usually dress, just put on bathrobes I can remember we read the Bible story of Christmas from Luke and we often lit a fire in the fireplace Afterwards, we would often have a lovely breakfast like waffles and bacon Our Christmas tree, in those early years was scavenged from the elementary school across the street When school let out for holidays (around Dec 22-23), we children would go over and pick out one of the discarded classroom trees (usually about medium height) So we didn’t have elaborate decorations; they were often homemade and we might string popcorn or cranberries, too We had a few gifts and it was always the youngest child’s part to hand them out to those assembled When I was young (I can’t remember how old I was) my mother did a very wise thing She explained to me that Santa Claus was the spirit of giving, so I never needed to doubt or question “Santa’s” existence I don’t remember, though, anyone ever playing Santa for us at Christmastime and I certainly had no lost faith Later, when we were teens and my cousins were young, we would go over to their house on Christmas Eve, and my uncle would slip out of the room and return dressed as “Santa” with their gifts I can remember my mother making fudge and divinity for Christmas gifts over several years Being a young girl with a sweet tooth, I wasn’t very happy that most of the goodies left our home to be devoured by someone else I always loved singing in the church youth choir at Christmastime because there were so many lovely carols The church would be decorated with a tree, poinsettias and holly, and, of course, a Nativity scene At public school, too, in the 1950s, Christmas was really celebrated as a religious holiday We always had a Christmas Program and each class would make a presentation I can remember one of my primary classes had a dance and song about reindeer, and a few of us had costumes While the others had cardboard antlers on their heads, I chose to wear a set of real antlers from a deer my grandfather had shot It was a bit heavy and awkward but I managed somehow to my part I recall that maybe when she was in the second grade, my younger sister was chosen to play Mary and was seated on a “donkey” on wheels Although they chose a bigger boy (“Joseph”) to pull it, the wheels turned and it stuck in the middle of the stage My sister gracefully slipped off the stranded donkey and took her place behind the manger equipped with a doll I never made any higher rank grade in Nativity plays than a bathrobe-garbed shepherd, as I recall One year my parents held a family meeting in early December and announced that we would take a family trip by car to San Francisco for our holiday My aunt and older brother had moved to the Bay Area and we would stay with them It was agreed that we shouldn’t expect any presents because the trip itself would be our treat Of course, we received a few practical gifts anyway It was a good trip and something special We never had snow in our city (Vancouver, Washington) at Christmas, although my home was just hours drive to a snow-capped mountain, so I knew snow In fact, in my childhood, I think we only had about three real “snows” that weren’t washed away by rain the next day One of my best memories, when we had a snow that lasted three days (and school was closed) was taking an oval dishpan into our small backyard and packing it tight to make “blocks” to construct a simple, one-person igloo I have a cherished photo of that triumph It was more interesting to me than throwing snowballs or making a snowman When I moved to San Francisco myself, at 21, to continue college, my family would often gather at my aunt and grandmother’s for Christmas (they had bought an apartment there) One year, one of my brothers and I set out on Christmas Eve looking for a place to buy a last-minute Christmas tree We had to drive around for over an hour until we located one lot of a few scraggly leftover trees around p.m We got one and headed back to decorate it quickly before our evening festivities English 53 December 2013 After I moved to Russia, I also had live trees (I’ve never had an artificial one) for a couple of years My biggest headache was getting it to stand upright without a tree stand (like the ones we use in the U.S.) After I got two kittens and I tried putting up a Christmas tree, I realized what a disaster that would be since they wanted to pounce on it and pull off the decorations I, somehow, got through the holiday without it falling over, but I haven’t gotten a tree since then Instead I decorate my living room and entrance hall walls with numerous colorful decorations I’ve never been into colored lights very much, so don’t use them My mother died in November 1997 in America, and we held her memorial service in mid-December I stayed with a family in Portland, Oregon who are good friends, when I first arrived in my hometown I was there when they brought in a lovely full-sized tree and I helped their son to set it up and decorate it It was a great atmosphere and I enjoyed immensely the experience About four years ago, I also flew to the U.S to get a new visa and visit friends at the end of November In New York City, the incredible, colorful holiday displays in downtown Manhattan and Christmas music playing everywhere were very special in bringing the Christmas spirit to my heart I took the train south to my sister’s in Florida and there had a repeat Thanksgiving dinner and an early experience of Christmas We went to a church Christmas Concert by a local musician and then drove around the wealthier neighborhoods admiring their often elaborate lawn displays and light-draped homes I was particularly amused by all the snowmen and reindeers grouped under palm trees A real contrast, for me, was a visit to friends in London, England over Christmas years ago When I arrived, mid-December I was expecting to see the holiday spirit in full bloom But, to my surprise, there were only a few decorations in shops and museums and a few lights or candles in private home windows The family I stayed with had a decorated tree (which must come down on a certain day in early January) and Christmas cards on the living room walls I had a hard time feeling Christmasy in London, until Christmas Eve when we entered the local supermarket There, a large crowd was frantically shopping for ingredients, like Christmas pudding, for their holiday fixings We had a lovely family dinner at the grandparents home which was decorated and atmospheric Gifts were distributed from under the modest tree and we enjoyed an evening of conversation backed with seasonal music But most of my Christmases these past two decades have been low-keyed and quiet On December 25 I’ve worked in schools, as it is a normal day here in Russia I’ve tried to always some holiday activities with my students, both in classes and private students (children and teens), often crafts, puppets, songs or crosswords But, I can honestly say, when the winter weather is particularly bad, I’ve been grateful I didn’t have to spend time outdoors, rushing around buying gifts and attending parties I’ve been so thankful to enjoy some special treat (ice cream or something sweet) at home Erin Bouma, Dec 24, 2011 Photo taken by the author English TEXTS FOR READING 54 A CHRISTMAS TALE December 2013 Christmas has become a universal festival, free from religious divides Tokyo is lit up by Christmas trees and people all over the world give gifts So no one can say the festival belongs to them exclusively I have only once been to a meeting of the Society of Friends They are known as Quakers because these Protestants quake before the wonder of God’s creation The people welcomed me with smiles as I walked in, but sat quietly in simple, well-designed wooden chairs They were absolutely silent More still than Zen Buddhists So very silent Then after an hour or so someone softly spoke, “Please God, make me the man my dog thinks I am.” There was a chuckle But they didn’t speak A few stood and looked through the window at birds in the trees There was no pastor or priest to give a blessing, but obviously they felt blessed as they later made cups of hot chocolate and again sat down, but this time to noisily organise protest marches against the New Zealand Government’s decision to send troops to fight beside the Americans in Viet Nam (Quakers have a long tradition of non-violence In the First World War, as Pacifists they chose to be non-combatants but were in the worst battles serving in field ambulance units, and sustained disproportionate casualties crawling through the mud under barbed wire in clouds of mustard gas to rescue wounded soldiers The Fry and Hudsons were old Quaker families and profoundly influenced English law by changing public opinion and petitioning parliamentarians against slavery and unjust child labour laws) But what I took away from their meditative contemplative meeting was that they have a heightened feeling that humanity and the entire kingdom of animals are together manifestations of a wonderful creative God We all look at this world in different ways In the Western tradition, Saint Francis of Assisi is especially venerated, even by humanist philosophers, because he was able to see dignity in all people “God bless the rain and the dew on the grass, for the weather wets the high born and the lowly together.” He would run towards lepers and kiss their lipless rotting faces because they showed the radiance of Christ’s light St Francis was the first to place in a church a wooden box and have a sculpted doll in a manger as baby Jesus This tableaux was looked on as a sentimental fall from grace into prosaic materialism as it was no longer an imaginative inner picture but a physical depiction At one end of the box was a carved ox and at the other, a donkey Between them lay the representative of humanity The ox, like the sacred cow in India, was once recognised for the spiritual atmosphere of its digestion It does a kind of yoga when it eats straw and grass, chews slowly, swallows and then after a period of digesting, the food returns to the mouth The ox is a picture of tranquility as it lies in a meadow chewing its cud, swallowing, digesting, then re-chewing The donkey has always been used by men as a beast of burden, equated with the will, an analogy to our unconscious will and limbs St Francis called his own body, “Brother Ass” as it bore him through life Folk stories claim the donkey has a cross in its hide at the end of the back of its neck, to remind us that Christ was carried by an ass far from Herod into Egypt, and that that animal was ultimately chosen for His entry into Jerusalem As time turned, Goethe and Schiller noted that fir trees were being decorated at Christmastime Northern winters produced an inwardness, and a generous outpouring of gift giving When southern continents were colonised by white settlers and Christmas there was a summer festival, only the weather had changed Christmas had become a World Festival that no religious group could claim proprietal rights to My little story may now begin to unfold In the west there is a strong urge to individualise Homelessness is not just a problem of the underclasses The teenage children of lawyers, teachers, doctors and the middle class, run away from home ‘to find themselves.’ Often they take drugs when they find acceptance among other lost souls and their pain is numbed for a while I knew a very great but humble man, the Rev Ted Noffs, who had been ordained as he saw Jesus as the paradigm of a man with a capacity to fully love At that time he was uncertain of the miraculous or of divinity, but he wanted to help those who suffered Eventually, Sydney’s homeless turned up at his urban parish among the brothels of notorious Kings Cross Ted was totally original In summer, he baptised people in the surf of Bondi Beach, witnessed by sunbathers wearing bikinis and budgie-smugglers He raised money by organising church weddings for Japanese couples They would book a hotel suite, the bride could choose a white gown and they would arrive at the Wayside Chapel in a vintage Rolls Royce car and be married by Ted Without any doubt, the photos will be treasured for generations He didn’t preach against drugs He bought a massive truck and commissioned a transparent sculpture of a TEXTS FOR READING English 55 December 2013 human being This vehicle would be invited to schools In its darkened interior, Ted would show how we digest food, as lights lit up the metabolic system Foodenriched blood would be shown circulating The heart would be seen beating Blood would be carried to the lungs and oxygenated, and then supplying the brain But when coffee was drunk the pulse increased Different drugs changed the whole dynamic harmony There was no need to moralise, as the effects were made visible in coloured lights in layer upon layer of our internal systems He had a central theatre/forum in his building and on Sunday nights, speakers were able to address crowds there As long as there was not racial hatred, anything was permitted But one public speaker apparently hated Ted and Christianity vehemently Webster ranted against Ted Ted would sometimes try to make a rebuttal but to no avail against Webster’s witty insults and mockery The crowd laughed as Ted lost argument after argument When Webster died, Ted mourned They had needed each other And it had been only there that Webster could vent his spleen Ted put up a brass plaque in his church to commemorate his friend Unexpectedly, Ted had a transcendent experience of Christ Ted would sometimes come to the little writers’ group I ran one night a week at the chapel Prostitutes would tell stories of customers and police raids, druggies would relate the dangers of cheating dealers and later being held up at knife point by a more desperate addict We would all help each other find the right words to write The stories, surprisingly, got published in magazines because they felt real The women were remarkable No one ever wants to be a street prostitute So many had fallen in love with a man who told them that if they really loved him they would this just once Then there were the mothers and wives whose husbands had deserted them for a comparative younger woman from the office, and the woman tell themselves that they will only be in “the game” for a month to pay the mortgage There is a writer-in-residence at a famous university who would now rather that her readers didn’t know of one phase of her life in shadowy doorways A vision came to Ted of a Cosmic Christ A little later, a blood clot lodged in his brain and he entered into a long period when he could no longer move or speak It looked like he was lying in bed calmly in deep contemplation At his death, many of us sensed that he was now expanding His wife and family have maintained his work But the Wayside Chapel is most famous for its outdoor Christmas dinner Any homeless person can come Dirty, terminal alcoholics tie their dogs to a lamp post and the dogs get a meaty treat Mad people displaced by ill-implemented deinstitutionalising schemes, drug addicts, hookers, hustlers, strip club sprukers, ex-jailbirds on parole, respectable widows, and people without family, those suffering in the immediate wake of a marriage break up, and the lonely arrive They are met with a feast Chicken, roast lamb, turkey, baked vegetables, pavlovas, cinnamon biscuits, rhubarb pie, boiled Christmas puddings, and crackers to be pulled, and a piece of fruitcake wrapped for later, and a bag of left-overs for the dogs, or for those people with a home to go to, a bit of chicken to take for a cat But most of all, it is the one day in the year when the unloved feel loved The tradition is that having prepared the food, the servers sit down among the guests to make all feel welcome I brought some home-grown food one year but it wasn’t really needed You see, that day the Chapel had suspended a banner between power poles “A Blessed Christmas To All” And under it the tables bent with a most colourful delicious banquet Cooked and served by Jews from the Temple Emmanuel Text and picture by David Wansbrough English YOUTH ENGLISH SECTION 56 BETWEEN THE CONTINENTS: continued from No 11 December 2013 American Reality with Russian Eyes EVERY END IS A TOKEN OF A NEW BEGINNING In a foreign country even very small episodes of kindness can be priceless and will be remembered for a long time or forever “Everything that has a beginning has an end,” my friend used to tell me so many times that this stuck in my head Moreover, this phrase jumped out every time some experience came to an end Millions of faces swirl in my mind when I try to sum up my experience between the continents When I was thinking how to finish this book, somebody advised me to write about everything I found in America and to mention all the people I met But this would be the same as to count snowflakes in a snowstorm and describe them It is absolutely impossible But when one snowflake drops out of the struggle and comes to rest on your eyelashes or lips, you feel it melting– and smile So I felt every snowflake, every drop of warmth that the wind pulled out of the whirlpool of my new cultural experience So I remember those who watched my first steps into the new world but I cannot describe them My “big mama” met a group of tired students in the Detroit Airport after our delayed flight and drove us to Eastern Michigan University, including me It was the first ride in a car I had in America Afterwards, I learned by heart the phone numbers of my friends who had cars – the wisest thing to for international students in the U.S Those friends saved me a couple times, picking me up from a closed bus station on a winter night or taking me to the pharmacy when I was sick My “foreign father” found my first book in the library catalogue and bought me my first thing online The four phone numbers I would blurt out half-asleep were my parents’, my fiance’s, my high school teacher’s and his I often called him for support, no matter if I was lost in downtown New York City or just wanted to watch a movie My new-found Tajik “sister” frightened me for real for the first time in America when she fell sick all of a sudden and refused to go to the hospital Following that episode, she was with me in every crazy trip I could think of She listened to me when I missed my fiance and pulled tiny details of our love story out of my memory My Dutch “brother” opened up the beauty of the Russian cinematography for me and shared my first impression of French impressionists’ masterpieces in Chicago Art Museum He is lazy when it comes to writing emails, but often our talks would give me energy and inspiration to my endless writing during my second semester A nice Canadian girl gave me simple instructions for the first cheesecake I’ve ever made I couldn’t wait till it froze to try A cup of tea and a heart-to-heart talk would bring me back from melancholy to the joy of life more than once A healthy-food-focused American freshman made me try my first smoothie I later sacrificed my whole dinner for that smoothie several times A nice family from Canton treated me to my first homecooked dinner in the U.S Well, not everybody eats fast food here The first Russian-speaking American I met… …my first Frisbee throw…my first Christmas show…my first racquetball court…my first task from my boss… …my first driving crawl…my first shopping mall…my first Northern Lights…my first rollercoaster ride… It is all a whirlpool; it is not a one-direction vacuum cleaner’s devouring jaws This warmth and aid is rotating like energy or water in a vortex It was my pleasure to show another newcomer how to use a phone card and where the telephone was Probably, it was her first call home from the Eastern Michigan campus And I delighted to hear the African child learn her first English words in the preschool for children from low-income families She could hardly understand English when she first arrived, but after some time she pointed to the apple and sun and repeated those words after me, resting on my arms Generous warmth and assistance evolve from one form to another and give us energy to live Conservation laws say that energy cannot be created or destroyed But I maintain: Warmth and kindness can be created That’s why I won’t repeat my friend’s words any more No more “everything that has a beginning has an end.” I would rather say every end marks the beginning – a new experience, a new life, new drops of warmth in the snowstorm of reality YOUTH ENGLISH SECTION English 57 December 2013 AFTERWORD Feedback is the dream of every writer When the Director of Student Media and Editor-in-Chief said they liked my columns, I was glad When my friends told me they felt the “power of the pen” reading my articles, I was excited But when I got an e-mail from an unknown person expressing gratitude on behalf of all international students, I was especially happy Here are some comments I got in the U.S “I read your article from today (“Patriotism differs…”) and I must say I really enjoyed it To me, I love the country not for what it is, but for what it may one day be…loving one’s country is comparable to loving nature; you have to love the cold, snowy, harsh days as well as the warm and breezy summer afternoons People here get so caught up in politics and religions that they lose sight of what this country is To love the U.S., one must love the world because someone from every walk of life can be found on any American street.” American student from Eastern Michigan Univeristy “I read with interest your piece in the Eastern Echo of April, 2005 (“Patriotism differs…”), and found it fascinating in its perspective of one from beyond our borders When you say that Americans don’t actually “love” the U.S., I would have to say you’re right Most of us probably don’t America doesn’t really lend itself to thoughts of a “Motherland,” as does your “Mother Russia.” I suspect we are too new I am the 6th generation of my family born here, but I don’t think of America as a “Motherland.” Sometimes I feel that the United States is less a country than it is a (sometimes) convenient partnership between fifty independent nations Wherever the truth may lie, I appreciate the thoughts of one such as yourself who tells it as she sees it and gives us something to consider.” Allen Curry, American freelance writer from Ypsilanti, MI “I think the main point here is that your articles spur such discussions with different people – it means that they read them, think, and write :) – that’s probably what every journalist or writer hopes for!” American citizen with Russian roots “I just wanted you to know how much I’ve enjoyed reading your columns this year in the ECHO You give a new, fresh perspective to things that we either are too busy to notice or take for granted You have genuinely touched a lot of people here and that we are all better for having met you.” Sue Shipley, Grant Accounting “I just read your article at Eastern Echo and I must say that it was very well done As an international student, I am so happy to read a piece that expressed for all international students, situations and perspectives which they face every single day By the way, I am from Turkey Even though I have been living in the States for almost six years, I still have problems adjusting myself in making “friends” who are from the U.S and the other countries Anyway, thank you very much for expressing yourself as an international student in a way that I felt like I was reading my own thoughts.” International student from Turkey By Anastasia Khodakova (Maslova) Photos by the author English РЕКЛАМА 58 Одна программа для всех интерактивных устройств в вашем классе MimioStudio Простое и удобное программное обеспечение для интерактивных досок любых производителей и множества интерактивных устройств MimioStudio 11 распространяется не только с интерактивным оборудованием Mimio Вы можете приобрести MimioStudio для того, чтобы создавать и использовать уроки на интерактивной доске любого производителя Создавайте новые уроки и используйте свои старые наработки, ведь MimioStudio позволяет импортировать уроки из большинства распространенных форматов Вся мощь и удобство MimioStudio 11 теперь доступны любому учителю! Есть как минимум пять весомых причин приобрести MimioStudio отдельно или получить в комплекте с интерактивным оборудованием семейства MimioClassroom: Одна и та же программа позволяет управлять интерактивными досками практически любых производителей (не только Mimio): создавать и демонстрировать уроки, осуществлять групповую работу с доской и многое другое Поддерживается использование нескольких стилусов, функций single touch, multi-touch и жестов Если у вас есть доска, которой вы не пользуетесь по причине несовершенного или отсутствующего ПО, MimioStudio — это отличный шанс дать вашей доске вторую жизнь! Хорошее оборудование не должно пылиться без дела Импорт файлов из форматов SMART, Promethean, IWB, PowerPoint и даже Word позволяет использовать уже имеющиеся у вас и ваших коллег содержательные материалы Модуль ActivityWizard помогает за считаные минуты создавать педагогичные и увлекательные учебные занятия, используя встроенный банк знаний Встроенный журнал успеваемости, который автоматически фиксирует ответы учащихся при использовании системы тестирования MimioVote избавляет преподавателей от необходимости проверки тестов вручную Вы можете использовать MimioStudio на любом компьютере: полная совместимость с операционными системами Windows от XP до Windows 8, Mac OS 10.6, 10.7 и 10.8, Linux Fedora и Ubuntu Вы можете бесплатно протестировать MimioStudio 11 Свяжитесь с нами, чтобы узнать подробности: http://www.mimioclass.ru (800) 5555-33-0 Звонок по России бесплатный ООО «Рене» — генеральный дистрибьютор Mimio в России РЕКЛАМА English 59 Линия УМК Шаг за шагом – к успеху! Издательство «ДРОФА» завершает работу над выпуском новой предметной линии по английскому языку «Rainbow English» для 2–11 классов Ее создатели – О В Афанасьева, И В Михеева, К М Баранова, Е А Колесникова, профессора и доценты кафедры английской филологии ГБОУ ВПО «Московский городской педагогический университет»; в разработке рабочих программ также принимала участие доктор педагогических наук, профессор Н В Языкова Данная серия учебников составлена на основе требований ФГОС начального, основного и среднего (полного) общего образования, а также с учетом требований, изложенных в Примерных программах по иностранному языку Интегративной целью обучения английскому языку по серии «Rainbow English» является формирование коммуникативной компетенции в совокупности пяти ее составляющих: речевой, языковой, социокультурной, учебно-познавательной и компенсаторной В процессе реализации указанной цели осуществляется воспитание школьников, их общее и филологическое образование, а также личностное развитие В серию входят десять УМК Учебники для 2–4 и 5–9 классов одобрены экспертными организациями РАО и РАН и рекомендованы к использованию в школах; подготовлены учебники для 10– 11 классов Три УМК для начального этапа обучения прошли апробацию в образовательных учреждениях РФ и имеют положительные отклики педагогов Каждый из них состоит из традиционных компонентов: книги для учащихся (учебника), рабочей тетради, книги для учителя и звукового пособия В комплекс для класса включена также книга для чтения, которая в основной школе становится неотъемлемой частью УМК Нововведением серии «Rainbow English» является наличие во всех УМК лексико-грамматического практикума с упражнениями на тренировку и закрепление явлений языка, информация о которых была получена школьниками на занятиях Рабочая тетрадь на начальном этапе обучения предназначена преимущественно для работы дома и содержит письменные задания; в дальнейшем эти задания приобретают более универсальный характер и могут быть использованы как в классе, так и дома Кроме того, в комплекты входят тетради «Диагностика результатов образования» В качестве объектов контроля в них выступают все составляющие иноязычной коммуникативной компетенции, а также предлагаются тестовые задания для контроля метапредметных результатов обучения Изучение английского языка в начальной школе рассчитано на 68 часов ежегодно; на среднем и старшем этапах отводится по 105 часов (3 часа в неделю) В методическом плане каждый УМК совмещает инновационные технологии с традиционными, проверенными временем, что создает условия для свободного общения на английском языке и его применения в той или иной деятельности, а также дает положительные эмоции и позитивный настрой на обучение У школьников на доступном для них уровне формируются системные языковые представления, расширяется лингвистический кругозор, происходит приобщение к новому для них миру; развиваются эмоционально-чувственная сфера, креативные способности и познавательные мотивы При этом новый социально-коммуникативный опыт приобретается, в зависимости от этапа обучения, посредством игры, драматизации, слушания песен, чтения English РЕКЛАМА 60 текстов разных жанров и стилей, моделирования адекватных возрасту жизненных ситуаций Большое значение при работе по УМК серии «Rainbow English» имеют: • обязательное повторение ранее изученного материала; • постепенное нарастание сложности изучаемого материала; • взаимосвязь и единство фонетического, орфографического, лексического, грамматического, аудитивного аспектов; • ориентация на современный английский литературный язык в его британском варианте с привлечением определенных фактов, типичных для американского варианта английского языка; • многообразие упражнений, развивающих творческий потенциал учащихся; • коммуникативно-когнитивная направленность всех компонентов УМК Основой каждого УМК является учебник Он имеет единообразную структуру и состоит из определенного количества блоков, или учебных ситуаций (Units), каждый из которых подразделяется на уроки (Steps) В свою очередь, любой урок (Step) имеет две части Первая («Учимся вместе» / «Do it Together») предполагает работу учащихся в классе, вторая («Учимся самостоятельно» / «Do it on Your Own») в основном ориентирована на закрепление пройденного материала и самостоятельное выполнение заданий дома Учебники включают целый ряд сквозных разделов-рубрик («NOTA BENE», «Social English», «Word Building», «Idiomatic English»), в которых в сконцентрированном виде подается значимая информация о языке, культуре, истории, географии стран изучаемого языка Содержание обучения представлено в УМК занимательно и наглядно, с учетом возрастных особенностей В оформлении учебников и пособий для начальной школы превалируют рисунки, с любовью выполненные замечательным художником О М Войтенко; на старших этапах знакомиться с реалиями стран изучаемого языка помогают многочисленные красочные слайды Деятельностный характер УМК способствует достижению метапредметных результатов Разделы «Учимся самостоятельно» приучают ставить учебные задачи, планировать свою деятельность, осуществлять рефлексии при сравнении желаемого и полученного результатов Наибольшее внимание уделяется формированию умения выражать свои мысли в соответствии с ситуацией, овладению монологической и диалогической формами речи, инициативному сотрудничеству при отборе и обсуждении информации, управлению речевым поведением В учебники введены вопросы для оценки собственных результатов и материалов, по которым проводилось обучение Например: • «Какие из разделов учебника оказались самыми сложными? Почему?» • «В каких грамматических явлениях вы допустили ошибки?» • «Что могло бы вам помочь лучше справиться с заданиями по говорению? Письму?» • «Приходилось ли вам при выполнении заданий обращаться за помощью к своему учителю? Родителям?» • «Использовали ли вы при выполнении заданий дополнительные ресурсы – справочники, Интернет?» • «Насколько вы довольны своими результатами?» Основным предметным результатом является формирование иноязычных коммуникативных умений в говорении, чтении, письменной речи, аудировании Учащиеся приобретают необходимые знания о фонетике, лексике, грамматике и орфографии языка, а также навыки оперирования данными знаниями Конкретные виды речевой деятельности подробно изложены в рабочих программах: • О В Афанасьева, И В Михеева, Н В Языкова, Е А Колесникова «Английский язык 2–4 классы»; • О В Афанасьева, И В Михеева, Н В Языкова, Е А Колесникова «Английский язык 5–9 классы»; • О В Афанасьева, И В Михеева «Английский язык 10–11 классы» (выйдет в 2014 году) РЕКЛАМА English 61 Все рабочие программы доступны для скачивания на сайте www.drofa.ru Особо следует оговорить формирование лингвострановедческой и социокультурной компетенций Содержащийся в текстах для чтения и аудирования страноведческий материал значительно расширяется в старших классах Школьники на качественно новом уровне знакомятся: • с государственной символикой англоязычных стран; • с достопримечательностями Великобритании, США, Австралии, их географическими особенностями, флорой, фауной; • с праздниками, традициями, обычаями англоязычных стран; • с известными людьми и историческими личностями; • с системой школьного и высшего образования; • с государственным устройством Великобритании и США; • с культурной жизнью стран изучаемого языка, их литературой, музыкой, архитектурой, кинематографом, театром, музеями, картинными галереями, а также со спортивной жизнью; • с песнями, стихотворениями на английском языке В 10–11 классах большое количество учебных материалов включают полемические утверждения и касаются проблем общепланетарного характера Издательство «ДРОФА» 127018, Москва, Сущевский Вал, д 49, стр Тел.: 8-800-2000-550 (звонки по России бесплатные), (495) 795-05-50, 795-05-51 Факс: (495) 795-05-52 E-mail: sales@drofa.ru По вопросам сотрудничества и приобретения продукции обращайтесь на сайт www.drofа.ru (процесс глобализации, экологические катастрофы, экспансия американской культуры и т д.) Социокультурная компетенция формируется в процессе использования английского языка как средства межкультурного диалога, что создает условия для расширения и углубления знаний о своей культуре, поскольку обсуждение большей части проблем предполагает сопоставление фактов жизни родной страны и других государств Также школьники овладевают способами сделать свою речь более вежливой, учатся выражать предпочтение, неприятие, удивление, ведут дискуссии и аргументированно отстаивают свою точку зрения Значительное место отводится комментированию предлагаемых явлений или идей, высказываемых в аудиотекстах и текстах для чтения В 10–11 классах происходит совершенствование компенсаторных умений, начатое еще в начальной школе Учащиеся пользуются языковой догадкой (интернациональные слова, словообразовательный анализ, вычленение ключевых единиц текста) Отметим, что уже с начальной школы ведется планомерная работа над словообразовательными моделями Учащиеся знакомятся не только с наиболее продуктивными способами образования новых слов (аффиксация, конверсия, словосложение, сокращение), но и с менее распространенными (звукоподражание, удвоение, перенос ударения и т д.) Особое внимание уделяется деривационным словообразовательным моделям, по которым образуются единицы различной частотной принадлежности Фактически каждый урок (Step) любого учебника и рабочей тетради для основной школы содержит задания, помеченные значком SFA (State Final Assessment) Их последовательное выполнение дает возможность учащимся хорошо подготовиться к ГИА в классе Через учебники и рабочие тетради для 10–11 классов красной нитью проходят задания, помеченные символом NEF (National Examination Format), нацеленные на подготовку к ЕГЭ Ольга Васильевна Афанасьева, доктор филологических наук, профессор, декан факультета английской филологии МГПУ, соавтор линии УМК «Rainbow English» English 62 РЕКЛАМА РЕКЛАМА English 63 Интернет-сопровождение проекта – Издательский дом «ПЕРВОЕ СЕНТЯБРЯ» 2013/14 учебный год До завершения регистрации на участие в проекте этого года остался один месяц Успейте подать заявку до 31 декабря! Педагогические работники образовательного учреждения получат доступ ко всем журналам и методическим брошюрам Издательского дома «Первое сентября» А также смогут повысить свою квалификацию на модульных курсах «Навыки профессиональной и личной эффективности» и «Инклюзивный подход в образовании» Подробности и прием заявок на сайте digital.1september.ru Прием заявок на 2014/15 учебный год открывается января 2014 года [...]... When is Boxing Day? (26 December)) 25 What does Santa bring kids? (Presents) Compiled by Tatyana Makhrina See full list on CD English TOPICAL JOURNEY 30 Santa Claus December 2 013 SANTA QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Does Santa Claus really exist? What does Christmas mean to Santa? Was Santa a good student at school?... c) eight 10 Who helps Santa to get ready for Christmas? a) elves b) dwarfs c) reindeer 11 Santa Claus puts the presents into the children’s a) shoes b) pockets c) stockings 12 What is Rudolph the reindeer famous for? a) his long tail b) his big red nose c) pleasant smile Key: 1 b; 2 c; 3 b; 4 c; 5 a; 6 b; 7 c, b; 8 c; 9 b; 10 a; 11 c; 12 b Нэдда Гейвандян, ГБОУ лицей No 507, г Москва English. .. 10 Do you want to wear a mask? 11 Would you like to sing kolyadki? 12 When do British people celebrate Christmas? 13 Name five British Christmas traditions 14 What is the traditional Christmas food in Britain? 15 How does Father Christmas enter houses? 16 Where are the presents for all the family placed? 17 When do Russian people celebrate Christmas? 18 What do you find inside Christmas crackers? 19 ... www. 1september. ru Подписка на электронную версию (www. 1september. ru) Участие в проекте «Школа цифрового века» (digital. 1september. ru) – электронная версия журнала и дополнительные материалы в Личном кабинете на сайте www. 1september. ru При оформлении подписки на сайте www. 1september. ru оплата производится по квитанции в отделении банка или электронными платежами on-line TOPICAL JOURNEY Christmas 1 Candle,... (Mary) 10 What do you bring into the house and decorate? (Tree) 11 What do American people eat for Christmas? (Turkey) 12 What do the reindeer pull for Santa? (Sleigh) 13 What do kids hang up on the mantel of the fireplace? (Stockings) 14 When is Christmas in England? (December 25) 15 What do you put at the top of the Christmas tree? (Angel /Star) 16 What does Santa carry the toys in? (Sack) 17 What... someone It is no longer in use, except in the religious language of hymns and carols 6 yonder – over there 7 peasant – someone who works on the land http://www.carols.org.uk 8 dwelling – a place to live 9 league – an old measurement of distance equivalent to 4.8 kilometres 10 hence – from here 11 flesh – meat 12 thither – there 13 monarch – king or queen 14 forth – out 15 rude – rough or violent 16 bitter... for trees were first used in 18 95 • It can take between 4 15 years to grow a Christmas tree of typical height (6–7 feet) • The world’s biggest Christmas tree (76 m high) was put up in America in 19 50 • In the USA, Christmas trees are now called “Holiday Trees” Compiled by Tatyana Makhrina http://didyouknow.org; http://www.theholidayspot.com English 33 December 2 013 DID YOU KNOW? The 25th of December is...РЕКЛАМА English 11 English CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES 12 РОЖДЕСТВО И НОВЫЙ ГОД December 2 013 Внеклассное мероприятие для 4-го класса Цели: создание условий для формирования у обучающихся интереса к культуре и традициям изучаемого языка; развитие языковых... comes from 12 th-century French nuns who left socks full of fruit, nuts and tangerines at the houses of the poor • The Christmas tree displayed in Trafalgar Square in London is an annual gift to the UK from Norway since 19 47 The Norwegian spruce given is a token of appreciation of British friendship during World War II from the Norwegian people • Christmas trees became popular in the UK from 18 41 when Prince... four more years While the spontaneous peace which took place on Christmas 19 14 must have seemed like a dream, it’s even more surreal that the soldiers took up arms against one another again afterward British and German troops stand together during the Christmas Truce of 19 14 -15 http://history.howstuffworks.com 9th January 19 15: ‘Christmas Truce in the Trenches : Friend and Foe Join in a Hare Hunt’