Learning about Language设计意图

Book 8 Unit 4 Pygmalion 潮州市饶平县第二中学

邱瑞仙

The Second Period Reading Teaching goals 教学目标

1. Target language 目标语言

a. 重点词汇和短语

officer, hesitate, pence, uncomfortable, troublesome, outcome, disguise, brilliant, classify, mile, betray, dismiss, condemn, ambassador, acquaintance, handful, fortune, in disguise, pass...off as, make one’s acquaintance, in amazement b. 重点句子

An expert in phonetics, convinced that the quality of a person’s English decides his / her position in society.

There you are and you were born in Lisson Grove if I’m not mistaken.

But, sir, (proudly) once educated to speak properly, that girl could pass herself off in three months as a duchess at an ambassador’s garden party.

This is the age of the newly rich. People begin their working life in a poor neighbourhood of London with 80 pounds a year and end in a rich one with 100

thousand.

The English that will condemn her to the gutter to the end of her days.

Perhaps I could even find her a place as a lady’s maid or a shop assistant, which requires better English.

2. Ability goals 能力目标

Enable the students to talk about the play and use the play to work out the characteristics of each social group.

3. Learning ability goals 学能目标

Help the students learn how to talk about the play and use the play to work out the characteristics of each social group.

Teaching important points 教学重点

How to talk about the play.

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Teaching difficult points 教学难点

How to use the play to work out the characteristics of each social group.

Teaching methods 教学方法

Listening, reading and discussion.

Teaching aids 教学准备

A recorder, a computer and a projector. Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式

Step Ⅰ Revision and lead-in Review the story Pygmalion.

T: Last period, we learned something about the Greek story Pygmalion and the play version by Shaw. Of all of Shaw’s plays, Pygmalion is without the doubt the most beloved and popularly received. Several film versions have been made of the play, and it has even been adapted into a musical. In fact, the film version of 1938 helped Shaw to become the first and only man ever to win the double prize: the Nobel Prize for literature and an Academy Award. Do you still remember the story? Now who can retell it to all of us? A sample retelling version:

Pygmalion was a gifted artist. One day, he decided to make a stone statue of a beautiful woman. After that, he spent day and night carving it, and then he clothed the figure, gave it the jewellery, and even named it the Sleeping Love. How he wanted to bring it to life and made it his wife. Therefore, he asked the Greek Goddess to make it alive. And finally the Goddess was moved by his sincere feeling. His wish was granted. Pygmalion threw himself to his feet, the girl smelt down at him. Afterwards, they loved each other and married. T: Can you tell me the theme of the story? S: People tend to behave as you expect they will. T: Excellent! Based on classical myth, Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion plays on the complex business of human relationships in the social world. Phonetics Professor Henry Higgins tutors the very Cockney Eliza Doolittle, not only in the refinement

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of speech, but also in the refinement of her manners. When the end result produces a very ladylike Miss Doolittle, the lessons learned become much more far reaching. OK, today we will read a story about it. It’s written by the famous English playwright, George Bernard Shaw.

Step Ⅱ Reading Deal with the Reading part. Play the tape for the students to listen. Then analyze the play. Ask the students to read through the text. While reading, pay attention to the writing style.

Skimming

Ask the students to read the play quickly and answer the questions. T: Now please read the play. After a few minutes, I’ll ask you some questions.

After a few minutes.

T: Who would like to answer the first question: How many characters are there in the play? S1: There are three characters in the play. They are Eliza, Professor Higgins, and Colonel Pickering. T: What is the weather like when the play begins? S2: When the play begins, it is pouring with rain. T: Very good. Do you think Eliza a well-educated woman? Why? S3: No, I don’t think so. In fact, she is poor-educated. We can know it clearly from what she said. For example, come over’ere, cap’in, and buy me flowers off a poor girl. For another, I ain’t done nothing wrong by speaking to that gentleman. T: Also, we can learn it from her behavior. For example, “pushes it back at him.” OK. Next one: Why did professor Higgins want to make notes

of what Eliza said? S4: He wanted to make a speech, because it’s his profession. T: Very good. Next: What’s the meaning of “the age of the newly rich”?

S5: It means people begin their working life in a poor neighbourhood of London

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with 80 pounds a year and end in a rich one with 100 thousand. Scanning

Ask three students to read the play.

T: Next I will ask three students to read the play again. One will be Eliza, one Professor Higgins, and one Colonel Pickering. OK? Now begin! After several minutes.

T: Great. Now I have some more questions. First: According to Higgins, if a person is very poor, he or she can still be better off at last. Do you agree with him? If so, how to realize the aim? S1: Yes. I agree with him. However, in order to realize the aim, he or she must get educated. T: Who can complete the last sentence: in the first line on page 29: Now once taught by me...? S2: Let me try. Once taught by me, she will soon become a lady in the upper class. T: Well done. What other things show one’s statue in society apart from how one speaks? S3: One’s clothing and behavior can also show his statue. T: Do you think Pickering is of the upper class? S4: Yes. I think he is well educated. We can learn it from the way he speaks. For example, “May I ask?”

T: Great! Now please listen to the tape carefully and try to catch the main idea of this act.

Step Ⅲ Comprehending

This time the students should listen to the tape as carefully as possible. They should not only pay attention to the pronunciation and intonation but get the main idea of the play as well. T: Pygmalion is a play about recognizing a person’s position in society by the way they behave and speak.

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Step Ⅳ Discussion

Ask the students to do Part 5 on page 31.

T: Suppose you have a chance to help Eliza improve her use of the English language. Look at the sentences on page 31 in Part 5 and help her correct all these sentences in terms of grammar, spelling, etc, so that she can use them properly. Sample answers:

1. Come here, and come in. Buy flowers from me—a poor girl. 2. I did nothing wrong when I spoke to that gentleman. 3. I thought you maybe was a policeman in disguise. 4. How do I know whether you wrote down my words or not? 5. You say I can work as a shop assistant? That’s definitely what I want.

Then ask the students to read the play again and do Part 2 on page 31.

T: We have learned that the social position of the characters influences the way they behave to each other. Generally speaking, people are more polite to those whom they think are of a higher social class (H) and less polite to those they consider are members of a lower class (L). Is this true of the characters in Shaw’s play? Now please finish Part 2 on page 31.

Sample answers to Part 2: Relationships between characters Henry Higgins: 1. Attitude to Colonel Pickering (H) 2. Attitude to Eliza (L) Is the statement above true? Colonel Pickering: 1. Attitude to Henry Higgins (H) 2. Attitude to Eliza (L) Is the statement above true? Eliza: 1. Attitude to Henry Higgins (H) Evidence from the play 1. My dear man 2. Dismissively, ignore, carelessly

throw The statement is true. 1. May I ask… /

Let me

congratulate you 2. ...

The statement is not true. 1. Pushes it back at him 2. ...

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2. Attitude to Colonel Pickering (H)

Is the statement above true?

Step Ⅴ Homework T: Today’s homework:

The statement is not true. 1. Read the play repeatedly and try to act out the play.

2. Preview the grammar part.

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