CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Robert Burns – the National Poet of Scotland

Задачи урока:

Образовательные: а) практика речевой деятельности: монологической, диалогической, аудировании; б) активизация лексики по теме “Famous Writers”, расширение словарного запаса.

Воспитательные: развитие интереса к изучению иностранного языка, к культуре Великобритании, расширение кругозора, развитие чувства красоты художественного слова.

Развивающие: а) развитие мышления, творческой фантазии, умения дать оценку, высказать свое мнение на английском языке; б) развитие межпредметных связей (с литературой); в) развитие сенсорного восприятия.

Форма урока: литературный клуб.

Оснащение урока: книги стихов Р. Бернса, портрет поэта, газета, посвященная жизни и творчеству поэта, плакаты с цитатами, аудиокассета с записью стихов и песен Р. Бернса.

 ХОД УРОКА

Teacher: Good afternoon, everybody! Glad to see you. Dear friends! You are at the meeting of our English Literary Club, dedicated to the great Scottish poet Robert Burns.

The motto of our club is: Сhoose a book as you choose a friend. While working you should follow some golden rules:

Let’s repeat them: 1. Business before pleasure;
2. First think, then speak; 3. He does much, who does well what he does.

I hope that all of you will take an active part in our work. We’ll speak about Robert Burns, his life, his beautiful poems and songs.

Pupil 1: Robert Burns was born in 1759, on the 25th of January. He was born in Alloway, in Aurshire, Scotland.

Pupil 2: There was a lad was born in Kyle,
But what na day o’ what na style,
I doubt it’s hardly worth the while.
To be sae nice wi’ Robin.

Pupil 3: The Gossip keekit in his loof,
Qou’ scho wha lives will see the proof,
This waly boy will be nae coof,
I think we’ll ca’ him Robin.
He’ll hae misfortunes great and sma’,
But ay a heart aboon them a’
He’ll be a credit till us a’,
We’ll a’ be proud o’ Robin.

В деревне парень был рожден,
Но день, когда родился он,
В календари не занесен.
Кому был нужен Робин?
Разжав младенческий кулак,
Гадалка говорила так:
– Мальчишка будет не дурак,
Пускай зовется Робин!
Немало ждет его обид,
Но сердцем все он победит.
Парнишка будет знаменит,
Семью прославит Робин!

Teacher: The fortune-teller told that Robin would be famous. And she was right. He became famous not only in Scotland and Great Britain, but all over the world. Нis life was short, he died at the age of 37. Let’s recollect the most important dates of his biography.

Task: Match the dates with the facts of R. Burns’ life.

1. 1759 a) Robert was sent to school, but his school days did not last long as their teacher left the school. Burns’ father employed a tutor for his sons so they got a good education.

2. 1765 b) He was born in Alloway, on the 25th of January.

3. 1772 c) He wrote his first poem “Handsome Nell”. It was written for a girl who worked in the field with him.

4. 1773 d) He had to begin working on the farm as his family was poor.

5. 1786 e) He married Jean Armour, the daughter of a rich master-mason.

6. 1788 f) He published his first volume of poems chiefly in Scottish Dialect.

7. 1796 d) He died on the 21st of July in Dumfries.

Key: 1. b; 2. a; 3. d; 4. c; 5. f; 6. e; 7. d

Teacher: Now I see that you know some facts from R. Burns’ biography. But I want to know what you think of R. Burns’ education. Was it good enough or not? Do you know who his tutor was?

(Pupils’ answers: Robert got a rather good education. His tutor was John Murdoch, who was very clever. He gave his pupils good knowledge of English. Besides Robert read a lot, etc.)

Teacher: I’ve got some more facts of Robert Burns’ biography, but I’m not sure if they are true or false. Would you help me?

Task: Say if the facts are true or false. If they are false, correct them.

1. R. Burns travelled all over the world. He was interested in Scottish and English songs, legends and poems. (It’s false. He travelled only around Scotland.)

2. He was a ploughboy and at 13 he worked in the field as much as grown-ups. (It’s true.)

3. When Robert was 25 years old, his father died and he became the head of the family. (It’s true.)

4. Robert fell in love with Jean Armour as she was the most beautiful girl in the village. (It’s true.)

5. Jean Armour’s parents wanted Jean to marry Robert Burns. (It’s false. They didn’t want Jean to marry Robert Burns, because he was poor.)

6. In 1788 Robert and Jean got married. They had already had twins. (It’s true.)

7. In last years of life Robert Burns lived in Dumfries with his family. He liked that old town for its beauty. (It’s true.)

8. Jean had a beautiful voice. She sang his songs with great pleasure. Robert Burns composed songs for her. (It’s true.)

Teacher: Robert Burns wrote a lot of beautiful songs. He was called “The greatest songwriter in English literature”. Listen to one of his songs.

(Звучит песня Р. Бернса “Coming Through the Rye”.)

Teacher: In his poems he glorified true love and friendship. Listen to his poem “A Red, Red Rose”.

(Ученик читает стихотворение наизусть.)

Teacher: Robert Burns’ poetry is so much loved by people. What did he write about in his poems?

(Pupils’ answers:

– He wrote about the common people, their life.
– He wrote about his love for Scotland.
– He wrote humorous, ironical, satirical poems.
– He wrote about friendship.)

What people did he respect? (honest, hard-working)

You are right. R. Burns wrote for the common people. He respected their honest poverty. Listen to his famous poem “For a’ That and a’ That”.

(Ученики читают стихотворение “Честная бедность”.)

Teacher: Now, I want you to reconstruct one of the poems written by R. Burns. “My Heart’s in the Highlands”. (на карточках)

(Звучит тихая музыка, ребята восстанавливают стихотворение “В горах мое сердце”.)

______________________________, my heart is not here,

My heart’s in the Highlands ________________________.

Farewell to the Highlands, _________________________,

_______________________________, the country of worth.

Wherever I wander, _______________________________

___________________ forever I love.

Use these lines:

a-chasing the deer
My heart’s in the Highlands
Farewell to the north
Chasing the wild deer
The birthplace of valour
wherever I go
wherever I rove
The hills of the Highlands

Teacher: Now, listen to the poem and check your work.

(Ученики слушают стихотворение, записанное на аудиокассету, затем ученик читает стихотворение на русском языке.)

Task: Give English equivalents.

В горах мое сердце
Гоню я оленя, пугаю козу.
Север, прощай,
Отечество славы и доблести край.
Прощайте, поникшие в бездну леса,
Доныне я там.

(Беседа по стихотворению.)

Teacher: What is the main idea of this poem? What can you say about the Highlands? Do you know what the main occupation of Highlanders is? (farming, fishing, hunting) You know that it isn’t easy to translate poems from one language into another. But R. Burns’ poems were translated into different languages and Russian as well. Who is considered to be the best Russian translator of Burns’ poems? (Marshak). Why is it difficult to translate poems? (Because the structure of languages is different and it’s necessary to find a rhyme, rhythm, etc.) Let’s look at some of R. Burns’ poems and try to find their translation.

Task: Match an English poem with its Russian translation. (по карточкам)

(Ребята работают в группах по три человека, подбирая русский перевод соответствующий английскому стихотворению.)

(1) Go fetch to me a pint o’wine,
And fill it in a silver tassie;
That I may drink, before I go,
A service to my bonie lassie:
The boat rocks at the Pier o’Lieth,
Fu’loud the wind blaws frae the Ferry,
The ship rides by the Berwick-law,
And I maun leave my bony Mary.

(2) In summer when the hay was mawn,
And corn wav’d green in ilka field,
While claver blooms white o’er the lea,
And roses blaw in ilka bield;
Blythe Bessie, in the milkin-shiel,
Says, I’ll be wed come o’t what will;
Outspak a dame in wrinkled eild,
O’gude advisement comes nae ill.

(3) When Junuar wind was blawing cauld,
As to the north I took my way,
The mirksom night did me enfauld,
I knew na whare to lodge till day.
By my gude lucka maid I met,
Just in the middle o’ my care;
And kindly she did me invite
To walk into a chamber fair.

(а) Меня в горах застигла тьма,
Январский ветер, колкий снег.
Закрылись наглухо дома,
И я не мог найти ночлег.
По счастью, девушка одна
Со мною встретилась в пути,
И предложила мне она
В ее укромный дом войти.

(б) Когда кончался сенокос,
И колыхалась рожь волной,
И запах клевера и роз
Струей вливался в летний зной.
Когда в саду среди кустов
Жужжала сонная пчела, –
В тени, в загоне для коров
Беседа медленная шла.

(в) Вина мне пинту раздобудь,
Налей в серебряную кружку.
В последний раз, готовясь в путь,
Я пью за милую подружку.
Трепещут мачты корабля,
Как будто силу ветра меря…
Пред тем, как скроется земля,
Пью за тебя, малютка Мэри!

Key: 1. в; 2. а; 3. б

Teacher: As you see, R. Burns’ poems are written in Scottish dialect. Many words are reduced. Sometimes it’s difficult to guess their meaning. But try to do it.

Task: Match a word in A with a word in B.

Teacher: So, you see, it is very difficult to translate Burns’ poems into Russian. But thanks to Marshak’s translations we have come to know and love Robert Burns. His poems seem to be written in Russian. We love and enjoy them. Our meeting is coming to the end. Let’s finish it with the Scottish national song “Auld Lang Syne” composed by Robert Burns. It is often sung at the parties and meetings of friends all over the world. Today we shall honour the memory of the great poet of Scotland by singing his song.

(Ученики исполняют песню стоя.)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne!
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

Teacher: Our meeting is over. Thank you for taking an active part in it. Good-buy!