Sylwia Listkowska

 

DEVELOPING YOUR NARRATIVE SKILLS

TOWARDS MATURA EXAM

 

 

THIS WORK IS AIMED AT  STUDENTS PREPARING FOR THEIR MATURA EXAM ON THE EXTENDED LEVEL. IT IS A COLLECTION OF LESSONS TO PRACTISE LITERARY SKILLS

 

 

Cykl lekcji poświęconych świadomemu rozwojowi umiejętności literackich uczniów przygotowujących się do matury rozszerzonej

 

Fragment pracy dotyczący punktu kulminacyjnego w eseju

 

 

 

Iława, 2009

 

 

WSTĘP

 

 

Niniejsza praca powstała w wyniku doświadczeń w pracy  uczniami uczącymi się do matury rozszerzonej z języka angielskiego, i adresowana jest do ucznia o przeciętnych umiejętnościach literackich

 

W trakcie pracy ze swoimi uczniami nad formami pisemnymi a zwłaszcza opowiadaniem zauważyłam, że uczniowie nie potrafią poprawić swoich umiejętności pisarskich w oparciu o komentarze i zalecenia, które otrzymywali ode mnie po napisaniu swojej pracy. Ilość napisanych prac również nie przekładała się na ich poprawę . Uczniowie, którzy pisali na oceny dostateczne lub dobre nie mogli przekroczyć określonej liczby punktów.

 

Po dokładnej analizie wyszczególniłam następujące problemy:

·        nieumiejętność zastosowania zdobytej wiedzy z zakresu słownictwa i gramatyki – stąd niska punktacja za bogactwo językowe.

·        Słaba znajomość i umiejętność konstrukcji opowiadania w sposób ciekawy dla czytającego – mało punktów za kompozycję.

 

Aby pomóc przełamać wyżej wymienione problemy opracowałam lekcje z:

·        technik literackich przy konstrukcji początków i zakończeń

·        analizy punktu kulminacyjnego – czym jest, na czym polega, jak go opisać

·        świadomości zmysłów, ich roli i sposobu aplikacji w opowiadaniu

·        świadomego stosowania gramatyki zaawansowanej w celu podniesienia jakości swojej pracy

·        stosowania słownictwa na poziomie zaawansowanym.

 

Głównym celem tych lekcji jest uświadomienie uczniowi, że opowiadanie pomimo swojej otwartej formy artystycznej, może być udoskonalone poprzez rozmyślne stosowanie odpowiednich technik i nie musi być fragmentem prozy literackiej, ale tworem spełniającym wymagania matury rozszerzonej. Należy jednak pamiętać, że opowiadanie poprzez swój charakter pozwala na szeroką interpretację swojej formy.

 

 

 

 

 

Podziękowania

Chciałabym podziękować Bogusławie Kabat oraz Kasjanie Orzechowskiej za wnikliwą korektę i cenne uwagi dotyczące tej pracy. Sylwia Listkowska

 

 

 

 

CONTENT

 

THE STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY

 

1.      BEGINNINGS

a)      ‘At the beginning there was chaos...’types of beginnings

b)      ‘ Let’s talk about...’ introducing the heroes, place and time through the dialogue

 

2.      THE CLIMAX POINT

 

a)      ‘I can get no satisfaction...’ - on the climax point

b)       ‘Freeze’ - descriptive vocabulary of the heroes, objects

c)      ‘Czekam aż znów spadnie deszcz’ – on the role of weather

 

3.     ENDINGS

a)         ‘Kończ waść, wstydu oszczędź’

 

SELFAWARENESS

 

1.      ‘You think it’s air you’re breathing now? – on hesitation and uncertainty

2.      ‘There’s no truth there are only points of view’ – five or six?

3.       Newton’s third law – senses and reaction

4.      ‘In order to feel contempt to need to cherish some feelings’ – on feelings

 

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

 

5.      ‘ What do you read my lord? – Words, words, words...’ – words of saying

6.      ‘ Koń jaki jest każdy widzi’ – words of perception

7.       ‘ Try walking in my shoes’   – words of walking

8.        ‘There is something rotten in the state of Denmark’ – the condition of things

9.         Idioms

GRAMMAR ROLE

 

10.  Inversion

11.  Participles

12.  Wish- if only

13.  Direct and indirect speech

 

 

 

PRACTICE MATERIAL

 

REFERENCES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ‘...I CAN GET NO...SATISFACTION’  The Rolling Stones

on the climax point

 

In many of the students’ essays it is difficult to tell where to the story develops or the climax point. It is often underdeveloped and goes out with a little ‘puff’ rather than be a powerful piece of writing. The problem may arise from the fact that the students starting to write the essay do not know how they will end it. The climax point is usually at the end and gets underdeveloped (in the form of one sentence) because  of the limit of words and too long development to this point.   

 

 Decide which sentence should be the climax point:

 

a)      We arrived at the hotel, exhausted but happy. At the reception desk we learnt that no reservation had been made on our names. We were very disappointed and decided to leave after lunch.

 

b)      I raised my head up, there was a sound coming from the attic. It could be the cat I thought to calm myself but the sound became even more disturbing. I’m not a child I’m not scared convincing myself reluctantly stood up and went upstairs. The sound was made by a bat that got caught in the laundry. Sighing with relief I switched on the TV.

 

c)    We were going up the hill. Mark suddenly disappeared. We started to look for him, he was lying with his    broken leg on the shelf . All we could do was to call for the rescue team and cheer him up until their arrival. It was the most terrifying accident in my life.

 

OK, so we have the sentences chosen. The next step is to develop them into nice paragraphs. To do it the students must realize that the climax point is not only what the hero is doing but also ( and mostly) descriptions of :
a)    the face, posture, clothes, of the hero

b)    his feelings, physical condition

c)    things  which surround the hero

d)    the place where he is

e)    the weather-  which should accompany the atmosphere of the story

 

In groups students should develop the chosen sentences into seperate paragraphs:

 

Further exercises:

Try to add to these sentences one example from the points mentioned above:

 

a)      And then he saw the chest.

b)      Suddenly he felt a gun pointing at  his head.

c)      ‘I’m dying, you know’ – he heard the man.

 

The point is that the climax point is a situation where the police would scream ‘ Freeze!’ . and your  task is to describe all things involved in that very moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘FREEZE!’

on the development of the climax point description

 

In this lesson we will try to get some more practise on the development of the climax point.

Choose one student who is playful and make him act some roles:

 

a)      give him a bag to find a treasure in

b)      make him look for something and not find it and express dissatisfaction

 

when he finds the treasure say ‘freeze’ and the student should get motionless (as much as possible) discuss with the class his face, and emotions shown, his posture and gestures, the bag he’s holding, what the weather should be like.

 

These are the most common feelings that appear in the essay. Easy to write but because they are easy, it is difficult to give some description which will add some ‘ colour’ to those feelings.

 

What happens with the body when you feel:

 

a)      disappointed – tears brim your eyes, your nose sags, yor mouth droops, you slouch on a chair

b)      happy – you jump, kiss people, chatter, you’re animated, bouncing, effervecent, sparkling, exuberant, eyes shine, cry, embrace hug,

c)      sad – cringe, cry, hide face in your hands,

d)      relieved – you sigh, tension sinks in, sweat, slight smile, heart beats slower, strike your hair,

e)      frightened – falter, heart misses a beat, sweat, dumbfounded, close eyes, stiff, teeth chatter, pale

 

To help yourself try to remember yourself or your friend in situations in which he showed these emotions: What did he / you look like?

 

How to translate such Polish expressions

 

a)      oczy zaszły mu łzami

b)      kamień spadł mu z serca

c)      żołądek skurczył się ze strachu

d)      ciarki przeszły po plecach

e)      zacisnąć zęby ze złości

f)        wściec się

g)      być w siódmym niebie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘CZEKAM AŻ ZNÓW SPADNIE DESZCZ....’ Deszcz Patrycja Markowska

The weather’s role

 

Whether you want it or not the weather is with us all the time. Depending on our mood we can observe it accompanies or hinders our actions and state of mind.

 

e.g. There couldn’t  be a better beginning of holidays, children swarming out of school with joyful screams freedom and relief. And the clear day with bright sun was the best omen.

 

When we experience adverse feelings everything, together with the weather seems to work against us.

 

e.g. It wasn’t the best moment to leave. The hostile looks and grim silence saw him off to the door. With his hand on the handle he looked ahead into the darkness.The rain has set in, a lightning was followed by a thunder. No doubt, he will make a ridiculous sight   jumping over these puddles, cringing under the coat – not a proud withdrawal,

 

 

e.g.  Open windows and door let the air permeated with spring smells sneak into her bedroom. ‘Why isn’t it raining or snowing or whatever but not this when I’m bedridden!’ –she frowned.

 

Now your turn.

Try to add weather to these pieces:

 

A) The preparation th the concert were heavily advanced when something started to go wrong. First...

 

 

B)  We were waiting, caught our breath, motioneless till it we could make it out in the distance. We were hidden in the thick foilage still we could swear it observed us closely.

 

 

C)   The group of sailors were folding the sails for the night. Everybody was busy to finish before the night came.

 

Useful vocabulary

 

adj.                                       verb                            noun                phrases/ idioms

Sultry                                    rumble                        hail                  Indian summer

Appalling                              drip                            glazed frost      inclement day/weather

Sticky                                    pelt                             squall               It’s raining cats and dogs

Scorching                              lash down                 thaw                   king’s/queen’s weather

Roasting                                 ease off                     gust                    the rain has set in

Biting                                     clear up                     drought              It’s turning out a fine day

 Sweltering                             hoarfrost/ rime         Blizzard              to weather the storm

                                                                                 Whirlwind          war of elements

                                                                                  Sleet      

                                                                                  Foehn

REFERENCES

 

 

 

1.        Bywater. F. V. ,A Proficiency Course in English, Nelson English Teaching 1990.

2.        Baranowski. G.,Uniwersalny Słownik Tematyczny Języka Angielskiego, Kanion 2005

3.      Evans. Virginia.,Successful Writing, Express Publishing 2000.

4.      Evans. Virginia. ‘Grammarway 4’. Express Publishing1999.

5.      Longman ,Active study, Dictionary of English, New Edition, 1991

6.      Longman ,Idioms Dictionary, 1998

7.      Longman, Dictionary of Contemporary English, New Edition 1992

8.      Matasek. Maciej,101 Exercises in English Idioms and Fixed phrases, Altravox Press. 1997.

9.      Swan. Michael, Practical English Usage, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1995

10.  Thomson A.J., Martinet A. V., A Practical English Grammar, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1982

11.  Vince M., Advanced Language Practice, Macmillan Heinemann, Oxford 1994

12.  Wellman Guy, Wordbuilder,  The Heinemann English.