INGLESE UNITA’ DI APPRENDIMENTO SCUOLA SECONDARIA 1 di Monica Manzolillo

A comparative teaching unit on English and Italian civilisation exploiting multimedia aids for students of “Scuola Secondaria di Primo Grado”and/or of “Scuola Secondaria di Secondo Grado (biennio)”

Introduction

The bridge it project involves the creation of a web site (www.bridgeit.has.it)[1] whose main aim is to serve as a free up-to-date teaching aid for the studying of English civilisation. Students will be invited to learn more about English culture and to make a comparison with their own in order to stress similarities and differences. This will help them widen their cultural horizons and practice the foreign language.

The bridge it project has a modular organisation because it provides six macro areas (General information, Politics, Culture, Language, Teen area, Curiosities) and each of them is divided into sets of topics explored both in the English and in the Italian context. For this reason, the project is not only addressed to Italian students but also to English students learning the Italian language.

It also provides audio samples, links to other web sites, a forum and the possibility of exchanging emails. It should be pointed out that the present organisation is susceptible of further improvement such as the introduction of games, songs, crosswords, video samples and a chat.

The main objective of the project is to provide teachers and students with an effective tool for the studying of English civilization and the practising of the foreign language. New technologies will give teachers the opportunity of filling the generation gap and of making their teaching more effective because they will arouse interest and motivation. They will expose students to authentic material and will make them practise all of the four skills:

1) Listening (thanks to audio samples);
2) Speaking (thanks to various group activities and class discussions);
3) Reading (thanks to the texts presented);
4) Writing (thanks to emails, forum, chat).

The main advantage for students is that they will find the lesson exciting and stimulating. Moreover, they will increase their self- esteem because they will actively research the information they need without being lectured.

In the following pages, an example of how to use the bridge it web site for didactic purposes is given. However, it should be stressed that this is just one of the various possibilities and that useful suggestions may come directly from students who often are more familiar with medias and more skilled in using them than teachers.

AN EXAMPLE OF TEACHING UNIT

Title: Christmas traditions in England and in Italy.

Summary: This teaching unit provides an example of how to exploit in the classroom the bridgeit web site to which I have been working with a colleague over the last two years. The theme chosen is that of Christmas festivities which is explored both in the English and in the Italian context so that students can finally make a comparison between the two cultures and widen their cultural horizons. After a presentation stage in which the teacher introduces the topic and the key words or new words related to it trying to elicit the student’s prior knowledge, a practice stage focuses on a global comprehension of the material studied and then on a deeper guided analysis. Some grammar reflections may at this point be necessary if students encounter structures they don’t know or simply to revise previously studied topics. During the expansion stage students are invited to enlarge their knowledge researching new information and finally make a synthesis of all they have studied writing a composition on which they will be tested. It should be stressed that the whole teaching/learning process will focus on the use of multimedia as primary source/material in order to be more effective and stimulating for the students.

Addresses: Students of the last year of “Scuola Secondaria di Primo Grado” or of the first two years of “Scuola Secondaria di Secondo Grado”.

Pre – requisites:
- a good basis of the elementary structures of the English language (level A1/A2 of the European Common Framework of Reference);
- interest in learning new aspects of English civilisation;
- motivation in practising a foreign language;
- knowing how to use a PC.

Aims:
- To widen the students’ cultural horizons presenting aspects of a different culture. This will help them realize that there are other life-styles and other ways of perceiving the Universe around them. Moreover, this will help them become better citizens and develop a European consciousness because they will learn to accept diversity as a richness and not as something to be feared.
- To develop the students’ personality and, in particular, their capacity of controlling emotionality and of getting into relation with classmates in an atmosphere of collaboration. The use of Multimedia will tend to arouse interest and motivation in students and to strengthen their self–esteem.

Objectives:
- To practice the English language and, in particular, the use of genitives and negatives.
- To learn more about English and Italian Christmas traditions. Doing this, students will finally be able to make a comparison between the two cultures and to discover similarities and differences.
- To gain mastery in using the multimedia.

Methodology: It is very important to stress this aspect because a teacher has to know what to teach but also how to teach. The choice of a methodology depends on the teacher’s objectives but also on the specific needs and interests of students. Nowadays teachers and scholars believe that overemphasis on one or two aspects of the learning process is responsible for the great proliferation of methods in the past and that an integration of procedures is indispensable to be open to suggestions from science and experience. All kinds of aids are welcomed and especially the new suggestions from technology are considered particularly useful to elaborate up-to-date strategies.

Considering the objectives and educational aims previously outlined, it seems appropriate to use here an integrated intercultural approach and, in particular, an inductive method. The inductive method starts from the analysis of different elements by the pupils under the guidance of the teacher and then arrives at a generalisation. It is based on the pedagogical principle that learning by discovery lasts longer. The teacher is no longer the depositary of knowledge and becomes a guide, an instructor, a facilitator of learning.

Time: probably 3 or 4 one hour lessons in the month of December, shortly before Christmas festivities.

Place: Computer room (multimedia laboratory).
Teaching aids: bridge it web site, blackboard, photocopies, realia.

Testing and evaluation: feedback, final composition.

Presentation stage

After greeting the class, the teacher dedicates a few minutes in asking students general questions about themselves such as: “What did you do yesterday?” , “Is everything all right with you today?” or “ Did you have a hard work with the Italian test?”. A good teacher develops a friendly relationship with students and knows about their families and problems. This is very important to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere which is the ideal basis for learning (Krashen’s fifth hypothesis)[2]. 

Then the real lesson can start with the presentation stage.
In this phase of the teaching unit the teacher has to draw attention on the new material presented to students.
This can be done through several means:
1) Wall charts, wall pictures, posters, slides and flashcards. The teacher shows illustrations about Christmas (a Christmas tree, Santa Claus, presents, Christmas food) and asks “What’s this?“. Students answer and then write the new words on their exercise books. Alternatively, it is also possible to show illustrations directly from the bridge it web site or through a Powerpoint presentation.
2) New words or key words. The teacher writes new words on the blackboard and students are invited to guess their meaning. It is possible to explain the meaning of new words through mimicry or realia and translation into the students’ mother tongue represents the last resort.
3) Warm up questions. These questions serve to introduce the general topic of the lesson and to arouse the students’ interest towards it. Itis possible to ask general questions about their personal background and then slowly shift to English habits and traditions:
- What do you generally do on Christmas day?
- What kind of food do you eat?
- Do you like receiving presents?
- What do you know about Christmas in England?
- Would you like to know more about it?

 

Practice stage

Students move into the computer room and use the bridge it web site. The use of a computer instead of a textbook is extremely motivating for students who are already accustomed to new technologies. This will help the teacher to meet their needs and interests and to create a happy and relaxed atmosphere.

It is advisable to do listening activities first and this is possible thanks to the various audio samples. The teacher can either choose one for the whole class or leave students free to choose the sample they prefer to increase their self-esteem but this will depend on the situation and on the linguistic level of the class.

Audio samples provide native speakers voices and this is very important because students have to catch the right rhythm, stress and intonation since their very first lesson. Another advantage of audio samples is that they can be heard several times without changes in speed and pronunciation. The main disadvantage is that they don’t provide paralinguistic features. Videos provide all this and so it could be possible to add videos to the bridge it web site in the future to solve this problem.

First students listen to the audio sample once or twice without pauses to catch the general meaning (extensive listening) and then they make pauses and eventually re-listen or focus on particular points to understand the sample in depth (intensive listening). At the end, they listen again to the sample without pauses and by this time it should be for the most part comprehensible.

After that, students look for the subject Christmas traditions in the bridge it web site and read the English and the Italian section using a skimming technique because they are invited to catch the general content and not to worry about every single word they don’t understand.

The teacher will check the general comprehension of the text asking questions and students will provide yes/no or true/false answers.

Example:

A) Christmas in England 

True False 

1) English people never write Christmas cards.
2) Pantomimes are musical instruments.
3) The Queen traditionally broadcasts a message to the nation on Christmas day.
4) The day after Christmas is called Boxing day.

B) Christmas in Italy 

Yes No

1) Christmas celebration have a Christian and a pagan origin.
2) Zampognari are dancers.
3) A traditional dish for Christmas is capitone.
4) Christmas sweets never contain almonds and nuts.

Then students will use the scanning technique because they will be asked to look for specific information in the text and the teacher will provide a set of questions such as:

C) Christmas in England

1) How many Christmas cards are generally sent in England at Christmas time?
2) What is the most common Christmas decoration?
3) In what consists the traditional Christmas dinner?
4) What are Christmas crackers?

D) Christmas in Italy

1) What are Cribs?
2) What is the burning of the Yule log?
3) In what consists the traditional Christmas meal?
4) Why was honey offered in this period of the year in ancient Rome?

Production stage

At this stage students will have to get more information about the topic and produce original contribution to the class research.

The bridge it web site offers this opportunity because it provides a series of links which are extremely useful or, alternatively, students can use a search engine such as google or altavista. This activity will be extremely motivating for them because they enjoy surfing the web and discovering new material. It is important to stress that in this kind of activity even shy students will feel comfortable because there is no audience to face.

It will be useful to divide the class into groups and each group will select a leader who will report the results of the his/her group to the class. Groups should be rather small (3–4 people) and it is important to keep a balance within them. During this activity the teacher moves around the computer room and supervises the group work, she/he eventually gives suggestions or helps a little but it is very important that she/he remains in the background leaving students free to explore their potentialities and have fun! The only problem here could be noise so students must learn to lower their voices in order to let everyone work in peace.

During the research, students are invited to take notes. This will help them focus their attention on the important information they find and will help them write a summary after the teacher has introduced them to the use of connectives.

Groups prepare their summaries at home or in the classroom and then the leaders report the results of each group. A discussion takes place and everybody takes notes about the results of the other groups. It is advisable to dedicate adequate time to this activity which is extremely useful to practice speaking abilities and gain fluency. The teacher should kindly encourage shy students to take part in the discussion and avoid overcorrection of grammar and pronunciation mistakes in order not to inhibit them.

To facilitate the talking time, the teacher can ask questions or invite students to complete the following chart:

Christmas in England

Christmas in Italy

Origins of traditions

Decorations

Performances

Food

Habits

Grammar reflections

It could be necessary to make some grammar reflections because students may find structures they don’t know. It is important to use a guided inductive method that allows the students to discover the rule through discussion with the teacher and the classmates. Once they have experienced the real language they can arrive at a generalization about the grammar structure which makes them consciously use the language. However, it must be the students who discover the rules and not the teacher who explains it.

Robert Lado[3] suggested two techniques to do this:

1) A contrastive analysis between the mother tongue and the foreign language where the students are invited by the teacher to discover similarities and differences between the two languages.

To study the genitive of nouns the teacher writes on the blackboard two sentences, one in English and the other in Italian, and asks students what they can notice about them.

Example:

La macchina di Maria è rossa

 

 

Mary’s car is red

 

Little by little they will say that in English the name of the possessor comes first with an apostrophe and an “es” and it is followed by the name of the thing possessed without the definite article.

2) A comparative analysis where the students are invited to analyze two structures in the foreign language. The first one is already known to them while the second is unknown. Here again they have to discover similarities and differences. To study the negative form of verbs other then to be and to have the teacher can write on the blackboard two sentences, one on the affirmative form and the other on the negative form.

Example: 

I speak French

I don’t speak French

Then she/he will ask students what they can notice and they will say that in the negative form the auxiliary to do is used before the verb. 

Expansion stage

The material previously learned is now made use of again together with the material learned in the preceding units.

Expansion activities can be writing emails or participating to the forum in the web site. This will be very useful to practice writing skills and will be another precious moment of socialization considering students still work together and can meet new friends on the net. It could be interesting to contact an English class of the same average age, possibly whose interest is learning the Italian language to exchange information on the web and maybe meet one day through a Cultural Exchanges project.

A good language game can be another way of breaking the routine of the classroom because it provides enjoyment and motivation and it helps to reinforce learning. However, in games there should be an emphasis on collaboration rather than competition therefore elimination games should be avoided. The teacher can provide games facilitating learning for all the students such as crosswords, hang man, detective investigations, etc.

Songs are also very useful for pronunciation practice. The teacher makes students listen to a Christmas song, then makes them practice the words and the pronunciation and finally invites them to sing aloud. It is advisable that the teacher sings as well in order to create a relaxed atmosphere and encourage shy students. Dedicating the last five or ten minutes to a song is an excellent way to end a lesson leaving students in a good mood and more eager to begin another one.

The bridge it web site doesn’t provide games and songs but they are part of an enlarging project.

Other activities can be carried on with the collaboration of other teachers so that students can expand their knowledge of the subject also from the historical, artistic or even scientific point of view. Interdisciplinary connections are very important because students have to think about knowledge as a wide sphere whose various parts are complementary to each other.

At the end of the teaching unit and before Christmas holidays, students can have a Christmas party and prepare food from English and Italian tradition, sing Christmas songs and even invite their parents at school. This could be a very good way of practicing the language again (students can search for traditional Christmas recipes in the web site and cook food) and of saying goodbye before Christmas holidays.

Testing and evaluation

There are different types of tests because the teacher has to check all the skills. Some tests aim at examining oral and written receptive and production skills, others aim at examining the learning of grammar structures or vocabulary such as cloze tests, multiple choice, fill in the blanks.

Testing can be done in any moment of the learning process to verify the success of the teaching method and the improvement of students. There are three main kinds of testing: an entry test is made at the beginning of the school year or of the teaching unit to verify the presence of pre-requisites, a formative or in itinere one is made during the course of the teaching unit to decide whether the method used proves successful or not and a sommative one is made at the end of the teaching unit to see if objectives have been reached. A teacher can also use feedback (which is a sort of psychological answer made of gestures and eyes/body/face movements) to verify the success of her/his teaching and in fact continuous informal assessment is usually recommended to check our students improvements.

Testing leads to evaluation, however the teacher should always remember that she/he is not only testing students abilities but, above all, is finding out whether what was intended to be thought has in fact been learned. The results of tests will help the teacher decide if students are ready to start another unit or if some revision is necessary. When the expansion stage is over, the teacher asks the students to prepare a composition in which they make a comparison between English and Italian traditions. Compositions can be either read aloud in the classroom or handed to the teacher so that all skills are tested. 

 

Evaluation grid

	Excellent	Good	Quite good	Borderline	Negative
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing

 

APPENDIX

The answer keys for the exercises proposed as well as the texts analyzed from the web site are here enclosed. 

Answer keys:

A) False, False, True, True.
B) True, False, True, False.
C) 1. Over a billion Christmas cards are sent every year in the United Kingdom, many of them sold in aid of charities. 2. The Christmas tree. It was popularised by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who introduced one to the Royal Household in 1840. 3. Christmas dinner consists traditionally of a roast turkey, goose or chicken with stuffing and roast potatoes. This is followed by mince pies and Christmas pudding flaming with brandy, which might contain coins or lucky charms for children. (The pudding is usually prepared weeks beforehand and is customarily stirred by each member of the family as a wish is made.) Later in the day, a Christmas cake may be served - a rich baked fruit cake with marzipan, icing and sugar frosting. 4. Christmas crackers often accompany food on Christmas Day. Invented by a London baker in 1846, a cracker is a brightly coloured paper tube, twisted at both ends, which contains a party hat, riddle and toy or other trinket. When it is pulled by two people it gives out a crack as its contents are disperse.
D) 1. Cribs consist of figurines, in clay or plaster , of the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. An ox and ass are nearby because legend says that they warmed the child with their breath. It is around this basic focal point that individual artisans create their own intricate landscapes. There may be grottoes, small trees, lakes, rivers, the lights of "Bethlehem" in the background, angels hung from wires, and occasionally, even local heroes. The most beautiful Cribs are set up in churches. There is often a contest between churches of the same town for the best Crib. People go from church to church to view and compare the Cribs and displays. 2. Another tradition is the burning of the Yule log, which must stay alight until New Year's Day. This, again, is an example of pagan and Christian blending. The pagan belief explains the purifying and revitalizing power of fire, and that with the burning log, the old year and its evils are destroyed. Christian legend tells how the Virgin Mary enters the homes of the humble at midnight while the people are away at Midnight Mass and warms her newborn child before the blazing log. 3. In some places, Christmas Eve dinner consists largely of fish. There may be as many as 10 to 20 fish dishes prepared. In Rome, the traditional dish of Christmas Eve is "Capitone," a big female eel, roasted, baked or fried. North of Rome a traditional dish may be pork, sausage packed in a pig's leg, smothered in lentils, or turkey stuffed with chestnuts. Common throughout Italy are the Christmas sweets: "panettone" (cake filled with candied fruit), "torrone" (nougat) and "panforte" (gingerbread) made with hazelnuts, honey and almonds. All Christmas sweets, as a rule, contain nuts and almonds. Peasant folklore theorizes that to eat nuts favors the fertility of the earth and aids in the increase of flocks and family. 4. In ancient Rome, honey was offered at this time of year so that the new year might be sweet.

E)                

	Christmas in England	Christmas in Italy
Origins of traditions	Date back hundreds years ago	Christian and Pagan
Decorations	Christmas tree	Cribs
Performances	Pantomimes	Zampognari
Food	Roasted meat with potatoes , Christmas cake	Capitone, Panettone
Habitus	Queen’s message to the Nation	Burning of the Yule Log

                                                          

Appendix 1

Christmas in England

Christmas is Britain's most popular holiday and is characterised by traditions which date back hundreds of years. Many Christmas customs which originated in Britain have been adopted in the United States.

The first Christmas card was posted in England in the 1840s, and the practice soon became an established part of the build-up to Christmas. Over a billion Christmas cards are now sent every year in the United Kingdom, many of them sold in aid of charities.

Christmas decorations in general have even earlier origins. Holly, ivy and mistletoe are associated with rituals going back beyond the Dark Ages. (The custom of kissing beneath a sprig of mistletoe is derived from an ancient pagan tradition.) The Christmas tree was popularised by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who introduced one to the Royal Household in 1840. Since 1947, the country of Norway has presented Britain annually with a large Christmas tree which stands in Trafalgar Square in commemoration of Anglo-Norwegian cooperation during the Second World War.

Popular among children at Christmas time are pantomimes: song and dance dramatisations of well-known fairy tales which encourage audience participation.

Carols are often sung on Christmas Eve by groups of singers to their neighbours, and children hang a stocking on the fireplace or at the foot of their bed for Santa Claus (also named Father Christmas) to fill. Presents for the family are placed beneath the Christmas tree.

Christmas Day sees the opening of presents and many families attend Christmas services at church. Christmas dinner consists traditionally of a roast turkey, goose or chicken with stuffing and roast potatoes. This is followed by mince pies and Christmas pudding flaming with brandy, which might contain coins or lucky charms for children. (The pudding is usually prepared weeks beforehand and is customarily stirred by each member of the family as a wish is made.) Later in the day, a Christmas cake may be served - a rich baked fruit cake with marzipan, icing and sugar frosting.

The pulling of Christmas crackers often accompanies food on Christmas Day. Invented by a London baker in 1846, a cracker is a brightly coloured paper tube, twisted at both ends, which contains a party hat, riddle and toy or other trinket. When it is pulled by two people it gives out a crack as its contents are dispersed.

Another traditional feature of Christmas afternoon is the Queen's Christmas Message to the nation, broadcast on radio and television.

The day after Christmas is known in Britain as Boxing Day, which takes its name from a former custom of giving a Christmas Box - a gift of money or food inside a box - to the deliverymen and trades people who called regularly during the year. This tradition survives in the custom of tipping the milkman, postman, dustmen and other callers of good service at Christmas time.

 

Appendix 2

Christmas in Italy     

Christmas, as it is celebrated in Italy, has two origins: the familiar traditions of Christianity blended with the pagan traditions predating the Christmas era. The greatest feast of the ancient Roman Empire, "Saturnalia" (a winter solstice celebration), just happens to coincide with the Christmas celebrations of the Advent. Consequently, Christmas fairs, merry-making and torch processions, honour not only the birth of Christ, but also the birth of the "Unconquered Sun."   "Natale," the Italian word for Christmas, is literally the translation for "birthday."

A delightful, but rapidly disappearing tradition in Italy, is the ushering in of the coming festivities by the "Zampognari" or fifers. They descend from the mountains of the Abruzzo and Latium playing inviting and characteristic tunes on their bagpipes, filling the air with anticipation for the joyous celebration to come.

Christmas Eve is a time for viewing Italy's artistic and elaborate manger scenes or Cribs. They consist of figurines, in clay or plaster , of the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. An ox and ass are nearby because legend has it that they warmed the child with their breath. It is around this basic focal point that individual artisans create their own intricate landscapes. There may be grottoes, small trees, lakes, rivers, the lights of "Bethlehem" in the background, angels hung from wires, and occasionally, even local heroes. The most beautiful Cribs are set up in churches. There is often a contest between churches of the same town for the best Crib. People go from church to church to view and compare the Cribs and displays.

Another tradition is the burning of the Yule log, which must stay alight until New Year's Day. This, again, is an example of pagan and Christian blending. The pagan belief explains the purifying and revitalizing power of fire, and that with the burning log, the old year and its evils are destroyed. Christian legend tells how the Virgin Mary enters the homes of the humble at midnight while the people are away at Midnight Mass and warms her newborn child before the blazing log.

Amidst the general merrymaking and religious observance of Christmas Eve, Christmas tapers (long slender candles) are lighted and a Christmas banquet is spread. In some places, Christmas Eve dinner consists largely of fish. There may be as many as 10 t 20 fish dishes prepared. In Rome, the traditional dish of Christmas Eve is "Capitone," a big female eel, roasted, baked or fried. North of Rome a traditional dish may be pork, sausage packed in a pig's leg, smothered in lentils, or turkey stuffed with chestnuts.

Common throughout Italy are the Christmas sweets: "panettone" (cake filled with candied fruit), "torrone" (nougat) and "panforte" (gingerbread) made with hazelnuts, honey and almonds. All Christmas sweets, as a rule, contain nuts and almonds. Peasant folklore theorizes that to eat nuts favours the fertility of the earth and aids in the increase of flocks and family. In ancient Rome, honey was offered at this time of year so that the new year might be sweet.

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