全新版大学英语第二册教案-Unit-7----Learning-about-English

.Unit 7 Learning about English. Teaching planobjectives1. grasp the main idea (because of its tolerance for outside influences, English has become a great language) and structure of the text;2. understand some idiomatic English usages mentioned in the unit;3. master key language points and structures in the text;4. conduct a series of reading, listening ,speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit.Time allotment1st period: pre-reading; while-reading(title)2nd period: while-reading( title, language points)3rd period: while-reading( language points); post-reading(drawing a picture)4th period: post-reading; check on students home reading (text B)5th period: theme-related language learning tasksPre-reading tasks1. T asks Ss the following questions on the recorded passage:(23 minutes)-what is the passage about? (English is a great language, but it is also a crazy language.)-Can you give one or two examples to illustrate the messiness of the English language?( see transcript of the recorded passage for the many examples it mentions)-Are you sure of all the idiomatic usages mentioned in the recorded passage? some if the more confusing usages are explained here:1) ship by truck / send cargo by ship: ship can be either a verb or a nounThe first “ship” means “send”, the second one “a large boat”. 2) noses that run / feet that smells: this refers to what people usually say “ have a running nose”, “ have a smelly feet”.3) a slim / fat chance: a remote possibility4) a wise guy: a person who pretends to be much wiser than he / she really is; a derogatory term a wise man: a really wise person; a commendatory term5) overlook: fail to see or notice, pay no attention to oversee: control (work, workmen)6) hot / cold as hell: extremely hot/ cold7) burn up: catch fire and flare up burn down: be destroyed by fire8) fill in a form/ fill out a form: synonymous9) go off: start an action, usually accompanied by a great noise go on: continue doing something10) race can be any of several divisions of mankind (种族,民族) or any of the main divisions of living creatures .( 任何生物的种属, e.g. human race)11) when stars are out: when stars appear in the sky when lights are out: when lights are turned off12) wind up a watch: tightening the spring of a watch wind up a speech: end a speech2. T may lead in to Text A by saying: As we discover from the previous exercise, an English may have multiple meanings. Likewise, several different words may be pronounced in the same way. For example; I knew a student who ,upon hearing the title of Helen Kellers famous essay Three Days to See, translated it into . Considered in this perspective, English is really messy. However, according to Text A, this is also a major merit of English. ( 2 minutes)While-reading tasks1. interpretation of the title (10 minutes)1) Ss look at the title. T introduces the concept of an oxymoron (矛盾修饰法, see Text Analysis )2) Ss scan the first three paragraphs to find out the definition for “ glorious messiness” (in Para3)2. Text Organization (15 minutes)1) T draws Ss attention to Text Organization Exercise 1, leads them through the directions, then dictates to them the main ideas of each part.2) Ss scan the first sentence of each paragraph in Text A to find out where the present tense is switched to the past tense (Para4) and where the present tense is resumed (Para 17)3) Ss compare their findings with Text Organization Exercise 1, and they will see the division of parts coincides with tense changes.3. T explains language points and gives Ss practice ( see Language Study). When going through the text, T may also point out the various rhetorical devices that appear in it (see Text Analysis)(60 minutes)Post-reading tasks1. Drawing a picture (35 minutes)1) T draws Ss attention to a quotation from Ralph Waldo Emerson in the quotation section-“The English language is the sea which receives tributaries from every region under heaven.”2) Ss try to draw a picture of the development of the English language. The body of English is the sea, while the major influences are the tributaries that flow into it. At each point where a river merges into the sea, note down the time. Along each river, note down the name of the language from which English has borrowed. (refer to Text Organization Exercise 2)3) Some Ss draw their pictures on the blackboard. Then T gives some comments.4) Ss re-read Partto find out how the author organizes the phases of English language development into a coherent piece. (by transitional devices at paragraph heads. Pay special attention to the underlined parts below:-how did the language of a small island- become the language of the planet?-new words came with the Germanic tribes-in the 5th century.-the next big influence on English was-then into this relatively peaceful land came the Vikings-another flood of new vocabulary occurred in 1066-around 1476 William Caxon set up a printing press in England-as settlers landed in North America-2. T guides Ss through some after-text exercises .( 30 minutes)3. T checks on Ss home reading (Text B).(3 minutes)4. Ss do part : Theme-related language learning tasks.(1 period)5. T asks Ss to prepare the next unit: (2 minutes)1) do the pre-reading tasks;2) preview Text A. .Text Analysis An expert on English language is supposed to know well about rhetorical devices in English. Robert MacNeil, the author of Text A ,does not disappoint us. The title, The Glorious Messiness of English, offers a good example of oxymoron. An oxymoron puts two contradictory terms together to puzzle the reader, luring him /her to pause and explore why. “glorious” is a commendatory term ,while “messiness” is derogatory. Why do they stand next to each other? Then ,as the reader reads on, he/ she will find out that the title is actually a thesis statement: yes, English is messy, but the messiness reflects some commendable qualities of English, such as tolerance, the love of freedom, and the respect for others rights. At this point the reader cannot but admire the authors ingunuity. Robert MacNeil employs many metaphors , such as core of English ,a common parent language, another flood of new vocabulary, the special preserve of grammarians . In Para 18 there is an instance of sustained metaphor: the cultural soil, the first shoots sprang up,-grew stronger, build fences around their language. In this case the English language is compared to plants, and the various cultures influencing it are compared to the soil, while users of English are compared to gardeners. We can also find parallelism in the quote from Winston Churchill: “We shall fight on the beaches ,we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields ad in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.” There is personification in the sentence “ Translations of Greek and Roman classics were poured onto the printed page-” There is metonymy in the sentence “The country now had three languages: French for the nobles, Latin for the churches and English for the common people.” Here the word “churched” stands for religious institutions and those who are involved in religious practices. Cultural Notes1. History of English: The roots of English: English began as a west Germanic language which was brought to England by the Saxons around 400 A.D. Old English was the spoken and written language of England between 400 and 1100 A.D. Many words used today come from Old English, including man, woman, king, mother, etc. But Old English was very different from modern English and only a few words can be easily recognized. In the 9th and 10th centuries, when Vikings invaded England, Old Norse words, eg, sky, take and get and many place names , entered the language. From the Norman Conquest (1066) until the late 12th century English was replaced as the official language by Norman French, though English was still used by the lower classes. English from about 1300 to 1500 is known as Middle English. It was influenced by French and also Latin in vocabulary and pronunciation. French brought many words connected with government, e.g. sovereign, royal, court, legal and government itself. Latin was the language of religion and learning and gave to English words such as minister, angel, master, school and grammar. Literature began again to be written in English during this period. One of the most famous Middle English works is Chaucers The Canterbury Tales. The development of Modern English: Modern English developed from the Middle English dialect of the East Midlands and was influenced by the English used in London, where a printing press was set up by William Caxon in 1476. English changed a great deal from this time until the end of 18th century. During the Renaissance, many words were introduced from Greek and Latin to express new ideas, especially in science, medicine and philosophy. They included physics, species, architecture, encyclopedia and hypothesis. In the 16th century several versions of the Bible helped bring written English to ordinary people. The Elizabethan period is also famous for its drama and Shakespeares plays were seen by many people. The development of printing helped established standards of spelling and grammar, but there remained a lot of variation. Samuel Johnsons A Dictionary of the English Languages (1755) was the first authoritative of English. It defined about 40,000 words and gave examples of their use. By the 18th century American English was established and developing independently from British English . After colonists arrived in the US new words began to be added from Native American languages, and from French and Spanish. In 1783, soon after Johnsons dictionary was published, Noah Websters The Elementary Spelling Book was published in the US. At first it used Johnsons spellings, but later editions contained many of what have come to be known as American spellings, e.g. harbor and favorite. 2oth century English: during the 19th and early 20th centuries many dictionaries and books about language were published. New words are still being added to English from other languages, including Chinese (feng shui) and Japanese (karaoke). Existing words gain new senses, and new expressions spread quickly through television and the Internet. English is now an international language and is used as a means of communication between people from many countries. As a result the influences on the English language are wider than ever and it is possible that World English will move away from using a British or American standard and establish its own international identity.2. Winston Churchill( 1874-1965) : a politician who is remembered as one of Britains greatest statesmen. He was the son of the Conservative politician Lord Randolph Churchill and his American wife Jennie. As a young man he served as a soldier in India and Egypt, and as a journalist in South Africa, before entering politics. Churchill became Prime Minister and Minister of Defence in 1940. His radio speeches during World Wargave the British people a strong determination to win the war, especially at times of great crisis. Examples of Churchills phrases will often quoted today are “ I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat ”, and “This was their finest hour”. The Conservative Party led by Churchill lost the election of 1945, but he became Prime Minister again from 1951 to 1955 when he retired, aged 80. When he died in Jan 1965 he was given a state funeral.3. Julius Caesar (100-44BC): the best-known of all the ancient Roman leaders, and the first onw to land in Britain with an army. He did this twice, in 55 and 54 BC, although Britain did not become part of the Roman Empire until nearly a hundred years later.4. Viking: a member of a people from Scandinavia who attacked parts of northern and western Europe, including Britain and Ireland , in the 8th to 11th centuries. In Britain they were also known as Norsemen. They settled on the Scottish islands and in areas of eastern England, and the Danish King Canute ruled England from 1016. The Vikings were feared as violent and cruel, but they were also noted for their skill in building ships and as sailors. They had an important influence on English culture and the English language.5. Norman: any of the people from Normandy in northern France who settled in England after their leader William defeated the English king at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Normans took control of the country, a process known as the Norman Conquest. They used many of the existing Anglo-Saxon methods of government of the state and the church, but added important aspects of their own and made government much more effective. The language of government became first Latin, and then Norman French, and this caused many new words to be added to the existing English language. Language Study1. massive: large in scale, amount, or degreeeg. The ancient temples massive stone pillars had begun to crumble. The scale of the problem is so massive that it will require all our resources to deal with it.2. snack: a small mealeg. I usually have a snack of a hamburger and a glass of coke at lunchtime. The children in the kindergarten have a midmorning snack of milk and biscuits.3. corrupt: 1)cause errors to appear ineg. The Academy ruled that such foreign expressions were not permitted, as they corrupted the language. 2)cause to act dishonestly in return for personal gainseg. To our great surprise, the former mayor turned out to have been corrupted by the desire for money and power.4. ban : forbid sth officially (used in the pattern: ban sb from sth./ doing sth.)eg. The local government will ban smoking in all offices later this year. Tom was banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding again.n. ban (followed by on)eg. The government is considering a total ban on cigarette advertising.5. invent: 1)invent:1)make or design （sth. tat has not existed before）; create (sth.)Examples: James Watt invented the steam engine.一Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.2)give (a name, reason, etc. that doesnt exist or is not true)Examples: All the characters in the novel are invented.Standing still in the teachers office, the boy tried to invent a plausible excuse for his absence from class.Cf: invent, discoverIf somebody invents something, they are the first person to think of it or make it.Example: Walter Hunt and Elias Hone invented the sewing machine.If somebody discovers something, they find out about something which exists but which was not previously known.Example: The planet Pluto was discovered in 1930.6.fascinating: of great interest or attractionExamples: The story of his adventures in the Arctic was fascinating to listen to.I found the discussion about cloning absolutely fascinating.It is fascinating to imagine what might have happened if the US had not declared war against Japan in World War II.7.strictly speaking: if one uses words, applies rules, etc. in their exact senseExample: Hes not strictly speaking m artist; he is more of a performer.Strictly speaking she was not qualified for the job-But we employed her because of her honesty.-8.tolerance: 1) the quality of allowing other people to say and do as they like, even if you dontagree or approve of it (followed by 4扮r)Examples: School teachers have to have a great deal of tolerance in order to deal with difficult children.I think tolerance between students is extremely necessary since they live and study together.2) the ability to bear sth. painful or unpleasant (followed by of/ for)Examples: Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.The patient had no tolerance for pan. Whenever he was injected he would cry.9.to a (very real, certain, etc.)extent: to the degree specifiedExamples: I agree with him to some extent but there are sti11some areas of sharp disagreement between us.To some extent the water pollution has affected local residents.To a certain extent the failure of the restaurant was due to bad management.10.The history of English is present in the first words a child learns about identity-:The history of English is revealed in the first words a child learns about identity.11.necessity: 1) sth. you must have in order to live properly or do sth. Examples: Water is a basic necessity of life.A lot of people would consider a TV as more of a necessity than a luxury item.The workers wages were so low that they hardly had enough money to buy the bare necessities of life.2)circumstances that force one to do st11.;the state of being necessary; the need for sth. (followed by off/ for)There is absolutely no necessity for you to be involved in the project.They reached m agreement on the necessity of educational reform12. rouse: provoke (a particular feeling or attitude)Examples: These educational toys give children a feeling of self-worth by arousing their interest in challenging tasks. The mans strange behavior aroused the policeman suspicions.13.surrender:give in (followed by )Examples: After several weeks of severe attacks, Afghanistans Taliban forces surrendered to the Northern Alliance:After the bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese surrendered.Well never surrender to terrorism despite the terrorist attacks.14.virtually: for the most part, almostExamples: Its virtually impossible to tell the imitation from the mal thing.It has been raining virtually non-stop for the past several days.15