1. Lead in: speaking Discuss the following questions in groups: a) Which of the arts (i.e. literature, painting, sculpture, film, music, etc.) has the most appeal for you and why? b) Do you have, or have you ever had, any particular artistic interest or skill? c) Do you like reading books? If so, which genres of book (e.g. crime, romance, horror, fiction, comedy, biography, autobiography, etc.) do you prefer reading? What are you reading at the moment / have you read recently? d) What other things do you like reading (e.g. newspapers, magazines, cookery books, blogs, social networking sites, travel guides )? Which ones do you read? e) What do you have to read for your work, or your studies? Do you enjoy it? Why / why not? f) Do you like reading books that have been turned into films? Which order would you prefer reading the book first, or watching the film first? Why (give examples)? g) Who are the most famous writers (living or deceased) from your country? Do you like these writers? Why / why not? h) Do you prefer reading fact or fiction? i) Would you read a book about a famous historical character, such as Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Chairman Mao, etc.? 2. Vocabulary 1 In groups, write down 15 adjectives that you could use in a book review. NB You score one point for a word that another group has, but three points for a unique word. www.teachitworld.com 2010 13904 Page 1 of 6
3. Vocabulary 2 Complete the following table: adjective adverb noun verb 1 entertain 2 typically typify 3 deep deepen 4 engross 5 ingenuity 6 reward 7 superbly 8 marvellous marvel 9 wonderful wonder 10 observe 11 pleasurable please 12 brilliant 13 detail 14 absorption 15 impressively Discuss the meanings of the words in the table. 4. Reading 1 Scan the text quickly and highlight the forms you find of the words above. 5. Reading 2 Are the following statements true (T), false (F) or not given (NG) in the review? Justify your answers with reference to the article. 1. The soldier at the start of the book is walking through the streets of Paris looking for a prostitute. 2. Napoleon Bonaparte tried his best to keep this information secret. www.teachitworld.com 2010 13904 Page 2 of 6
3. Adolf Hitler s obsession with the Parisian architecture is seen as quite immature. 4. The critic for The Daily Telegraph says that Parisians is a better book than The Discovery of France. 5. There is a chapter on Eugène Francois Vidocq, who gave up crime in 1968. 6. The phone and the Paris underground railway were both admired by Proust. 7. The critic for The Spectator believes that the book is at times in danger of being too descriptive. pedrosimoes7 2006 http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/124758243 6. Reading 3 Use the information in the article to match the people (listed A E) with the statements (listed 1 7) below: a) The Reviewer b) Rupert Christiansen c) Philip Hensher d) John Carey e) Anita Brookner 1. Parisians is a book that characterises people from all walks of life. 2. The part of the book about a man who turned his life around is excellent. 3. Parts of the book are written in the style of a film script. 4. At times the book becomes a little too elaborate and uncontrolled. 5. The book is a worthy tribute to Paris. 6. The book shows the same characteristics as previous books by the same author. 7. It is a truly illuminating book. Miles Davis tompalumbo 2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/22789 198@N04/2193453631 7. Writing Write a review of a book or film that you like (approximately 250 words). Try to incorporate some of the language that you have used during the lesson. www.teachitworld.com 2010 13904 Page 3 of 6
Teacher s notes and key Level upper intermediate Time 90 minutes + homework 1. Lead in (20 30 minutes with content and language feedback) The questions are designed to be all inclusive as there are students who will claim they don t like art or reading. I find that most people can be encouraged to say something about any subject, but your motivational skills may be required. It is also why groups might work better than pairs. Students who know less about France might need help with some of the cultural references. If this is the case, you may wish to do the alternative lead in at the end of these notes. 2. Vocabulary 1 (10 15 minutes) This is a brainstorming activity, designed to get students thinking and possibly predict some of the vocabulary that they will read. The competitive element of the activity is designed to produce more sophisticated language. You may choose to allow bilingual dictionaries if you wish. This activity could also be done as a board race, with students writing one word and passing the board marker on to a team mate. 3. Vocabulary 2 (15 20 minutes) and Reading 1 (3 5 minutes) This activity can be done individually or in pairs. It s designed to raise awareness of the language that can be used in reviews, as well as looking at word formation techniques and pre teaching some vocabulary from the text. The words in bold appear in the text. Check that students know where the stress falls on each word. adjective adverb noun verb 1 entertaining entertainment entertain 2 typical typically typicality typify 3 deep deeply depth deepen 4 engrossing/engrossed engross 5 ingenious ingeniously ingenuity 6 rewarding reward reward 7 superb superbly 8 marvellous marvellously marvel marvel 9 wonderful wonderfully wonder 10 observant observation observe 11 pleasurable/pleasant pleasurably pleasure please 12 brilliant brilliantly brilliance 13 detailed detail detail 14 absorbing/absorbed absorption absorb 15 impressive impressively impression/ impressiveness impress www.teachitworld.com 2010 13904 Page 4 of 6
5. Reading 2 (10 15 minutes) This activity is similar to those that may be seen in an IELTS exam. Answers 1. NG: He takes a prostitute home, but he was not necessarily looking for one. 2. F: He wrote about it in detail. 3. F: Childlike has a positive connotation, whereas immature has a negative connotation. Childish would mean immature. 4. F: He says that Parisians is as good as The Discovery of France. 5. F: He gave up crime in the early 19 th century. 6. NG: Proust observed these things (neutral connotation), but we do not know whether he admired them (positive connotation). 7. T: It occasionally becomes a trifle too baroque and excitable. 6. Reading 3 (10 15 minutes) This activity is similar to those that may be seen in an IELTS exam. Answers 1D; 2C; 3A; 4B; 5E; 6B; 7D 7. Writing This is a follow up activity designed to reflect on the language used in the lesson and produce it in context. Alternative lead in 1. Show students the lists below and ask them to exchange what they know about the people, events and movements. Napoleon Bonaparte people the Paris Commune Marie Antoinette May 1968 Eugène François Vidocq Marcel Proust Jean Paul Sartre Simone de Beauvoir Juliette Gréco Miles Davis la Belle Époque la Nouvelle Vague events/movements www.teachitworld.com 2010 13904 Page 5 of 6
2. Either have them search the internet for the information they do not know, or have them do the following matching activity (or accompanying Flash version): people biographies 1. Napoleon Bonaparte a) American jazz composer who first played in Paris in 1949 2. Marie Antoinette 3. Eugène François Vidocq 4. Marcel Proust 5. Jean Paul Sartre b) singer who became a symbol of bohemian French intellectuals of the post war period c) Austrian princess who married Louis XVI of France and was executed by revolutionary forces in 1793 d) ruler of France from 1799 to 1815 and self titled Emperor from 1804 to 1814 e) author of Remembrance of Things Past, published in seven volumes between 1913 and 1927 6. Simone de Beauvoir f) late 18 th century criminal who later became a policeman 7. Juliette Gréco 8. Miles Davis g) existentialist philosopher, playwright and novelist; partner of Simone de Beauvoir h) feminist author and philosopher who published The Second Sex in 1949; partner of Jean Paul Sartre events/movements 1. the Paris Commune explanations a) the largest ever general strike and a series of student protests about unemployment and overcrowding in universities; now seen as a symbol of liberation from conservative morality 2. May 1968 b) a left wing government that ruled Paris from March to May 1871 3. la Belle Époque 4. la Nouvelle Vague c) a period in European social history from the late 19 th century to the First World War, characterised by peace, the rise of the railway and the flourishing of the arts d) a French film movement in the 1950s that used real locations, natural lighting and hand held cameras in contrast to the tradition of studio sets Answers: People: 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8 Events/movements: 1; 2; 3; 4 The following websites could be useful for internet research: www.biographybase.com and search for: B, p.3 Beauvoir, Simone de ; B, p.5 Bonaparte, Napoleon ; D, Davis, Miles ; S, Sartre, Jean Paul www.notablebiographies.com and search for: Lo Ma, Marie Antoinette Biography ; Pe Pu, Marcel Proust Biography www.perfectpeople.net and search for Juliette Gréco, View Full Bio www.vidocq.org/vidocq.html foreignfilms.suite101.com and search for Film History French New Wave Cinema en.wikipedia.org/wiki/paris_commune; /May_1968_in_France; or search for Belle Époque www.teachitworld.com 2010 13904 Page 6 of 6