MERRY CHRISTMAS: A 19th CENTURY CONCEPT

TEACHER’S NOTES

OBJECTIVE: Infer personality from the character’s language and actions, build up personality adjectives vocabulary and a final production exercise (speaking).

AGE GROUP & LEVEL: teenagers and adults, from B1 (although it can be adapted)

Why do we say ‘Merry Christmas’? The short answer is, no-one’s really sure. Because the day is a happy one? Quite possibly, but some credit Charles Dickens with popularising the term in his 1843 story A Christmas Carol. So we can say that the modern idea of Christmas and how we celebrate it was largely invented/popularized/globalized by Dickens.A Christmas Carol is only his best known Christmas story.  He wrote one almost every year to be published during the holidays.

In the next activity, we are going to work with the main character in the story, Ebenezer Scrooge.

1. Prediction activity (show Mr Scrooge pictures)Ask: This is Mr Scrooge… What can you say about him? What is he like?

2. Show a short clip where we can see Mr Scrooge’s actions and his dealing with people.Ask:

What is he like? Why? (He is mean (“every sneeze is a penny lost”), bitter (“humbag”), etc.) What does he do? (He is a creditor) Does he like Christmas? (He doesn’t (focus on how he replies to people when they refer to

Christmas))

3. Next, we are going to analyze Mr Scrooge’s language and actions in detail in order to infer his character and build up on personality related vocabulary.

1. What does Scrooge not say to Cratchit when he sneezes?a) Every sneeze is a penny lostb) Get rid of that coldc) Are you feeling ok?

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Find words that describe a person like that:Suggested answers: Mean, stingy, close-fisted, cheap, miserly, greedy

2. How does Mr Scrooge reply when a man says “Merry Christmas” to him? (fill in the gaps with the help of the pictures)“Every e) idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips should be d) boiled in his own c) pudding and a) buried with a stake of b) holly through his heart.”

a) b) c) d) e)

How would you define someone like that?Suggested answers: Harsh, cruel, evil, inhuman, cold-blooded, heartless

Listening comprehension

3. Why does the man ask for more time to pay his mortgage? To pay for his wife’s funeral4. Is the man given more time? No, he isn’t5. When is the mortgage due? On Christmas Day.

How would you define someone like that?Suggested answers: Merciless, ruthless, pitiless, unsympathetic, unkind

4. Practice! Opposites and synonyms: a memory gameDescribe the following eight words, using a synonym or antonym, all related to personality adjectives (related to the adjectives seen before). Students need to remember these eight words without writing them down. No cheating!

An opposite of generous = stingy An opposite of nice= mean

A synonym of bad-tempered = grumpyAn opposite of honest = dishonest

This means the same as ruthless = cruelA synonym of warm-hearted= kindThe opposite of polite = impolite

An opposite of sensitive = heartless

Then, students share it with a partner. How many did they get? Ask for a volunteer to give you a list with the answers (from memory!). It is a challenging exercise for the students: memorizing, finding words, competition (see if they can get more than their classmates).As for the answers, you will notice that there are many possibilities so this could bring some discussion to class.

5. From Villain to Hero. Explain that Mr Scrooge is visited by 3 ghosts (past, present and future) and that makes him change. He turns into a good person.

Ask: What do you think this story is telling us?Christmas is not only presents, money and eating. Dickens superimposed his humanitarian vision of the holiday upon the public. He believed that the best way to reach the broadest

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segment of the population regarding his concerns about poverty and social injustice was to write a deeply felt Christmas story.

6. Post-task: You can try out any of the different options with your students, depending on their level and likes. All imply a speaking activity.

OPTION A: persuasionStudents need to persuade Mr Scrooge to keep Christmas. That’s why they will send him an audio note with pictures of important and positive events that happened in 2016 or to them.To do that, they will use persuasive techniques, for instance.

Technique Examples

Flattery - complimenting your audience. A person of your intelligence deserves much better than this.

Opinion - a personal viewpoint often presented as if fact.

In my view, this is the best thing to have ever happened.

Hyperbole - exaggerated language used for effect.

It is simply out of this world – stunning!

Personal pronouns - ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘we’. You are the key to this entire idea succeeding - wewill be with you all the way. I can’t thank you enough!

Imperative command - instructional language. Get on board and join us!

Triples - three points to support an argument. Safer streets means comfort, reassurance and peace of mind for you, your family and your friends.

Emotive language - vocabulary to make the audience/reader feel a particular emotion.

There are thousands of animals at the mercy of our selfishness and disregard for kindness.

Statistics and figures - factual data used in a persuasive way.

80% of people agreed that this would change their community for the better.

Rhetorical question - a question which implies its own answer.

Who doesn’t want success?

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zpr49j6/revision/2

For uploading their pictures and embedding audio, they can use VoiceThread, which works with any computer or mobile device. You can share it and people, if registered, can comment on it.

HOW TO USE VOICETHREAD (from your computer) Create an account Click on “create”. + Add media and upload a picture. Add a title and a description to your thread. Click on + to add more pictures. You might add a title for each picture. When you have finished uploading content, click on comment. Put your mouse over the first picture (at the bottom) and click on comment and the microphone

icon. Add voice. Click on the next icon to add voice to your next picture. When you have finished recording, click “save”. On the left hand menu, click “share” and copy link.

OPTION B: Interview

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Students will interview Mr Scrooge and find out why he hates Christmas / what made him change / what’s his life like now, etc. To do that, they can use some interviewing techniques (e.g. establishing rapport, asking yourself what you want to achieve by the time the interview is over, etc.) and plan the most most appropriate answers according to Mr Scrooge personality.Students can interview each other and pretend they are Mr Scrooge. They can use an app, with which you can choose any face— photos of friends, celebrities, politicians or yourself — and record videos replacing their mouth (or entire face) with yours.

Funny Movie Maker (ios)Face Fun (Android)

HOW TO FUNNY MOVIE MAKER Download the app Make sure you have a good picture of the face you want to use. Click on “New Face”, then “My Photos” and select your picture. Use the “hand” icon at the bottom to adjust the photograph to the screen. Use the “scissors” icon to draw the mouth. Make sure it fits the photograph’s mouth. Click on the “tick” icon and place your tablet adjust your mouth to the picture’s mouth Click on the red button to record your voice Replay and see if you like it. Then click on the “share” icon on the right.

OPTION C: DubbingStudents will do a voice over, using expressions they learned from Mr Scrooge clip or add new ones in their own words. They need to try to keep Mr Scrooge’s spirit as much as possible.

Pre-planning: Students write their scripts while watching, pausing, rewatching Mr Scrooge’s video on mute. They also note down how long they have to talk, if there’s a dialogue, etc.

Practice & make the necessary changes Record!

Here’s an example of a voice over created by kids.Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0fayuVdnzs (a voice over done by kids).Go to http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Voice-Over where you will find a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a voice over.

Vocaroo is a very simple web tool (click “record” and “save”) that the students can use to record their voices, although students can also use their mobile devices. They just need to make sure to make the audio and video times fit. This activity can also be done without any recording devices and the students will do it in front of the class.

ALTERNATIVE FOR LOWER LEVELS• Scrooge through language and actions: Give the students the script beforehand and

work with it before watching the clip.• Synonyms / Antonyms game: use / allow more simple words.• Post-task: Students use simpler language for persuasion (opinion—I think, I believe,

imperatives—believe in Xmas!) / Send a written letter instead of audio (option A) and do video captioning instead of dubbing (amara.org) (option C)

STUDENT WORKSHEET

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1. Prediction activity. Look at Mr Scrooge’s picture. What can you say about him? What is he like?

2. Watch a short clip about Mr Scrooge and anwer: What is he like? What does he do? Does he like Christmas?

3. Next, analyze Mr Scrooge’s language and actions in detail and answer the questions.

6. What does Scrooge not say to Cratchit when he sneezes?a) Every sneeze is a penny lostb) Get rid of that coldc) Are you feeling ok?

Find words that describe a person like that:

7. How does Mr Scrooge reply when a man says “Merry Christmas” to him? (fill in the gaps with the help of the pictures)“Every _____ who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips should be _____ in his own _____ and _____ with a stake of _____ through his heart.”

b) b) c) d) e)

How would you define someone like that?

Listening comprehension:

8. Why does the man ask for more time to pay his mortgage? 9. Is the man given more time? 10. When is the mortgage due?

How would you define someone like that?

4. Listen to your teacher describing eight words. He/she is going to use a synonym or antonym, all related to personality adjectives (related to the adjectives seen before). Remember these eight words without writing them down. No cheating!

How many did they get? Share with a partner.

5. From Villain to Hero. What do you think this story is telling us?

6. Post-task:

OPTION A: persuasion

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Mr Scrooge doesn’t like Christmas and he wants to cancel them. Look back and find positive things that happened to you or the world in 2016. Send an audio note to Mr Scrooge and persuade him to keep Christmas. Prepare your positive year description, practice and record!

Persuasion TechniquesTechnique Examples

Flattery - complimenting your audience. A person of your intelligence deserves much better than this.

Opinion - a personal viewpoint often presented as if fact.

In my view, this is the best thing to have ever happened.

Hyperbole - exaggerated language used for effect.

It is simply out of this world – stunning!

Personal pronouns - ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘we’. You are the key to this entire idea succeeding - wewill be with you all the way. I can’t thank you enough!

Imperative command - instructional language. Get on board and join us!

Triples - three points to support an argument. Safer streets means comfort, reassurance and peace of mind for you, your family and your friends.

Emotive language - vocabulary to make the audience/reader feel a particular emotion.

There are thousands of animals at the mercy of our selfishness and disregard for kindness.

Statistics and figures - factual data used in a persuasive way.

80% of people agreed that this would change their community for the better.

Rhetorical question - a question which implies its own answer.

Who doesn’t want success?

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zpr49j6/revision/2

For uploading their pictures and embedding audio, use VoiceThread, which works with any computer or mobile device. You can share it and people, if registered, can comment on it.

HOW TO USE VOICETHREAD (from your computer) Create an account Click on “create”. + Add media and upload a picture. Add a title and a description to your thread. Click on + to add more pictures. You might add a title for each picture. When you have finished uploading content, click on comment. Put your mouse over the first picture (at the bottom) and click on comment and the microphone

icon. Add voice. Click on the next icon to add voice to your next picture. When you have finished recording, click “save”. On the left hand menu, click “share” and copy link.

OPTION B: InterviewInterview Mr Scrooge and find out why he hates Christmas / what made him change / what’s his life like now, etc.

Use interviewing techniques (establishing rapport, etc.). Plan the most appropriate answers according to Mr Scrooge personality Interview each other. What are the most creative Q & A?

'Twas the class before Christmas… Pearson Webinars for English Teachers December 2016 6

For the interview, you might use an app, with which you can choose any face— photos of friends, celebrities, politicians or yourself — and record videos replacing their mouth (or entire face) with yours.

Funny Movie Maker (ios)Face Fun (Android)

HOW TO FUNNY MOVIE MAKER Download the app Make sure you have a good picture of the face you want to use. Click on “New Face”, then “My Photos” and select your picture. Use the “hand” icon at the bottom to adjust the photograph to the screen. Use the “scissors” icon to draw the mouth. Make sure it fits the photograph’s mouth. Click on the “tick” icon and place your tablet adjust your mouth to the picture’s mouth Click on the red button to record your voice Replay and see if you like it. Then click on the “share” icon on the right.

OPTION C: DubbingDo a voice over, using the expressions you learned from the clip or add new ones (in your own words). Try to keep Mr Scrooge’s spirit as much as possible.

Pre-planning: Write your scripts while watching, pausing, rewatching Mr Scrooge’s video on mute. Note down how long you have to talk, if there’s a dialogue, etc.

Practice & make the necessary changes Record!

Go to http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Voice-Over where you will find a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a voice over.

Vocaroo is a very simple web tool (click “record” and “save”) that you might want to use to record your voice (or just use your mobile device). Just make sure to make the audio and video times fit.

'Twas the class before Christmas… Pearson Webinars for English Teachers December 2016 7