Цель урока:
Формирование обобщенных знаний по теме: “Христианство в Великобритании” и оперирование ими.
Образовательный компонент цели:
- расширение лингвистического кругозора учащихся, приобретение социо-культурных знаний о Великобритании, ее истории и культуре.
Развивающий компонент цели:
- развитие языковых способностей учащихся, умения самостоятельной работы, творческого мышления, готовности к коммуникации.
Воспитательный компонент цели:
- создание условий для формирования у учащихся уважения и интереса к религии, истории, культуре и народу Великобритании, поддержание интереса к учению.
Практический компонент цели:
- развитие и совершенствование навыков различных видов чтения с обращением внимания на смысловые связи и контекстуальную догадку;
- формирование и совершенствование лексических навыков говорения и расширение словарного запаса учащихся по теме;
- развитие навыков восприятия речи на слух.
Методы обучения:
Коммуникативный метод с использованием индивидуальной, парной или групповой работы учащихся;
Личностно-ориентированный подход;
Эмоционально-деятельный подход.
Оборудование:
- карта Великобритании;
- раздаточный материал: текст “St Edmund, King and Martyr” с заданиями;
- изображение иконы св. мученика короля Эдмунда (доступно на сайте http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk);
- дополнительный материал на доске: слова для усвоения, вопросы и проч.
Introduction: Christ of the Isles (вступительное слово учителя)
Behind the altar of the Orthodox church in Felixstowe a fresco, measuring four feet by five feet, can be seen which is known as 'Christ of the Isles'.
Surrounding the Risen Christ, in it the four saints long venerated by the four lands and peoples who make up the British Isles are portrayed. They are: to the south-east, St Edmund, King and Martyr for England; to the north-east, St Andrew the Apostle for Scotland; to the north-west, St Patrick for Ireland; to the south-west, St David for Wales. Each saint is portrayed in the colours associated with the four lands: St Edmund in red and white; St Andrew mainly in blue; St Patrick mainly in green; St David mainly in a yellow-ochre. In His hands the Saviour holds His words, as recorded by the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke (13, 29): And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit in the kingdom of God. Who exactly are these saints who lived a long time ago and yet are still present and honoured by being shown together with the Risen Saviour?
It is commonly known that Apostle Andrew (the Firstcalled) is regarded as the patron saint of Scotland, St Patrick – as the patron saint of Ireland, St David – as the patron saint of Wales. It is also commonly known that St George is regarded as the patron saint of England. So why did the Orthodox Christians in Britain honour St Edmund, King and Martyr, and regard him as the patron saint of England?
“St Edmund, King and Martyr”
St. Edmund, one of the greatest and most famous of the British saints, lived and suffered during the ninth century, one of the most tragic and difficult moments of British history, when the pagan Danes were killing and destroying over a large part of the British Isles. The problems of the English were made worse by the fact that there was no unity among them, and instead of being united into one powerful force to repel the invaders they were divided into seven kingdoms, which were not always united even within themselves. No part of the country was more exposed to the pagan attacks than the small kingdom of East Anglia, and to this land St Edmund was to become a king and defender.
Edmund (correctly Eadmund) was born on Christmas Day 841 of devout Christian parents. His name means 'blessed protection'. Christian from infancy, he learnt the importance of prayer and knew the psalms by heart. In 856 he succeeded to the throne of what was perhaps the cradle of the English Nation in East Anglia. On Christmas Day 856, aged only fifteen, he was anointed and crowned King of East Anglia at Bures, a strategic crossing-place on the Suffolk-Essex border.
The image we have of Edmund is that of a devout and noble King, so dedicated to the defence and well-being of his people that he did not even marry. He was fair-haired, tall, well-built, with a natural majesty of bearing. By the piety and chastity of his life he won the respect of all the Christians. He was a defender of the Church, a protector of orphans and widows, and a supporter of the poor. No man sought for justice from him and failed to get redress, and no innocent pleaded in vain for mercy. It is said that under his strong and just rule a boy could drive a mule from one part of the kingdom to another, and no one would dare to molest him. However, a great storm broke over his peace-loving kingdom in 865 with a full-scale Danish invasion of East Anglia.
Edmund organized resistance to the invasion in order to defend England from the Danes. In 868 he fought alongside the future King Alfred the Great to deliver Nottingham. In East Anglia he was also active in building or rebuilding a defensive dyke to the east of Cambridge, known still today as 'St Edmund's Ditch'. In 869, however, the Danes returned to East Anglia with a huge army. They sacked many monasteries, including Ely ands Soham. Edmund marched out at the head of his army to defend the realm. In the late autumn Edmund the King gave battle at Thetford in Norfolk and although inflicting heavy losses, he was forced to retire to Hoxne in north Suffolk.
Here he refused Danish offers of peace at a price and remained faithful to Christianity, saying: 'It is needful that I alone should die for my people that the whole nation should not perish'. Then, having dismissed his men and laid aside his arms, he entered the church and prostrated himself in front of the altar, praying for strength for his feat of martyrdom for Christ and his suffering people.
Edmund was seized by the Danes, refusing to defend himself, though he had defended others. The Danes insulted him and beat him. Refusing to renounce his faith, Edmund said: 'Living or dead, nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ'. Then Edmund was tied to an oak-tree, whipped and had arrows fired at him. Calling on the name of the Saviour to the end, Edmund was finally beheaded. It was Monday 20 November 869. The Danes then left the area, flinging Edmund's head into thick brambles nearby. Later people who came searching for the head of the Martyr, were alerted to its presence by the howling of a wolfhound.
Edmund was buried at a chapel at Hoxne and miracles soon followed. The most extraordinary of these was that within a generation the Danes who had martyred him had accepted Christianity and were themselves venerating their victim, Edmund, as a saint. At the beginning of the tenth century Edmund's body was moved to the monastic town of Bedricsworth which then became known as Bury St Edmunds. In the centuries to come, this became a great shrine and one of the finest and largest monasteries in all England. For nearly five centuries Edmund the noble champion was to become not only the patron-saint of East Anglia but also the patron-saint of all England. Edmund was indeed a national hero, the light from the East, a 'blessed protection' for East Anglia and all England.
Wordlist:
devout - благочестивый, праведный, религиозный
blessed protection – блаженное покровительство
psalms - псалмы
to anoint - миропомазывать
with a natural majesty of bearing – с врожденным благородством
by the piety and chastity of his life - за свою благочестивую и непорочную жизнь
to get redress – получить удовлетворение
innocent - невинный
in vain – тщетно, напрасно
to molest - приставать
a full-scale invasion – полномасштабное нашествие
defensive dyke – защитная насыпь
'St Edmund's Ditch' - ров святого Эдмунда
to inflict heavy losses – наносить большие потери (врагу)
peace at a price – мир ценой уступки
feat of martyrdom – подвиг мученичества
to renounce the faith – отрекаться от веры
to whip - бичевать
thick brambles – заросли ежевики
to alert - предупреждать
a wolfhound – волкодав
to venerate – чтить, почитать
a great shrine – величайшая святыня
a noble champion – доблестный защитник
Before you read
- What English kings do you know?
- What qualities do you think are essential to be a devout and noble king?
- Who are honoured by the Orthodox Church as martyrs?
- What martyrs venerated by the Orthodox Church do you know?
Reading
1. Guess the meaning
repel expose succeed dedicated resistance alongside deliver march out retire
seize behead howling generation accept
2. Comprehension
- Why could the kingdoms of the south-east part of Britain be occupied by the Danes?
- What does St Edmund’s name mean?
- What throne did he succeed and when?
- What kind of king was St Edmund?
- How did St Edmund defend his kingdom from the Danish invaders?
- What happened to Edmund after the battle at Thetford in 869?
- Why didn’t he accept Danish offers of peace at a price?
- What did the Danes do with Edmund after his refusal to renounce his faith?
- How was the head of saint martyr found?
- What extraordinary thing happened to the Danes within a generation?
3. Find the word in the text which has a similar meaning to the following
- the time when you are a baby or a very young child
- to make somebody do something
- very unusual and surprising
- (mainly literary) a country ruled by a king or queen
- to suddenly catch someone and make sure they cannot get away
- (army) to move back from a battle after being defeated
4. Make questions to the following answers:
- At the age of fifteen.
- In 865.
- The future king Alfred the Great.
- At Thetford in Norfolk.
- He refused to renounce his faith.
- Monday 20 November 869.
- By the howling of the wolfhound.
After reading
1. Discuss in pairs or in groups:
What episodes of St Edmund’s life are represented in his icon?
2. Look at St Edmund’s icon and describe the story of his life and death.
Homework:
Write the summary of the story.
Sources:
- fr. Andrew Phillips, The Holy Isles: Four National Saints, http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk
- V. Moss, Edmund, Martyr-king of East Anglia, http://www.orthodox.net/western-saints
- о. Андрей Филипс, Четверо святых Английского графства Суффолк, http://www.pravoslavie.ru
- Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners – London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 2003 – 1692p.