Открытый урок "Life in the Australian Outback"

Цели урока:

1. Развитие коммуникативной компетенции обучаемых (языковой, речевой, социокультурной, лингвострановедческой, эмпатической).
2. Работа над развитием деятельностно – ориентированных навыков.

Задачи урока:

1. Работа над развитием лингвокреативного мышления.
2. Углубление знаний обучаемых об Австралии и австралийской глубинке.
3. Увеличение лексического запаса учащихся по теме.
4. Вовлечение обучаемых в коммуникацию с помощью метода кейсов.

Оснащение урока:

1. Компьютерная презентация (слайды по ходу урока).
2. Показ видов Австралии.
3. Магнитофон и аудиозаписи.
4. Музыка группы “The Scorpions”,вставленная в слайды.
5. Бумага и маркеры для дебатов.
6. Карточки самооценки.

Ход урока

Our today’s topic is “Life in the Australian Outback” and it’s not only the topic but the title of the case we’re going to have.

What are you associations with the words “Australian outback”?

Possible answers; great heat, lack of rain, sheep farms, ranches, long fences, exotic animals, tough and strong people, shearing.

The first part of our study is your homework. You were given the task to make up a dialogue between young people who are bored with the life in the city of London and think about some variant to escape from it. They’ve come across the idea of going to Australia.

(Variants of dialogues made)

1. – Hello, John, what luck running into you!

– Glad to meet you too, Peter!

– You look so frustrated. What’s the matter?

– I’m so bored with everything here in London; traffic congestion, haste, lack of fresh air. It’ll drive me mad!

– Cheer up! There’s a chance to escape!

– Really?

– I’m true. Have you heard about the Australian outback?

– Of course I have. But what do you mean?

– What do you think a host farm is?

– As far as I know, it’s a farm which offers board and lodging to travellers in return to work.

– Aren’t you against going to Australia?

– Why not? But what about our studies?

– We’ll go there on holidays! Don’t be a snob!

(One more person comes up).

– Hello, guys! You’re speaking about the Australian countryside, aren’t you?

– Hello, Mary! Fancy you being interested! Do you know anything about it?

– Certainly! The countryside in the Australian outback is much drier and mostly much flatter than in Britain. There are fewer trees and less grass than in Britain. Life in the Australian outback is much harder than in the British countryside. There are fewer people and fewer luxuries. I know that jobs people do in the countryside include farming, forestry and nature conservation.

– You know a lot about the country. Where from?

– My relatives live there. I’ve heard a lot about their lives.

– Would you then join us in our visit to Oz?

– I should think it over. Bye-bye!

(A night has passed).

– Good morning!

– Morning! I’ve made up my mind to join you!

– Fine! Let’s get ready!

2. – Hello, Bess! What are you doing here?

– Hello, Jane! I’d like to go anywhere to escape from this boring place. I haven’t decided yet but it should be something quite different and fascinating.

– I’m glad we’ve met! The same situation with me. I’m looking forward to going to some exotic place on holidays. Why not come there together?

– I’m all for it. Moreover, it’s difficult to start there alone.

– I have a brilliant idea! Why not go to Australia? Oz is short for Australia, you know. The thing is. I’ve got relatives there. My mother’s sister and brother are living there and always invite me to stay with them.

– I haven’t been to Australia yet. It would be interesting and instructive to go there. I’ve heard much about its flora and fauna.

– Of course, not everything is pleasant, there’s also heat, drought, lack of rain. But one should try everything to get impression of the other side of life.

– I think you are right. You’ve persuaded me to go there. Let’s think about our travel and tickets. Good-bye, see you later.

– Bye for the present. (To listen to 1 or 2 more dialogues prepared at home).

The 2^nd part of the case is having a debate on the resolution of going to the Australian outback.

The boys are to think of the arguments “for” going there and the girls of the arguments “against” going to Australia. (You are given 5 minutes all in all).

Slides with pictures of Australia and music of the “Scorpions”

Примерный ход дебатов.

And summing it up, what is your resolution then?

– If we are ready to experience, to try ourselves, we should have some challenge and go to the Australian outback. Let’s go and get ready.

The continuation of the case – you are to read a short article for specific information. Open your textbooks on page 114, exercise 2

(Приводится текст упражнения)

Reading for specific information

Read this article about Kirstie, who contacted the agency and went to work in the outback. Find out

1. Where Kirstie was.
2. Where she had washed and slept.
3. What she was doing at 8 a.m.
4. How long she had been Down Under (in Australia).

THE GREAT ESCAPE

The sun had just risen and, beside a red dirt track, an hour's drive from anywhere, Kirstie Richings, 28, was cooking two dozen eggs over a camp fire. Her morning ‘bath’ had been splashing her face in a nearby creek*, and making the bed had been putting the sleeping bags on the back of a pack horse. By 8 a.m., as Kirstie was helping to saddle 12 horses, the sun was already burning and another day mustering* cattle in the Australian outback had begun. Kirstie, from Ireland, had been Down Under for six months working as a general hand on cattle drives.

* a small stream * rounding up cattle

Another step: exercise 3, page 114

Multiple choice

You are going to hear Kirstie and two other people talking about their lives in the outback. Before you listen read the questions carefully, then, as you listen, choose the best answer.

Kirstie Richings

1. Why did Kirstie want to work on a ranch?
1. to earn some money
2. to spend more time riding
3. to find out what an outdoor life was like
2. What does she find frightening?

1. not seeing anyone else for miles
2. mistaking dead trees for cows
3. leading her horse down a steep hill

Simon Swift

1. What can Simon not get used to in Queensland?

1. having to be good at so many different jobs
2. doing hard, physical work in the heat
3. living on such a large cattle station

1. What does he really enjoy?

1. the beautiful sunsets
2. the motorbike musters
3. the huge open spaces

Lucy Rowe

1. What does Lucy dislike most of all about her life on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert?

1. the job she has
2. the tin shed she lives in
3. the high temperatures

1. What happened to her one day?

1. She was attacked by wild dogs.
2. She spotted a poisonous creature.
3. She saved the children from certain death.

(Tapescript)

Kirstie

I wanted to experience an outdoor life, so I spent a month on a ranch. It was dirty work but I enjoyed the riding, so I decided to try mustering cattle. I'm not receiving any wages, only board and lodging, but I get by. You see, I didn't travel to the outback for money.

Mustering in the mountains is difficult. I often can't see anyone else for miles, and I don't always know where I'm going. Sometimes, I'll come across a steep hill and I have to get off my horse and lead it down. That can be pretty frightening. And being in the mountains on your own can also be a bit confusing. I often mistake a dead tree for a cow. When I can't see anyone else, I worry that I'll get stuck here.

Simon

Since I arrived here four months ago, I've been on a large cattle station in outback Queensland. I do any job that's going. You name it, I'll do it! To tell the truth, the only work I really hate is fencing – digging all those deep holes, cutting trees for posts– it's hard, it's hot and you don't get used to it. I've even done cattle musters on a motorbike instead of a horse but I didn't enjoy those because I fell off!

The huge open spaces are a bit boring, though. There's nothing but flat ground and dusty tracks that go on for ever. Mind you, there are beautiful sunsets – they're really fantastic. It's as if the sky is on fire.

Lucy

I teach children on a ranch at the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. I live in what you'd call a tin shed. Actually, the school's just a caravan.

But the worst thing is the heat. It's so difficult to cool down. You can't escape from that. The generator for the electricity has to be turned off for two hours a day because it gets too hot, so we can't have the fridge on and all the food goes off.

Living here is certainly not easy but it's what I wanted. Each day's exciting. One day, I heard the dogs barking, looked over and saw an enormous snake on the ground. I knew it was poisonous and all the kids started screaming. But luckily it decided to leave before we had a chance to do anything about it. I'm a good teacher, but I'm not very good with poisonous snakes!

And now swap your sheets with each other, check your answers and compare them with the keys.

THE KEYS:

1. C
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. C
6. B

One more step for work in the Australian outback– you’re to contact the agency and then apply for a job. Let’s practice how to do it and use the appropriate prepositions in the given sample of application:

Letter of application

1. Read this letter. Which job is Clare applying for? What relevant experience does she have?

Dear Sir / Madam

I am applying ¹ ...............the job of hotel receptionist ²...............the Highland Hotel, advertised ³...............the Daily Post ⁴ ............... 20 September.

I have always been interested ⁵...............working in the tourist industry, and during the school holidays I used to work part-time ⁶...............a local hotel. Please rind details ⁷ ...............my qualifications and work experience ⁸...............the enclosed curriculum vitae.

I was a student ⁹...............Croft Secondary School until last July. Since then I have been working ¹⁰...............a waitress ¹¹ ...............an Italian restaurant. ^l2...............my present job, I have direct contact with customers and I also have to take telephone reservations. In addition, I am very experienced ¹³...............dealing with customer complaints.

I look forward ¹⁴...............hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Clare Mitchell

Your homework for the next lesson will be: to write a letter of application by analogy and in it tell about the experience you want to get in the Australian outback.

And now the final part of our case.

Let’s read the aim and form your answers (Ex.6, p.115)

Your outback adventure

Imagine that you have just come back home after working in the outback. You are going to be interviewed about your experience for a radio programme. Make notes to help you answer these questions.

• why you choose a particular job
• where you went in the outback
• whether you had any previous training or experience
• what you enjoyed and disliked about life there
• an exciting or dangerous experience you had
• how much you earned
• whether you would recommend the outback

Now we are to evaluate the output of the lesson

I’ll give you a tickline which has 4 parts:

A

B

C

D

You’re to put a tick in a place you think you are now.

1. You hardly understand while listening, can’t speak correctly and know vocabulary of the topic badly.
2. You understand the vocabulary of the topic, can keep a conversation but in the simpliest way possible. And you have difficulty while listening and speaking.
3. You know the vocabulary of the topic, can express your opinion, can keep a conversation (in the oral and written forms) well enough and feel more confident in grammar.
4. You know the vocabulary of the topic very well, can both begin and finish any dialogue on the topic, express your opinion easily, understand the text while listening, have no difficulty in any activity of the lesson.

And, finally, answer the questions which concern our case:

1. What do you need further help with in English?
2. What useful have you learned about from the lesson?
3. Would you really try to go to the outback?
4. What skills which you acquire in the outback would help you at our Siberian countryside?

(Vocabulary Support: different ranch skills – mustering(rounding up) animals, building, repairing fences, riding on horseback, farming, forestry skills, shearing, driving cars, shooting, hunting, nature conservation skills, etc,…)

Well, our lesson has come to its end. Thank you for your work, children! Good– bye!

END OF THE LESSON