The worldwide interest in getting of competent knowledge of the English language is growing.
Language is the most recognized means of communication. The life & the development of any society are based on communication through language. The vision of the world of a nation is conveyed by its language, which reflects the moral code, relations between people.
So, language is the main tool in acquiring other peoples’ lives, traditions. Language use is creative. Only a good teacher chooses his or her way in motivating students to learn, involves them into creative learning. To teach well teachers need to be responsible to themselves, because while teaching they bring up a personality. Every teacher is a unique person & the time requires from them to be creative, highly educated, carrying on the requirements of the modern life.
John Toubert’s words “to teach is to learn twice” mean that teachers who constantly learn are able to develop in their students a burning desire to learning. Teaching is an art. Art lives long, it never dies, the same we can say about teaching, as teaching methods are various, endless, all the time it renews.
There are different ways of teaching English.
I’d like to tell about teaching English through art & poetry.
Art & poetry play great role in everyone’s life. Art helps to understand life, widens students’ outlook, develop great love to people, to nature, the world around us. Poetry expresses peoples’ feelings. Art & poetry are immortal, people’s life is short.
Art never dies, the world masterpieces stay in our hearts, in our souls forever. Art forms our outlook, enriches our inner world.
Art makes us think of the sense of life. How people must live, what is ideal of beauty, what is love.
For example, in the canvas “ Lullaby “Sidorkin depicted mother’s tender love. All the sweetness, fascination of motherhood is embodied in the woman’s silhouette which is merged with her baby, a wonder of life.
In his painting “Kazakhstan” he presents us the origin of love that he felt for his Motherland. Art brings us the feelings of love, it proves that our planet is really rich in talented people.
The paintings of the prominent artists help us to understand the time, when the painting was created, to understand the main idea, the main problems it conveys.
For example, describing Vasnetsov’s canvas “Alyonushka” the students could understand the events happened at that time, could compare the paintings of this period with some others, they learnt about the hard life of the Russian people, about the unbearable fate of children whose parents suffered from the difficult life.
But the painter believed in bright future of the people, he conveyed this idea by the bright colors in the canvas.
Art is the creation of different nations. Art is the property of each country. The history of the country is connected with it. Leonardo De Vinchi was an outstanding Italian artist. He glorified his Motherland by his canvases where he showed the real beauty of a person. Only talented, genius people like Leonardo & many others can create great eternal art.
Art is great if it has links with peoples’ lives, interests, ideals.
For example, one of my students wrote that art & poetry play the main role in her life. In her drawing “My Land” she wanted to show her wealthy & peaceful country, Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has a picturesque & attractive landscape, unusual & rare animals, endless steppes. It has spectacular places like Borovoye. The bright sun, on the top of her drawing, symbolizes peaceful life, wealth, the bright future.
An eagle symbolizes freedom. Our country is young, hospitable, friendly – all these are represented in her drawing.
We can say that only the real art will save the world, it also helps in all our starts.
So, if art is music which plays in our hearts, poetry is the reflection of our feelings. We enjoy poetry, with poetry we express our feelings of love to our Motherland, to our nature, to our dearest persons.
Poetry in our country is connected with Abai Kunanbayev, in Russia with Alexander Pushkin, in England with G. Byron, in Scotland with R.Burns. They are profound founders of poetry.
We love their poems, we keep them in our hearts as the national treasures, which should be passed from generation to generation.
Their poems are read & valued all over the world.
Abai & Pushkin – they are like Twin brothers. They both made great contribution to literature.
Abai started writing poems at school, his poems were composed of what he heard & seen in his childhood. Abai described life, nature, traditions of simple Kazakh people. His most famous work “Words of Edification” is dedicated to a new attitude to life, words devoted to the young generation.
Pushkin also made great contribution to the world literature.
He is called by many “the Sun of Russian Literature”. Pushkin’s works about love are read by many, they express author’s passionate feelings.
R.Burns & G. Byron are also famous by their poems where they sing about great feelings of love to their Motherland, to the dearest persons in their life. They compare love with red rose, with melody.
R.Burns described his love to Scotland in his poem “My Heart’s in the Highlands”, showing majestic beauty of nature of his native country.
So, art & poetry forms our moral values, develops good qualities, make people be more humane& kind.
Power of art & poetry is great, we teachers, have to teach our students value our treasures, respect other peoples’ culture, traditions.
It is our duty to inspire them to love art. We have “to open the doors to success “to our students, being open to new ideas, creating the best learning opportunities.
The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
There’s no limit in age to learning.
Success in teaching is the result of joint cooperative, effective work of teachers & students in getting knowledge.
The chance for success is multiplied if a teacher enjoys what he does.
Plan of the project “Poetry and Art in our life”
I. Dear guests, students, we devote our party to poetry. We love poetry it plays an important part in our life, because with poetry we express our feelings of love to our Motherland, to nature.
II. Let’s listen to the song “What a Wonderful World!”. (Приложение 1) You’ll answer the questions:
Did you like the song?
What did the author want to express by this song?
III. Song “What a Wonderful World!”
IV. Student: By poetry we express our love to a person, we express our love to the whole Nation, because they are the dearest for us.
Poetry in our country is connected with Abai Kunanbayev, in Russia – with Pushkin, in Scotland – with Robert Burns.
They are the profound founders of poetry. We love their poems, we keep them in our hearts as national treasures which should be passed from generation to generation.
Their poems are read and valued all over the world.
V. Abai & Pushkin – they are like Twin Brothers.
They made great contribution to literature.
Abai Kunanbayev
Information about Abai’s creative activity.
VI. Song “Kozmnng Karasy” Abai’s poem.
VII. Alexander Pushkin.
Information about Pushkin’s creative activity.
Poem “I Recollect the Charming Beauty” by Pushkin (student recites the poem in English).
Song “Я помню чудное мгновение” (students sing the song in Russian).
VIII. Robert Burns
Information about Robert Burns
Poem “My Heart’s in the Highlands” (student recites the poem)
IX. Students Favourite Poems.
“Daffodils” (students recite the poem)
“She Walks in Beauty” (student recites the poem in English)
«Она идёт во всей красе» (student recites the poem in Russian)
X. Conclusion: student’s opinions on the lesson.
XI. Relaxation.
The French song (the students sing their favourite song).
The Spanish song (the student sings the Spanish song).