Главная страница «Первого сентября»Главная страница журнала «Английский язык»Содержание №14/2002

HOLIDAYS

EASTER ACTIVITIES

Grammar is one of the most difficult problems to deal with. Students learn better when they are interested in the process of work. That is why grammar should be taught not as a separate part, but as an immediate constituent of the topic studied. The students learn both grammar and something new about the country or its traditions.
When discussing cultural points (Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, Easter, etc.) I give the pupils 2 variants of the text with some missing parts in both. To find out what is missing the pupils should work in pairs and ask each other questions. Below I suggest the text about Easter. Pupils have variants A and B printed on separate sheets of paper. The partners do not show their variants to each other. The missing parts are numbered.

Instructions to the pupils:

Pupil A

Read the text about Easter. There are 14 gaps in it. Don’t show the text to your partner. Ask pupil B questions to find the missing information and answer his/her questions.

(1 ...) is a time of rejoicing. It comes in spring, a joyful time for (2 ...). The (3 ...) days of winter are over. Birds return (4 ...). Grass and flowers (5 ...) a new carpet for the Earth.
The date of Easter (6 ...) the same from year to year. But it always comes on (7 ...) after the first full moon in spring.
For Christians Easter Sunday is the greatest
(8 ...) holiday of the year. It is a day of joy. It celebrates the Resurrection of (9 ...), who rose from death to new life many years ago.
Long before the celebration of Easter (10 ...) celebrated a spring festival. They feasted and (11 ...). They danced and gave gifts. They (12 ...) over the rebirth of life in the fields and woodlands.
When the Christian religion had spread to many lands, the joy of (13 ...) became mingled with the joy of the spring festival. Both stood for new hope in the hearts of men.
And so it is not strange that many of the customs of the old spring festival became part of our celebration of (14 ...). (Aileen Fisher)

rejoice радоваться, праздновать
Christian христианин|
Resurrection воскресение (из мертвых)
Jesus of Nazareth Иисус из Назарета
mingle with smth сливаться 

Pupil B

Read text about Easter. There are 14 gaps in it. Don’t show the text to your partner. Ask pupil A questions to find the missing information and answer his/her questions.

Easter is a time of (1 ...). It comes (2 ...), a joyful time for everyone. The cold dark days of winter (3 ...). (4 ...) return to sing. Grass and flowers begin to make a new carpet for (5 ...).
The date of (6 ...) is not the same from year to year. But it always comes on the first Sunday after the first full moon (7 ...).
For (8 ...) Easter Sunday is the greatest religious holiday of the year. It is a day of joy. It celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, who rose from death (9 ...) many years ago.
Long before the celebration of Easter people celebrated (10 ...). They feasted and sang. They danced and gave (11 ...). They rejoiced over the rebirth of life in (12 ...).
When the (13 ...) religion had spread to many lands, the joy of Resurrection became mingled with the joy of the spring festival. Both stood for (14 ...) in the hearts of men.
And so it is not strange that many of the customs of the old spring festival became part of our celebration of Easter. (Aileen Fisher)

rejoice радоваться, праздновать
Christian христианин
Resurrection воскресение (из мертвых)
Jesus of Nazareth Иисус из Назарета
mingle with smth сливаться

Having asked and answered the questions to the text the partners give a summery of it and get the task to prepare a story about a Easter traditions in Russia.

By Angelina Bezrukova, Abakan