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Description

The aim of these two lessons is to teach the different aspects of Shakespeare’s life and oeuvre. As an introduction they watch a TED talk by Akala, who discusses the similarities between hip hop and Shakespeare’s work. The students then read a text on the characteristics of Shakespearian sonnets in general and Sonnet 116 on true love in particular.

In the next class, students review new vocabulary they have seen previously such as ‘sonnet’ or ‘couplet’ (Quizlet.com). Then, the students watch videos individually on different topics such as Shakespeare’s biography, Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, books & films and meter. The students regroup: In the new group every student has listened to a different video. Taking turns, they explain the content of their video to their group members. All group members take notes. At the end of the lesson, the students answer ten questions related to the five videos (Kahoot.it).

As an individual task, students prepare a one-minute pitch on the question: Is Shakespeare still relevant today?

Clips

Students were more engaged in the listening task because they needed to convey the content of their video to the other students. A downside is that planning a 2-phased group task is difficult. It involves accurate planning: I prefer to group students in heterogenic groups. When students are absent, the grouping schedule needs to be changed on the spot & it might be difficult to complete the tasks.
In order to get an extensive overview of Shakespeare’s life and oeuvre, each student watches one video on different topics such as his biography, his oeuvre and the specific meter as well as the plays Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, books & films and meter. The students regroup: In the new group every student has listened to a different video. They take it in turn to explain the content of their video to their group members. All group members take notes. At the end of the lesson, the students answer ten questions related to the five videos (Kahoot.it).
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Details

Pedagog Rich linguistic input;Learners using their own resources
Target Language English
Learn Language Dutch
Technology Mobile Phone
Area Listening / Viewing Literature Oral Presentation
Age 17-21
Level B2 Upper Intermediate
Education Sector Primary

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