Art of English: March 2014

School


The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell. The painting is an iconic image of the USA civil rights movement. It depicts six year old Ruby Bridges on her way to an all-white public school during the period of racial desegregation in the 1960’s.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr Seuss

School vocabulary

- School FR NL

"What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you can know that the President drinks Coke. Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too." - Andy Warhol on consumerism.

Here are some things to eat & drink

- Fruits & Vegetables
- Drinks FR NL

About Time

The Three Ages of Woman by Gustave Klimt

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”
- Dr Seuss

- Days of the week FR NL
- Months FR NL
- Seasons and Holidays FR NL

House & Home

Bed room in Arles by Vincent van Gogh

"Think you're escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home." - James Joyce

Practice house & home vocabulary

- Home FR NL
- Living room FR NL
- Kitchen FR NL
- Bedoom FR NL
- Bathroom FR NL

Fruit & Vegetables - FR

Hunger Games FR

Days of the Week FR

Kitchen FR

Home FR

Living Room FR

Professions FR

Bathroom FR

School & Office FR

Clothes

In Town

Transport

The Body FR

Head & Face

Drinks

Bedroom

Wild Animals

Fun & Games Vocabulary

Zingo

Zingo by ThinkFun

Zingo is a word game by Thinkfun and one of my absolute favourites. It's basically a word bingo game with a zing - the zing being the red zinger that the kids love to slide forward to reveal the bright yellow playing tiles.

I use the game to teach the verb "to have"along with some basic vocabulary e.g. "I have cat" or if you prefer UK style "I have got a cat !" It can also be used to practice the verb "to be" e.g. "It's a cat."

I have put together a few quizlets to help kids learn and practice the vocabulary alongside playing the game.

At the moment you can choose from four language combinations:

Zingo EN-FR
Zingo EN- NL
Zingo EN - ES
Zingo EN - IT

You can also visit the ThinkFun website to play their online version of Zingo as well as GNU The Three Letter Learning Game.

Zingo ES - EN

Zingo IT - EN

Zingo NL - EN

Zingo EN-FR

Hilaire Belloc

Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century.

I am a huge fan of Belloc's "Cautionary Tales for Children" which is a collection of humorous short stories about what happens to naughty children.

I have used two of the poems from this collection extensively with my ESL students : Jim Who Ran Away From His Nurse and Was Eaten by a Lion and Matilda Who Lied and Was Burned to Death.

Beginner level students have learned the texts through mime and have written, illustrated and recorded their own adapted versions. More advanced & intermediate students have worked directly with the text on comprehension and vocabulary exercises.

Jim Who Ran Away From His Nurse and Was Eaten by a Lion

Matilda Who Lied and Was Burned to Death

Jim who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion - 4

The Honest Keeper heard his cry,
Though very fat he almost ran
To help the little gentleman.
``Ponto!'' he ordered as he came
(For Ponto was the Lion's name),
``Ponto!'' he cried, with angry Frown,
``Let go, Sir! Down, Sir! Put it down!''

The Lion made a sudden stop,
He let the Dainty Morsel drop,
And slunk reluctant to his Cage,
Snarling with Disappointed Rage.
But when he bent him over Jim,
The Honest Keeper's Eyes were dim.
The Lion having reached his Head,
The Miserable Boy was dead!

When Nurse informed his Parents, they
Were more Concerned than I can say:--
His Mother, as She dried her eyes,
Said, ``Well--it gives me no surprise,
He would not do as he was told!''
His Father, who was self-controlled,
Bade all the children round attend
To James's miserable end,
And always keep a-hold of Nurse
For fear of finding something worse.

- by Hilaire Belloc & illustrated by Tracy's ESL students

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Jim who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion by Hilaire Belloc

There was a boy whose name was Jim;
His friends were very good to him.
They gave him tea, and cakes, and jam,
And slices of delicious ham,
And chocolate with pink inside
And little tricycles to ride,
And read him stories through and through,

And even took him to the zoo--
But there it was the dreadful fate
Befell him, which I now relate.

You know--or at least you ought to know,
For I have often told you so--
That children never are allowed
To leave their nurses in a crowd;
Now this was Jim's especial foible,
He ran away when he was able,
And on this inauspicious day
He slipped his hand and ran away!

He hadn't gone a yard when--Bang!
With open jaws, a lion sprang,
And hungrily began to eat

The boy: beginning at his feet.

Now, just imagine how it feels
When first your toes and then your heels,
And then by gradual degrees,
Your shins and ankles, calves and knees,
Are slowly eaten, bit by bit.
No wonder Jim detested it!
No wonder that he shouted ``Hi!''

The Honest Keeper heard his cry,
Though very fat he almost ran
To help the little gentleman.
``Ponto!'' he ordered as he came

(For Ponto was the Lion's name),
``Ponto!'' he cried, with angry Frown,
``Let go, Sir! Down, Sir! Put it down!"

- by Hilaire Belloc
Illustrated by Tracy's ESL students