Jane Austen’s Emma

This unit is designed to develop students’ understanding of the importance of letters in Austen’s work and in her own life. It is based on Emma, a novel where written communication between the characters has a significant importance on the plot. At the same time it introduces some of the characters and the plot of the novel.

Level: Upper-Intermediate / B2 onwards

Time: approx. 90 minutes

Main Aim(s):

To introduce students to the plot and characters in Emma
To engage students with the text and encourage extensive reading

Subsidiary aim(s):

To help students improve their listening and note-taking skills
To help students improve their vocabulary
To provide opportunities to develop the four skills
To work on past perfect simple and past perfect continuous tenses

Materials:

Optional: some pictures of mobile phones, personal computers, Twitter and Facebook logos
Student worksheets (includes an extract from the novel Emma, by Jane Austen)
The YouTube video by PBS on the Morgan Library Exhibition on Austen’s letters

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSCF_0P506g (Or transcript of the video on Austen’s letters – included in the answer key)