Literature is Great

• Display slide 2. Elicit that all the people in the word cloud have produced British literature in the form of plays, novels and poetry.
• Elicit any information learners have about the writers featured on the slide.
• Display slide 3. Elicit or explain that the pictures represent A) William Shakespeare and B) Charles Dickens.
• Elicit any additional information learners have about the two writers.

• Ask learners to open their notebooks. They should draw and number four large squares (demonstrate on the board).
• In square 1 they write the title of a book they've read.
• In square 2 they write the subject of the book.
• In square 3 they write why they decided to read it.
• In square 4 they write if they would recommend it and why/why not.
• Put learners into pairs. Tell them that using their notes they must talk about the book they've read for two minutes. Their partner should time them and give feedback on their presentation.
• Display slide 4 and ask learners to refer to it if needed.
• Monitor and support with any additional language.  
• Put learners into new pairs to repeat the activity and build learners' confidence.

Note: Some learners may not read books. In this case, encourage them to talk about anything they've read – an article, magazine, etc.

• Put learners into pairs.
• Ask learners to define the meaning of 'literature' in their pairs. Display slide 5 as a reference.
• Allow two minutes. Then join pairs to make groups of four.
• Group members compare and refine their definitions.
• Monitor and select one group to write their definition on the board.
• Ask the other groups to suggest ways to improve the definition.

Example definition: Well-written, imaginative, fictional stories that describe human experience

Note: Acknowledge that it is difficult to define literature.

• Dictate the following sentence: Over half the world’s children study Shakespeare.
• Ask learners to discuss this statement in pairs for a few minutes. Then get feedback.
• Ask the whole group to share their experiences of Shakespeare (reading his works, seeing his plays or films based on his plays).

Note: See the References for films based on Shakespeare's plays.

• Explain that many English idioms originate from Shakespeare's work.
•  Give out the worksheet and ask learners to work in pairs.
• They match the idiom in context with its definition.
• Elicit the answers and clarify meaning as needed.

Answers:

Answers are also on slide 6. See Appendix 1 for more information

1I; 2A; 3D; 4C; 5B; 6H; 7F; 8J; 9G; 10E

Differentiation: For early finishers, and if there is internet access, encourage learners to find out which plays the idioms originate from. This could be set as a homework task.

• Ask learners to find out an interesting fact about one British writer, e.g. Dickens spent time in jail as a child.

• Films based on Shakespeare plays: https://collider.com/best-movies-based-shakespeare-plays/

• Ask learners to share the fact they found out for homework with a partner, before eliciting ideas from the whole class.

• Tell learners they will work with their partner to write a short dialogue in their notebook.
• Give each pair a context card.
• Explain that they must include at least five idioms from the task on their worksheet in the dialogue.
• Ask a few pairs to tell you which idioms they have used.

Differentiation: Allow more creative learners to create their own context. Explain that only two people are needed in the dialogue, and they must write 8–10 sentences.

Note: Display slide 6 if learners have forgotten their worksheet.

• Ask pairs to practice their dialogues so that they can present them.
• Monitor and support with pronunciation.

• Join pairs to make groups. Pairs demonstrate their dialogues to each other.
• The learners who are listening to the dialogue tick each idiom from the worksheet they hear and give feedback.
• Ask a few learners to feed back on their group, e.g. whether they enjoyed the dialogue, how many idioms they used.

Note: This stage could be used as a speaking assessment if using an AfL (assessment for learning) approach. See Appendix 2 for an example of a table to use during speaking assessments.

• Ask some pairs to demonstrate their dialogue to the whole group.
• To make a project, you could ask learners to research a British writer.

• Shakespeare: https://www.britishlibrary.cn/en/authors/william-shakespeare/
• Charles Dickens https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Dickens-British-novelist
• Jane Austen: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jane-Austen
• JK Rowling: https://www.britannica.com/biography/J-K-Rowling
• AfL (assessment for learning) toolkit: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/assessing-learning/articles/assessment-learning-toolkit