Workshop for Teachers of English

Charles Dickens Is 200

Halyna Ivanova,
teacher-methodologist of English,
Cherkasy First City Gymnasia,
Associated UNESCO School

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.

Ch. Dickens

The objective of the workshop is to involve colleagues into different activities they can use in their work.

Exercise 1. Match the words in two columns and guess the book written by Charles Dickens

Exercise 2. Match the words in two columns and guess the book the character is taken from

Exercise 3. Grammar drills. Mind the usage of the Subjunctive Mood

Exercise 4. Fill in the missing adjectives

A Christmas Wish

Many ... Christmases

Many ... New Years

Unbroken friendships, ... accumulations

of ... recollections

and affection on earth and heaven for us all.

Charles Dickens

(Key: merry, happy, great, cheerful)

Exercise 5. Reading skills. Read the extract from one novel. Guess the novel and tell your partner what the author wanted the readers to understand by such an ending.

Exercise 6. The time for relaxation. You've just read the novel "Dombey and Son". Watch the film and see how everything began.

Exercise 7. It's interesting to know.

One Ukrainian writer admired the novel "David Copperfield" and mentions it in one of his works. Solve the puzzle; the first letter will help you to know only the consonants of this Ukrainian writer's surname. Guess the name of the writer.

1. one of the parts of the UK where R. Burns was born
2. one of the parks in London with the famous Speaker's Corner
3. the name of the queen who had reigned for about 64 years
4. the name of the university town situated on the river Cam
5. one of three main regions of Scotland described by R. Burns in his poem "My Heart's in the ..."
6. the name of the famous admiral of Great Britain
7. the fourth letter in the name of the official London residence of Queen Elizabeth

So, we've got the following consonants: Scotland, Hyde park, Victoria, Cambridge, the Highlands, Nelson, Buckingham Palace. What is the name of this writer? It's not difficult to guess that this is T. Shevchenko. The story he mentions "David Copperfield" in is "Bliznetsy" (Twins). Listen to the extract from this story written in Russian.

Exercise 8. Look at the quotations of Ch. Dickens, choose the one you like most and tell the group how you understand it.

• I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free. (Bleak House)
• Accidents will occur in the best regulated families. (David Copperfield)
• If the law supposes that ... the law is idiot. (Oliver Twist)
• The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again. (Nickolas Nickleby)

Exercise 9. Think of the problems of the society Ch. Dickens touched on in his works. Write as many as you can.

Remember in what novel this problem is discussed. Ask your partner if we have any problems in our society in the 21st century.

Exercise 10. Tell the group how your opinion has changed within the time we've spent together discussing life and heritage of Charles Dickens.

Home Assignment. Use the Internet, visit the museum of Charles Dickens in Portsmouth and share your impressions with students.

Problems Evils

Children labour

orkhouses

Private schools

Court

Prison

Family ties

Marriage code

Law

Election Systems

Money

Updated at 04.03.2012