Ролевая игра "Машина времени"
методическая разработка по английскому языку на тему

Ролевая игра ”Time – Machine”

Цель игры:

- развитие и совершенствование у учащихся коммуникативных умений аудирования, монологической и диалогической речи;

- формирование социокультурных знаний;

- обобщение изученного материала.

Оформление классной доски: большая красочная газета, сообщающая об интересных, курьезных фактах о книгах, ”Books! Books… Books?”

Количество персонажей рассчитано на группу из десяти человек. Столы необходимо поставить в круг.

Characters:

A mediaeval scholar (monk) (M)

A writer from the 23d century (Wr)

JD Rowling (JR)

An owner of  ”AST” Publishing House (Ow)

A teacher of Literature (TL)

A Journalist from ”The Mirror” (J1)

A Journalist from  ”Subotnaya Gazeta” (J2)

A Student (S)

A Historian (H)

A Librarian (L)

Teacher – a very Absent-Minded Scientist (T)

T: Hallo, ladies and gentlemen!.. Oh, you look so strange... and how yon managed to get  into my lab, I wonder ..., it's my time-machine!

TL: Well, and who are you? And what do you mean saying "your lab"?

7: Oh, let me introduce myself. I'm Alex, an inventor. We are testing our time-machine and somehow it has brought you here. But don't worry. We'll repair it very quickly. My assistant will do the work and I suggest you have tea and talk. Will you introduce yourself?

(All the pupils tell their imaginary names, and some information about their occupation. Then tea is served.)

H: All of us deal with the world of books and writing and somehow managed to meet here. But it's a lucky coincidence! Well, I've always been interested in how books were created in the past. Brother Artemius, can you tell us anything?

M: Well, it's well-known, I suppose, that in my time books are written by hand. It takes a very long time to write a whole book with a pen. As the work is very slow, very often several brothers are needed to copy a book. Such people must be very attentive, hard-working and careful. We work with candle-light, so a lot of people have problems with eyesight.

 J 1: And what are your books about?

M: Well, we have books about Saints, Herbs and Minerals, written records of historical events, Astrology and Legends.

L: Wonderful! But I suppose books are very expensive, aren't they?

M: You're absolutely right! Only very rich Lords, Monasteries and Universities can afford to have books.        

           TL: And what about ordinary people?

          M: Most people are illiterate, they can neither read nor write, so don't need books.

S: But how do they get news? Information is power!

M: Oh, it's very simple! If the news is very important, a town crier runs through the streets and shouts out all the news. But usually people get it in town or village inns when they discuss daily affairs and have something to drink.

Ow: And what material are books made of?

H: Let me answer the question, and brother Artemius will check if I’m right.

M., Ow: O.K.!

 H: The very first "books" were carved on stones and often pictures with some sort of information were painted on the walls of caves. Then books were made of papyrus, invented in Egypt, clay, tree bark and animal skin. Books made of papyrus were called "rolls". Books made of animal skins were rather big and heavy.

M: Absolutely right! We need a special support or a stand to read them.

H: But they were perfectly written and decorated with beautiful pictures and miniatures.

JR: And then some clever people from China invented paper! All educated people were happy! And when printing was invented, books became cheaper, so more people could have books to read and study, right?

Wr: How very strange! Paper, animal skins... can't imagine!

          JR: Are books in your time different?

Wr: In my time we don't have books, I mean heavy things made of paper or plastic. We don't need to write books by hand or with the help of a typewriter. We have computers. Their sounds and images make you feel that you're in a real situation. So a writer just link his brain with a computer and begins to imagine scenes, characters and situations. And the computer creates pictures and memorises everything.

L: And what does a person do if he wants to read a book?

Wr: Well, this person just downloads a necessary file to his computer and links directly to it: and he can find himself "inside" the book he has chosen.

           S: Great! It's the same as in computer games!

Wr: It's even better! If you're a real fan, you may join a writer while he is creating a new book.

          Ow: And what books are popular?

         Wr: Well , about The Middle Ages (18-21 centuries), space operas and some romantic novels about knights 'n' dragons.

         M: I can hardly understand what you're talking about. I think it is some sort of magic!

J2:No, not at all! It's science. And as for
magic, we have a real specialist in it, a person who writes books about magic. Joan, why did you decide to write such a book?

          JR: Well, I think our life is a bit grey and lacks bright events and emotions. And also if you're very attentive, you can find strange and unusual things everywhere. I've just shown them to people.

        TL: What do your books teach people?

       JR: I think they teach them to be real friends, honest, kind, brave and clever. They teach us to understand people, to help them in difficult situations, to fight with evil, to feel responsibility for somebody or something. Well... maybe something else, it's up to readers to decide.

S: I'm very interested in the motto of Hogwarts. What does it mean: "Draco dormiens numquam titallandus"?

JR: Ha-ha! It's a secret! You should study more!

          S: Oh! U-u-u...

         H: I'll let this cat out of the bag. It means "Don't wake a sleeping dragon up".

        S: Oh, thanks a lot! Joan, what progress are you making with your new book?

JR: I have already finished the 6th book about Harry Potter and his friends and I hope to write the last book in 2006.

J2: What does the success of a book depend on?

JR: Well, it's difficult to say, but I think the writer should be sincere, honest and create a book with all his heart. And I think we'd better ask Mr. Gordon about it.

Ow: I should say today the situation with editing and publishing books is quite problematic, as people prefer watching TV and video and play computer games, so they begin to read less. In the 20th century people used books to get information, to think over them, to relax; but today people prefer to use the net. But in the spite of all this, people go on reading books. And if each person finds something for himself in a book, this book will be popular with the reading public.

TL: What do you consider the aim of books is?

Ow: I'm sure the aim is to help people solve problems of life, teach good things, help in self-education as books are the source of knowledge.

L: What do you think about people's likes and dislikes in reading?

Ow: Unfortunately many people prefer light reading to serious one, and it makes people a bit stupid, I think.

TL: I absolutely agree with you! My students prefer to read something easy, which doesn't make them think. They certainly read books from their school programme, but not because they like them or find something for themselves, but because they have to.

S: Oh, that's not fair! We also read some serious, philosophical books by modern writers like Paulo Coelho and some others. But don't you think that classics are a bit boring and out-of-date, you see the style of life is absolutely different, and it's very difficult to understand the feelings, emotions, behaviour and motivation of people who lived in the 16th-19th centuries.

TL: I'm sure some ideas and concepts are universal for any time and any model of society. So, what books do you think should be included in the school programme?

S: Well, I think there are some excellent examples of fantasy, science fiction and maybe some detectives, I mean, authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, A. Azimov, etc.

          TL: Well...

(Then the telephone rings and interrupts the conversation. Everybody listens. Alex, the inventor, answers the phone.)

         T: Oh, dear colleagues. My assistant says that we have had our time-machine repaired and we are ready to send you home now.

         L: Oh, how I wish we will meet again!

       T: Why not? Hope is the last to die. I promise to improve my machine and find you. Then we'll have a nice cup of tea and talk. But now it's time for you to leave for your time. Good luck, friends!

(Then music sounds.)