The First Period Speaking

Teaching goals教學(xué)目標(biāo)

1. Target language 目標(biāo)語言

重點詞匯

adaptation, plot, professor, Pygmalion

2. Ability goals 能力目標(biāo)

Enable the students to talk about the Greek story Pygmalion.

3. Learning ability goals 學(xué)能目標(biāo)

Help the students learn how to talk about the Greek story Pygmalion.

Teaching important points 教學(xué)重點

Help the students learn how to retell the story.

Teaching difficult points 教學(xué)難點

Help the students know the similarities and differences between the story and the play Pygmalion.

Teaching methods 教學(xué)方法

Discussion.

Teaching aids 教學(xué)準(zhǔn)備

A recorder, a computer and a projector.

Teaching procedures & ways 教學(xué)過程與方式

Step Ⅰ Lead-in

T: Has anyone heard of “the Pygmalion Effect”？What is it?

S1: The Pygmalion Effect is that people tend to behave as you expect they will. If you expect a person to take responsibility, they probably will. If you expect them not to even try, they probably won’t.

T: Good. How did you know?

S1: I have once read some Greek stories. And I have read the story Pygmalion before.

T: You’re great. If someone is good at writing, we often say he or she is a lucky dog of the Muses. Do you know where the saying comes from?

S1: It also comes from the Greek story.

Step Ⅱ Warming up

T: Yes. Today we are going to learn about a Greek story Pygmalion. First, look at the pictures on page 28. Please work in pairs and work out the story.

After a few minutes.

T: Now let’s have a look at the first picture. Who can tell me what’s in it with your own words?

S1: Let me try. Pygmalion was a very gifted artist. He spent a long time making a stone statue of a beautiful woman. It was so beautiful that he couldn’t help loving it and wanted it to be his wife.

T: Wonderful! And who can follow it?

S2: But it was only a stone. How could he make his dream become true? He thought and thought and at last he asked the Greek Goddess to help him to bring it to life.

T: You did a good job. But did his dream become true at last?

S3: Yes! The Greek Goddess agreed to help and his wish was granted.

T: Now who can present the complete story based on the above description?

S4: Let me try. Pygmalion was a gifted artist. One day, he decided to make a stone statue of a beautiful woman. He worked day and night and at last he finished. Then he clothed the figure, decorated it with the jewellery, and even named it the Sleeping Love. The work was so beautiful that he couldn’t help thinking that if the statue could be brought to life, he’d very much like it to be his wife. Therefore, he asked the Greek Goddess to help make it alive. Finally the Goddess was moved by his sincerity. His wish was granted. Pygmalion threw himself to his feet, the girl smelt down at him. Afterwards, they fell in love with each other and married.

T: Wonderful! You did a good job! Now let’s have a discussion. Do you think that Pygmalion and his statue-wife will be happy together?

S: No, I don’t think so.

T: What problems do you think they will have?

S1: Maybe they can’t understand each other, because they come from different world.

S2: It’s very hard for Pygmalion to understand his wife, because his wife is made from a stone. She doesn’t know the words, behavior, anything about him.

…

T: Good. How do you think they might solve them?

S3: Pygmalion loves the girl so much that he decides to teach her how to speak and how to behave herself. Little by little, they understand each other well and live happily.

T: Good imagination! The story is so interesting that it was made into a film My Fair Lady, which was based on the play by Bernard Shaw. Do you know this famous playwright?

Step Ⅲ Discussion

Make a brief introduction about Shaw.

T: George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist, literary critic, a socialist spokesman, and a leading figure in the 20th century theater. Shaw was a freethinker, defender of women’s rights, and advocate of equality of income. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Shaw accepted the honour but refused the money. He was a very humorous playwright. Here is a story about him. One day, Shaw took part in a grand party, in which he met the then Prime Minister Churchill. Churchill was very fat at that time whereas Shaw was very thin. Churchill said to Shaw very sharply, “When people see you, they will know how poor your country is”. And then Shaw answered very quickly, “When people see you, they will know the reason why our country is so poor.” From it we can see how witty Shaw is!

T: Have you seen the film My Fair Lady？

S1: Yes. It was about a flower girl who became a lady in the upper class, helped by the expert in phonetics, Professor Higgins.

T: Do you like the film? Why?

S1: Yes, I do. What makes “My Fair Lady” special is the great musical score by Mr. Loewe with lyrics by Mr. Lerner. Most of the songs are by now, standards that have delighted us since they were written and have been sung by practically all the best singers of the world.

Ｔ: Very good. They both have the same theme. In the play, a poor-educated flower girl in the street at last became a lady, just as surprising as a stone became a beautiful woman in the Greek story. Now can you tell me the similarities between the Greek story and the play? You can discuss it with your partner.

S2: Both women made big changes. In the Greek story, the statue was brought to life; while in the play Pygmalion, the flower girl Eliza was brought up to the upper class.

T: Good. What else?

S3: In the Greek story, Pygmalion is a gifted artist, whereas in the play Pygmalion, Higgins is an expert in phonetics.

Step Ⅳ Homework

Ask the students to do the following.

1. Find more information about Pygmalion.

2. Pre-read the play to see if they can understand well.