Unit Two The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl Elizabeth Wong I.Teaching Aims: 1.To get students know the style of narrative writing. 2.To have students understand the components of intercultural competence. 3.To get students grasp the key words and sentence structures. II.Teaching Importance and Difficulties: 1.Understand the author's main purpose of writing the essay 2.Know the writing strategies of the text. 3.Grasp the key language points in the text. III.Teaching periods:6 periods IV.Teaching steps: 1.Pre-reading activities 1)Some people think living in another culture is not difficult if one assumes the right attitude.What do you think? 2)What do you think are the essentials of successful cross-cultural communication? 2.Information related to the text: About the text:Intercultural competence:Briefly,intercultural competence involves five elements: Attitudes:curiosity and openness,readiness to suspend disbelief about other cultures and belief about one's own. Knowledge:of social groups and their products and practices in one's own and in one's interlocutor's country,and of the general processes of societal and individual interaction. Skills of interpreting and relating:ability to interpret a document or event from another culture,to explain it and relate it to documents from one's own. Skills of discovery and interaction:ability to acquire new knowledge of a culture and cultural practices and the ability to operate knowledge, attitudes and skills under the constraints of real-time communication and interaction. Critical cultural awareness/political education:an ability to evaluate critically and on the basis of explicit criteria perspectives,practices and products in one's own and other cultures and countries. In short,someone with some degree of intercultural competence is someone who is able to see relationships between different cultures-both internal and external to a society -and is able to mediate,that is interpret each in terms of the other,either for themselves or for other people.It is also someone who has a critical or analytical understanding of (parts of)their own and other cultures-someone who is conscious of their own perspective,of the way in which their thinking is culturally determined, rather than believing that their understand ing and perspective is natural Assessing knowledge is thus only a small part of what is involved and what needs to be assessed is learners'ability to step outside,to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange,and to act on that change of perspective
Unit Two The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl Elizabeth Wong I. Teaching Aims: 1. To get students know the style of narrative writing. 2. To have students understand the components of intercultural competence. 3. To get students grasp the key words and sentence structures. II. Teaching Importance and Difficulties: 1. Understand the author’s main purpose of writing the essay. 2. Know the writing strategies of the text. 3. Grasp the key language points in the text. III. Teaching periods: 6 periods IV. Teaching steps: 1. Pre-reading activities 1) Some people think living in another culture is not difficult if one assumes the right attitude. What do you think? 2) What do you think are the essentials of successful cross-cultural communication? 2. Information related to the text: About the text: Intercultural competence: Briefly, intercultural competence involves five elements: Attitudes: curiosity and openness, readiness to suspend disbelief about other cultures and belief about one's own. Knowledge: of social groups and their products and practices in one's own and in one's interlocutor's country, and of the general processes of societal and individual interaction. Skills of interpreting and relating: ability to interpret a document or event from another culture, to explain it and relate it to documents from one's own. Skills of discovery and interaction: ability to acquire new knowledge of a culture and cultural practices and the ability to operate knowledge, attitudes and skills under the constraints of real-time communication and interaction. Critical cultural awareness/political education: an ability to evaluate critically and on the basis of explicit criteria perspectives, practices and products in one's own and other cultures and countries. In short, someone with some degree of intercultural competence is someone who is able to see relationships between different cultures - both internal and external to a society - and is able to mediate, that is interpret each in terms of the other, either for themselves or for other people. It is also someone who has a critical or analytical understanding of (parts of) their own and other cultures - someone who is conscious of their own perspective, of the way in which their thinking is culturally determined, rather than believing that their understanding and perspective is natural. Assessing knowledge is thus only a small part of what is involved and what needs to be assessed is learners' ability to step outside, to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange, and to act on that change of perspective
Most difficult of all is to assess whether students have changed their attitudes,become more tolerant of difference and the unfamiliar.This is affective and moral development and it can be argued that even if we can assess it,we should not be trying to quantify tolerance.I would agree with this if assessment implies quantification and a judgement made by a teacher or examiner on a student,but this is only one kind of assessment.If however,assessment is not in terms of tests and traditional examinations,but rather in terms of producing a record of learners' competences,then a portfolio approach is possible and in fact desirable. 3.Detailed Study of the Text: Text Analysis The whole text can be divided into 4 parts. Part I.(para.1):It provides the background of the narrative text. Part II.(Para.2-Para.7):It dynamically and vividly describes their forced walks to the Chinese school,the stern principal,the classroom,the polite formality with which lessons started,etc. Part III.(Para.8-Para.11):It specifically and graphically depicts the language gap within the extended family:between the writer and her grandmother and between her brother and mother. Part IV.(Para.12-Para.14):The author expressed her sorrow for not having been able to become a real American. Analysis Part I(Para.1): It is the beginning of the narrative text.From this we readers learn that the Chinese school on Yale Street,where the author and her brother used to go 10 years ago continues to exist there,remaining remarkably and stoically the same,despite its new coat of paint and it fence. Discussion questions (1)Why do you think the school was newly painted? As the Chinese school is rather old,its outside must have been discolored and dirty. To make it look attractive,the school was newly painted as a kind of face-lift (2)What does the existence of the old school imply? The Chinese school is still there,which implies that still there are many Chinese children attending Chinese lessons in the school.Although they live abroad,Chinese parents never forget their own culture and their own language and require that their children learn their mother tongue. Language work 1.Despite the new coat of paint and the high wire fence,the school I knew 10 years ago remains remarkably,stoically the same. Although covered with a new coat of paint and enclosed with a high wire fence,the school I knew 10 years ago continues to be the same,showing remarkable defiance of the vicissitudes of time. 2.fence:n.structure of rails,stakes,wire,etc.,esp.one put round a field or garden to mark a boundary or keep animals from straying
Most difficult of all is to assess whether students have changed their attitudes, become more tolerant of difference and the unfamiliar. This is affective and moral development and it can be argued that even if we can assess it, we should not be trying to quantify tolerance. I would agree with this if assessment implies quantification and a judgement made by a teacher or examiner on a student, but this is only one kind of assessment. If however, assessment is not in terms of tests and traditional examinations, but rather in terms of producing a record of learners' competences, then a portfolio approach is possible and in fact desirable. 3. Detailed Study of the Text: Text Analysis The whole text can be divided into 4 parts. Part I. (para. 1): It provides the background of the narrative text. Part II. (Para. 2-Para. 7): It dynamically and vividly describes their forced walks to the Chinese school, the stern principal, the classroom, the polite formality with which lessons started, etc. Part III. (Para. 8-Para. 11): It specifically and graphically depicts the language gap within the extended family: between the writer and her grandmother and between her brother and mother. Part IV. (Para. 12-Para. 14): The author expressed her sorrow for not having been able to become a real American. Analysis Part I (Para. 1): It is the beginning of the narrative text. From this we readers learn that the Chinese school on Yale Street, where the author and her brother used to go 10 years ago continues to exist there, remaining remarkably and stoically the same, despite its new coat of paint and it fence. Discussion questions (1) Why do you think the school was newly painted? As the Chinese school is rather old, its outside must have been discolored and dirty. To make it look attractive, the school was newly painted as a kind of face-lift. (2) What does the existence of the old school imply? The Chinese school is still there, which implies that still there are many Chinese children attending Chinese lessons in the school. Although they live abroad, Chinese parents never forget their own culture and their own language and require that their children learn their mother tongue. Language work 1. Despite the new coat of paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew 10 years ago remains remarkably, stoically the same. Although covered with a new coat of paint and enclosed with a high wire fence, the school I knew 10 years ago continues to be the same, showing remarkable defiance of the vicissitudes of time. 2. fence: n. structure of rails, stakes, wire, etc., esp. one put round a field or garden to mark a boundary or keep animals from straying
e.g.: (1)The backyard is enclosed with a high wire fence. (2)The field is surrounded with a stake fence. vt.surround,divide,or enclose a field,a garden,etc.with a fence e.g.: (1)His land is fenced with barbed wire. (2)The grounds are fenced in to prevent trespassing 3.stoically:adv.with great self-control and a strong will to endure pain,discomfort, or misfortune without complaining about it or showing signs of feeling it e.g.: (1)She behaved stoically during the final phase of her husband's illness. (2)They endured all kinds of hardships stoically. Part II.(Para.2-Para.7): Discussion questions (1)What do you know about the headmaster of the Chinese school according to the author's descriptions? He is a stern man who treats the children severely.He tends to punish those children who are lazy,naughty,and poor in their studies,as well as those who violate the school discipline. (2)How did the author describe the classroom where they attended Chinese lessons? There were little chairs in an empty auditorium. (3)What else was stressed in the Chinese school besides the emphasis on speaking, reading and writing? Politeness was also emphasized in the school.The lessons always began with an exercise in politeness.With the entrance of the teacher,the best student would tap a bell and all the children would get up,kowtow,and chant,"Sing san ho,the phonetic for "How are you,teacher?" (4)What things did the writer consider to be more important and more useful than learning Chinese? She considered the following things to be more important and more useful:doing multiplication tables,naming the satellites of Mars,writing reports on Little Women and Black Beauty. Language work 1.sneak:vi.go quietly and secretly in the direction specified e.g.: (1)He stole the money and sneaked out of the house. (2)The cat ate the food and sneaked off. (3)A thief took all the jewels and sneaked away. 2.the empty lot:the vacant or unoccupied area or land 3.plead:v.make repeated urgent requests;offer sth.as an explanation or excuse, esp.for failing to do sth.or for doing sth.wrong. e.g.: (1)He pleaded with his parents for a more understanding attitude
e.g.: (1) The backyard is enclosed with a high wire fence. (2) The field is surrounded with a stake fence. vt. surround, divide, or enclose a field, a garden, etc. with a fence e.g.: (1) His land is fenced with barbed wire. (2) The grounds are fenced in to prevent trespassing 3. stoically: adv. with great self-control and a strong will to endure pain, discomfort, or misfortune without complaining about it or showing signs of feeling it e.g.: (1) She behaved stoically during the final phase of her husband's illness. (2)They endured all kinds of hardships stoically. Part II. (Para. 2-Para. 7): Discussion questions (1) What do you know about the headmaster of the Chinese school according to the author's descriptions? He is a stern man who treats the children severely. He tends to punish those children who are lazy, naughty, and poor in their studies, as well as those who violate the school discipline. (2) How did the author describe the classroom where they attended Chinese lessons? There were little chairs in an empty auditorium. (3) What else was stressed in the Chinese school besides the emphasis on speaking, reading and writing? Politeness was also emphasized in the school. The lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. With the entrance of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and all the children would get up, kowtow, and chant, "Sing san ho, " the phonetic for "How are you, teacher?" (4) What things did the writer consider to be more important and more useful than learning Chinese? She considered the following things to be more important and more useful: doing multiplication tables, naming the satellites of Mars, writing reports on Little Women and Black Beauty. Language work 1. sneak: vi. go quietly and secretly in the direction specified e.g.: (1) He stole the money and sneaked out of the house. (2) The cat ate the food and sneaked off. (3) A thief took all the jewels and sneaked away. 2. the empty lot: the vacant or unoccupied area or land 3. plead: v. make repeated urgent requests; offer sth. as an explanation or excuse, esp. for failing to do sth. or for doing sth. wrong. e.g.: (1) He pleaded with his parents for a more understanding attitude
(2)She pleaded with him not to leave her alone. (3)The boy pleaded to be allowed to ride on the tractor. 4.dissuade:vt.stop sb.from doing sth.by persuasion e.g.: (1)He wrote a book to dissuade people from using tobacco. (2)Jim's father tried to dissuade him from marrying Mary. 5.solidly:adv.firmly and substantially e.g.: (1)The house has a solidly-built foundation. (2)We are solidly united on this issue. 6.heritage:n.such things as works of art,cultural achievements and folklore that have been passed on from earlier generations;property that has been or may be inherited by an heir e.g.: (1)These ancient buildings are part of our national heritage. (2)She is the only heir who is entitled to the heritage. 7.No amount of kicking,screaming,or pleading could dissuade my mother,who was solidly determined to have us learn the language of our heritage No matter how desperately my brother and I resisted going to the Chinese school, kicking,yelling,or repeatedly begging,we could not make our mother change her mind,because she was determined to get us to learn Chinese,our mother tongue, which had been passed down from generation to generation. 8.forcibly:adv.done by or involving the use of physical force;forcefully e.g.: (1)The policemen entered the building forcibly. (2)The pirates forcibly seized our ship as well as the cargo on it. 9.deposit:vt.lay or put sth.down;put money in a bank,esp.to earn interest e.g.: (1)He deposited his papers with his lawyers. (2)He deposited the books on the desk. (3)The money he's deposited in the bank is enough for a new car 10.defiant:adj.openly opposing or resisting sb.or sth e.g.: (1)The trade union adopted a defiant attitude toward the boss's threat. (2)The hardliners are angrily defiant of the government's refusal and threaten to take action. 11.the stern principal:the very disciplinary head of the school; 12.Forcibly,she walked us the seven long,hilly blocks from our home to school, depositing our defiant tearful faces before the stern principal. From our home to school there are seven long groups of buildings bounded by streets on all sides and erected on hilly slopes.She forced us to walk past these blocks, leaving both of us in front of the grim and serious headmaster,our faces showing rebellious reluctance and wet with tears 13.sway:v.waver,oscillate irregularly
(2) She pleaded with him not to leave her alone. (3) The boy pleaded to be allowed to ride on the tractor. 4. dissuade: vt. stop sb. from doing sth. by persuasion e.g.: (1) He wrote a book to dissuade people from using tobacco. (2) Jim's father tried to dissuade him from marrying Mary. 5. solidly: adv. firmly and substantially e.g.: (1) The house has a solidly-built foundation. (2) We are solidly united on this issue. 6. heritage: n. such things as works of art, cultural achievements and folklore that have been passed on from earlier generations; property that has been or may be inherited by an heir e.g.: (1) These ancient buildings are part of our national heritage. (2) She is the only heir who is entitled to the heritage. 7. No amount of kicking, screaming, or pleading could dissuade my mother, who was solidly determined to have us learn the language of our heritage No matter how desperately my brother and I resisted going to the Chinese school, kicking, yelling, or repeatedly begging, we could not make our mother change her mind, because she was determined to get us to learn Chinese, our mother tongue, which had been passed down from generation to generation. 8. forcibly: adv. done by or involving the use of physical force; forcefully e.g.: (1)The policemen entered the building forcibly. (2) The pirates forcibly seized our ship as well as the cargo on it. 9. deposit: vt. lay or put sth. down; put money in a bank, esp. to earn interest e.g.: (1) He deposited his papers with his lawyers. (2)He deposited the books on the desk. (3) The money he's deposited in the bank is enough for a new car 10. defiant: adj. openly opposing or resisting sb. or sth. e.g.: (1) The trade union adopted a defiant attitude toward the boss's threat. (2) The hardliners are angrily defiant of the government's refusal and threaten to take action. 11. the stern principal: the very disciplinary head of the school; 12. Forcibly, she walked us the seven long, hilly blocks from our home to school, depositing our defiant tearful faces before the stern principal. From our home to school there are seven long groups of buildings bounded by streets on all sides and erected on hilly slopes. She forced us to walk past these blocks, leaving both of us in front of the grim and serious headmaster, our faces showing rebellious reluctance and wet with tears 13. sway: v. waver, oscillate irregularly
e.g.: (1)She swayed her body in time with the music. (2)The wind is swaying the tall grass. (3)She swayed the cradle with her foot until the baby went to sleep. (4)The trees were swaying gently in the wind 14.clasp:vt.hold sb.or sth.tightly in the hand;hold sb.tightly in one's arms e.g.: (1)She was clasping a knife. (2)The couple clasped hands briefly before saying good-bye. (3)He clasped her to his chest. l5.witching hands::hands that were moving spasmodically痉挛地，hands with muscles moving rapidly and involuntarily;hands that were violently jerking 16.maniacal:adj.violently mad;extremely enthusiastic e.g.: (1)We hate his maniacal behavior. (2)The maniacal expression on his face scared his wife to death (3)These young men are maniacal about football matches. 17.I recognized him as a repressed maniacal child killer,and knew that if we ever saw his hands we'd be in big trouble In my opinion,the principal was a man who suffered from suppression of emotions and who was so stern and severe that he would be liable to beat up a child.And I knew if we ever saw his twitching hands,we would be in for severe physical punishment,extreme pain,anxiety and worry,etc. 18.The room smelled like Chinese medicine,an imported faraway mustiness. The room gave off a smell very similar to that of Chinese medicine,a stale,mouldy, and damp smell drifting in from a faraway place. 19.mothball:n.a small ball made of a strong-smelling substance,used for keeping moths away from stored clothes,books,etc. e.g.: (1)She regularly puts mothballs in her wardrobe. (2)She placed two mothballs in the pockets of each of the woolen sweaters and jackets. 20.closet:n.a cupboard or small room for storing things e.g.: This is a very spacious apartment with three big bedrooms,a large hall,a sitting-room, two toilets,a big kitchen,a closet,and two balconies. 21.Like ancient mothballs or dirty closets. This is a prepositional phrase,but it stands alone like an independent clause.In fact,it is part of the previous sentence.We can incorporate it in the previous sentence:The room smelled like Chinese medicine,an imported faraway mustiness,or like ancient mothballs or dirty closets.This structure is known as a sentence fragment,which has a stressed falling tone.Therefore,its meaning is given prominence.The writer intended to make it stand alone like a sentence,because she wanted to emphasize the permeation of the room with a very bad smell just like that given off by mothballs or
e.g.: (1)She swayed her body in time with the music. (2) The wind is swaying the tall grass. (3) She swayed the cradle with her foot until the baby went to sleep. (4) The trees were swaying gently in the wind 14. clasp: vt. hold sb. or sth. tightly in the hand; hold sb. tightly in one's arms e.g.: (1) She was clasping a knife. (2) The couple clasped hands briefly before saying good-bye. (3) He clasped her to his chest. 15. witching hands: hands that were moving spasmodically 痉挛地; hands with muscles moving rapidly and involuntarily; hands that were violently jerking 16. maniacal: adj. violently mad; extremely enthusiastic e.g.: (1) We hate his maniacal behavior. (2) The maniacal expression on his face scared his wife to death. (3) These young men are maniacal about football matches. 17. I recognized him as a repressed maniacal child killer, and knew that if we ever saw his hands we'd be in big trouble. In my opinion, the principal was a man who suffered from suppression of emotions and who was so stern and severe that he would be liable to beat up a child. And I knew if we ever saw his twitching hands, we would be in for severe physical punishment, extreme pain, anxiety and worry, etc. 18. The room smelled like Chinese medicine, an imported faraway mustiness. The room gave off a smell very similar to that of Chinese medicine, a stale, mouldy, and damp smell drifting in from a faraway place. 19. mothball: n. a small ball made of a strong-smelling substance, used for keeping moths away from stored clothes, books, etc. e.g.: (1) She regularly puts mothballs in her wardrobe. (2) She placed two mothballs in the pockets of each of the woolen sweaters and jackets. 20. closet: n. a cupboard or small room for storing things e.g.: This is a very spacious apartment with three big bedrooms, a large hall, a sitting-room, two toilets, a big kitchen, a closet, and two balconies. 21. Like ancient mothballs or dirty closets. This is a prepositional phrase, but it stands alone like an independent clause. In fact, it is part of the previous sentence. We can incorporate it in the previous sentence: The room smelled like Chinese medicine, an imported faraway mustiness, or like ancient mothballs or dirty closets. This structure is known as a sentence fragment, which has a stressed falling tone. Therefore, its meaning is given prominence. The writer intended to make it stand alone like a sentence, because she wanted to emphasize the permeation of the room with a very bad smell just like that given off by mothballs or