AN ARGUMENT

FOR THE OPTIONAL COURSE ACROSS CULTURESLevel: 9th grade, 1 class/ week

This course addresses 9th graders who study English as a first foreign language, in a

number of five classes a week.

Enlarging their sphere of knowledge beyond the curricula was expected by our

students.

The present optional course will provide further support for children’s interest in issues

less insisted upon in any textbooks their level: dialects, varieties of English, legends, customs,

traditions; present- day reference to each of these sections is also being made; but, most

importantly, it is meant to provide enough information as to enable them to compare and

contrast between same generations, situated on the other sides of the world. At the end of the

course, students will have been able to state whether culture, civilization and, implicitly, the

foreign languages which allow us to get to know them can be considered passports.

Across Cultures , by Elizabeth Sharman- is one of the best cross-cultural course

books; it has a wide range of cultural information on topics such as civilization, literature,

music, language, history, geography, society, etc of the English-speaking world. I also

strongly recommend it for FCE-preparation or for the Higher Mature Exams.

The book is organised into modules and there is the possibility to focus particularly on one of

the countries.

Across Cultures is a new modular, flexible, user-friendly course which presents a wide

variety of material on the English-speaking world. Traditional topics, such as geography and

institutions, are fully covered, along with the most up-to-date themes and topics.

The aid of the audio materials considered, the course is most likely to bring about excitement,

curiousity, enthusiasm and the need for more.

Liceul Disciplina: limba engleză, curs opţional Număr de ore/ săptămână: 1Profesor: Clasa: a IX-a Materiale: ACROSS CULTURES, BY Elizabeth Sharman, textbook and CDAn şcolar:

PLANIFICAREA ORELOR PENTRU CURSUL OPŢIONAL, CLASA a IX-a A

Nr. crt. Unitatea de învăţare Competenţe specifice vizate

Conţinuturi Nr. ore

Perioada Modalităţi de evaluare

Obs.

1. An Introduction to the concept of “culture” 2.3

3.13.2

Students become familiar with several definitions of the term “culture”, then debate and state whether culture, as a phenomenon can be treated separately

1 1st W Debate

2. Culture as “the deeper underground”

2.33.13.23.35.1

Further focus on non-separable concepts spinning around “culture”- individual and group values

1 2nd W Presentation

3 Everyday Life 2.33.13.23.35.1

Arguing whether cultural differences are always negative in meaning; tolerance ; gastronomy- the reflection of a society’s taste and evolution; hobbies and personal growth; families; me at the centre of the family; me/ the others( as in” non- versus”) ; varieties of English or... fun with dialects

2 3rd W; 4th W

Listening and reading- based assess-ments

4. Habitats and Homelands

1.21.32.12.23.2

House and family- assertive development components ; lifestyles; adjectives of measurement

3 5th W;6th W;7th W;

Essay: My Place

5. Links with the Past 3.13.25.1

British history; American history; word building; words related to army

3 8th W;9th W10th W;

Cloze test

6. States and Systems 3.24.14.25.1

Rigour and development; forms of government; national celebrations; prejudice; law and law infringements

311th W; 12th W

13th W

Essay:

My freedom manifesto

7. Society 2.33.13.23.35.1

Discrimination and (non-) evolution; equal rights- pro’s and con’s; basic rights and freedoms; single parents

414th W; 15th W, 16th W17th W

Quiz; essay: My most special/ most feared freedom

8. Consolidation 2.23.2

Self- awareness in the social context

1 18th W Debate

9. Education 2.33.13.23.35.1

Educating very young learners; state/ private schools; elite schools; educational systems; exams as forms of recognition ; words connected to education; dialects

4

19th W20th W21st W22nd W

Transcripts;Essay:My Vision of an Educational System

10. The Arts 3.24.14.25.1

The concept of “art”; samples of art; art and fame; contemporary approaches of “art”

3 23rd W; 24th W; 25th W

Project

11. Links to Literature 3.24.14.25.1

Deconstruction; poetry and drama; searching for one’s style in writing

4 26th- 29th W

Writing poetry by following specified patterns

12. Sports and Leisure 1.21.33.3

Hobbies; personality and pastime

2 30thW, 31st

WEssay: My time, my choice

13. Communication and technology

2.23.23.3

Hobbies; technology’s part in contemporary life

1 32nd W debate

14.Consolidation

3.24.14.25.1

Recycling of knowledge

2 33rd W;34th W

Cumulative test