Text only
Read this page in Vietnamese
 Print this page | E-mail this page| Add to favourites
British Council IBD Team
ELT and Technology News
What's new in the classroom
Article of the Week
Lesson Plan of the Week
Activity of the Week
Using literature in the classroom
Teach Pronunciation
Using literature in the classroom

If you are an English teacher looking for literature based materials, we can help you with texts, activities and listening materials

Next update: December 2009

BritLit
Using literature in the ELT classroom

Francesca Beard: Chinese Whispers

This project is something out of the ordinary for BritLit as it supports a major piece of performance poetry. The materials here have been designed to support a series of workshops and performances of ‘Chinese Whispers' by Francesca Beard, one of the UK's leading performance poets.

Classroom materials

Audio files

To download audio, right click on audio file  and save to your computer.

The performance is challenging, thought provoking, interactive and amusing. For the language learner it is a tricky event to negotiate - 60 minutes of fast monologue, punctuated with a few songs and some fun audience participation. Yet the topics dealt with are serious - identity and self-awareness, particularly when related to language and multi-culturalism. This kit helps teachers and students through some of the issues dealt with - from what happens when an altercation happens in a queue in Tesco's supermarket, through the problem of quantum mechanics and Schroedinger's cat (imagine you were the cat) to selecting your own ways to die.

The kit contains downloadable worksheets and projects and some audio files of Francesca performing parts of the show. This is very much a piece of work in progress and will be added to, and perhaps taken away from, from time to time. Should you want to discuss any of the material please contact brit.lit@pt.britishcouncil.org

Visit Francesca's own website at http://www.francescabeard.com

Find more BritiLit on our Teaching English site

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland)
Our privacy and copyright statements.
Our commitment to freedom of information. Double-click for pop-up dictionary.
 Positive About Disabled People Download Browsealoud