14. As-tu des frères et des soeurs?
1. hello and goodbye 1. hello and Goodbye Привет и пока
We start by introducing children to where the Russian language is spoken. They hear and learn to say their first Russian words, so they can greet people, and say goodbye. From this tiny initial vocabulary, you can develop a surprising number of enjoyable activities. These will help give pupils the satisfaction of using the new language for real and purposeful communication. With Russian, there’s the exciting extra dimension of seeing a whole new alphabet, and starting to work out the relation between what you read and the sounds you hear and say. You start developing children’s awareness of the typical sounds of the new language, with a first look at how those sounds are recorded in spelling. We will explore the idea that a language reflects the culture of the people who use it, and that what you say depends on who you are speaking to and when. Part A of this chapter offers ideas for “getting started”, with a first glimpse of Russia to prompt comparisons with your own community and how children use their mother tongue. Parts B and C introduce saying ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in the new language. Children can practise while the sounds are fresh in their minds.
Part A: introduction to russia Activities
Start by exploring what pupils think they already know about Russia: n What do they first think of when ‘Russia’ is mentioned? n As a class, make a list of things you know about Russia. n Has anyone in the class heard of any famous Russian people? ❑ Watch Presentation A1: ‘This is Russia’ Watch presentation A1, which shows Russia’s position on a world map; key places in Russia and highlights some important facts about the country and its history. The presentation shows children the size and diversity of Russia. It may confirm some of children’s preconceptions, e.g. it can be very cold! - but it also suggests interesting contrasts that can be explored as this introductory course unfolds.
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