EARLY START RUSSIAN 3. What’s your name? Как тебя зовут? Part A: What’s your name? Activities
WARM UP ❑ Before watching film A1, have a brief “warm up” session to remind pupils of the Russian words and phrases they already know. Open the lesson using the Russian greetings and asking children how they are. Talk about different ways people introduce each other. Can pupils think of situations when they have been asked to give their name? When taking part in language games and activities, we suggest that pupils should pronounce their own names as they would normally - and not to “translate” them. There will be plenty of other activities that give children practice saying Russian names. ❑ Watch film A1: “What’s your name?” Children saying their names Boys and girls say just their first names. Children introducing themselves: The children now use the full phrase “Меня зовут ... (plus first name)”. The sequence finishes with Father Frost saying “My name is Father Frost” Calling the register The teacher calls each child’s name. They reply, “Good morning”.
Film A1: Belka asks Strelka how she is
Film A1: “Меня зовут Саша” - “My name is Sasha”
Question and answer: Children reply to the questions “Hello, how are you?” followed by, “What’s your name?” GET USED TO THE SOUNDS - online flashcards with sound and optional text
SHOW 03 FLASHCARDS: My name is..... ❑ Echoing: Select ‘Names’ on the online flashcards. Show each film clip with sound and text ON; pupils echo, e.g. “Меня зовут Саша”. Explore the range of sounds heard in the Russian children’s names Pupils echo the phrase each time. ❑ What do they notice about the names? e.g. how many names end with the sound “а”? How many names include a “sh” sound? Which names sound very similar to familiar British names? Which names do they think are very popular in Russia?
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3. What’s your name? ❑ Greet the class and introduce yourself: “Меня зовут Kate Smith” (pronounce your name as you normally do). Explain to pupils that a Russian teacher would be addressed by both their first name and patronymic rather than “Mrs”, “Miss” or “Mr”. ❑ If your class has a puppet that you pretend is Russian let him introduce himself: “Меня зовут X (his name).” Introduce yourself to the puppet, e.g. “Меня зовут X Y” (your first name and surname); then ask his name: “Как тебя зовут? ” The puppet says his name.
online Teacher Preparation
A1: NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
Как тебя зовут? What's your name?
Literally: How do they call you?
Меня зовут ... - My name is ... Literally: They call me ...
Меня зовут Дед Мороз
RESPOND WITH UNDERSTANDING My name is Father Frost ❑ Everybody stands in a circle. You start Click the online Teacher Preparation section which the game by saying “Меня зовут X Y (your presents the pronunciation of all the new words and name).” phrases - together with simple language awareness points. As you ask “Как тебя зовут?” throw a soft ball to the pupil you wish to answer. S/he catches the ball and says “Меня зовут ... (his/her name)” and throws the ball to another pupil asking, “Как тебя зовут?” Continue this until everyone has had a turn. ❑ A variation on the game described above; everyone forms a circle again. You start the game by saying “Меня зовут X Y (your name), “Как тебя зовут?” to the pupil standing next to you. S/he tells you his/her name then turns to the next person and says “Меня зовут ... (his/her name), “Как тебя зовут?” This continues round the circle. ❑ You can also try a “Mexican wave”. Pupils form a circle with their chairs. Each pupil says “Меня зовут ... ”(his/her name) one after the other in rapid succession. As they speak, they stand up and promptly sit down again as soon as they have said who they are. The “wave” can take place around each of the class tables if the children normally sit in groups. See which group completes the circuit first. ❑ When everyone has practised saying what their name is and asking the question, “What’s your name?”, you can find out about how Russian names work and also introduce the names of some famous Russian people, using the “Talking point” presentations.
Singing Russian
❑ Watch film A2: Song: “Как тебя зовут?” Play the song again. Children join in singing alongside the Russian children. To begin with, we suggest that the whole class sings both the question and the response. When confident pupils are ready, they could sing their name as individuals as the Russian children do in the film.
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Как тебя зовут? What’s your name?
Как тебя зовут? What’s your name?
Привет! Меня зовут (Саша). Hello! My name’s (Sasha).
Меня зовут (Саша). My name’s (Sasha)
EARLY START RUSSIAN Part B: introduce yourself and your friends Activities
WARM UP ❑ Watch film B1: “Introductions”
Pupils may not understand every word, but can work out from clues what is happening.
Greeting people by name: First different adults and children greet each other by name. I’m ... and this is... We then see children introducing themselves and their friends, e.g. “I’m Sasha and this is Misha”. Who’s this? We hear the question, “Who’s this?” as we see different people. The voice tells us who they are: “This is (Alexandra) and this is (Isabella)”. The sequence finishes with another glimpse of the space dogs: “This is Belka and this is Strelka”.
online Teacher Preparation
B1: NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
Кто это? - Who’s this? это ... - this is ... Я - I’m
a - and Я Катя а это Оскар
I’m Katya and this is Oscar Click the online Teacher Preparation section which presents the pronunciation of all the new words and phrases - together with simple language awareness points.
GET USED TO THE SOUNDS ❑ Echoing: Move around the class introducing different pupils, e.g. “это Sam” (This is Sam). Pupils echo the phrase. RESPOND WITH UNDERSTANDING ❑ Ask pupils to introduce themselves and the person sitting next to them, e.g. “Привет! Я James и это Alex” (Hello! I’m James and this is Alex).
Film B1: Children introduce their friends
❑ Now point to different pupils and ask, “Кто это?” (Who’s this?) Pupils reply, “Это (child’s name)”. ❑ Play “Who is it?”: Ask a child to point to someone and ask, “Кто это?” You reply “это Emma”. If you give the correct name, pupils say, “Да, это Emma” (Yes, it’s Emma). If you give the wrong name they say, “Нет, это Daisy!” (No, it’s Daisy!) ❑ Play Fantasy names: When you have introduced pupils to some famous Russian people, you can play variations on many of the games listed in this chapter by using the names of famous Russians they know. ❑ Ask pupils to introduce their “famous” friend e.g. “Привет! Я (child’s own name) и это (Анна Павлова” (Hello! I’m (X) and this is Anna Pavlova).
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3. What’s your name? ❑ Ask pupils to reply to the question, “Как тебя зовут?” with either their own name or the name of a famous Russian. Pupils say either “Да”or “Нет” (Yes or No).
CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
❑ PE: The pupils line up in three teams. The child at the front of each line turns to the person behind and says “Меня зовут ... (his/her name) Как тебя зовут? ” The second child then says his/her name and turns to the person next in line and asks “Как тебя зовут?” and so on. The child at the back of the line runs to the front and the sequence is repeated. The winning team is the first one back in the original order. ❑ Drama: Pupils can use their puppets to extend their conversations. They can now greet each other, ask how they are and introduce themselves. Pupils work in pairs. Each pair decides which emotions or characteristics they are going to express through their puppet’s conversation, e.g. “happy”, “shy”, “angry.” The rest of the class has to guess which emotion is being portrayed.
Talking point 1:
SOME FAMOUS RUSSIAN PEOPLE
SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY Ю́рий Алексе́евич Гага́рин Yury Alekseyevich Gagarin (1934-1968) was the first man in space. He was rocketed into orbit on April 12, 1961, aboard the Vostok I spacecraft. His famous phrase at the very start “Поехали!” (Let’s go!) will always be a motto for world pioneers. He orbited the earth once and after 108 minutes his craft parachuted safely down.
Yury Alekseyevich Gagarin
DANCE Анна Павловна Павлова Anna Pavlovna Pavlova (1881-1931)is widely regarded as one of the finest classical ballet dancers in history and was most noted as a Principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballet Russes of Serge Diaghilev. Pavlova is most recognised for the creation of the rôle The Dying Swan and, with her own company, would become the first ballerina to tour ballet around the world.
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Anna Pavlova
EARLY START RUSSIAN MUSIC Пётр Ильич Чайковский Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a 19th century Russian composer of the Romantic era. He wrote some of the most popular classical music, including the ballets “Swan Lake”, “The Sleeping Beauty” and “The Nutcracker” and the opera “Eugene Onegin”. LITERATURE Лев Николаевич Толстой Lyev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Known in Britain as Leo Tolstoy 1828-1910) was a 19th century Russian writer widely regarded one of the greatest novelists of all times. His masterpieces “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina” represent a vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Leo Tolstoy
Our suggestions here are just a few examples of the many possibilities. We will introduce other famous Russians in later chapters.
❑ Pupils could research other famous Russian people - both historical and contemporary. These can be incorporated into games such as “Fantasy Names” and can also be used as starting points for a variety of activities in different curriculum areas.
Talking point 2:
HOW RUSSIAN NAMES WORK Each Russian person has three names: a first name + a patronymic + and a surname For example: Иван Иванович Иванов Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov FIRST NAMES: First names have formal and diminutive (or informal) forms. For example: Formal Informal Иван (Ivan) becomes Ваня (Vanya) Александр (Aleksandr) becomes Саша (Sasha) Екатерина (Yekaterina) becomes Катя (Katya) Наталия (Natalia) becomes Наташа (Natasha) Diminutives are very common in in English. For example: Samuel/Sam; Daniel/Dan; Benjamin/Ben; Elizabeth/Liz; Rebecca/Becca. The most common diminutives are those that are short forms of the original name, very often from the first syllable or sound of the name. Diminutives can also be formed by adding a suffix to the original name or the name’s short form: in English the -y/-ie suffix is very common, leading to diminutives like: Charlie, Alfie, Sammy, Freddy, Debbie, Abby, Maddy. Usually, full Russian first names (but not the diminutive forms) that end in -а are women’s names.
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3. What’s your name? PATRONYMICS: Patronymics are formed from the name of the person’s father: Иван (Ivan) and Наталия (Natalia) have a father, Иван (Ivan). The son, Иван (Ivan), is called Иван Иванович (Ivan Ivanovich) which literally means, “Ivan son of Ivan”. His sister, Наталия (Natalia) is called Наталия Ивановна (Natalia Ivanovna) which means, “ Natalia Daughter of Ivan”. Male patronymics end in -ович (ovich) or -евич (evich). Female patronymics end in -овна (ovna) or -евна (evna). Patronymics are generally used together with full first names, especially in formal situations, eg, when a child addresses a teacher. SURNAMES Russian surnames vary depending on whether you are male or female. MALE FEMALE
Иванов (Ivanov) Путин (Putin) Толстой (Tolstoy) Достоевский (Dostoevsky)
Иванова (Ivanova) Путина (Putina) Толстая (Tolstoya) Достоевская (Dostoevskya)
These Russian surnames have the most typical endings.
❑ Talk about the origins of first names and surnames in your own culture, perhaps taking your pupils’ names as an example. Parents may be able to help with suggestions if they have researched their own family name - or the names they gave to their children. ❑ You could replay films A1 and B1 and/or the online flashcards. Many of the children give the diminutive form of their name. Can pupils identify which these may be? Which names occur more than once? Compare what you find out with the “talking point” information on Russian names.
EXTRA WORDS AND PHRASES
Кто это? Это Катя? Нет, это Изабелла да нет Как вас зовут?
Click the online Teacher Preparation section which presents the pronunciation of all the new words and phrases - together with simple language awareness points.
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online Teacher Preparation
- Who’s this? Is it Katya? -
No, it’s Isabella yes no What’s your name? (formal)
Used by adults meeting for the first time in a formal context, such as a business meeting.