PBI0021

English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

Learning Unit 3: Recounting Past Experiences OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the unit, students should be able to: 1. listen for specific information in oral personal and factual recounts 2. practice giving a recount orally using appropriate and accurate organization and tenses. 3. read recounts for specific info and sequence of events. 4. write recounts using appropriate and accurate organisation and language features of recounts.

Listening and Speaking

1. Have you ever been homesick? Share your experiences while answering the following questions about the picture.
Where is he? Who is the young men in the picture?

What is he thinking about?

How is he probably feeling?

Setting the Context a. When students move away to study in far away places, it is common practice to write home to recount events that had taken place (at least for the first few weeks). Task 1: The following letters come from two students from different times. Compare both writings and identify the basic features of personal recounts.
Dear father, Last week I received through Ptolemianos sixty three apples and another eleven from the wife of Serenus, and I wanted you to know that they have all vanished and I could not find any to give to the people whom you mentioned in your letter. So I bought some yesterday to have something to present to them today. I also wanted to inform you that I go everyday to Serapias, the woman who sells drinks, but she does not give me any to me, Everyday she says tomorrow, and this happens every day. If Isidoros gets his hair cut, what gift do you wish me to give him?
Cribiore, R. (2001). Letters from home- 1484. In Greek Education and Hellenistic Rome.

Dear Dad, (Audience/ context) Things are really happening this week in the university. I cant believe how busy we are at the moment. Last week, I attended my first English class at the University and I got lost looking for the right classroom. After walking in circles, I called up a friend and found the class. Then, I realized a day later that the English classes clashed with another class. So I have been asked to drop the class for another. I also want to inform you that I did go to the hostel to call on uncle Johns son Christopher. But he does not live on campus anymore. He lives at Desa Ilmu with his friends. He has a car now. If I see him, can I stay with him? Its crowded in the hostels. Gotta run. Bye.

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English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

b. Tips for writing good recounts Structure 1. Recounts are written in the past tense because they tell something that has already happened. Recounts can be informative as well as amusing. 2. When starting a recount, plan by thinking Who? What? When? and Why? 3. It is useful to start with an orientation paragraph that inform readers about the content of the recount. (Sort of a sneak preview). Sequence of events 4. It is important to recount events in a chronological order. (Draw a flow chart/ graphic organizer to help sequence events). e.g. Letter 1 -receiving apples -vanishing apples -purchasing additional apples - visiting Serapias Letter 2 -attending English Class - dropping classes - requesting for a change in class -visiting Christopher

5. Use connectives that signal time e.g. then, next, meanwhile, finally etc. Re-orientation/ Conclusion 6. The conclusion, or re-orientation, is where the writer or speaker can give personal opinions about the topic or event. The writer or speaker may also comment on how this event or topic may affect other things in the future. e.g. Letter 1 If Isidoros gets his hair cut, what gift do you wish me to give? Letter 2 If I see him, can I stay with him ?

c. Here are several forms of writings where recounts are used and their language features:
Personal letters, notes, messages, Journalistic Writing Newspaper reports, magazine Publicity Material leaflet, jingles, pamphlets

diaries, autobiographies

articles, obituaries Note taking Nonfiction books 2

Formal Documents CV police reports

schools reports

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English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

d. Language Features First person recounts

(it happened to me) e.g. letter, diary, an unforgettable experience Details include: . retelling your feelings . giving your opinion as well as present facts . being personal and informal in terms of writing styles Details include: . facts and supporting evidence, ( eg. quotes, statistics) .full names, dates and background details . more impersonal writing style Singular I, me, my, mine, myself Plural we, us, our, ours, ourselves

Third person recounts

(it happened to someone else) e.g. newspaper report, nonfiction book

Singular he/she/it him/her/ it his/her/its/himself/herself/itself Plural they, them, their, theirs, themselves

e. Language Focus (Revising Tenses) Verbs play an important role in recounts because verbs enable writers to express more specific ideas about time. The most common tenses are often the simple present, past and future. There are also a number of other tenses that enable writers to express more specific ideas about time. Task 2 (Reading Activity): The following news report contains numerous verbs. Read and identify the tenses as they appear in the text below.
Structure Title Main facts first to be followed by secondary facts and background Event 1 Written in the past tense Event 2 State the facts

News report

Forms

Angry hornets land elderly villager in hospital

Kuching: An elderly villager suffered stings on his face and hands after he was attacked by hornets. The 74 year old identified as Wan Hashim from Kampung Sabahat, Serian, sought treatment at Sarawak General Hospital around 10pm on Thursday after his condition worsened. He said he was cycling to his farm near his house at 2 p.m. on Thursday when he accidentally ran over the hornets hive. He immediately fled when the angry insects attacked him. Suffering five stings to his face and hands, Wan Dahlan did not think much of it and went to rest at a hut in his farm. At about 4pm, he started to feel dizzy and he cycled home. His worried family members advised him to seek medical treatment but he refused. cycle cycling (progressive tense) suffersuffered (Past Tense)

feel present tense

PBI0021

English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

Event 3 Reorientaton

His condition worsened around 7 pm after a series of headaches and vomiting. His son-in-law then brought him to Sarawak General Hospital where he is reported to be in stable condition, suffering minor dehydration and swells. Im so lucky to be alive, said a tired but jubilant Wan Dahlan. I will be looking for honey very soon after this. (adapted from The Star, Sept. 2011) look- will be looking(future progressive)

Quote

f: The following is another thoughtful article that uses the elements of recount to persuade readers to make a decision. Task 3: Complete the text with the appropriate tense. Then, discuss the question at the end (Discuss).

To cull or not to cull?

Setting the context What? Where? When?

The law says no, scientists call for better management, while for families of victims, there is no option to killing the reptiles wholesale.

Statement of Purpose formal style

In July, controversy arose when the Sarawak state authorities (1) ______ (allow) Intro. a culling operation along Sebelak River, some 280km from Kuching. The mission which (2) __ (last) a week ended with one just one reptile killed, (3) ____(follow) the death of attack victim Mankay Gohen, 42, earlier in May. In September, tragedy struck again swiftly and in near total darkness in the same river when lifelong fisherman Sulaiman Abdullah who was finishing up a days work in his small boat was (4) ____(attack) and (5) _____ (pull) under. Sulaimans family (6) ___ (live) close to Seratok where human beings and crocodiles have lived together for generations. The victims family are now urging the authorities to restart culling operations. They say their loss (7) ___ (be) a reminder that crocodiles and human could hardly co-exist.

(with time sequence)

Who?

Evidence 1

How?

Case studies

To cull or not to cull? Opinions vary on this matter. Under the present state supporting laws, crocodiles are protected species. This is being (8) ____ (review). details In October, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) is planning to table a landmark Reintroduce paper at the International Crocodile Conference to urge the global community Purpose to permit Sarawak to better manage the increasing number of crocodiles. Now, there are some rivers that are too dense with crocodiles. Our proposal already has several international experts support an SFC spokesman told The Evidence 2 Star. In the latest SFC survey, Bako River and Santubong River have an (9) _____ (estimate) 3.4 crocs per km. For Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Social Scientist Dr. Andrew Aeria, culling 4

PBI0021

English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

cannot be the only long term solution to croc attacks. Dont just blame the crocodiles. Crocodiles will do what they do naturally. The government must look at poverty factors.

supporting details

So, to cull or not to cull? For people in the interiors, for those who depend entirely on rivers as a food and income source, their sentiments on culling are Evidence 3 clear. For the authorities, they need to produce clear and convincing reasons for their (10) _______ (propose) culling and there will be objections. But in stating Supporting whatever objections we have, as a society we must also act on the wider set of details problems facing the poor. To cull or not to cull? Your thoughts please. Adapted from (The Star 21 September, 2011)
Reorientation

Conclusion

g. Writing Practice: It is important to take the following features into account when writing a recount.

Choose the best words

Powerful verbs Precise nouns Adjectives & adverbs, connectives

Vary sentence length

Lively recount writing

Include questions (to draw readers in)

Think about your readers.

Use quotations or reported speech

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English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

g. Writing Task (Setting the Context) : You woke up in the middle of the night to get a drink and you hear some voices coming from your neighbours house. Task 4: In groups discuss and retell the events as they took place. Try to introduce a series of events and provide supporting evidence for each event to make it interesting. (Make it up if necessary)
12.00 a.m. Shh... are you sure theres nobody in this house?

Ok... Ok . Pass me the screwdriver and the torch.

Alamak... I thought you brought it.

Yahlah. The owners have left for Hari Raya. I saw the car leave.

Hei!
What!!You idiot! How to see?

Sorry..sorry

Whatlah! Small job also cannot do. Nevermind. Got it. Close your ears.

Shhh... softly lah. People can hear

BANG! BANG!

Whose TV is that that! So loud!

Adapted from: Tan, P.L. , Marilyn D. Silva & Nair, V. (2000). English for College Students 1. DPM. . horizontal line time line vertical line events
When? Why?

start Intro

End

Conclusion/re orientation

e.g. What?

Present your story before the class.

PBI0021

English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

h. Individual activity Situation: There has been a robbery/accident in your neighbours house. You were alone in the house when you heard noises. Task 5: Write a police report/letter narrating the events as you see it. Use the following template to help you. What happened (In brief) When and where did it happen How do you know? Event 1 Event 2 Event 3 A quote from the narrator. I was ...

Copy of Report Report No: ............................................... Police Station:............................................ Complainant: ......................................... Race: ....................................................... Report: ..................................................................................................

Reported by: ___________________________ Checked / Certified by: _________________________

PBI0021

English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

Peer Editing: Exchange your writing with the students next to you and ask the friend to check/ edit by using the checklist in the next page.
Checklist Recount Structure Interesting Title (Grabs the reader) Title summarizes the text There are specific individuals in specific places (e.g. thief, downstairs) A setting or orientation that provides answers to who? Where? When? & Why? Events are presented in a chronological order. The details of time, place and event are clearly stated (On Monday, in the afternoon) Personal thoughts/reactions are included Paragraphing is included Concluding comments include personal comments regarding the events The ending describes the outcome of the activity or provides a direction

Language Events are written in the past tense Words which link events in time (next, later, when, then, after, before, first) are used Events are described using: verbs (action words), adverbs Details are added to add interest Personal pronouns (I, we) are used Sentences create tension, excitement Descriptive details moves the story forward

PBI0021

English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

Grammar Enrichment (ONLY TO BE INCLUDED IF STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO HANDLE MORE GRAMMAR ACTIVITIES)

PBI0021

English Preparatory 2

Sem 1 2011/2012

ONLY TO BE DONE IF STUDENTS ARE INTO LEARNING GRAMMAR FORMS

Additional Language Focus : Transitive and Intransitive Verbs A verb is transitive if it takes an object and intransitive if it does not. The following are some transitive verbs that are commonly used in academic writing: believe discuss mean report cover expect accept trust consider include convince defy contact express 1. Forestry official report progress in managing crocodile attacks but the NGOs express concern on ethical grounds. 2. We believe that this article, which includes a detailed account of one communitys dangerous lifestyle, will convince readers of the need to value both human safety and animal protection laws. In contrast, the following verbs are intransitive: happen fall arrive occur appear wait 3. The son saw the father putting away his daily catch and waited for several minutes until the crocodile appeared. Task 4: Optional (To be done as homework if students are able to do this ). The following paragraphs are taken from a speech delivered by Professor Poon Chung-kwong at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eap/2004/U4/transitivity.htm Decide which of the highlighted verbs are transitive and which are intransitive. Nowadays. human society is highly differentiated as far as the division of labor is concerned. It calls for (1) ____________ interaction and collaboration between different professions. Regardless of whether you are an accountant, engineer or designer, you can no longer work (2) ___________ on your own. You have to work together with professional from other disciplines to succeed (3) _____________. In light of this development, our graduates must be well equipped with professional knowledge and instilled (4) _____________ with a sense of team spirit, without which they can neither integrate (5) ______________ with the community nor make (6) ______________ any substantial contributions to the further advancement of their own careers and the community at large. In todays pluralistic society, our young people should be effective communicators and adopt (7) ______________ an open minded attitude towards different cultures and opinions. Upon your graduation, we hope that you will be able to continue to immerse (8) __________________ yourselves in the sea of knowledge, covering (9) __________________ various aspects such as human society, history, culture, music, arts, religion and philosophy. More importantly, you have to broaden (10) ________________ your horizons and gain an in-depth understanding of the history and culture of your own country. Only in this way can you realize (11) ___________ the values of life in its fullness, understand your obligations to society and your own country, and pass (12) _____________ the wealth of human knowledge to the next generations.

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