Urto efficace

Un mio amico insegnante di inglese ha la curiosa abitudine di far simulare ai ragazzi delle lezioni dentro la lezione stessa. Uno studente recita la parte del docente, altri due o tre interagiscono con lui come se fossero suoi allievi. Vi ricordate lo script? In un certo senso si tratta di mettere in atto una rappresentazione che facilita l’assimilazione del lessico specifico (la cosiddetta microlingua), cosa particolarmente importante in un contesto CLIL. Lo stralcio di script che vi ho fornito era in italiano, ora ne abbozzo uno in inglese seguendo l’idea del mio amico/collega. Il testo di riferimento per progettare uno script su un argomento scientifico può essere un articolo sui gas serra in cui se ne evidenziano le implicazioni sul piano sociale. Non a caso l’articolo, presente sul sito della University of Michigan, si intitola Greenhouse Gases and Society; esso si adatta ad una classe quinta di competenza linguistica intermediate/advanced (B2/C1).

Il lessico microlinguistico che si vuole rafforzare riguarda i termini: greenhouse gases, radiation, carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, fossil fuels, coal, petroleum products, natural gas, oxygen, life cycle, solubility, pollution, photosynthesis.

Lo script intende trasporre i contenuti in esame sotto forma di interazione insegnante-allievo, nella quale si usa un lessico specifico ma anche un tono informale. P.= Professore, mentre S.A., B., C. = Studente A, B, C. Ne riporto uno stralcio:

P: There’s been a lot of talk over the last few decades about greenhouse gases – those gases in the atmosphere that trap radiation from the sun so that after it passes into the atmosphere in doesn’t pass out. People are increasingly conscious of the environmental effect of their daily activities, wich is a good thing. But all the publicity can be confusing too. What do you think?

S.A.: I think writing for the general public about science is a real service, but …well, it’s not nice to say, but …I wish some of these people would verify things with real scientists more often. They’d save themselves some embarrassment.

P.: I agree. I’d like to clear up some things about that hot topic: carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas; it absorbs energy from the sun. It’s like water vapor and methane, two other naturally occurring greenhouse gases. You know that carbon dioxide is produced when we burn fossil fuels –coal, petroleum products, natural gas – and those fuels run a lot of the machines and manufacturing processes that drive the modern life. But … we produce carbon dioxide too. How do we produce carbon dioxide as a waste product?

S.B.: It’s one of the by-products of respiration. We breathe in air, use up some of the oxygen, and breathe out air that contains carbon dioxide. So do other animals. Carbon dioxide is part of the natural life cycle.

P.: Well. How does nature control the amount of carbon dioxide floating around in the atmosphere?

S.A.: I thought the ocean soaked it up.

P.: Yes, that’s one way. Carbon dioxide is very soluble in water. Soluble …uh, I don’t have to explain that one to you because the root’s related to the word dissolve, right? Unfortunately, if we’re looking for a solution to carbon dioxide pollution, the ocean isn’t it. Why?

S.C.: That’s because the ocean absorbs gases from the atmosphere very, very slowly. If we suddenly increased the amount of carbon dioxide we produced, current models suggest that it would take 1.000 years for it to mix into seawater!

P.: Okay, so that’s one way nature deals with carbon dioxide. What’s the other?

S.C.: Plants, isn’t it? I mean, plants breathe carbon dioxide the way we breathe air.

P.: Sure. Plants require carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. The more dense the growth of large plants, the more carbon dioxide is absorbed. Like the ocean, green plants release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as well absorb it, but … when a plant dies … you know, its carbon dioxide is back in the air. However – this is the interesting part – unlike the ocean, green plants soak up carbon dioxide to use it, to make the energy they need to live and grow. So, in some regions … populated, industrialized … increased levels of carbon dioxide can stimulate plant growth. Some people have suggested that we can use that natural phenomenon to help deal with increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Per quanto riguarda la proposta di esercizi, i distrattori nei quesiti a risposta multipla possono essere di più tipi: answers too specific; answers too broad; answers not mentioned; answers-trap; answers contrary to the main idea

Esempi:

What is the discussion mainly about?

a) A new solution for carbon dioxide pollution

b) Types of plants used to absorb excess carbon dioxide

c) How nature controls the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

d) Two ways carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean

What is the problem with relying on the oceans to solve the problem of excess amounts of carbon dioxide?

a) Most sources of carbon dioxide are far from the ocean

b) Seawater takes in carbon dioxide very slowly

c) The oceans have already absorbed their limit of carbon dioxide

d) The number of marine plants is decreasing

Why does the professor mention that carbon dioxide is a by-product of respiration?

a) To emphasize the importance of carbon dioxide to life on Earth

b) To explain the need for more specific writings about the environment

c) To provide some background information for a discussion of carbon dioxide

d) To give an example of the dangers of environmental pollution

What did Student A mean by this?

“I think writing for the general public about science is a real service, but …well, it’s not nice to say, but …I wish some of these people would verify things with real scientists more often. They’d save themselves some embarrassment.”

a) He is frequently asked to write articles about science

b) Some popular writing about science is inaccurate

c) Students should not be embarrassed at their lack of knowledge

d) More writers are becoming interested in the topic of pollution

What did the professor imply when he said:

“Soluble …uh, I don’t have to explain that one to you because the root’s related to the word dissolve, right?”

a) He is not sure about the origin of the word

b) She has previously explained the meaning of the word

c) The students should understand the meaning of the term

d) He is using the term in an unusual way

How are plants different from oceans in the way they absorb carbon dioxide?

a) Plants never release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere

b) The rate of absorption by plants can increase rapidly

c) Plants immediately use what they absorb

d) Plants do not convert carbon dioxide into other chemicals

Si può anche associare ad ogni espressione la sua funzione all’interno dello script scegliendo tra un insieme di risposte: basic purpose, tone indicator, tone words, transition, strong transition (ad esempio, “unfortunately” corrisponde a un “tone indicator”).

- Unfortunately, if we’re looking for a solution to carbon dioxide pollution, the ocean isn’t it.

Unfortunately             ———>   tone indicator

- I’d like to clear up some things about that hot topic

clear up some things about

- That’s because the ocean absorbs gases from the atmosphere very, very slowly.

That’s because

- However – this is the interesting part – unlike the ocean, green plants soak up carbon dioxide to use it

However

interesting part

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