During the college vaction I am running a summer English course at a private community centre on the western outskirts of Hiroshima.
The theme of the course is "Children's Books in English."
Last week I held the first class and four students turned up. I was quite pleased as I only needed two to show up to make a profit. Four keeps me in beer money for quite a few days. 🍺😁👍
One book we looked at last week was "The Ball" by David Lloyd and Mary Rees, an easy story for very young children that I enjoyed reading to my daughter wheh she was little.
Next we had a look at Roger Hargreaves' Little Miss Trouble in the popular "Little Miss" and "Mr Men" series.
This Week: The Tailor Of Gloucester
On Tuesday this week the topic is The Tailor of Gloucester, by Beatrix Potter. She spins a good yarn in her tale of a tailor who lacks one skein of twisted yarn to finish off a coat for the Mayor of Gloucester.
The book will pose a much bigger challenge for the students so I decided to pull together some resources and make a glossary of the more unusual words. At the same time, I want to encourage the students to enjoy the sound quality and atmosphere of the book without fretting about the meaning of every single word, just as children do.
Right from page one Beatrix Potter takes her readers into a magical world full of unfamiliar words from times gone by:
In the time of swords and periwigs and full-skirted coats with flowered lappets—when gentlemen wore ruffles, and gold-laced waistcoats of paduasoy and taffeta—there lived a tailor in Gloucester.
Resources for The Tailor of Gloucester
I posted a resource page on my personal blog for the students to access @ https://davidhurleyinjapan.com/books/resources-for-the-tailor-of-gloucester/
It includes access to a free online version of the book at Gutenburg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14868/14868-h/14868-h.htm
And a YouTube video of Jon England reading the book:
If you need any help with vocabulary, check out the glossary on my blog @ https://davidhurleyinjapan.com/books/resources-for-the-tailor-of-gloucester/
Have you read any Beatrix Potter books? If so, which is your favourite yarn?
Let us know in the comments!
Cheers!
David Hurley
