Four weddings and a funeral

Warm up 1) The whole class revises vocabulary related to weddings and the teacher explains what the movie is about. (Worksheet 1) While watching 2) The students look at the first scenes and answer these questions: Who is the main character? Where does the story take place? Then they complete the Characters sheet. You may then ask for an oral description of the characters. 3) Minute 6 to 9. The students see it without sound and answer: What is happening? What do you think they are saying? Stopping the film and assigning the three roles of the characters in the selected scene to the students (groups of three), they write down the dialogue they think they are saying and dub the characters. Later on, they see the scene with words and compare it with their lines and vote for the best dubbing. 4) The students watch the interaction between the priest-to-be and the girl, Fiona, also without sound and guess about what is happening. What is the priest like? Is he embarrassed? Whats the girl like? What can they be telling to each other? Students must use modals of deduction. Students see the scene. Were their deductions right? What are the characters actually talking about? 5) Minute 28 to 31. Students see the scene and then they are given the transcription (Worksheet 2). Individually they are to underline the word skulk in all its forms, then they look at all the forms and assign them to the different parts of discourse (v-nadj). Finally they try to guess the meaning of the word. Afterwards, and in pairs, they may make up a dialogue with another unknown word so that the rest of the students find out its meaning. 6) The second wedding (Minute 36) will be analyzed as an example of how intonation can create humour in British English. First students listen and complete the blank spaces and then they are required to underline stressed words, mark falling and raising intonation and see the overall effect. Which words related to marriage can they find? (Worksheet 3) 7) In worksheet 5 (film minute 01:22:00) there is a poem the students must read aloud first without seeing the clip. Then they see the clip and mark stressed words and intonation. How did the poem change? Why did it change in such a way? Then students read the poem aloud trying to follow the stressed words and intonation.

Worksheet 1

Marriage and wedding vocabulary It all starts with a proposal. Traditionally the man goes down on one knee to pop the question. If he receives a "yes", the couple are engaged. It is customary for the man to buy his fiance an engagement ring, most commonly a diamond ring. Engagements can last for years, and if neither of the couple breaks off the engagement, the next step is marriage. Planning the wedding Most weddings in the UK take the form of either a civil ceremony (conducted at the Registry Office) or a traditional white wedding, held in a church. (There are other ceremonies for different religions.) If the couple chooses a church service, the planning can become quite complex. The church must be booked, the service has to be chosen, flowers arranged and so on. Other arrangements (for both traditional and civil) are to draw up a guest list, send out invitations, book a reception venue (for after the ceremony), choose bridesmaids (the girls who traditionally accompany the bride in the church) and the best man (the bridegroom's friend who accompanies him to the ceremony), buy the wedding dress, arrange a honeymoon (the holiday after the wedding), compile a wedding list (a list of presents that guests can choose to buy the couple) and of course, to select the wedding ring(s). The big day The groom and best man arrive at the church first, and then the guests arrive. Last to arrive is the bride, normally dressed in a long white wedding dress with a train (material from the dress that covers the floor behind her), her face covered in a veil, carrying a bouquet of flowers, and accompanied by a couple of bridesmaids in matching dresses. Usually the bride's father walks her down the aisle until they reach the priest / vicar at the altar. The church organ plays the Wedding March, and the guests rise to their feet to watch the procession. Once they reach the altar, the bride stands with the groom, and the service begins. The service lasts for about half an hour, and contains readings (extracts from the Bible) and a couple of hymns (religious songs). The priest always asks if there are any objections to the marriage (someone can speak or forever hold their peace = never have the opportunity again to object), and at the end of the service, the couple exchange rings and are proclaimed "man and wife". At that point, the groom is allowed to kiss his wife. The guests leave and the couple then sign the marriage register. When they come out of the church, the guests often throw confetti (small pieces of coloured paper), and the photographer takes various formal photographs. Next in the big day is the reception, which is often a formal lunch in a hotel. After lunch there are various speeches. The bride's father normally gives a speech, then the best man gives a speech (which is often a funny speech designed to embarrass the groom), and the bridegroom and / or the bride give a short speech to thank their guests. Some couples also arrange an evening reception, and hire a disco or band to play music for their friends. At the end of the day, the happy couple traditionally leave on honeymoon.
Other wedding vocabulary pre-wedding nerves = when you are nervous before the wedding wedding bells = the traditional tune that the church bells play as the couple leave the church wedding vows = the promises that the bride and groom make to each other during the ceremony. Some of these vows could be to love each other "until death do us part" and to love "for richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sickness and in good health". wedding cake = a traditional cake with three "tiers" eaten at the end of the wedding meal

Worksheet 2

So...

Maybe we could just skulk around here for a bit and then go back down.

That's a thought. I don't usually skulk,

but I suppose I could skulk if skulking were required.

Do you skulk regularly?

No. No, I don't normally think of myself as a skulker but...

Well, why don't you come in and skulk for a while and we'll see?

I noticed the bride and groom didn't kiss in the church, which is kind of strange.

Where I come from, kissing is very big.

Is it? Well, I think you're right. We are probably more reserved.

Worksheet 3

First complete the blank spaces then mark intonation and stressed words. How does intonation and stress help in the effect of the overall situation
In the name of the .. and of the .. and of the Holy .. Amen. Let us pray. Father, you have made the bond of .. a holy ., a .. of Christ's love for his ... Hear our . for Bernard and Lydia through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who and with you and the Holy .... .. One God, for ever and ever. Amen. It's his . time. He's a family ... Bernard and Lydia, I shall now ask if you . undertake the .. of marriage. Bernard, after me. - I do solemnly .... - I do solemnly ... that I know not of any lawful .... that I know not of any lawful .... why l, Lydia... why l, Bernard... Sorry. why l, Bernard Godfrey Saint John Delaney,... why l, Bernard Geoffrey St John Delaney,... may not be joined in . to Lydia John Hibbott. may not be joined in .. to Lydia Jane Hibbott. Lydia, after me. - I do solemnly .... - I do solemnly ....

that I know not of any lawful .... that I know not of any lawful .... why l, Lydia Jane Hibbott,... why l, Lydia Jane Hibbott,... may not be johned in .... may not be joined in ..... to Bernard Geoffrey Sidd... Siddun... Delaney. to Bernard Geoffrey St John Delaney. I call upon those persons here present to .... I call upon those persons here present to .... that l, Bernard... Delaney,... that l, Bernard Delaney,... do .. thee, Lydia Jane Hibbott,... do .. thee, Lydia Jane Hibbott,... to be my . wedded wife. to be my .. wedded wife. That's ri... That's right. May Almighty God you all. The Father, the Son, and the Holy ..... Spirit. Amen. Bravo! Thanks.

Worksheet 5 What I thought of him. Unfortunately, there I run out of words. Forgive me if I turn from my own feelings to the words of another splendid bugger, WH Auden. This is actually what I want to say: Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking With a juicy bone, Silence the pianos And with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, Let the mourners come. Let the airplanes circle Moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He ls Dead. Put crepe bows round the white necks Of the public doves, Let traffic policemen Wear black cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, My East and West. My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now: Put out every one; Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; Pour away the ocean And sweep up the wood; For nothing now Can ever come to any good.