The improvement of work on the rhythm in the classes of english on the materials of limericks
THE IMPROVEMENT OF WORK ON THE
RHYTHM IN THE CLASSES OF ENGLISH ON THE MATERIALS OF LIMERICKS
Even English acquired a status of
the third language in Kazakhstan, but it is remained as the foreign language
for majority of people, mastery of which is still problematical. English at
high schools sometimes does not come easily to students that they make
unbelievable efforts to catch the sense of the English speech. Who does not
dream about the easy way of learning English? Because, usually it is rather
long and exhausting process. It is commonly known, that language learning will
become far interesting and productive, when the students are involved in
creative activity.
Interactive forms of teaching give a
chance to develop not only linguistic skills and abilities, but also permit to
students using of English as the means of communication, they advance own
imagination and memory. All of it raises a motivation to study the language.
One of the effective modes of motivating
students to study the language is the using of creative works, such as dramas
and composing the rhymes in possessing the language. This technology opens vast
possibilities for individual and position-finding teaching, because here
learners apply own unique life experience, own outlook [1]. I reminiscence that
the main hero of Paul Maare’s fairy-tale “Eine Woche voller Samstage” - das
Sams applied the method of composing nursery rhymes at the school, and his
creative lesson pleased pupils, because they wanted him to teach again and
again [2].
The given article examines the
questions of improving the pronunciation and rhythm by the material of limerick
or how it is said popularly, of English chastooshka. Limericks is represented
integral part of linguistic culture of Anglophonic nation in the world.
Limerick - is a popular form of short humorous poem, built on playing with
nonsense, which is appeared in Great Britain. The origin of the limericks is
unknown, though it is considered, that a name descended from the refrains of
the songs, sang by Irish soldiers-militiamen upon French king Louie XVI. At the
parties the soldiers performed the songs, each stanza of which ended with the
refrains - Will you come up to Limerick? (or by another version: Won’t you come
up to Limerick?). Therefore, the English word ‘limerick’ is pronounced with a
stress on the first syllable - like the name of the city in Ireland, from which
the title is came [3]. It is believed to be existed another hypothesis that the
word ‘limerick’ is originated not from the name of Irish city, as majority
think, but from the Irish words ‘laoi meidbreach’ or ‘a merry lay’, which mean
‘a merry song’ [4]. “The
father of limericks” is considered to be the famous English poet, the king of
English nonsense verse Edward Lear (1812-1888). Lear himself never called his
comic verses ‘limericks’. The word ‘limerick’ firstly appeared posthumously in
print in 1892. One way or another, after the end of XIX century limericks
became broadly famous. Many well-known writers and poets as Lewis Carroll,
Rudyard Kipling, John Galsworthy, Mark Twain and Arnold Bennett composed
limericks. Pun character of limericks admits the free varying of the linguistic
means in the frames of harsh rhyme. The characteristics of limerick are
intentional play of words, homophony, ambiguity (homonymy), synonymy,
polysemantic and the rich stylistic diversity of English words. Limerick plays
with curious amusing discrepancy of English orthography and pronunciation,
found their reflection in the special form of limerick, which is called
‘visual’ or ‘orthographical’. The pet mode of limerick authors - is using of
neologisms. The neologisms and nonsense words of Edward Lear strongly entered
the English literature and language [4]. The pentameter of the classical
limerick builds by the scheme AABBA, that is, first, second and fifth lines are
rhymed, in accordance with third and fourth. Here prevails the size of an
anapest, and a quantity of the syllables in the first, second and fifth lines
are longer for three syllables, than in the third and fourth [5]. Limericks are
considered to be the splendid material for the production of correct phonetic
organization of the English speech and especially of its rhythm. So, English
scientist John Norrish writes about it:
“…. English is a stress-timed
language…. Similarly, it is difficult for the speaker of the ‘syllable-timed’
language to understand normal English pronunciation…
Way of overcoming this problem of
teaching stress patterns is by using the ‘limerick’, the comic verse from which
relies for much its effect on the strongly marked rhythm. Teachers could
demonstrate and encourage students to read aloud some of these verses:
There `was a young `lady of `Niger,
Who `smiled when she `rode on a
`tiger.
They re`turned from the `ride
With the `lady in`side -
And the `smile on the `face of the
`tiger.
As can be seen, the rhythmic pattern
involves the stressed syllables each in the first and second lines, two in the
next two lines and three once again in the final, fifth line. When recited, it
is important that the stresses come at regular intervals…
As we have seen, the stress timing of the
limerick is also a characteristic of English speech. This is what makes it a
useful teaching tool… such a teaching technique can be used as successfully for
initial teaching of stress as for remedial teaching to eradicate errors” [6].
Thus, the structure of the limericks
is the same, which very helps the students to read them easy and with the
intonation. For instance, the variant created the humorous effect on the first
line can correspond with the intonation of Low Rise, the intonation of the
second with Low Fall. Further, the intonation sample repeats Low Rise in the
third line, Low Fall in the fourth. In the last line there is the final
lowering tone of the Low Fall. Gradually falling and slipping melodic scale has
emotional-neutral character. Not infrequently before the last line, which has
an outcome, we may sustain a long pause. The given variant of an oral implementation
characterizes rapid tempo of the pronunciation [7].
During the auditorium lectures the
limericks are read aloud by keeping their rhythmical form and by underlining
the strong parts in each line. For the clear rhythm production I recommend to
use a metronome, the strike speed of which can be changed in accordance with
the given tempo - from the fast to the slow (lento, lentissimo > allegro,
allegrissimo). We can pronounce the limerick by ourselves, then whisper, and at
last, aloud, accompanying the pronunciation with the knocking on the stressed
syllables of the lines. On the final stage of the working on limericks the
students are offered to learn by heart and recite them, to put to the music and
sing, to dramatize. The
interesting type of the work is translating the limericks. The secret of
translating is consisted in saving the rhyme, poetical size of the limerick,
and not to lose their funny essence. Frequently, to keep the poetical form and
the pan, the translators have to change proper names and ‘geography’ of the
limerick. Given examples of translation by O. Astafyeva clearly shows an
interpretation of the limericks in Russian.
Original [8]:
There was an old person of Dean,
Who dined on one pea and one bean;
For he said, ‘More than that
Would make me too fat’,
(Edward Lear).
Translation by O. Astafyeva:
Одинокий старик из Туниса
На обед съедал зернышко риса.
«Больше есть я не смею,
А не то растолстею», -
Объяснял он друзьям из Туниса.
Here we can see that the translator
had to change the name of spot ‘Dean’ into ‘Tunisia’, as well as the peas and
beans transformed into the rice. It is common case, when the translators change
the proper names to keep the main sense of the comic verse. Also, there is
another example which was made by two translators and shows the strict and
unchangeable frames of the limerick rhyme.
Original:
As a beauty I’m not a great star,
There are others more handsome by
far,
But my face, I don’t mind it,
Because I’m behind it -
‘Tis the folks in the front that I
jar.
(Antony Euwer).
The translation close to the
original (unknown author):
По красоте я вообще не звезда,
Есть люди симпатичнее меня.
Но не против лица я -
Ведь не вижу себя я,
The translation by M. Lorie:
Я красотой не блистал никогда,
Я не роза, скорей лебеда.
Это мне не обидно -
Мне себя ведь не видно.
Вот для встречных так, правда, беда.
The translation by M. Lorie is
distinguished with the freedom of the interpretation, but they keep the rhyme
of English limerick. The second variant from the pen of unknown translator does
not possess the perfect form, but correctly sends the humorous sense of the
limerick.
Thus, limericks are considered to be
the great material for working on the correct phonetic organization of English
speech and its rhythm. The rhythm of the English speech presents enormous
difficulty to the Russian, as well as to the Kazakh auditorium. The isochronous
form of English rhythm requires especially accurate work on it. Of course,
English limerick permits to polish the good technique of the rhythm. The little
limerick compactly and organically coupled an originality of a plot and the
rhythm of the lines. Everyone will estimate at quaint humour of English
nonsense verse true worth, who loves good laughter, play of intellect, witty
words and sounds.
REFERENCES
1.
Tambulatova T.K., Using of creative tasks in foreign language, Foreign
languages at school. 8
(2008), P. 28 - 31.
2.
Maar P. Eine Woche voller Samstage. Hamburg,
1973.
3.
Razheva Y.I., Limerick: non-transferable play of words or transferable play of
forms?, Foreign languages at school. 2 (2008), P. 107 - 109.
4.
Vishnevskaya G.M., Working on the rhythm of English speech by the materials of
limericks, Foreign languages at school. 4 (2005), P. 79 - 86.
5. Yermakova
I., Limericks. www.google.ru <http://www.google.ru>, 2009.
6.
Norrish J. Language Learners and Their Errors. London, 1983.
7.
Vishnevskaya G.M. Methodical directions for the working on the rhythm of
English speech by the materials of limericks. Ivanovo, 2001.
8.
Demurova N.M. The Topsy-Turvy World (English humour in rhymes). Moscow, 1974.