Gollum's English Lessons

<center>“English, it says, my preciouss… Who needs English these days, anyway? Nassty little hobbitses, maybe. But not uss. Not uss, preciouss.”

</center>

Welcome to GEL – Gollum’s English Lessons. As you well know, Gollum is a good example for those who want to improve their skills in the English language… eh well, maybe not. But we sure can learn a lot by following him in our quest.

So, this improvised course will attempt to tackle all four language competences: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Since most of the job will be done online, naturally, speaking will be left out until we can actually meet up and have a practice. Or, we might have a Skype conference some day. Anyway, we’ll do it sooner or later, if you still are interested in this.

Now, we should keep some things in mind:
* Not all of us are on the same level of English. Which means, sometimes I’ll have to assign different tasks for different levels. Since I still don’t know – sorry, Gollum still doesn’t know your levels, for the time being, he’ll (they’ll?) assume it’s around Upper Intermediate, a.k.a B2. Those who find the tasks too easy or too difficult should say so in the appropriate thread. Kapiš?
* No one is forced to stay on the course. There are no deadlines – it’s more of a self-study course, and everyone is invited to discuss things openly and freely. The more you use your language, the better. I’m learning, too.

It’s not a strictly-structured course, because such a course would require a lot of effort and time, however, I do have a certain plan which I intend to follow if you like it, and which will be improved according to your suggestions (complaints etc.) I will design the tasks and assignments around a certain topic. ‘A topic’ means not only vocabulary, but also a certain grammar / usage point (or several). For each topic, we will have several assignments, which will allow you to test your English skills in the four competences mentioned above (unless we don’t have time for speaking; then it’s three).

So, are you ready?

GEL No1 :: Listening

We will begin by listening to an entry on a video blog (vlog) on YouTube. I won’t give you any intro, ‘cos the YT page has everything you need to know. Please follow the instructions below. If you can’t complete the task after listening to the text once (twice etc.), you should listen one more time, and indicate in your post how many times you needed to listen. It is important for poor old Gollum to know how much you actually understand.

I suggest speaking out your answers for yourself (except for Task 3). No kidding. Language tip #1: Talking to yourself actually helps you to learn the language. If you want to, you may write the answers down once you’ve said them out loud, and post them in this thread for me to check. However, I will ask you to post all your answers in the smallest font size so that you don’t spoil the fun for the others

Now, before you listen:

TASK 1: Look at the tags of this video. Read the video description. Do you know what memorabilia are? Do you have any? Jot down anything that you can recall. Then prepare to listen for the first time. You may glance at the TASK 2 questions below.

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFQ5GiqB0l8

Allright, you have already heard the text once. Can you answer these questions?

TASK 2:
1. This is the second part of Jennifer’s “Show and Tell” vlog series. Does she think the first part of the series went well?
2. The object Jennifer is talking about is very rare. Does she know other people who have similar objects?
3. How much of the text did you understand? Please estimate in percentage (0-100%).

Now, listen for the second time (and a third, if you think you need it). After each time, write down how much of the text you think you understood. For your own good, please don’t stop or rewind the video every time you need to fill in the gap. Just listen through, as you (used to) listen at school.

Before you listen, look at the task below. Language tip #2: If your listening abilities are being tested by a fill-a-gap, multiple choice or a similar task, always look through the task before you listen. It will help you to sort out information.

TASK 3: Can you fill in the missing details?

Jennifer lives in Australia, but she also has a (1) ____________ citizenship. When the third LotR film was released, she travelled there with (2) __________ to see it. They went to the first (3) ___________ that was open to the public. Only VIPs could see the film on December (4)___________. The day Jennifer went to see Rotk, it was done as a (5)___________ with the first two films. The third film was shown at (6)___________, Wellington time. There were (7)___________ breaks between the films. Each of the fans who attended this event got a gift that had pieces of the three LotR-film master copies. Jennifer’s gift has a shot of Gandalf in (8)__________, a shot of Frodo holding (9) ___________ against Gollum’s throat, and a shot of Gandalf helping Pippin to (10)__________ Shadowfax.

Once you’re done, it’s time for…

SELF-EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK:
1. Did you find the tasks too difficult? Too easy? What was the most difficult aspect (Jennifer’s accent, tempo, vocabulary she used, unknown topic, bad sound quality)?
2. Look at the percentage you wrote down as you were listening. How many times did you need to catch all that was required by the task? Did your understanding improve with each time?
3. Where there any key words or phrases that you didn't catch?
3. Would you need more tasks?


That was a warm-up. Stay tuned!

2 task
1. No.
2. Yes, her family members, but she would like to meet others who has those things.
3. 95%

3 task

1 New Zealand
2 her family
3 screening
4 1st
5 ?
6 midnight
7 half-hour
8 Moria
9 Sting
10 mount (?)


1. Tasks was little bit too easy most difficult aspect - sometimes she sort of "grinds" words
2. I have watched video for about 2-3 times. Understanding improved with each time.
3. 5th key word
4. Oh yah

iškart atsiprašau, jeigu klaidų privėliau

TAISA: buvau pamiršus 2 užduotį parašyt, dėl to taisiau pranešimą

Vulpecula rašė:1. Task was little bit too easy

I'll keep it in mind

3. 5th key word

Hint: This word is used in sports, too. Jennifer uses it to describe the grand three-film screening.

Ai by, pierhaps, yn laiv akshon ty partyz veer spouken languedzh iz rekvaired vfuss ai kan ofier mai servis samhau..

TASK 2

1. She thinks the first part was a little bit too long and its length caused some problems to the viewers.
2. She knows other people might have them because her family has only "small number" of these but she doesn't know anyone personally
3. After the first listening about 65%, after the second - 85-90%.
TASK 3

1. New Zealand;
2. her family;
3. screening;
4. the 1st(?);
5. marathon;
6. midnight;
7. half-hour;
8. Moria;
9. Sting;
10. don't know


SELF-EVALUATION
1. Tasks were't very difficult but the listening was quite complicated for the first time. Her accent and a manner of speaking were quite confusing.
2. 2 times and the understanding improved.
3. Yes, maybe some ( the last word to fill in)
4. I don't know, now it fits me.

ancalima rašė:2. She knows other people might have them because her family has only "small number" of these but she doesn't know anyone personally

Right. One more question for you, just so: what people might have those? Just about anyone in the street?

3. After the first listening about 65%, after the second - 85-90%.

That's really good! By the way...

Language tip #3: Did you know that while listening, one understands 90% of what is said in the beginning, 80% of what is said in the end, but only 20% of what is said in the middle? It's natural, so don't worry if you don't remember some stuff, especially if the text is rather long. You may actually want to keep this in mind and concentrate more while the middle part is playing.

10. don't know

Shadowfax is a horse. Pippin is a small guy So he can't do this without Gandalf's help...

As far as I can remember, people who might have those things, must have been watching the marathon of all three films in Wellington on a particular day in December(?)


About Shadowfax: I've understood the whole situation but that word... begins with m... meet, melt, make..?

ancalima rašė:As far as I can remember, people who might have those things, must have been watching the marathon of all three films in Wellington on a particular day in December(?)

Yup

About Shadowfax: I've understood the whole situation but that word... begins with m... meet, melt, make..?

Allright, so here's a new word for you: mount. To mount a horse. We'll do more vocab later, so don't worry.

GEL No 1 :: Reading - 1

Sorry that it took me a while to get this one to you, but here it is, at last.

Before you read – answer in 2-3 sentences:
1. What tolkienian items do you think people usually collect?
2. Do you have any (tolkienian) collectibles yourself?

The text you will read is about collecting animation cels from Tolkien-based cartoons. It is taken from this website. Try and read it without referring to your dictionary.

Collecting Animation Cels

Few Tolkien collecting sources refer to the collection of animation cels from the movie versions of Tolkien's stories. The movies consist of The Hobbit and The Return of the King by Rankin/Bass, done for television, and The Lord of the Rings, a movie by Ralph Bakshi. Since I have never seen a cel for sale from the Rankin/Bass movies, this introduction will only cover the Ralph Bakshi movie. The following is a brief introduction to cel collecting that includes purchasing sources for the cels.

To start, a production cel from an animated movie is an original painting on acetate of one small segment of the movie. The animator draws, in pencil, the numerous segments of a character in motion and these are combined to form a motion picture. The production pencil drawings are transferred to acetate and colored by another set of technicians. These are photographed one by one and the movie is constructed. Every animated movie uses thousands of cels. Although special edition reprints of selected cels from Disney and Warner Brothers movies have been recently produced, all of the cels available from the Lord of the Rings are production cels. They are one-of-a-kind paintings actually used to make the movie.

Although thousands of cels make up a movie, only a relatively small number are available for sale now. There are numerous stories about Disney cels that were thrown in the trash because they were not appreciated as valuable by the studios at the time they were made. There were even children who picked cels out of the trash that are now worth $5,000-$10,000 each. Cels that were sold in the Disneyland gift shop for $5 back in the 1960's are now worth thousands. Indeed, there was no animation cel collecting interest at the time most of the movies were made. Only in recent years have animation cels prices reached such astronomical levels that Disney itself is interested in meeting the demand with special limited edition hand-painted cels, and special reprints called, sericels. These are the cels available for sale in the Disney retail stores. Virtually all the production cels from Disney movies are sold by dealers or individual collectors.

In addition to the fact that many cels were destroyed, at least half of the remaining cels are uninteresting because of the scene depicted. Very few collectors are interested in images of characters in awkward positions or with their eyes closed. Also, many cels are constructed by only changing the facial expression of the character. The image of the body is one cel on which the changed heads are placed when the cels are photographed. This results in sets of disassociated heads. In the end, these factors leave relatively few desirable cels. Since the background of a scene might be used for hundreds of cels, there are also very few cels with original backgrounds. Backgrounds often command far higher prices than the cels.

Fortunately for the Tolkien collector, there are two kinds of animation cel collectors: 1) people who collect Disney and 2) people who collect Disney and Warner Brothers. Once you are outside the Disney and Warner Brothers areas, the prices drop dramatically. An average Disney production cel costs at least $2,000; some fetch prices as high as $20,000!. I have yet to find a cel from the Lord of the Rings priced over $800.

Although the field is dominated by Disney and Warner Brothers, Ralph Bakshi has a strong following among the animation art collectors. He has done some remarkably great animated movies, such as Wizards, Fritz the Cat and the Mighty Mouse cartoons. However, he has always innovated and he will be remembered for bringing adult themes to animated movies. Since he has a following, the prices for cels from The Lord of the Rings are moderately priced for animation cels. The prices range from $75 for a picture of Boromir standing alone, to $500 for a picture of Sam and Bill the pony, signed by Ralph Bakshi, with the original production background. The latter is about the best you will ever find. Any cel from The Lord of the Rings with a painted background will cost at least $300.

In addition to the cels, there are also production drawings that correspond to each cel. These are the pencil drawings actually made by the animator that are copied onto acetate and colored. Many cels will also include the production drawing corresponding to the cel. This brings up the price about 10%. Many of these drawings are sold separately. They range in price from $20 to $100.

Although many people in the Tolkien community do not like the Bakshi film version of The Lord of the Rings, the cels stand alone as imagery depicting the characters and events of the story. Some of these cels are just as remarkable as the best illustrations done for the Tolkien calenders and books. In particular, Bakshi's depiction of the most difficult character, Gollum, is as close to perfect as any illustrator will come. When I read Tolkien's description of Gollum in The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, I found it matched Bakshi's depiction in every detail. The depictions of Galdalf, the Hobbits, Boromir, Gimli and the Ringwraiths are also excellent.

TASK 1
If you had to divide this text into 3 to 4 sections, what would they be? What headings would you choose to name the sections?

TASK 2
True or False?

1. The animator draws characters on acetate
2. Special reprints of cels from Warner Brothers movies are available
3. Cels from Disney films were considered valuable from the outset
4. ‘Sericels’ is another name for production cels
5. Most of the Disney production cels can be bough at Disney retail stores
6. Ralph Bakshi is not as well known as Disney, but he is still popular
7. LotR cels are generally cheaper than cels from Disney or Warner Bros. movies


TASK 3
Find a word that has the same meaning:

1. Buying -
2. Unique -
3. Traders -
4. Inconvenient, not well-designed -
5. People who like and support someone, fans –
6. A picture or an image of sth or someone -

TASK 4
Money matters. Based on the information provided in the text, which cel do you think would be the cheapest and which the most expensive one?

1. Boromir with the original production background
2. Boromir standing alone
3. A painted background-cel
4. Boromir and Sam with the original production background, signed by Bakshi
5. Boromir and Sam with the original production background
6. Boromir and Sam with the original production background, production drawing included

Finally, TASK 5: Summarise each paragraph in one sentence. Can you do that? Try it!

Wait for a follow-up text, we're not finished

Wow, I have some work to do.


1. Various books' editions, hobbits' coats statues of heroes, I don't know what else
2. I have only one thing but it's really nice. http://www.warofthering.net/images/news ... enstar.jpg


TASK 1


1st-2nd paragraph "What the cels are"
3rd, 4th and 5th paragraphs I'd call "Differences in price"
6th-8th paragraph - "Cels created by Bakshi"
TASK 2

1. F
2. T
3.If I knew what the outset is... well, T
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. T

TASK 3

1. purchasing
2. one-of-a-kind
3. dealers
4. awkward
5. no idea
6. depiction

TASK 4

The cheapest one would be Boromir standing alone and the most expensive, I think,the last one.

TASK 5

1. One of the types of collecting something related to Tolkien's heritage is collecting animation cels from the movie version's of his stories.
2.Thousands of cels are created to make a movie.
3. Cels of old films might cost a lot because a lot of them were destroyed or thrown out.
4. Not all cels are desirable equally due to the scenes depicted and original background.
5. Cels froum outside Disney and WB cos alot less.
6. Ralph Bakshi's cels are appreciated among the animation art collectors.
7.Production drawings added to the cel bring up its price.
8. Bakshi's paintings reflect every detail of Tolkien's characters

ancalima rašė:2. I have only one thing but it's really nice. http://www.warofthering.net/images/news ... enstar.jpg

Wow

3.If I knew what the outset is... well, T

Ok, I let you check the dictionary for this one

5. no idea

It's actually a gerund. That is, a noun made from a verb. And it starts with an F...

The cheapest one would be Boromir standing alone and the most expensive, I think,the last one.

Yeah, maybe. Though Bakshi's signature would also raise the price considerably, I think.

TASK 5

2.Thousands of cels are created to make a movie.

Well, this sentence of yours is ok, but I don't think it summarises the entire paragraph. The paragraph wasn't only about the quantity of cels, but also about what cels are... don't you agree?

4. Not all cels are desirable equally due to the scenes depicted and original background.

I'd arrange the sentence in a slightly different way. Say... Some cels are less desirable than the others because of the scenes depicted or the absence of the original background from the cel.

Overall, well done!

1. books, figures of characters etc.
2. Nope

Task 1

1-2 sorts of cels and how are they made.
3-7 differences between cels and their prices.
8 bakshi and his cels.

task 2

1. F
2. T
3. F
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. T

Task 3

1. Purchasing
2. One-of-a-kind.
3. Dealers.
4. Awkward
5. could it be follower?
6. depiction

Task 4

cheapest - 2, the most expensive - 6.

task 5

1. One sort of collecing things is cel colecting.
2. It's a difficult process to make a cel, but you need thousands of them to make a movie.
3. Primary Dysney cels were not appreciated as valuable, peoples thought they're worthless, but now they are very valuable.
4. Not all of cels are appreciated, bicause their characters are in awkward positions, with their eyes closed, etc.
5. Dysney cels are more expensive than outside Dysney and Warner Brothers cels.
6. Cels made by bakshi are very valuable.
7. This one was to tough to me
8. characters painted by bakshi are nearly identical to their description.

Vulpecula rašė:1-2 sorts of cels and how are they made.

It's ok, but I'd like to mention several points. Firstly, one would normally arrange the sentence like this: Sorts of cels and how they are made. That's because it's a statement, not a question. Also, I would probably use "types" instead of "sorts"... But in any case, the paragraphs weren't so much about "types" as about what cels are in general. That's my opinion. You may argue

8 bakshi and his cels.

Again, this heading does not capture the content accurately, because the paragraph was about Bakshi's LotR, not about all his cartoon.

5. could it be follower?

It could... but it isn't The question was in plural - "people, fans", not a singular "person". The stem of the word is the same, though

2. It's a difficult process to make a cel, but you need thousands of them to make a movie.

Good! May I suggest another way, though? Making cels is a difficult process, and thousands are needed for a movie.

3. Primary Dysney cels were not appreciated as valuable, peoples thought they're worthless, but now they are very valuable.

That would be primarily. However, I'd prefer to use "initially" here, because 'primarily' is just not the word that you need...
Also, do not use 'people' in plural, unless your meaning is "tautos" (daugiskaita).

4. Not all of cels are appreciated, bicause their characters are in awkward positions, with their eyes closed, etc.

Mind your spelling Also, it might be easier if you arranged your sentence like this: Many cels are not considered suitable for collecting, because of the characters being drawn in awkward positions etc.

5. Dysney cels are more expensive than outside Dysney and Warner Brothers cels.

It's Disney And: "...than cels produced outside Disney and Warner Brothers companies"

6. Cels made by bakshi are very valuable.

I'd like you to re-write this summarizing sentence... What does the paragraph really say? Does it only say that Bakshi's cels are valuable, or does it also compare Bakshi to others?

7. This one was to tough to me

Which part did you not get? I can help!

8. characters painted by bakshi are nearly identical to their description.

Again, that's not exactly the essence of the paragraph. It smacks of the writer's personal opinion, don't you think? Try again?

GEL No. 1 :: Reading - 2

I've just come across a suitable follow-up text. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to prepare long and serious exercises, but here are some.

The text has been taken from here.

The rise of 'Tolkienalia'

James Cockington
October 22, 2008

Contemporary events usually provide the impetus to a collecting fad and none more so than the continuing fascination for J.R.R. Tolkien's inspired works of fantasy.

In his case it was the movie trilogy The Lord Of The Rings that created a virtual cult. The rise of the internet is a secondary factor. This has enabled a global community of Tolkien fans to come together.

If not for the movies, you'd wonder whether anyone would have paid ?60,000 ($150,000) for a rare 1937 first edition of The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord Of The Rings series. This book, with a personal inscription by Tolkien, sold in March this year at a Bonhams sale of printed books, maps, manuscripts and photographs in New Bond Street, London. The result was exactly double the pre-sale estimate.

No doubt the winning bidder was aware that a movie version of The Hobbit is now in pre-production, scheduled for a 2010 release. This should make the amount paid an astute investment.

"In general, a signed edition of The Hobbit is something most Tolkien collectors dream about," the Bonhams catalogue claims. "But this particular copy, however, can be called the pearl of all signed Hobbits; this is because it is dedicated and belonged to a pupil of Tolkien called Elaine Griffiths."

It's no exaggeration to say that without Elaine Griffiths there would be no Hobbit, in either literary or cinematic form. Elaine was a student of Tolkien's who was shown a copy of the typescript that he had written as an amusement for his children.

She was so impressed by the work that she passed it on to Susan Dagnall at George Allen and Unwin, which published the book for the first time in 1937.

Tolkien personally inscribed the book: "To Elaine Griffiths, with best wishes from J.R.R.T." It is illustrated with many drawings by Tolkien who also designed the pictorial dust jacket.

First editions of The Hobbit are among the world's most desirable books and were considered so even before the movie-inspired cult. Only 1500 copies were printed and were sold within a few months. They have been reprinting ever since. The Hobbit has sold more than 100 million copies and been translated into nearly 50 languages.

Bonhams' London office appears to be the specialist in Tolkienalia.

Other items for sale in March include the first foreign-language edition of The Hobbit, translated into Swedish in 1947. This book was also inscribed by Tolkien to Elaine Griffiths.

Another from Elaine's personal collection was the last known photograph of the author, taken by his grandson Michael on August 9, 1973. It shows him in the Oxford Botanical Gardens leaning against his favourite tree, a black pine he named "Laocoon".

In November last year Bonhams sold a 1969 edition of The Lord Of The Rings that was probably the last book he signed. The vendor's wife's family were friends of Doctor Tolhurst who attended Tolkien during his final illness.

There's more to come. On November 4 a hand-written, autographed letter signed "JRRTolkien" to editor John Roberts will be sold by Bonhams New Bond Street. The letter apologises for the delay in delivering the manuscript for the final part of The Lord Of The Rings but begins with the cheerful news that "you will get about 416 pages in Vol. III". If only Roberts had known how much profit these 416 pages would generate in the future.

This small two-page letter, with minor creasing and "a small paper-clip stain", is expected to fetch $3000. That sounds conservative given recent results.

All the aforementioned items are for the serious literary collector.

There's also a new generation of collectors inspired predominantly by the movie adaptations (see Starter Guide).

These are comparatively cheap and easier to obtain via the modern medium of eBay where The Lord Of The Rings continues to attract new admirers.

$15

Some The Lord Of The Rings memorabilia is available quite cheaply. This Eleven Leaf Brooch was mass-produced by Rubies Costume Company as a licensed product sold as a limited edition of 2500.

$80

The bust of Elrond is an officially licensed product sold as a limited edition of 2500. These are now in demand.

$100

Galadriel's Phial is one of the most desirable pieces of The Lord Of The Rings memorabilia. In the movies Frodo and Sam use this in times of great trouble. This is an officially licensed replica produced by the Noble Collection.

My collection

Living in the delightful town of Nairne in the Adelaide Hills, Michelle Gibson first read J.R.R. Tolkien's books as a child in the 1970s but her interest has been largely rejuvenated by The Lord Of The Rings movies.

Since 2005 she has been running an eBay shop (known as Celebrian's Closet), selling merchandise from the movies sourced from around the world. Flags, bookmarks and replica jewellery are the biggest sellers. Some of the limited edition pieces are already in big demand and she says she makes enough profit from this pleasurable part-time business to pay for Christmas and birthday presents.

More importantly, the website helped fund a trip to the annual ORC Convention in Los Angeles where she met some of the stars of the trilogy. Sean Astin, who played Sam, was a particular highlight.

"He is my favourite, it was such a joy to meet him," she says. "My life was changed forever by this trip." The other stars she met were Elijah Wood (Frodo), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Miranda Otto (Eowyn) and John Noble (Denethor).

The highlights of her own collection are two sterling silver replica brooches. One was worn by Galadriel in The Fellowship Of The Ring, the other worn by Arwen in Return Of The King. These are not for sale.

TASK 1

Choose 5 to 10 words or expressions in the text that you think would be useful to remember. Share them with us! Write a description for each word (you may use a description from your dictionary, if it's clear enough, but it has to be in English) and a sample sentence (preferably your own).

TASK 2

True or False?

1. Ellaine Griffiths worked at George Allen and Unwin.
2. Apart from being a historical person from ancient Greece, Laocoon was also a name of a tree in Tolkien's garden.
3. Celebrian's Closet is a part-time business run by Michelle Gibson
4. You can buy the original Galadriel's Phial used when shooting the movies for 100 USD.
5. A lot of people want to buy busts of Elrond.

SELF-EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK

How much time did you have to spend on these texts? Do you want them easier or more difficult, or are they just fine?
What reading tasks do you like best?

----

Coming up (if people are still interested in this):
Some grammar
Writing for Lesson 1!
Speaking task to be prepared on your own!
And finally - a piece of original writing by Tolkien.

A sing-along on the same topic