“(NE)Sigurni u cestovnom prometu” [(Un)Safe on the Road]
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Classroom Materials
Marta Pirnat-Greenberg
CARLA 2004 Summer Institute:
Developing Classroom Materials for LCTLs
University of Minnesota
August 2-6, 2004
Topic: Traffic accidents
Level: Intermediate
Target audience: University students
Materials: Newspaper article: “Two Dead on Istrian Roads”
Newspaper article: “What Can Be Expected from the New Traffic Safety Law”
Humorous quotes and pictures related to the topic
Film: “Bure baruta” [Cabaret Balkan] (FRY, 1998): the clip from the beginning with the collision scene of a Yugo and a Volkswagen Bug (begins with reckless driving, concludes with the Yugo’s driver running away—about 3 minutes). Instructor should provide at least some social and historical context and its significance for the situations portrayed in the film. If working with a subtitled version, the instructor should cover the subtitles.
Worksheets
Prerequisite: Students have been introduced to the basic vocabulary related to traffic and traffic accidents
Purpose: To help students develop communicative skills on the topic in all four areas by balancing the activities for each skill.
Content of the packet: The packet consists of four fairly independent (although topically related) units. Units 1-3 are reading-based, unit 4 is listening-based. All units, and unit 4 in particular, provide an opportunity to expand the cultural knowledge. Depending on time constraints and students’ abilities the instructor may chose any one or any combination of these units.
Time requirement: Units 1 and 4 require 50 minutes each, units 2 and 3 require 20-30 minutes each.
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Classroom Materials: Summary
Unit 1: Na istarskim cestama dvoje poginulih [Two Killed on Istrian Roads]
Unit 2: Humor u prometu [Humor in Traffic]
Unit 3: Novi zakon o sigurnosti prometa [The New Traffic Safety Law]
Unit 4: Bure baruta [a clip from the film Cabaret Balkan]
Language: (1) With strangers Serb/Croats usually use the formal “vi” form. When they get mad, they abruptly switch to informal “ti”. Carefully listen to the clip again and write down some examples from it.
(2) Have you noticed in the clip that the command “izađi(te)” changes into “izlazi” when the policeman becomes impatient with the young man in the Yugo? What grammatical change is involved in the expression of impatience?
(3) Using the same change, turn the following commands into “impatient” commands.
(4) What do people do when they are angry? Think of as many verbs as possible.
Writing: Describe what you saw in the clip, but alternate the ending.
forward to unit 1 forward to unit 2 forward to unit 3 forward to unit 4