Listen&Learn: Charles Dickens

Learn about one of the most popular novelists in history

Pre-listening vocabulary

• financial: relating to money
• inequality: a situation where some people have more rights, powers, or resources than other people
• journalist: someone who writes news articles
• pseudonym: a false name
• serial: a type of novel that is published in parts
• cliffhanger: a suspenseful ending that makes an audience want more of the story
• celebrity: a famous person

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Charles Dickens was an English author. He is famous for some of the most well-known English , including Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. When he was growing up, his family had financial . This forced him to take a job in a factory at age 12, which made him interested in writing about social inequality. Dickens began his writing career as a journalist when he was 17 years old. Later, he began to publish short stories in magazines, using the pseudonym “Boz.” Dickens’s novels were originally released as serials, which meant that would publish only a few chapters each month. For this reason, Dickens wrote cliffhangers to keep his readers interested. He also used readers’ reactions to future chapters. During his life, Dickens became an international celebrity. His stories are still admired for their memorable and themes.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. When Dickens was 12 years old, he worked
   a. on a farm
   b. at a printing house
   c. in a factory
   
2. Dickens began his writing career as
   a. a poet
   b. a short story writer
   c. a journalist
   
3. In his lifetime, Dickens was
   a. relatively unknown
   b. only known by other writers
   c. an international celebrity

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you think serial novels would be successful today? Why or why not?
2. Dickens’s novels are often considered “classics.” What do you think makes a book a classic? What are some books that you consider classics, and why?

Transcript

Charles Dickens was an English author. He is famous for some of the most well-known English novels, including Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. When he was growing up, his family had financial difficulties. This forced him to take a job in a factory at age 12, which made him interested in writing about social inequality. Dickens began his writing career as a journalist when he was 17 years old. Later, he began to publish short stories in magazines, using the pseudonym “Boz.” Dickens’s novels were originally released as serials, which meant that newspapers would publish only a few chapters each month. For this reason, Dickens wrote cliffhangers to keep his readers interested. He also used readers’ reactions to edit future chapters. During his life, Dickens became an international celebrity. His stories are still admired for their memorable characters and themes.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2c 3c