EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• fairy tale: a fantasy children’s story that often has a moral
• interpretation: a retelling of a written work
• inappropriate: not right for a certain audience
• criticize: to talk about the problems with something
• antisemitic: hateful or discriminatory towards Jewish people
• relevant: important for a certain situation

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14 — 1.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a of short stories by German Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It was in 1812, originally titled Children’s and Household Tales. Many well-known children’s stories are based on these German folk tales, such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel. However, the original stories are much darker than the interpretations we know today. Although they were written for children, many of the Grimms’ stories contain and disturbing scenes. Even at the time, some people thought the stories were inappropriate for children. They have also been criticized for their antisemitic . However, the Grimms’ collection is still relevant because of its influence on the stories of today.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20877″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Why is it important to be aware of harmful messages in fiction?
2. What do you think makes fairy tales so influential?

Transcript

Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a collection of short stories by German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It was published in 1812, originally titled Children’s and Household Tales. Many well-known children’s stories are based on these German folk tales, such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel. However, the original stories are much darker than the interpretations we know today. Although they were written for children, many of the Grimms’ stories contain violent and disturbing scenes. Even at the time, some people thought the stories were inappropriate for children. They have also been criticized for their antisemitic messages. However, the Grimms’ collection is still relevant because of its influence on the stories of today.