TEACHERS´ MATERIALS.

Please look out the extensive teachers materials for use in the classroom. They are a great tool to help prepare your students before seeing the play

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ALL ABOUT ÁNGEL is a modern, true-to-life tale about Ángel, a 13-year-old Spanish schoolboy whose world is suddenly turned upside down when his English mother decides to move him to a new country and, as such, a new school. Our play touches on themes that are extremely relevant to many teenagers today: for example, adapting to new environments, making friends, the importance of looking “cool” and fitting in, the challenges of being different, and bullying.
The main aim is to motivate audiences in their English studies with a fun, yet emotion-packed script. The level of English that has been carefully graded for students aged between the ages 10 and 14 and teachers will also find the extensive material for the classroom extremely useful.

Synopsis in Spanish
ALL ABOUT ÁNGEL (Todo sobre Ángel) es un cuento moderno que gira en torno a Ángel, un chico español de 13 años cuyo mundo se pone de repente patas arriba cuando su madre, inglesa, decide llevárselo con ella a un nuevo país, lo que conllevará para él un nuevo colegio. Nuestra historia aborda temas con muchísima relevancia para los jóvenes de hoy, como son: la adaptación a nuevos entornos, hacer nuevos amigos, la importancia de ser aceptado por compañeros y las apariencias, los desafíos creados por “ser diferente”, y el consabido enfrentamiento juvenil fuerte contra débil.
El objetivo principal es motivar a los estudiantes en el aprendizaje del inglés por medio de un guión divertido y a la vez emocionante. El contenido del inglés ha sido cuidadosamente elaborado para adaptarse a las necesidades lingüísticas de los jóvenes con edades entre 10 y 14, y los profesores pueden aprovecharse del amplio material didáctico.

Ángel Iglesias is a 13-year-old Spanish boy who lives in Spain with his English mother. (His parents(1) are divorced.) Ángel has different interests from other children. For example, he doesn’t like fashion(2) very much, or football. He is a vegetarian, which means he does not eat meat(3) . Ángel also wears glasses(4) and is a little shy. His interests include watching documentaries about exotic countries like Borneo or dreaming(5) about becoming an explorer(6) .
At the beginning of the play, we see Ángel arguing(7) with his mother. (They speak to each other in English.) She wants to leave the country(8) and work in Scotland because she can’t find(9) a job in Spain. The problem is Ángel doesn’t want to leave Spain where he has friends and where he goes to a school that he likes very much. But his mother insists. “We are going!” she says, and so Ángel moves to Glasgow and starts a new secondary school.

His first day at school is not easy(10). He makes one new friend called Betty, an older lady who serves the lunches(11) to the students, but he doesn’t make any new friends his age(12) . In fact, he makes an enemy(13) . His name is Keith Wallace and he is the school bully(14) . Keith, who is much bigger and stronger than Ángel, sees that the Spanish boy is very different from other boys in Glasgow. So every day Keith insults Ángel and makes fun of him(15) . Ángel is afraid(16) of Keith and is also afraid of going to school.
One day, Keith beats up(17) Ángel and steals(18) his new trainers(19). When he arrives(20) home, his mother asks him, “What’s wrong?(21)” . She also asks, “Where are your trainers?”, but Ángel doesn’t want to tell (22)her. She is angry and talks to the school’s headmaster(23) , Mr. Robertson. Then the headmaster asks Ángel, “Who did this to you and who stole your trainers?” Again, Ángel is afraid to tell Mr. Robertson that it was Keith.
Not everything is bad, though. Betty, Ángel’s friend, has a daughter(24) called Allie who is fifteen years old. Ángel helps Allie with her Spanish homework and they become friends(25) . One evening, Mr. Robertson organises a school dance. Ángel and Allie are having a good time drinking and talking to Betty when Keith arrives.
What will happen to Ángel now? Will Keith beat him up again? What can Ángel do to stop this bully? Will he ever find peace(26) at his new school?

ÁNGEL – Ángel Iglesias Collins is a 13-year-old Spanish boy who speaks English. He is a little shy and does not like sports. Ángel is not interested in fashion, he is a vegetarian and likes reading or watching TV documentaries about distant countries. He would like to travel and study anthropology when he leaves school. Ángel is also concerned (se preocupa) about world problems, for example, hungry children in Africa or the environment (el medio-ambiente).
ÁNGEL’S MOTHER, Lucy Collins – Lucy Collins is Ángel’s mother. She is 41 years old and is a translator and interpreter. She went to live in Spain when she was 24 and married a Spanish man (Ángel’s father) when she was 26. Now they are divorced.
BETTY MACPHERSON – Betty works at Stevenson Secondary School where Ángel is a student. She cooks and serves food to the students. Betty is 51 years old, married with four children. She’s a very friendly woman and likes to help people. Her hobbies are playing bingo and singing karaoke songs.
ALLIE MACPHERSON - Allie is Betty’s 15 year-old daughter and she’s a typical teenager. She likes listening to pop music, fashionable clothes, sports, learning languages and going out with her friends. Allie’s favourite sport is judo.
KEITH WALLACE - Keith is another student in Ángel’s class. He is a very big and aggressive boy who hates school and studying. Keith’s hobbies are playing and watching football andreading football magazines. He also likes to bully students who are younger or smaller than him.
JANET GORDON – Janet is one of Keith’s friends. She doesn’t like to study. She talks and laughs a lot. She is quite stupid. For example, she thinks all people in Spain can dance flamenco and go to bullfights. (corridas de toros)
MR. ROBERTSON – He is the headmaster of Stevenson Secondary School. He is 53 years old and married. Mr. Robertson has been a headmaster for eight years and he likes his job very much. He likes dogs, holidays in France and working on his car.

	ANGEL is doing his homework.	Betty and Ángel
LINGUA-ARTS			LINGUA ARTS
	Betty protects Ángel from Keith, the bully	Keith is bullying Ángel

√ NOTES FOR TEACHERS

√ AN EXTRACT

LEVEL: Low intermediate to Intermediate (10 to 14 years)
ALL ABOUT ÁNGEL is a realistic, true-to life story with which many young spectators are sure to identify. As such, we hope to motivate your students further in their English studies in addition to providing them with sound dramatic entertainment.
Ángel is not a “normal” kid. He’s a vegetarian, he doesn’t like football, doesn’t care about fashion and is concerned about world problems such as hunger and the environment. His life suddenly takes a new turn when he finds himself in a different country, with a different culture, school, etc. What is more, Ángel becomes the latest victim of the school bully and has to suffer threats with every new day. As a result, Ángel feels lost and alone. This situation gives Lingua-Arts the opportunity to explore themes of great relevance to young teenage audiences:
THEMES: - CHANGE (adapting to new environments and cultures.)
THE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP (making new friends and the support they can provide.)
APPEARANCES (fitting in and approval of peer groups, looking “cool”, being “fashionable”.)
BEING DIFFERENT (the challenges of being different from the crowd and staying true to oneself.)
BULLYING (How can it be stopped? Can the bully change?)
But don't worry teachers!!! This play is not a “tragedy”. Although it touches on serious issues, it also includes a lot of humour and fun characters. For example, there is Betty, the lovely lady who serves the school lunches, and also Ángel’s stupid classmates. What is more the theme of BULLYING is treated sensitively and at times with humour. The play has a happy ending too because Ángel’s natural charm, integrity and bravery help him overcome all his problems. By the end of the play, Ángel makes friends and adapts wonderfully to his new life.
BILINGUALISM
In general, the only person who speaks Spanish in the play is the main character, Ángel. He “thinks” aloud when he talks to the audience in Spanish (this gives the audience the feeling that they are Ángel’s close friends as he frequently confides in them.) Mostly, though, Ángel interacts with the other characters in the play in English. Around 75% of the play is in English.

TEACHERS’ MATERIALS. Please look out the extensive teachers materials for use in the classroom. They are a great tool to help prepare your students before seeing the play (and for use AFTER seeing it).

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Aquí vemos a Ángel durante su primera clase en el instituto cuando los alumnos descubren que es español y, curiosos, le hacen preguntas. Lee la escena y luego completa el ejercicio.
MISS M: … Ah, someone new. (Bad pronunciation) Angel Iglesias Collins.
ÁNGEL: (Correcting her. ) No, no. Ángel. Ángel Iglesias.
MISS M: Oh, Angel, of course. Come up here. Come on. It’s Spanish, isn’t it?
KEITH: Olé ! That’s Spanish!
MISS M: Now, Iglesias is Spanish for “churches”, isn’t it? Class, we have someone new who comes from Spain. Do you want to ask any questions? Janet…
JANET: Do you speak English?
ÁNGEL: Yes, my mum’s English.
KEITH: Hey, what’s your favourite football team? Real Madrid?
ÁNGEL: Well, I haven’t got one. I don’t like football much.
KEITH: What? He doesn’t like football? Are you mad?
JANET: What do you want to be when you are older? A “flamingo dancer”?
ÁNGEL: No, I don’t.
KEITH: Hey, do you want to be bullfighter, then?
ÁNGEL: No, not really.
KEITH: Why not? You’re Spanish, aren’t you?
MISS M: Keith, just because he is Spanish doesn’t mean he has to like flamenco dancing or bullfighting, does it? Angel, what would you like to be?
ÁNGEL: I’m not sure yet. I would like to travel to interesting places, so perhaps I’ll study archaeology, or anthropology.
KEITH: Anthropology! Boring!
MISS M: Sit!

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