Celebrating the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens

READING and LISTENING COMPREHENSION:

Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, probably the best of the Victorian period. He was born on 7 February, 1812 in Portsmouth, Hampshire

The Dickens family settled at Kingdom of Kent in 1816, where Charles spent early years of his childhood. From early age of his childhood, Charles was interested in reading books and had his own small collection of books in his room. He read books of Robinson Crusoe, Roderick Random, Humphrey Clinker, and Don Quixote etc.

His epic stories, vivid characters and exhaustive depiction of Victorian life are unforgettable.

Some of his best-known novels: Hard Times, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations.

"Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
Charles Dickens

The Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from  1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace and prosperity, but it is also notorious for the employement of young children in factories and mines and as chimney sweeps (=deshollinadores).

When the Industrial Revolution came to Britain there was a high demand for labor. Families migrated from the rural farm areas to the newly industrialized cities to find work, every member of the family had to work in order to survive. This led to the high rise in child labor in factories.Children as young as six years old during the industrial revolution worked hard hours (sometime 19 hours a day).

Watch this video about work conditions for children during the Industrial Revolution

NOW... will you keep on complaining about school and homework???

LISTENING COMPREHENSION about CHARLES DICKENS:
If you have problems with the activity, just change your browser or click on the link below.

The Life Of Charles Dickens (BBC)