SESSION 18: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 18: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION

2.1 UNITED STATES: What would the World be like if there were only several giant countries or unions? Think of the main countries that would form the different unions, how strong they would become and the problems they would have:

• Africa
• Europe
• Arabia
• South America
• East Asia
• South Asia

2.2 CONTINENTS: What are the differences and similarities between Africa and other continents and land masses?

• Africa and Europe
• Africa and North America
• Africa and South America

2.3 AFRICA DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:

a) What did you think when you read the headline?
b) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘Africa’?
c) What do you know about the African Union?
d) Do you think Colonel Gaddafi will be a good leader for Africa?
e) What are the biggest things Colonel Gaddafi needs to do for Africa?
f) Do you think actions are more important than words?
g) What do you think the near future will hold?

h) What do you think of the idea of a United States of Africa?
i) Do you think African people would like to belong to a wider union?
j) What are the biggest challenges facing Africa?
k) Do you think there are other ways for Africa to escape disease and poverty?
l) What do you think the world would be like if there were just a few giant countries?
m) Why do you think South Africa views African union as impractical?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.

SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.

THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 18, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.

Choose one of the following topics:

• Express your opinion: 'The only way out for Africa is a AU'
• Advantages and disadvantages for Africa becoming a political federation.

SESSION 18: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 18: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE:
a.F / b.T / c.T / d.T / e.F / f.T / g.F / h.F

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH:
1.e / 2.h / 3.a / 4.j / 5.i / 6.c / 7.b / 8.f / 9.d / 10.g

1.3 PHRASE MATCH:
1.e / 2.g / 3.a / 4.i / 5.c / 6.j / 7.f / 8.d / 9.b /10.h

1.4 GAP FILL:

NATION - HEADS - HOLD - SPEECH - END - TIRED - FUTURE - SERVING

PLANS - GREATER - MEAN - FREELY - AGREED - REACH - ESCAPE - REGARDS

SESSION 18: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 18: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):

a. Libya’s leader has said some African countries should join the U.S.A.
b. Libya’s leader was chosen as Africa’s leader behind closed doors.
c. Colonel Gaddafi was too tired to finish his acceptance speech.
d. Colonel Gaddafi is the longest serving political leader in the world.
e. Gaddafi’s only plan as leader is for a United States of Africa.
f. A united Africa would mean having just one African currency.
g. Tanzania’s leader totally disagrees with the Colonel Gaddafi’s idea.
h. South Africa is fully behind Gaddafi’s idea of a United States of Africa.

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. leader .................. a. have
2. session ................. b. union
3. hold .................... c. pushing
4. speech ................. d. war
5. serious ................. e. head
6. campaigning .......... f. top
7. federation ............. g. unrealistic
8. ultimate ............... h. meeting
9. conflict ................ i. important
10. impractical .......... j. talk

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1. chairman of the 53- ............................... a. speech
2. elected by the heads ............................. b. poverty
3. The new AU chief made his acceptance ....... c. political leader
4. the near ............................................ d. to reach that goal
5. the world’s longest-serving ...................... e. nation African Union
6. campaigning for ................................... f. to move freely
7. a single passport for Africans .................... g. of state
8. there were many “building blocks” ............. h. powerhouse
9. escape from ........................................ i. future
10. the continent’s economic ....................... j. greater African unity

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

end - hold - future - nation - serving - tired - heads - speech

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is the new chairman of the 53-__________ African Union. An AU spokeswoman told reporters that Colonel Gaddafi was elected "by the -__________ of state in a closed-door session, for a one-year period". Gaddafi, 66, becomes the first North African leader to -__________ the top post at the AU since it started in 2002. The new AU chief made his acceptance -__________ in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. He stopped before the -__________ of the speech saying he was too -__________ to continue. He told his audience that actions were more important than words: “I think the near -__________ will be a time of serious work and a time of action and not a time of words,” he said. Gaddafi is the world’s longest--__________ political leader.

greater - regards - agreed - plans - mean - escape - freely - reach

One of Gaddafi’s biggest -__________ is for a United States of Africa. He has spent his political life campaigning for -__________ African unity. His vision is to join the continent’s 53 nations into a political federation. This would -__________ a single African military force, a single currency and a single passport for Africans to move -__________ around the continent. Outgoing AU chairman Jakaya Kikwete, president of Tanzania, -__________ that the “ultimate” aim was for a United States of Africa. However, he warned that there were many “building blocks” to -__________ that goal. Gaddafi believes unity is the only way to help Africa -__________ from poverty, disease and conflict. South Africa, the continent’s economic powerhouse, -__________ the idea as impractical.

SESSION 18: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 3RD MARCH

SESSION 18: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 3RD MARCH
GADDAFI SUGGESTS A UNITED STATES OF AFRICA

Text taken and adapted from: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

The text:

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is the new chairman of the 53-nation African Union. An AU spokeswoman told reporters that Colonel Gaddafi was elected "by the heads of state in a closed-door session, for a one-year period". Gaddafi, 66, becomes the first North African leader to hold the top post at the AU since it started in 2002. The new AU chief made his acceptance speech in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. He stopped before the end of the speech saying he was too tired to continue. He told his audience that actions were more important than words: “I think the near future will be a time of serious work and a time of action and not a time of words,” he said. Gaddafi is the world’s longest-serving political leader.

One of Gaddafi’s biggest plans is for a United States of Africa. He has spent his political life campaigning for greater African unity. His vision is to join the continent’s 53 nations into a political federation. This would mean a single African military force, a single currency and a single passport for Africans to move freely around the continent. Outgoing AU chairman Jakaya Kikwete, president of Tanzania, agreed that the “ultimate” aim was for a United States of Africa. However, he warned that there were many “building blocks” to reach that goal. Gaddafi believes unity is the only way to help Africa escape from poverty, disease and conflict. South Africa, the continent’s economic powerhouse, regards the idea as impractical.

'Gaddafi suggests a United States of Africa' 3rd February, 2009

www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com

SESSION 18: A SONG

SESSION 18: A SONG

MIKA: GRACE KELLY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlEsBaAFPoo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V-kCqu5cGY

This crazy song is one of the biggest hits in 2007. This is the second single in history that topped number 1 before selling a single physical copy (it was still available only as electronic downloads from the internet). Mika used here the main melody from Figaro's famous aria Largo al factotum in the opera The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini. It is easy to see that he was trained as an Opera singer before he became a pop star.

SONG MEANING:

This song was designed to be a mocking satire of musicians who try to reinvent themselves to be popular. Mika claims the song was inspired after a bad experience with a record company executive, in which he was told he should change his style to fit more into the mainstream pop music, but he refused to change.
The lyric "So I tried a little Freddie" is a reference to Queen's Freddie Mercury, to whose singing voice Mika's has been compared.
In the song, Mika ironically points out how he can pretend to be anyone he likes to win approval - in this case the glamorous actress Grace Kelly.
The film quote at the beginning and at the end of the movie was taken from the film "The Country Girl" 1954), by Grace Kelly. In the original quote she says Mr Dodd, but Mika has changed it to Mr Smith most probably because that is the name of the record company executive he's attacking in this song.

EXPLANATION OF THE LYRICS:

YOU REDUCED ME TO TEARS= You made me cry a lot.

REPULSE= To repel, to cause rejection. The opposite of "attract".

QUEASY= Causing nausea; sickening.

FLIRTY= A flirty person likes to flirt a lot. To flirt is to make playfully romantic or sexual overtures (to try to seduce other people sexually).

WHOLESOME= Physically, mentally or morally healthy.

LOATHSOME= If you are loathsome people usually hate you.

WITHOUT MAKING ME TRY= Without forcing me to try to please you. If you try, you're not natural or spontaneous. Remember that after prepositions and conjunctions we always use –ING, so after WITHOUT here we use MAKING.

HER LOOKS= Her appearance.

I TRIED A LITTLE FREDDIE= I tried to be a bit like Freddy Mercury (the lead singer from the rock band Queen).

I'VE GONE IDENTITY MAD= As far as personality is concerned, I've gone crazy because I don't know who I am, I don't know what is my true identity because I'm trying to change all the time and be someone else.

VIOLET SKY= The violet colour of the sky when it's a very deep shade of blue.

HURTFUL= A hurtful person hurts people easily.

MEAN= The opposite of nice, used with this meaning in American English specially.

WHY DON'T YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR= Why don't you go away and leave me alone!The expression "walk out the door" is commonly used to mean "leave, go away", especially if you're talking about a radical separation (and also suggests you're angry), shut up and leave!WHY DON'T YOU LIKE ME?= a question.WHY DON'T YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR?= a sarcastic order (= go away!)

HOW CAN I HELP IT?= I can't do anything about it. The expression "I can't help it" means "there's nothing I can do about it, it's impossible to stop that".HOW CAN I HELP WHAT YOU THINK?= I can't do anything to change the way you think.

ON THE BRINK= To the limit. The BRINK is the upper edge of a steep or vertical slope (like "the brink of a cliff"), so if your life is on the brink you are about to go crazy or your life is about to be destroyed in some way.

BEND OVER= If you bend over, you are standing, your legs are still straight up but you move the rest of your body forward, like when you pick something from the ground without bending your knees. We can also use this metaphorically (and pejoratively) to express submission, that you accept the control of another person and do what they want you to do.

SHELF= (plural: shelves) A rectangular surface (usually made of wood) attached to the wall which is used to put objects on it. It is often used to put books. In this case, it is a shelf to put trophies.

JUST TO BE PUT ON YOUR SHELF= Only to be one more in your collection of trophies.

EVERYBODY ELSE= The rest of people, all the other people.

YOU ONLY WANT WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAYS YOU SHOULD WANT= You have no personality, you simply like what people say you should like (and you want me to be like that too, but I refuse).

KACHING= This is not an English word but it probably is a reference to the song Ka-Ching, by Canadian singer Shania Twain, a song about how people now are so greedy and we can only think of spending money.

Explanation taken from: Multimedia English Classroom

SESSION 17: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 17: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION

2.1 ILLEGAL: Are any of these things illegal in your country? Do people do them nontheless?

• downloading music
• using someone´s wi-fi
• photocopying a book
• reading a book in a shop or downloading it
• videoing in a cinema
• recording from the radio

2.2 DOWNLOADS: rank them from most illegal to least illegal from your point of view:

• movies
• documents
• software
• wallpaper
• music
• photos
• games
• You Tube videos

2.3 FAMILY: Spend one minute writing down all the words and expressions you associate with the word 'PIRATE' and 'BAY' and think about how the meaning of this word has evolved in the last years.

2.4 FILE-SHARING DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:

a) What did you think when you read the headline?
b) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘download’?
c) How important is downloading to you?
d) Do you worry about breaking the law when you download things?
e) What do you think of people who download thousands of songs and dozens of movies?
f) Do you think the Pirate Bay guys deserve to go to jail?
g) Is breaking international copyright laws really so serious? For whom?
h) How do you think the entertainment industry can stop illegal file-sharing?
i) Do you think everyone expects everything for free nowadays?
j) Should people be punished for downloading stuff illegally?

k) Would your life change if all file-sharing sites closed?
l) Why do you think there are people who are unhappy with the decision?
m) How angry do you think singers are with illegal downloaders?
n) Do you think the decision has sent a clear message to the pirates?
o) What do you think of the word ‘pirate’ for illegal download sites? Do you think it´s too strong?
p) Why do most people think piracy is not OK, but they do it anyway?
q) Have the courts declared war on a whole generation?
r) Do you think file-sharing will be legal one day?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:
FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.
THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 17, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.

Choose one of the following topics:

• Write an article about the immense harm file-sharing can do to the entertainment industry
• 'We should all be able to share files on the internet'. Express your opinion

SESSION 17: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 17: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE:
a.T / b.F / c.F / d.F / e.F / f.T / g.F / h.T

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH:
1.g / 2.i / 3.a / 4.e / 5.h / 6.b / 7.j / 8.f / 9.c / 10.d

1.3 PHRASE MATCH:
1.f / 2.h / 3.e / 4.j / 5.b / 6.g / 7.c / 8.i / 9.a /10.d

1.4 GAP FILL:
FOUNDERS - SENTENCED - CRIME - DAMAGES - SHORT - POPULAR - MATERIAL - FILES

CLOSED - PROTECTING - LIVING - CLEAR - HARM - CHANGE - SUPPORTS - WAR

SESSION 17: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 17: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:
1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):
a. Four men who started a website called Pirate Bay were sent to jail.
b. The men spent too long inside bars.
c. The entertainment industry was happy they got $4 million in damages.
d. Pirate Bay stores thousands of movies on its website computers.
e. Everyone is very unhappy with the court’s ruling.
f. The Swedish court protected the income of artists and actors.
g. An entertainment industry spokesman said Pirate Bay was harmed.
h. A Swedish political party is arguing for people to be able to share files.

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. founders .................... a. compensation
2. behind bars ............... b. decision
3. damages .................... c. furious
4. industry .................... d. age group
5. acts ........................... e. business
6. ruling ........................ f. huge
7. divided ..................... g. creators
8. immense ................... h. serves
9. angry ........................ i. in prison
10. generation .............. j. split

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):
1. A court in Sweden sentenced the four men ...... a. over the verdict
2. break international ................................... b. engine
3. pay nearly one million dollars each ................ c. from their creativity
4. This falls far short of ................................ d. our whole generation
5. it acts as a search .................................... e. in damages
6. The entertainment industry praised ............... f. to a year behind bars
7. artists who made their living ....................... g. the court
8. The Pirate Bay did .................................... h. copyright laws
9. Swedish people are angry ........................... i. immense harm
10. politicians have declared war against ........... j. the $17 million

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

popular - damages - sentenced - material - crime - files - founders - short

The four __________ of the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay have been sent to prison. A court in Sweden __________ the four men to a year behind bars. Their __________ was to help millions of people around the world break international copyright laws. The court also ordered them to pay nearly one million dollars each in __________ to major music companies and film studios. This falls far __________ of the $17 million demanded by the entertainment industry. The site Pirate Bay is the world’s most __________ file-sharing site. Over 20 million people use it to download music, movies and computer games for free. Pirate Bay does not have any copyrighted __________ on its web servers; instead it acts as a search engine so visitors can find __________ on other computers.

change - clear - war - closed - supports - protecting - harm - living

The court’s decision may be the beginning of many more file-sharing sites being __________. The ruling has divided people. The entertainment industry praised the court for __________ the rights of singers, actors and other artists who made their __________ from their creativity. Industry spokesman John Kennedy said the decision sent a __________ message to pirates. "The Pirate Bay did immense __________ ….There has been a perception that piracy is OK…This verdict will __________ that," he said. Swedish people are angry over the verdict. There is even a political party that __________ The Pirate Bay. Its chairman Rickard Falkvinge said the courts and politicians “have declared __________ against our whole generation". He called for "file-sharing for the people”.

SESSION 17: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY

SESSION 17: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY

COURT JAILS PIRATE BAY FILE-SHARERS

Text taken and adapted from:
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

The text:

The four founders of the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay have been sent to prison. A court in Sweden sentenced the four men to a year behind bars. Their crime was to help millions of people around the world break international copyright laws. The court also ordered them to pay nearly one million dollars each in damages to major music companies and film studios. This falls far short of the $17 million demanded by the entertainment industry. The site Pirate Bay is the world’s most popular file-sharing site. Over 20 million people use it to download music, movies and computer games for free. Pirate Bay does not have any copyrighted material on its web servers; instead it acts as a search engine so visitors can find files on other computers.

The court’s decision may be the beginning of many more file-sharing sites being closed. The ruling has divided people. The entertainment industry praised the court for protecting the rights of singers, actors and other artists who made their living from their creativity. Industry spokesman John Kennedy said the decision sent a clear message to pirates. "The Pirate Bay did immense harm….There has been a perception that piracy is OK…This verdict will change that," he said. Swedish people are angry over the verdict. There is even a political party that supports The Pirate Bay. Its chairman Rickard Falkvinge said the courts and politicians “have declared war against our whole generation". He called for "file-sharing for the people”.

'Court jails Pirate Bay file-sharers' - 19th April, 2009
www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com

SESSION 17: A SONG

SESSION 17: A SONG

JASON MRAZ: I´M YOURS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHTsc9PU2A

The Lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20v6XxS9NBs

MEANING OF THE SONG:

This man was a perfectionist. He´s had many relationships before and always tried to stay cool to be able to control the situation, always trying to be perfect. Now he´s met this girl and he´s gone completely crazy over her. His first reaction, as usual, was to stay cold, but he loves her too much, so he can´t (I tried to be chill but you´re so hot that I melted) so for the first time, he´s giving himself to the woman completely (I won´t hesitate no more. It cannot wait, I´m yours). His second reaction is to try to impress her, but he fails there too, and this is the best part of the song:

He was always trying to be perfect, trying to spot any flaw in himself (checking my tongue in the mirror), and to see his tongue clearer he also tried to look at it upside down, to see the bottom of it, so he bent over. But this love made him forget about all that artificial controlled perfection and he just accepts the way he is and laughs at his imperfections (my breath fogged up the glass and so I drew a new face and laughed). After all, all that part about the tongue is only a visual of what he tries to say later: I guess what I´d been saying is there ain´t no better reason to rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons.

Because the message of this song is that when you love so much, you are natural, accept everything just as it is, put your fears aside and enjoy every bit of it. It´s all about relaxing and going with the flow, because that´s the only way you can be happy. And now he´s asking her to do the same and let helself go: Open up your mind and see like me, open up your plans and damn, you´re free, look into your heart and you´ll find love.

EXPLANATION OF SOME WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS:

bestest: the best of the best, better than the best

I reckon:I suppose, I think

hesitate:doubt, to be uncertain

before the cool done run out: before the nice things we did finish

I fell right through the cracks: he melted so he became like liquid, he fell to the floor and could even disappear into the cracks on the wooden floor.

open up your mind: be ready for new things

damn: a bad word but not really offensive

fate: destiny

scrooch on over closer: sit/get closer to me

nibble: to bite gently and repeatedly

go with the seasons: adapt, be flexible

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SONG!

SESSION 16: BBC NEWS: LISTEN

SESSION 16: BBC NEWS: LISTEN

WATCH A RECENT PIECE OF NEWS AND WRITE DOWN NOTES. PREPARE IT SO THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEXT ORAL SESSION:

http://atdhe.net/watchtv4.php?b=n

SESSION 16: A SONG

SESSION 16: A SONG

COUNTING CROWS: MR JONES

One of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0uFWxkTv78

Lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d78WScuA958

SESSION 16: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 16: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: for further investigation you can have a look at the following pages and blogs:

• http://www.marketingvox.com/cell-phones-key-to-teens-social-lives-47-can-text-with-eyes-closed-041119/ : Mobile Key to Teens´ Social Lives, 47% Can text with Eyes Closed.
• http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3897340.ece The Future of Social Networking: Mobile Phones.

The JAKARTA GLOBE (http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/) have published an article based on a survey made, connecting the Internet, Facebook and Mobile Phones, stating the three of them enhance social life:

Internet, Facebook and Mobile Phones Enhance Social Life: Survey

Contrary to popular belief, the Internet and mobile phones are not isolating people but enhancing their social worlds, according to a US survey.The survey was sparked by a 2006 study by US sociologists who argued technology is advancing a trend seen since 1985 — Americans becoming more socially isolated, their social networks shrinking, and the diversity of their contacts decreasing.But the study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, titled “Social Isolation and New Technology,” found people’s use of mobile phones and the Internet is actually associated with larger and more diverse social networks.“When we examine people’s full personal network... Internet use in general and use of social networking services such as Facebook in particular are associated with more diverse social networks,” the researchers said in a statement.“Our key findings challenge previous research and commonplace fears about the harmful social impact of new technology.”The telephone survey of 2,512 adults, conducted by Princeton Survey Research International in July and August this year, found that since 1985, the extent of social isolation has hardly changed at all.It found 6 percent of the adult population has no one with whom to discuss important matters but this figure is largely unchanged since 1985.The survey, however, did find that people’s “discussion networks” have shrunk about a third in the past 25 years and become less diverse as they contain fewer non-family members.But people who have mobile phones and take part in a variety of Internet activities are associated with larger, more diverse core discussion networks.On average, the size of people’s discussion networks is 12 percent larger among mobile phone users, nine percent larger for those who share photos online, and nine percent bigger for those who use instant messaging.The diversity of people’s core networks tends to be 25 percent larger for mobile phone users, 15 percent larger for basic Internet users, and even larger for frequent Internet users, instant messagers, and those sharing photos online.Internet users were as likely as anyone else to visit their neighbors and take part in local community activities.“Cell phone users, those who use the Internet frequently at work, and bloggers are more likely to belong to a local voluntary association, such as a youth group or a charitable organization,” the study found.“However, we find some evidence that use of social networking services (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn) substitutes for some neighborhood involvement.”The researchers said most uses of the Internet and mobile phone have a positive relationship to neighborhood networks, voluntary associations, and use of public spaces.“Our survey results suggest that people’s lives are likely to be enhanced by participation with new communication technologies, rather than by fearing that their use of new technology will send them into a spiral of isolation,” they concluded.

Reuters

After reading more about mobile phones and their use nowadays, what is your personal opinion? Do you think they are a useful gadget? When and why? Under what circumstances?

Try to think of groups of people of different ages and their use of mobiles.

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.

SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.

THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 16, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.Choose one of the following topics:

• 'Mobile Phones have transformed the way we communicate.' Express your opinion.
• Advantages and disadvantages of teenagers having a mobile phone.

SESSION 16: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY

SESSION 16: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY

MOBILE PHONES HAVE TRANSFORMED THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE

Text taken and adapted from:
http://www.onestopenglish.com/
Just click on: http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?catid=58224&docid=550040 and you have the text together with some exercises and the key for you to work on.

Hope you enjoy it!

SESSION 15: BBC NEWS: LISTEN

SESSION 15: BBC NEWS: LISTEN

WATCH A RECENT PIECE OF NEWS AND WRITE DOWN NOTES. PREPARE IT SO THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEXT ORAL SESSION:

http://atdhe.net/watchtv4.php?b=n

SESSION 15: FOOD FOR THOUGHT

SESSION 15: FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Read a bit about The Boy Scouts of America. This organization´s origins, membership and specially: membership controversies.

http://encyclopedia.tfd.com/Boy+Scouts+of+America

Now form your own opinion about this youth organization. Is your opinion different to the one you had of the Boy Scouts before you read this information?

SESSION 15: A SONG

SESSION 15: A SONG

LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY - FOREVER YOU AND ME

Do you remember this oldie?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc_wPZEzpNU

Hope you enjoy it!

SESSION 15: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 15: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION

2.1 FAMILIES TODAY: compare what families in your country do now with your idea of a perfect family considering the following topics:

• eating together
• domestic violence
• parental role models
• parents being at home
• sharing housework
• number of children

2.2 RIGHT FOR TV? Should the following topics be discussed on TV? Why?

• abortion
• death
• AIDS
• gay dating services
• domestic violence
• drugs
• teenage pregnancy
• religion
• childcare

2.3 FAMILY: Spend one minute writing down all the words and expressions you associate with the word 'family' and how the meaning of this word has evolved in the last years.

2.4 ABORTION DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:

a) What springs to mind when you hear the word 'abortion'?

b) What do you think of an anti-abortion TV ad in the middle of a sporting event?

c) Can the topic of abortion cause your temper to flare?

d) Is it good the topic of abortion is receiving nearly as much attention as the Super Bowl game itself?

e) Is Tim Tebow´s story a good reason to ban abortion?

f) Is abortion a difficult topic to discuss in Spain?

g) When is abortion banned in Spain? Do you agree with the law in Spain?

h) Is it right that doctors encourage women to have an abortion?

i) Should school teach children about abortion?

j) Many people believe abortion is the same as murder. What do you think?

k) What do you think of people who attack doctors who perform abortions?

l) Do you agree with the women´s groups about TV channels and dictating morality?

m) Is CBS guilty of double standards by rejecting the gay dating ad?

n) Do we have similar ads on the TV in Spain?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.

SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.

THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 15, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.

Choose one of the following topics:

• Fatherhood is as important as motherhood. Express your opinion.
• Types of families nowadays. What are the causes of the changes in the traditional family system?

SESSION 15: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 15: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE:
a.T / b.F / c.T / d.F / e.F / f.T / g.F / h.F
.
1.2 SYNONYM MATCH:
1.b / 2.d / 3.i / 4.h / 5.f / 6.j / 7.a / 8.g / 9.c / 10.e
.
1.3 PHRASE MATCH:
1.g / 2.e / 3.i / 4.b / 5.h / 6.j / 7.c / 8.f / 9.a /10.d
.
1.4 GAP FILL:
CAUSED - BROADCAST - ATTENTION - FEATURES - IGNORED - DURING - REACH - EVENT

EXPLAINED - CELEBRATING - INFLUENCE - OPPONENTS - DROP - DOUBLE - SERVICE - MISS

SESSION 15: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 15: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):
a. The CBS TV network will air an anti-abortion ad during Super Bowl.
b. The ad has received more attention than the Super Bowl game.
c. The ad tells the story of a quarterback whose mother rejected abortion.
d. Only one other event is watched on TV by more Americans.
e. A spokesman said there were too many ads that sell soft drinks.
f. The spokesperson said the ad was a celebration of the family.
g. There will also be a Super Bowl ad for a gay dating service.
h. The New Orleans Colts will play the Indianapolis Saints.


1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. flare ............. a. persuade
2. attention ....... b. burn
3. features ......... c. order
4. ignored .......... d. interest
5. complications .. e. commercial
6. spokesman ..... f. difficulties
7. influence ....... g. challengers
8. opponents ..... h. disregarded
9. dictate ......... i. shows
10. ad ............. j. representative


1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):
1. caused tempers ......................... a. double standards
2. broadcast a 30-second anti- .......... b. medical advice
3. CBS will air .............................. c. with their marriage
4. his mother ignored ..................... d. miss the ad
5. reach around ............................ e. abortion advertisement
6. his group’s reason ...................... f. to drop the ad
7. Influence couples having problems... g. to flare
8. putting pressure on CBS ............... h. 100 million people
9. accusing CBS of ......................... i. an advert
10. blink and you’ll ....................... j. for the ad


1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:


DURING - ATTENTION - IGNORED - EVENT - CAUSED - FEATURES - BROADCAST - REACH

America’s CBS television network has ____________ tempers to flare in this year’s Super Bowl. Its decision to ____________ a 30-second anti-abortion advertisement during the football game has attracted nearly as much ____________ as the game itself. CBS will air an advert paid for by an anti-abortion Christian group called Focus On The Family. The ad‘s title is ‘Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life’. It ____________ the story of Tim Tebow, a champion quarterback, who is alive today because his mother ____________ medical advice to have an abortion. She had complications ____________ her pregnancy in 1987. Tim’s story and the anti-abortion message will ____________ around 100 million people. The Super Bowl is the most watched ____________ on US television.

INFLUENCE - SERVICE - EXPLAINED - DROP - MISS - CELEBRATING - OPPONENTS - DOUBLE

A spokesman for Focus On The Family, Gary Schneeberger, ____________ his group’s reason for the ad: He said: "We're not trying to sell the American people a car or a soft drink. We're ____________ families." He added his organization hoped to ____________ couples having problems with their marriage. The ad has its ____________. Women’s groups are putting pressure on CBS to ____________ the ad. They argue it is not the job of television channels to "dictate morality." Others are accusing CBS of ____________ standards. The network is airing the anti-abortion ad but rejected an ad for a gay dating ____________ called Man Crunch. By the way, blink and you’ll ____________ the ad - the Super Bowl is between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

SESSION 15: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY

SESSION 15: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 10TH

TEMPERS OVER SUPER BOWL ABORTION AD

Text taken and adapted from:

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

The text:

America’s CBS television network has caused tempers to flare in this year’s Super Bowl. Its decision to broadcast a 30-second anti-abortion advertisement during the football game has attracted nearly as much attention as the game itself. CBS will air an advert paid for by an anti-abortion Christian group called Focus On The Family. The ad‘s title is ‘Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life’. It features the story of Tim Tebow, a champion quarterback, who is alive today because his mother ignored medical advice to have an abortion. She had complications during her pregnancy in 1987. Tim’s story and the anti-abortion message will reach around 100 million people. The Super Bowl is the most watched event on US television.

A spokesman for Focus On The Family, Gary Schneeberger, explained his group’s reason for the ad: He said: "We're not trying to sell the American people a car or a soft drink. We're celebrating families." He added his organization hoped to influence couples having problems with their marriage. The ad has its opponents. Women’s groups are putting pressure on CBS to drop the ad. They argue it is not the job of television channels to "dictate morality." Others are accusing CBS of double standards. The network is airing the anti-abortion ad but reject an ad for a gay dating service called Man Crunch. By the way, blink and you’ll miss the ad - the Super Bowl is between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

'Tempers Over Super Bowl Abortion Ad' - 7th February, 2010

www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com'

SESSION 14: WALT WHITMAN

SESSION 14: WALT WHITMAN

Next Friday, 5th February 2010, MANUEL VILLAR RASO will give a talk titled:

WALT WHITMAN, THE GREAT ECCENTRIC OF AMERICAN ARTS

Place: Salón de Actos de la Delegación de Educación y Ciencia de Almería

Paseo de la Caridad s/n

Time: 18:00

I invite you all to this talk as it´s going to be very interesting.

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MANUEL VILLAR RASO, go to his webpage:

http://www.ugr.es/~mvillarr/

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WALT WHITMAN, here you have a brief summary:

Walt Whitman (1819-92) is considered by many to be the greatest of all American poets. Walt Whitman celebrated the freedom and dignity of the individual and sang about democracy and the brotherhood of man. His main work, Leaves of Grass, unconventional in both content and technique, is probably the most influential volume of poems in the history of American literature. The first edition of Leaves of Grass was published in 1855 at Whitman’s own expense and included 12 poems, Leaves of Grass.. The book begins with a statement of his theories of poetry and included the poem later known as "Song of Myself," in which the author proclaims himself the symbolic representative of common people. Although the book was a commercial failure, critical reviewers recognized the appearance of a bold new voice in poetry. Two larger editions appeared in 1856 and 1860, and they had equally little public success. Leaves of Grass was criticized because of Whitman's exaltation of the body and sexual love and also because of its innovation in verse form—that it, the use of free verse in long rhythmical lines with a natural, "organic" structure.

Emerson was one of the few intellectuals to praise Whitman's work, writing him a famous congratulatory letter. Whitman continued to enlarge and revise further editions of Leaves of Grass ; the last edition prepared under his supervision appeared in 1892. From 1862 to 1865 Whitman worked as a volunteer hospital nurse in Washington. His poetry of the Civil War, Drum-Taps (1865), included his two poems about Abraham Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," considered one of the finest elegies in the English language, and the much-recited "O Captain! My Captain!"

For a while Whitman served in the Dept. of the Interior, but he was fired because Leaves of Grass was considered an immoral book. In 1873 Whitman suffered a paralytic stroke and afterward lived in a semi-invalid state. His prose collection Democratic Vistas had appeared in 1871, and his last long poem, "Passage to India," was published in the 1871 edition of Leaves of Grass. From 1884 until his death he lived in Camden, N.J., where he continued to write and to revise his earlier work. His last book, November Boughs, appeared in 1888. Whitman was a complex person. He saw himself as the spokesman for a young democracy, and he cultivated a bearded, shaggy appearance. Whitman's early biographers depicted him as a sensual man, a great lover of women, and the father of several illegitimate children. Most of this was false. In reality Whitman was a quiet, serious man, robust in youth but sick in middle age, who had no children and is generally acknowledged to have been homosexual. Whitman had an incalculable effect on later poets, inspiring them to experiment in verse as well as in subject matter.

You can find much more information and poems by Walt Whitman on the net.

Poems

What am I after all

What am I after all but a child, pleas'd with the sound of my own name? repeating it over and over;

I stand apart to hear--it never tires me.

.

To you your name also;

Did you think there was nothing but two or three

pronunciations in the sound of your name?

Me! O life!

O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;

Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;

Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;

Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

.

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;

That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

I am he that aches with amorous love...

I am he that aches with amorous love;

Does the earth gravitate? Does not all matter, aching, attract all matter?

So the Body of me, to all I meet, or know.

O Captain! My Captain!

(here you have a poem animation movie with Walt Whitman reciting his own poem. Please, don´t forget to read the information on the right of the screen in You Tube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ1MWYAJbWs