Oscar Pistorius – the rise and fall of a sports hero

7 Avr 20147 Avr 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Myths and Heroes

Oscar Pistorius was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1986. At the age of 17 he won a gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Athens. Famous for his artificial legs which earned him the nickname « Bladerunner » he went on to become an international sporting superstar. In the 2012 London Olympic Games he made history by becoming the first double amputee to run in Olympic Games. However the following year in February 2013, Pistorius was accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The trial started in Pretoria on Monday 3 March.

His story is the perfect example of a modern-day hero’s fall from grace.

Below you will find some links about the rise and fall of Pistorius:

– The story of Oscar Pistorius : http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/disability-sport/21455930

– Article « Pistorius, the fall of a Hero » : http://www.politisite.com/2014/03/04/oscar-pistorius-fall-of-a-hero/

– Article « The myth of sporting heroes » : http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-03-11-531f912e65221/#.U0KbKPl_tGk

– Video: The Blade runner:

– Video: Oscar’s rise and fall from stardom:

The history of the world in two minutes

25 Mar 201425 Mar 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans The idea of progress

A short video that perfectly illustrates the idea of progress !

(no language just pictures)

St Patrick’s Day

17 Mar 201417 Mar 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Civilisation, Les 4 notions, Myths and Heroes

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the 17th March – but what are the myths surrounding this religious festival?

ST. PATRICK

Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well known legend is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.

THE FIRST ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

Since around the ninth or 10th century, people in Ireland have been observing the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick on March 17. Interestingly, however, the first parade held to honor St. Patrick’s Day took place not in Ireland but in the United States. On March 17, 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as with fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.

THE CHICAGO RIVER ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY

As Irish immigrants spread out over the United States, other cities developed their own traditions. One of these is Chicago’s annual dyeing of the Chicago River green. The practice started in 1962, when city pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river–enough to keep it green for a week! Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only 40 pounds of dye are used, and the river turns green for only several hours.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY AROUND THE WORLD

Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia.

In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use interest in St. Patrick’s Day to drive tourism and showcase Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of the world. Today, approximately 1 million people annually take part in Ireland ‘s St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions and fireworks shows.

(Source: http://www.history.com)

You can watch these videos to find out more information:

http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day/videos/history-of-st-patricks-day?m=528e38969e64d

http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day/videos/bet-you-didnt-know-st-patricks-day

Use this link to find out about how St Patrick’s Day is celebrated:

http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day/interactives/st-patricks-day-by-the-numbers

Definition of Places and Forms of Power (mise à jour février 2014)

21 Fév 201421 Fév 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Compréhension orale, Les 4 notions, Places and forms of power

Il est souvent difficile de trouver des idées pour illustrer chaque notion. N’oubliez pas que certains sujets peuvent être utilisés pour illustrer 2 ou même 3 notions – prenons comme exemple l’histoire de Rosa Parks:

– (myths et héros) une figure emblematique de la lutte contre la ségrégation raciale aux États-Unis

http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/civilrights/terms.html

– (lieux et formes de pouvoir) les raisons de la lutte contre la ségrégation raciale aux Etats Unis

– (idée du progrès) – comparaison des conditions de vie des afro-américains pendant les années 60 avec les conditions aujourd’hui (un président noir).

Voici donc quelques idées de sujets pour illustrer la notion « Lieux et formes de pouvoir ».

Places and forms of power

« Places » could be important buildings or institutions that represent a certain form of power, for example Buckingham Palace – a symbol of the British monarchy, the White – a symbol of the American presidency.

A place can also be a country or a state – for example the USA is a state which is powerful enough to influence events throughout the world (superpower) and China is a major economic power in today’s world.

What exactly is power?

It is the ability to control others, events, or resources; the ability to make things happen despite obstacles, resistance, or opposition. This of course leads to conflict between those who have power and those who don’t.

Resistance to power

There are many examples of resistance to power:

– the African-American civil rights movement (Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Junior, Malcom X….)

Videos to watch:

– Biography of Rosa Parks

– Song « Sister Rosa » about Rosa Parks

– Presentation of the characters from the book and film « The Help » (la Couleur des Sentiments):

– trailer from the film « The Butler »

– interesting page with lots of links about the film « The Butler »

– the struggle for liberation in South Africa (Apartheid, Nelson Mandela)

– the Suffragettes’ fight for women’s right to vote

Video « Bad romance » : a parody music video paying homage to Alice Paul and the generations of brave women who joined together in the fight to pass the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote in 1920.

–Women’s rights movement in the US

The ability to influence others

The power of the media

If we look at the power of the media for example we can see how much it can influence the public opinion. The mass media plays an important role in forming our personality, enriching our knowledge, providing us with information of any kind.
Mass media can have an effect on our personal identity: it can help us to feel that we are part of a group (social networks) but on the other hand it can contribute to a feeling of isolation.

Media can have a strong political influence or can shape the way we perceive certain groups of society – minority groups, pressure groups…mass media is powerful because it makes us believe what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour (reality TV).

However it can also have harmful impact on society:

– On-screen violence leading to actual violence (violent video games/films)

– Identity or financial fraud on the internet people to fraud, especially identity fraud.

– the dangers for children who are able to access Internet material inappropriate for their age.

– The Internet can facilitate an invasion of privacy – (chat rooms, social networks, bullying)

Economic and political power

– The European Union – past, present and future

– the « superpowers » ( states with a dominant position in the international system with the ability to influence events and its own interests and project power on a worldwide scale to protect those interests – e.g. USA)

– emerging countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China, are now playing an increasingly important role in the global economy, with this group of four powerful developing economies sometimes referred to as the BRIC countries)

The power of guns

– The debate on gun control in the USA

Finally an interesting quote to illustrate this notion:

Les questions à l’épreuve d’expression orale

9 Fév 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Expression orale, Les 4 notions

Pour la deuxième partie de votre épreuve d’expression orale l’examinateur vous posera des questions en lien avec la notion que vous avez choisie.

It is impossible to know exactly what questions you could be asked but you can think about the sort of questions that could be asked and prepare your answers beforehand. If you are more at ease with a notion, try to mention it in your conclusion!

Here are just a few ideas :

Myths and Heroes

Who do you consider to be your hero? Why?

Is it a sportsperson, an actor, an artist, a pop star, a member of your family, an ordinary hero such as a fireman? Why is this person considered a role model?

What are his/her qualities?

Why are myths and heroes important to our society?

Do you think that myths and heroes can teach us a lesson?

Can you think of an anti-hero? Can you talk about their behaviour?

What myth does your document remind you of?

Places and Forms of Power

How do people exercise their power? What tools can they use?

What in your opinion is the most dangerous form of power?

Can you give an example of a power struggle?

What are the limits to power? How is power abused?

Why do people need to exercise their power on others?

How do people exercise their power on others? (revolution, riots, demonstrations, disobedience)

Idea of progress

In what way has progress made life better? Can you give examples?

Do you think that progress is always positive? Can there be a negative side to progress?

What do you think are the most important inventions of the past 50 years?

How has internet changed today’s world?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of progress? Illustrate your ideas/give examples.

Would you like to be able to travel in time? Would you prefer to move forward to the future or travel back in time?

Spaces and Exchanges

Would you like to travel abroad? Which country would you like to live in? Why?

Have you ever travelled abroad? Which countries have you visited?

What did you learn from your trips abroad?

What kind of exchanges are there in today’s world? (trade, financial, sport, social networking, education…..)

What impact does globalisation have on exchanges?

How are these exchanges influenced by modern technologies? Do the new technologies make exchanges easier?

What do we gain from these exchanges? What do people to immigrate to another country bring to the new country? (examples)

Who benefits the most from these exchanges?

What is the American Dream? Is it still true today?

Vous trouverez quelques fiches de conseils pour l’épreuve sur ce site: http://lemaire.english.free.fr/lepreuvedexpress/index.html

Places and forms of power: Queen Elizabeth II

20 Jan 201420 Jan 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Les 4 notions, Places and forms of power

Her Majesty the Queen

Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April 1926. Today she is Queen of sixteen countries throughout the world: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. She is the queen of each country separately, and all sixteen are independent countries. She became Queen when her father, King George VI, died on 6 February 1952.

The countries of which she is Queen are known as Commonwealth realms. Their total population is over 129 million. Elizabeth II lives in the United Kingdom. In all the other countries where she is queen, a person has been chosen to represent her. This person is known as the Governor General.

Elizabeth II is Queen and is interested in the running of her countries, but she does not tell the governments what to do. She has regular meetings with people from her governments, but it is they who run the countries. She performs ceremonies for the governments, gives out honours, and visits and supports many charities.

Since 1947, the Queen has been married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Philip was born into the royal families of Greece and Denmark. Just before they were married, he became a citizen of the United Kingdom, and changed his name to Philip Mountbatten. He became the Duke of Edinburgh on the day he married, and became a Prince of the United Kingdom in 1957. The Queen and Prince Philip have four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Source: Simple English Wikipedia

Here are a few links to learn more about Queen Elizabeth:

An exclusive interview with the Queen: video

10 things you didn’t know about the Queen: video

Nelson Mandela : one of the most inspiring figures of the 20th century

12 Déc 201313 Déc 2013 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Civilisation, Compréhension orale, Expression orale, Myths and Heroes, Places and forms of power, The idea of progress

Nelson Mandela 1918-2013

Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on 18 July 1918 and was given the name of Nelson by one of his teachers. His father Henry was a respected advisor to the Thembu royal family.

ANC involvement

Mandela was educated at the University of Fort Hare and later at the University of Witwatersrand, he qualified in law in 1942. He became increasingly involved with the African National Congress (ANC), a multi-racial nationalist movement trying to bring about political change in South Africa.

In 1948, the National Party came to power and began to implement a policy of ‘apartheid’, or forced segregation on the basis of race. The ANC carried out a campaign of passive resistance against apartheid laws.

In 1952, Mandela became one of the ANC’s deputy presidents. By the late 1950s, faced with increasing government discrimination, Mandela, his friend Oliver Tambo and others began to move the ANC in a more radical direction. In 1956, Mandela went on trial for treason. The court case lasted five years, and finally Mandela was acquitted.

In March 1960, 69 black anti-apartheid demonstrators were killed by police at Sharpeville. The government declared a state of emergency and banned the ANC. In response, the organisation abandoned its policy of non-violence and Mandela helped establish the ANC’s military wing ‘Umkhonto we Sizwe’ or ‘The Spear of the Nation’. He was appointed its commander-in-chief and travelled abroad to receive military training and to find support for the ANC. On his return he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison. In 1963, Mandela and other ANC leaders were tried for plotting to overthrow the government by violence. The following year Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was held in Robben Island prison, off the coast of Cape Town, and later in Pollsmoor Prison on the mainland. During his years in prison he became an international symbol of resistance to apartheid.

In 1990, the South African government responded to internal and international pressure and released Mandela, at the same time lifting the ban against the ANC. In 1991 Mandela became the ANC’s leader.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with FW de Klerk, then president of South Africa, in 1993. The following year South Africa held its first multi-racial election and Mandela was elected its first black president.

In 1998, he was married for the third time to Graça Machel, the widow of the president of Mozambique. Mandela’s second wife, Winnie, whom he married in 1958 and divorced in 1996, remains a controversial anti-apartheid activist.

In 1997 he stepped down as ANC leader and in 1999 his presidency of South Africa came to an end.

In 2004, Mandela announced his retirement from public life, although his charitable work continued. On 29 August 2007, a permanent statue to him was unveiled in Parliament Square, London.

He died on 5 December 2013, aged 95.

To learn more about Nelson Mandela’s life you can visit these pages:

– Watch the video on the BBC Website: Obituary

– Watch the video on the Guardian newspaper website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/nelson-mandela/8286419/Nelson-Mandela-obituary-part-one-one-of-the-most-inspiring-figures-of-the-20th-century.html

– Learn about the timeline of Mandela’s life with videos : BBC News

– Learn some of Mandela’s popular quotes

– Watch the video on the History channel

– How would Mandela have used social media if it has existed? Watch the Video here – thank you to http://www.teachermanigat.com/ for the link!

To learn more about apartheid:

– You can visit the excellent Apartheid museum website

To improve your listening comprehension :

– Online exercises here

To improve your reading comprehension:

– Learn all about Mandela and apartheid here

Tips for your oral presentation!

Do you consider Nelson Mandela to be a modern-day hero? What has he achieved for black South Africans? How has their life become better today? Does this make him a hero?This topic can not only illustrate the notion of myths and heroes but also the idea of progress: after racial segregation during colonial times in South Africa, the struggle that led to the abolition of apartheid has brought about a great number of changes for the black population.Finally this topic could be the perfect illustration for the notion of places and forms of power:

Apartheid caused significant internal resistance and violence, and a long arms and trade embargo against South Africa. There were many uprisings and protests leading to the imprisoning of anti-apartheid leaders. As unrest spread and became more effective and militarised, state organisations responded with repression and violence. Along with the sanctions placed on South Africa by the international community, this made it increasingly difficult for the government to maintain the regime. Apartheid reforms in the 1980s failed to stop the mounting opposition, and in 1990 President de Klerk began negotiations to end apartheid. There were multi-racial democratic elections in 1994 that were won by the African National Congress under Nelson Mandela.

Comment définir les quatre notions?

8 Déc 201317 Oct 2017 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Les 4 notions, Myths and Heroes, Places and forms of power, Spaces and exchanges, The idea of progress

La définition des 4 notions

1. Myths and heroes:

A myth can be defined as a story about gods or heroes, it can be a popular belief or a tradition or a false notion. A hero can be a mythological figure, a person who is admired for his or her achievements, a superhero or maybe a role model or an icon.

Examples can be:

– a patriotic or national hero (sportsman, politician, human rights defender…..)

– a fictitious hero (superhero or film star)

– an icon or role model (fashion, tv, music)

– a defender of common values

– a politician/king/queen who has achieved international recognition

2. Locations and forms of power: (also called Places and forms of power or Seats and forms of power)

In politics and social science, power is the ability to influence the behavior of people. In order to live together members of a community accept rules, regulations, laws. This helps to create social cohesion but can also lead to conflicts and tensions. Even when authority seems absolute, there are always counter-powers which question it, aim at limiting its excesses and resist it.

Examples can be:

– the power of the media (reality tv, internet v written press)

– Financial power (the power of money)

– Inequalities between blacks and whites – the fight against oppression and segregation (South Africa, USA)

– The American Dream

– The Civil Rights movement and political recognition : Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X (can also be linked to the notion of Myths and Heroes)

3. The idea of Progress

The idea of progress can be defined as an improvement, a development or a change – a technical, scientific or social advance which contributes to making the world a better place.

Examples can be:

– Scientific Progress – Medical advances, cures for illnesses, cloning, performance enhancing drugs, genetically modified organisms.

– Technological Progress- technologies to slow down climate change such as hybrid cars, wind turbines, solar panels, biofuel…..

advances in communication: the internet, social media, mobile phones, video games – how they have changed our lives and the dangers of these modern ways of communication

Robots, automated production

Nuclear Power – for and against

– Social Progress: changes in the quality of life – how does progress affect our society?

Education, employment, equality, family life

Women’s rights, human rights, minority rights ……

The idea of liberty, freedom, democracy

4. Spaces and Exchanges

This notion deals with the geographical and symbolic areas that all societies occupy and the interactions between men and different societies. Our world is built on the exploration and conquest of new spaces. The different cultural, economic, sociological and language interactions have shaped and characterised our modern-day world.

Examples can be:

– Trade (the basis of all societies)

– Working conditions (telecommuting, internet)

– Globalization (the world has become a small village)

– School and education (social diversity / knowledge) comparison of the different educational systems

– The Internet / social networks…

– the movement of people: Immigration

– movement across borders (Gap Year)

Pour plus d’informations vous pouvez consulter les pages suivantes:

http://missions.editions-bordas.fr/enseignant/webfm_send/108

Learn all about London – and maybe win a trip!

30 Oct 2013 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Civilisation, Compréhension orale, Places and forms of power

« London Story »

London is a fascinating place and the people that live and work there have many interesting stories to tell.

Here is the link to the competition:

http://www.visitlondon.com/story/competition

You can then click on the different stories told by Londoners, choose your 3 favourite videos and then submit your choices. You may win an all-expenses-paid trip to London.

If you don’t win, it’s an excellent way of learning about the different monuments and places to visit in London.

Do you want to learn about the making of Harry Potter films? Watch this video: http://www.visitlondon.com/story/profile/23035130-warner-bros-studio-tour-london-the-making-of-harry-potter

Do you want to learn about the different types of transport in London? Watch this video http://www.visitlondon.com/story/profile/33177689-transport-for-london

What about the Tate Modern Museum? Watch this video: http://www.visitlondon.com/story/profile/344410-tate-modern

And have you heard about Madame Tussauds? Watch this video about Rebecca who is an artist at Madame Tussauds and who talks about the history of the museum http://www.visitlondon.com/story/profile/284875-madame-tussauds-london

And for all football fans what about learning all about Wembley Stadium? http://www.visitlondon.com/story/profile/4114851-wembley-stadium-tour

It is an excellent way to learn all about London and the history of the different monuments! And also excellent practice for the listening comprehension part of your exam!

Enjoy!!!