Documents pour l’épreuve à l’oral

19 Mar 201523 Mar 2015 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Expression orale, Spaces and exchanges

On me demande souvent des idées d’articles ou de documents pour l’oral. Je vais essayer de rajouter des articles/documents régulièrement (en précisant pour quelle notion ça pourrait servir). Si vous avez des documents intéressants vous pouvez également les partager dans la partie « commentaires ».

1. « International Happiness Day » (20th March) – et le fait que L’ONU va publier une liste de chansons pour rendre les gens « heureux » – Watch the video with Ban Ki Moon here (cliquez sur les photos pour voir les vidéos)

(Notion: Spaces and Exchanges – trying to improve life in other countries)

2. World Water Day (22nd March)

Watch this video and learn about the world water crisis. What can we do to help change the situation?

Read the article here

(Notions: spaces and exchanges/idea of progress – how our environment is affected by climate change)

3. Living on Mars

Mars One is a project to send people to live on Mars. Watch this video to learn more about the mission

(Notion: idea of progress – what does this mean for our future? What can we learn from this mission?)

Red Nose Day – Friday 13th March 2015

13 Mar 201513 Mar 2015 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Civilisation, Compréhension orale, In the news, Spaces and exchanges

On Friday 13th March 2015 it’s Red Nose Day in the UK! But what exactly is Red Nose Day and why does it take place?

The first Red Nose Day (RND) was held on 5 February 1988, when it was launched as a National Day of Comedy, and since then they have been on the second or third Friday in March. Red Nose Day is often treated as a semi-holiday for example, many schools have red-themed non-uniform days. The day culminates in a live telethon event on BBC One, starting in the evening and going through into the early hours of the morning, but other money-raising events take place. As the name suggests, the day involves the wearing of red noses which are available, in exchange for a donation, from supermarkets and charity shops.

Here are a few articles and links about this fun day!

A reading comprehension on the British Council website

The Official Red Nose Day Page

The official Comic Relief Page

Have some fun here

The Christmas Number One

5 Déc 20145 Déc 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Civilisation, Places and forms of power, Spaces and exchanges

One of the less-well known Christmas traditions in the UK is the countdown to the Christmas « number one »: which song will be number one in the charts for Christmas? It may seem surprising but the British take a great interest in the charts, more so than any other country in the world. This interest has been fuelled by the media – newspapers and magazines publish articles about the « contentenders » for the number one position and TV programmes such as X-Factor finish just before Christmas, giving the winner a good chance of taking the number one position.

Very often several charity records are released just before Christmas to raise money for different causes. For example this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Day Truce, during World War 1. This event inspired The Farm’s 1990 hit All Together Now and many of the UK’s biggest music stars have united as The Peace Collective, to re-record the song. The new track features a backing choir of schoolboy footballers from the Premier League and German Bundesliga. All profits from the release, will go to the British Red Cross and the Shorncliffe Trust.

Read the article about it here

and watch the video here:

Another charity song is the well-known hit « Do they know it’s Christmas? » a song that was initially written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the famine in Ethiopia. The original version became the biggest selling single in UK Singles Chart history. The song was re-recorded in 1989 by Band Aid II and in 2004 by Band Aid 20, again raising funds for famine relief. The song was again re-recorded in 2014 by Band Aid 30, to raise funds for the ongoing Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Do they know it’s Christmas (2014)

Another contender for the number one spot is the song which accompanies the annual John Lewis advert (see also https://anglaispourlebac.com/2013/12/03/john-lewis-christmas-ad-another-christmas-tradition/)

This year it a story about Monty the penguin , and the song is « Real Love » by Tom Odell

Article in the Daily Telegraph about the annual John Lewis advert.

Notions that could be linked to this topic

Spaces and exchanges: young German and British footballers coming together to give a message of peace 100 years after the Christmas truce and raise money for charity

Places and forms of power: The power of the media

The Ebola outbreak

16 Oct 201416 Oct 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Compréhension orale, In the news, Spaces and exchanges, The idea of progress

The Ebola outbreak is currently in the news and even more so now that several cases have been detected in the USA.

What exactly is Ebola? Is there a cure to this deadly disease? How can countries work together to reduce the risk of the disease spreading?

Ebola – or Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) – is a really deadly virus: 50% to 90% of people who catch it die from it. But there are a few forms of the virus which have been identified by scientists and given the right medical care and treatment, you can recover. Ebola was first spotted in the African countries of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976. In the space of five months in that year, 284 people in Sudan caught the virus. It killed 117 of them.

You can catch it through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person such as blood and saliva. It is not airborne like the flu so is more difficult to catch but is very infectious: so infected people have to be kept separate to reduce the risk of it spreading. Healthcare workers who have looked after sick patients have also been infected.

For the moment there is no known cure however a new experimental drug, ZMapp, has been used in the US on health workers and a UK nurse who caught the disease in Africa. They recovered from the virus.

The World Health Organization warns greater global efforts are needed to combat the Ebola virus, which is spreading ever faster in West Africa despite efforts to contain it. Barack Obama and EU leaders took part in a videoconference on Wednesday 15th October to discuss the growing Ebola crisis following warnings that the outbreak could grow to 10,000 new cases a week within two months. They discussed what further action can be taken to help stop the spread of the virus in west Africa and how passengers arriving from Africa can be screened to prevent the disease spreading further.

Here are a few videos that explain more about this outbreak.

What is Ebola? – in 60 seconds

An interactive video : Ebola – the virus posing a deadly threat to millions

Documents, videos and articles on the BBC website

Progress towards a vaccine : video

Vocabulary exercises about vaccines

Ideas for a debate about compulsory vaccinations

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

The story behind Halloween – Myths and Legends

13 Oct 201317 Oct 2013 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Civilisation, Les 4 notions, Myths and Heroes, Spaces and exchanges

Haunted-House-with-Bats

Halloween is celebrated every year on the 31st October, but do you know the origin of this celebration?

Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of « Samhain », when people used to light bonfires and wear costumes to scare away ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as « All Hallows’ Eve » and this later became known as « Halloween ».

Over the years, Halloween has evolved into a fun and family event with activities for children such as trick-or-treating, when children dress as monsters, ghosts and witches and knock on neighbours’ doors to ask for sweets and candy.

The story of Halloween can be used to illustrate the notion of myths and heroes (the different myths and legends surrounding the Halloween celebration) but also the notion of Spaces and Exchanges: Halloween started in America when immigrants came from Ireland (potato famine) and Scotland, bringing their customs and traditions to the United States. They were proud of their Celtic origins and they called Halloween « Oidche Shamhna » (Night of Samhain) and kept the traditional observances. The Jack-o-lantern is the festival light for Halloween and is the ancient symbol of a damned soul. Originally the Irish would carve out turnips as but when they emigrated to America they could not find many turnips. They found however an abundance of pumpkins and they have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations ever since. « Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century.

Here are a few links to help you learn about this day:

– The history of Halloween explained – link to a video with transcript and vocabulary explanations

– The real story behind Halloween – link to a video on the History channel

– Monster Quest – Are ghosts real? This is a 46-minute video about an investigation into the most haunted houses in America (don’t watch it alone!!)

– Read about the history of Halloween here and some Halloween superstitions here

– A reading comprehension about the history of Halloween with questions to check your understanding

– Myths and legends about Halloween

The American Dream

17 Sep 201317 Sep 2013 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Civilisation, Compréhension orale, Spaces and exchanges, The idea of progress

What is the American dream?

The American dream is the notion that the American social, economic, and political system makes success possible for every individual. Someone who manages to achieve their version of the American dream is said to be « living the dream ».

Many people criticize the idea of the American dream because they say that it is impossible for everyone to be able to fulfill their dreams – there are still inequalities in class, race, religion and ethnicity preventing people from « living the dream ».

The idea of the American dream is older than the USA itself – it dates back to the 1600s, when people began to have hopes for what was a new and largely unexplored continent to European immigrants. People dreamt of owning land and establishing a prosperous business and hoped that this would make them happier.

Today’s the definition of the American dream is much different. Most people nowadays hope that they will get married, have two children and live in a three-bedroom traditional home. Rather than looking for great wealth or success, people hope to avoid poverty or loneliness.

Improve your listening comprehension!

You can listen to people talking about what the American dream is here

You can watch a political ad talking about the American dream here

You can watch a BBC report about the American dream here

You can listen to different people talking about the American dream on the Academie de Paris website

Ellis Island

The Voyage to Freedom

Coming to America appealed to many immigrants from the southern and northern parts of Europe as they found a way out of situations of persecution and oppression as well as political and economic difficulties. Once they arrived in America, some passengers were allowed to go on shore without making their way through inspection. This privilege was given to those considered to be first and second class citizens. All the other « lower class » citizens were shipped off to Ellis Island to go through inspection.

To travel to America immigrants had to pay from twelve dollars to sixty dollars per person, which meant that families had to save their money for years before they could travel to America. Even when the money was available, families still had to go through the process of being screened before they could get on board a ship to sail to America. Once they made it to their destination, passengers had to go through a physical inspection by doctors before they were set free into their new life or were detained because of issues that the doctors found. Sometimes, what was supposed to be a happy ending to coming to America ended in disappointment. This happened when a family member was not allowed into America and was sent back to where he came from.

Ellis Island and the Immigrant- Annie Moore

On January 1, 1892, a ship coming in from Ireland, landed at Ellis Island with a load of Irish Immigrants. The first person to step foot on the island was Annie Moore, a 15 year old girl. The teenager was presented with a gold coin; its monetary value was worth ten dollars for being the first person to step foot on the newly constructed Ellis Island. Annie and her brothers had spent 12 days on the ship as they set out to join their parents who were already living comfortably in New York. This girl and her brothers are recognized as the first people to arrive on the renovated island. A statue with the image of Annie and her younger brothers now stands at the Ellis Island Museum.

Learn about Ellis Island in this History Channel report.

Global migrants

8 Sep 2013 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Les 4 notions, Spaces and exchanges

In this episode of 6 Minute English, Rob and Jennifer talk about why people move around the world to find work. These people are known as « global migrants ».

Some 214 million people are international migrants, living in a different country from the one in which they were born. There are plenty with high-level skills who end up working for at least part of their careers outside their home country.

Some take work they are overqualified for, because it still pays better than what is available at home. This has led to a brain drain from some developing countries.

Watch the BBC 6-minute English report to learn more about global migration

Food in Britain

6 Sep 2013 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Civilisation, Spaces and exchanges

How much is today’s British cuisine influenced by its multicultural population?

We have all heard about the traditional British dishes such as fish and chips, roast beef and yorkshire pudding, roast lamb and mint sauce, bacon and eggs, but British cuisine is changing. If you walk round London you will be amazed by the amount of foreign restaurants – thai, japanese, italian, chinese, indian…

Thank to globalisation traditional British cuisine is being reinvented and new dishes are appearing on menus.

Watch this video to find out more about it: Video

There are also exercises that you can download or try online.

Idea for « Spaces and exchanges »

This topic could be used to illustrate the notion of spaces and exchanges. Think about how the way we eat today is influenced by globalization – what are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

On a positive side, food is more interesting, more colourful, tastier, more inventive than before, we take an interest in other cultures and there are more and more foreign products are available in supermarkets.

However globalization may be responsible for today’s bad eating habits – the boom of fast food and problems of obesity. It can also cause a problem for the environment due to the fact that more and more products are imported and flown across the world. A demand is created for products that we don’t necessarily need!

Definition of spaces and exchanges

5 Sep 20136 Mai 2014 par Kate Beaton, publié dans Les 4 notions, Spaces and exchanges

An exchange is the act of giving or receiving something in substitution for something else. In today’s modern-day world these exchanges can take several forms: economic – work exchanges, exchange of goods, trading across borders, cultural – exchange of ideas, information, education, movement of people – immigration, student exchanges, gap years… Our modern-day world is changing quickly and seems to be a smaller place due to improvements in technology and communication. Information exchange has become easier thanks to the internet and international trade has enabled us to expand our markets for goods and services that might not have been available to us. These different cultural, economic, sociological and language interactions have transformed and characterised our modern-day world – sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. We can illustrate this notion with the following examples :

Exchange or movement of money:

– international trade is now much easier thanks to modern communication systems and faster transport. Foreign products are easily available in our supermarkets and on internet. Certain brands are known all over the world. We live in a huge global economy – this is otherwise known as globalisation. – Watch the video to find out more . What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation? – Watch this ad on youtube:

http://youtu.be/t6gwfMBkWQU – What do you see? What are the disadvantages of globalisation? – Link to the BBC website : what is globalisation? and a BBC video about globalisation – Don’t forget to mention the downsides of globalisation: for example child labour, exploitation of people and resources

Exchange of information and communication

– One of the major developments in the most recent years is the internet and the different social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Skype…they are changing the way we live and communicate today. These networks make it easier for us to stay in touch with friends and family abroad, they open up borders and enable us to communicate with people abroad. However there are also disadvantages to this fast development of internet: there is a lot of false information available, people can become addicted and spend less time with friends and family, there are other dangers such as bullying , pornography, identity theft….. – School and education – there is more and more social diversity and more knowledge than in the past. Thanks to internet information travels faster than before (but this can sometimes be negative especially when the information is false). We can compare the different educational systems across the world.

Movement of people

– Immigration: how and why it began? Why did people emigrate to the USA, what is the American Dream ….. The impact of Mexican-US migration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5sF1I_lBbQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KvG8BwhSUs – Cultural interactions: the movement of people across borders – Gap year, student exchange programs…. What is a gap year? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajTtOKuEnZg – What impact has the movement of people had on the different countries? Who benefits from these exchanges? What are the new emerging powers? For more information here is another « prezi » to help you find some ideas to illustrate the notion of spaces and exchanges http://prezi.com/l-0odniubs6n/spaces-exchanges/