Welcome to Middle Earth

31 01 2013

Click on the picture below to get the listening comprehension exercise to go with the video above 




East is East and West is West….

28 01 2013

1. Watch this biography of British novelist Jane Austen  Sum up what you learn about her life and women’s status in late 18th & early 19th century Britain.

2. Watch the Joe Wright Pride & Prejudice trailer and briefly sum up the plot

3. Darcy’s upsets Lalita in Goa Watch the clip and do the exercises.




Transition to a World without Oil

26 01 2013




No Oil Company Left Behind

26 01 2013

1. Watch the clip at right and say what the “make America work for us” campaign blames the Bush administration for 

2. What specific role has oil played in US foreign policy? Find out more by watching this video:   [worksheet]

3. A great historian meets a great actor. Listen to Virggo  as he  adds his voice to this powerful text: 

4. A bit of fun with this song by British band, The Clash:  

5. Log onto this site and do a reading comprehension exercise 




Kicking the oil addiction

25 01 2013

 1. Green Day support the NRDC campaign for making America less oil-dependent. Click on the picture to listen to what they have to say.

 2.  Click on the cartoon and analyse it using “La Clés des Langues” guidelines. You can make good use of this vocabulary

 3. Listen to this powerful song by Gil Scott Heron, watch the video and see if you can draw a parallel with America’s oil addiction [LYRICS]. 

4. Try this online  crossword. 




I Shop Therefore I Am

22 01 2013

1. Click on the picture to learn about Barbara Kruger, the artist behind it.

2. Watch this news clip from MTV and find out more about compulsive shoppers.

3. Click on the picture to watch a BBC news report about the busiest day of the year for online shopping

4. Do this online  crossword.

 

5. How about going  Thrift Shopping? Can you say what message this song is trying to put across? 





Memorable Drill Instructors

22 01 2013

1. Watch the clip below and characterize Lt. Aldo Raine [SCRIPT].

 

 

 

 

2. This time the character you have to describe in details is Gunnery Sergeant Hartman [SCRIPT].

3. After watching the two clips, compare the two characters’ speeches. Look especially at their vocabulary, register, body language and message. Use the language of comparison sheet and try to vary your phrases and vocabulary.

4. Just for fun, watch this clip starring Rowan Atkinson as another memorable drill instructor.




Listen to the Beatles

21 01 2013

A– The Beatles in New Zealand

Click on the picture at right to listen to an interview with Ringo in NZ 1964 [2nd one is with Ringo]:

  1. What’s was the problem with his health?
  2. What did the doctors advise him (not) to do? Why didn’t he sing in Australia?
  3. If the group ever packed up, has he thought what he could do?
  4. Has he been trained for anything? Would he go back to that? Why (not)?
  5. Why does he wear two rings in each hand? Where did get them? How long has he had them?
  6. Does he ever take the rings off? Why is he called Ringo?
  7. What name does he sign? Whatever  happened to his real name?
  • B– Abbey Road Anniversary by CBS news online.  Listen to the news report and sum up what you have understood [SCRIPT+MODEL ANSWER]. 
  • C– When John met Paul. Listen to the story and do the comprehension exercises you will find on this web page: 



This is England

14 01 2013

1. Watch the trailer to this film and see what you can find out about the plot.

2. Watch this clip  and say what Shaun has to do to join the gang.

3. One of the backdrop themes to the film is the Falklands war. Watch this Al Jazeera documentary .  Note down what you learn about the conflict.




Where Are You Now, My Son?

8 01 2013

A– Bearing in mind Joan Baez’ 1972 visit to Vietnam, talk about the woman at right. Click on the picture to access a word list.

B– Next click on the photo to listen to the song (20:00). Mark the breath groups as you listen.

C– In pairs, do exercises B.1 to B.8.

D– In twos, talk about Joan Baez and her song for about 2 minutes [you may imagine you’re two journalists/ students making a presentation or a teacher testing one of his students (ten questions minimum)].