STRANGE FRUITS

We begin with this with the terminale S:  Strange fruits on the black or is it white board...
Let's see how this works.

Brexit or not, Brexit, that is the question

Learn what you want in 20 hours

The major barrier to skill acquisition isn’t intellectual… It’s emotional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MgBikgcWnY

Congratulations to all post-secondary graduates!
Félicitations à tous les bacheliers!

READ 1984 BY George Orwell

Remember to read 1984 by George Orwell. You'll know what Orwellian means. This adjective has become French

Read it in English if you can. If you can't, read it in French. 

So! French links here

 A French program on France Culture about the latest French Translation by Josée Kamoun.

https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/le-temps-des-ecrivains/sur-les-traces-de-georges-orwell-avec-josee-kamoun-et-frederick-lavoie

Another program by Augustin Trappenard interviewing Josée Kamoun on France Inter:

https://www.franceinter.fr/emissions/boomerang/boomerang-25-mai-2018

A follow-up article by 

https://www.ledevoir.com/lire/529253/entrevue-1984-a-l-indicatif-present

France culture:

La novlangue, instrument de destruction intellectuelle

Newspeak, intrument of intellectual destruction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ZEJWVSiEI

REMEMBER EVERY HIGH SCHOOL PUPIL HAS TO READ 1984.
Or every single human //citizen for that matter.

IKIGAI = the salt of life

A Japanese concept and an English lesson

WRITTEN EXPRESSION (at least key words) & ORAL EXPRESSION

That which you love.
That which you're good at
That which the world needs
That which you can be paid for 

ORAL COMPREHENSION 

What is IKIGAI?

https://www.superfastbusiness.com/business/how-to-find-your-reason-for-being-delving-into-ikigai/

The Japanese story at the basis of the concept:
 1'10'' - 2'40'' .... 1mn and 30 seconds
and another very relevant following minute.

Work well. Just opening the links, and to my students opening this blog is work and it deserves a
GOOD MARK (oui une bonne note!) and if you do some...

ORAL INTERACTION

I mean IF YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT IKIGAI, other good marks may well be given! If you get my drift...

WRITTEN COMPREHENSION

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/08/is-this-japanese-concept-the-secret-to-a-long-life

Everything you do is working when you don't entertain yourself. 
Entertainment.  A key word. But beware of infotainment. Oh, but that's an entirely different subject. Or...Never mind! See you soon enough!

#French
Et puisque même "l' étudiant malin" qui vous le dit!
http://letudiantmalin.com/ikigai-trouver-passion/

Fashion can be INTERESTING

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cameroonian-clothing-brand-gives-us-valuable-lesson-ngongang-amabe

Great article.
Youths, Boost your English ffs! Pardon my French.
Anything to make kids learn.

Jeff Bezos in 1999.

 19 years ago.
Perception of the Web (born late 1994, early 1995)
A Test to credibility...





For more here with Jeff Bezos, Amazon's creator and CEO  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpDUiDQigO8
1’55’’ Listen and find out how many potential investors Jeff Bezos reached. Get 20/20s!
What’s the Internet ? asked the potential investors  That was late 1994, early 1995.
Beginning of the Web. Lucky gal!
 

Look at that dot. That's here, that's home, that's us!

Sexual harassment: Report it to stop it

A French campaign against sexual harassment in the Parisian subway is criticized for showing potential attackers as wild beasts. Here is the British campaign against sexual harassment in the tube.

Why? Why do we want to learn English?

So very British !
A Mister Duncan in England started his channel in March 2008. https://www.youtube.com/user/duncaninchina   
Today, he’s had So ! Speak English With Misterduncan (he still had hair left.) is one of the zillion ways the Internet has to help you learn English. Make good use of your time,
......................................................................................;
 "Why do we need to learn English ?
One of the reasons why we need to speak English nowadays is because the world.is becoming smaller thanks to the Internet and our developing global economy, more and more people are using English as a common way to communicate with each other. »

Learning anything is difficult and English is no exception.
Learning English takes time and patience. Relax and take it easy.

 Vocabulary

       English is part of your body ! Daily practice

      Don’t be afraid of mistakes     Your attitude… No pain, no gain! 

      Practice everyday and be confident !

Repeat ! « I CAN DO IT »"
………………………………………………………………………………..
Here is a comment. Go figure why I picked it !

« I remember having watched these videos of the amazing Mr Duncan teacher almost ten years ago, and in that time I could barely understand a lesson or two... However I kept up with the learning process since then! Watching videos here and there, from him and from different people, subscribed to different channels, listening to audios, participating in live chats, doing lots of readings, writing emails, and so on and so forth! I've faced lots of struggle along my way... But finally, after all that time invested on the process, now I can say my skill level has increased just as my abilities, and I can clearly, not just understand English, but communicate in the language as well! I know I still don't do it perfectly, but definitely way better than I used to do. It's such a joyful and pleasant experience knowing that what teachers like Mr Duncan say sooner or later with commitment and constancy come true! Thank you Mr Duncan for your lessons and for cheering people up to keep learning! Blessings!! »

The Queen's English

It was a royal end of the year in this blog, not that it has been visited much, nor commented,
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She celebrated 65 years on the throne in February 2017 with her Sapphire Jubilee. No Diana nowhere on a picture or in a word, but in my mind and the minds of so many others, she represents true nobility. What do you think? 
If you don't like christmas carols either, fast forward to 0'48'' and listen at

The British Royal family and broadcasting…                                                                  Always at the forefront of technology.                                                                          3 landmarks : 1932 / 1957 / 2017

(HM means His or Her Majesty)

HM King George V — The first ever Royal Christmas Message (Written by Rudyard Kipling) - 1932

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf30P_PbcZo

To read more about it :

https://www.royal.uk/history-christmas-broadcast?ch=2#bio-section-1

The first televised Christmas Broadcast, 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRP-o6Q85s

« 25 years ago, my grandfather broadcast the first of these christmas messages. »

The Queen of England also talks about « the subtle corruption of the cynics ».

But the Empire no longer existed then. The Commonwealth replaces it.

The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjTBcqpl2kc

Includes an extract from 1957 but doesn’t include reference to her Grandfather radio broadcast. She mentions the Commonwealth games, youth orchestra.

No comment.

Connections : Past and present struggles

Find out what U.S. Sports landmark of the last 50 years is shown in the trailer.

1. President Nixon makes Title IX a reality (1972)

2. Wilma Rudolph wins three gold medals (1960)

3. Women’s soccer wins its second World Cup (1999)

4. Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs (1973)

5. All-American Girls Professional Baseball League forms (1943)

6. The WNBA tips off (1997)

7. Kathrine Switzer becomes first woman to compete in Boston Marathon (1967)

8. Danica Patrick becomes first woman to win IndyCar Race (2008)

9. UConn women’s basketball wins 90 in a row (2008-2010)

Here is a biopic, movie, film... Based on a true story.

Discover engdom.com for your benefit, English learners!

Discover engdom.com
This site is what I'd call a real treasure trove.
Here are some links. 
Visit, explore, use everyday and you'll improve your English!

Here is an example with male and female job words

http://engdom.com/6-minute-vocabulary-male-and-female-job-words/

and another that will help you learn how to ask for and give directions.

http://engdom.com/bbc-how-to-ask-for-and-give-directions/

Thanks to the British Council and to the BBC. Above them all, thank you EngDom

GREEN BUILDINGS IN CHINA

Slavery and civil war.

The U.S. civil war started in 1861 and ended in 1865.
Jim Crow laws followed.
It then took a hundred years to get theCivil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
for colored people to have the same rights. Justice takes time...
Anyway, you can watch this FYI (for your information)

The Square Palme d'Or 2017

Holiday time well spent. Hope you can afford a flick.
Went to see The Square. Here's the official trailer of that movie
running in #Reims this week at the Opera. 
Lucky to have an ...arthouse cinema here in Reims.                                                                  Just learnt a new word! Hope to talk about it with you (the movie is subtitled!) back to school.
Worth a good mark/grade I'm sure. And by the way, where are those comments anyway?

Brexit will be delayed

The independent is a U.K. online newspaper. Used to be a paper version.
Here is what they say. Great video and article

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexil-bill-delayed-eu-withdrawal-vote-commons-revolts-tory-rebels-labour-theresa-may-a8006831.html

CONSENT : Easily understandable with tea instead.

I thought in the midst of the Harvey Weinstein story, posting this video could be appropriate. 
(Voc. brackets: Journalists tend to call what they are working on 'a story'. Judicial courts,deal with cases. In politics, they refer to narratives or story-telling.)

Sure, everybody likes a good story. Here is one.

Copyright ©2015 Emmeline May and Blue Seat Studios


Follow up article; from across the pond. June 10th, 2016... With this very Amercian title:

"The very British video helping Americans understand sexual consent."

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/10/the-very-british-video-helping-americans-understand-sexual-consent/?utm_term=.aac2fec957e0

Very different methods of cleaning