Class 4 Cont': English Conversation Protest Songs

Protest Songs are songs that inspire change, talk about issues, and bring to light an issue using songs as a medium of change.  We studied 4 songs in order to see how even popular music can be considered protest music.

Before studying protest music, we said that not all songs that talk about problems are protest songs.  Here is an example:

"I Hate" by Passenger

Then we listened to "Same Love" by Macklemore + Ryan Lewis and talked about gay rights

When I was in the 3rd grade
I thought that I was gay
Cause I could draw, my uncle was
And I kept my room straight
I told my mom, tears rushing down my face
She's like, "Ben you've loved girls since before pre-K"
Trippin', yeah, I guess she had a point, didn't she
A bunch of stereotypes all in my head
I remember doing the math like
"Yeah, I'm good in little league"

A pre-conceived idea of what it all meant
For those who like the same sex had the characteristics
The right-wing conservatives think it's a decision
And you can be cured with some treatment and religion
Man-made, rewiring of a pre-disposition
Playing God
Ahh nah, here we go
America the brave
Still fears what we don't know
And God loves all His children
And somehow forgotten
But we paraphrase a book written
3,500 hundred years ago
I don't know

And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love, my love, my love
She keeps me warm [x4]

If I was gay
I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the YouTube comments lately
"Man that's gay"
Gets dropped on the daily
We've become so numb to what we're sayin'
Our culture founded from oppression
Yet we don't have acceptance for 'em
Call each other faggots
Behind the keys of a message board
A word rooted in hate
Yet our genre still ignores it
Gay is synonymous with the lesser
It's the same hate that's caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color
Complexion of your pigment
The same fight that lead people to walk-outs and sit-ins
Human rights for everybody
There is no difference
Live on! And be yourself!
When I was in church
They taught me something else
If you preach hate at the service
Those words aren't anointed
And that Holy Water
That you soak in
Has been poisoned
When everyone else
Is more comfortable
Remaining voiceless
Rather than fighting for humans
That have had their rights stolen
I might not be the same
But that's not important
No freedom 'til we're equal
Damn right I support it

I don't know

We press play
Don't press pause
Progress, march on!
With a veil over our eyes
We turn our back on the cause
'Till the day
That my uncles can be united by law
Kids are walkin' around the hallway
Plagued by pain in their heart
A world so hateful
Someone would rather die
Than be who they are
And a certificate on paper
Isn't gonna solve it all
But it's a damn good place to start
No law's gonna change us
We have to change us
Whatever god you believe in
We come from the same one
Strip away the fear
Underneath it's all the same love
About time that we raised up

Love is patient, love is kind
Love is patient (not cryin' on Sundays)
Love is kind (not cryin' on Sundays) [x5]

We then moved onto the Black Eyed Peas' "Where is the Love" 2003 which talks about problems in the USA at this time.

War and Terrorism

“overseas yeah we tryin’ to stop terrorism, but we still got terrorists here livin’”

-          Talks about how we are focusing on a war to stop terrorism and to help others and we are ignoring the problems that we already have in America.

“in the USA the big CIA the Bloodz and Crips and the KKK”

-          There are terrorist groups in the United States already that are cause damage and discrimination to American people and we just let them slide under the radar.

“nations dropping bombs,” “as the youth dies young”

-          We are sacrificing the lives of our youth to go and kill the youth of another country.

Racism and Discrimination

“only leave space to discriminate, and to discriminate only generates hate”

-          There is still a lot of racism in America today and it is all based around hate.  We can look at how far we have come but at the same time how far we have to go.  There are still groups such as the skin heads or the KKK, people who hate on the basis of religion etc.

-          People need to stop hating and love instead.

Greed and Selfishness

“most of us only care about money makin’,” “selfishness got us followin’ the wrong direction”

-          Today people are selfish and greedy.  No one wants to help their neighbors or friends.  People are less willing to give money or help and it is making the United States become a mean country.

Media

“the war’s going on be the reasons’ undercover”

-          There was a belief that was widely held in 2003 and was somewhat proved later that the government was not always being honest about its intentions during the war.  We were only given some of the information;

“wrong information always shown in the media”

-          Privately owned media such as FOXNews is known now to be very biased and one sided but at the time it was a new idea.  In the media during the war we were only shown one side of the story like propaganda to convince us that the war was a good idea.

“negative images is the main criteria,” “kids want to act like what they see in the cinema”

-          Everything is violent and sexual on tv and in movies or video games.  Kids want to embody that so we are seeing children becoming sexually active and violent at a quicker and quicker pace.  Who can blame them at this point?

Compassion

“not respecting each other,” “ as I’m getting older y’all people get colder”

“whatever happened to the values of humanity,” “whatever happened to fairness and equality”

“instead of spreading love we are spreading animosity”

“would you turn the other cheek”

-          Overall the main message of the song is that we need to remember to care for our fellow man and not just let things go if they don’t directly involve us. 

-          Today our society likes to complain and to blame others for their problems instead of having the compassion that used to be so normal.

-          We need to remember our values and spread peace.

Next we looked at P!nk's "Dear Mr. President" 

 This is an example of an Open letter protest song that addresses someone directly about a problem.  Here she is addressing the issues she has with former President George W. Bush

The song criticizes several areas of Bush’s administration and terms in office, including the Iraq War, No Child Left Behind Act, disapproval of equal rights for homosexuals, lack of empathy for poor and middle class citizens, Bush’s strong religious beliefs, and Bush’s drinking and drug usage in college. 

Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You'd never take a walk with me.
Would you?

 

L1 Tourism Project

Project due in class the week of  24/2-27/2

Infomercials

You and a group of students will be creating your own infomercial based off the models that we were shown in class.  You will need to focus on your creativity and oral expression in order to get a good grade.

Taking the model that we spoke about in class, you and your group will create an infomercial that will be presented in front of, and graded by your classmates and of course by me.

You can either choose a product selected by me, or invent one of your own!

Important parts of your project:

-          Brainstorm:  You should first have a discussion about your choice of product and think of buzzwords that go along with it.

-          Target Audience: Decide who would best benefit from this kind of product and how you can reach this audience, do your buzzwords attract their attention?

-          Slogan: Now, make your company and create your slogan, something short and sweet that defines you and your product.

-          Marketing: How would you market your campaign?  What do they need to know about your product and how can you convince them to buy it. 

What you turn in:

-          Media Marketing Piece: Whether it be a PowerPoint that you use during your presentation, a poster that you have made, or a flyer that you draft up to hand out to students.

-          Written Summary of Product and the Infomercial: All the important information that I would need about this product, the cost, the deals, the reasons why you would want to buy.  This can be either a written summary or a copy of your complete script.

-          Oral Presentation to the Class: Sell your  idea to the class using your media and your English skills.  Every person needs to speak during the presentation!  The presentation will be between 5-10 min long.  

MAG2 Oral Project

Project due in class the 10th of March!

 

Travel Campaign Project

For your group project, you and a group of students will create a travel campaign for an interesting destination or series of destinations, one that is not typically visited.  You can choose from my list of examples, but you will need to make them original, or you may choose your own topic (all topics must be approved). 

Destinations

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Death Valley, California

Cholet, France

Tours

Nude Beaches of the World

Cheese Fabrication of France

Rest-Stop Tours of America

The job of travel agencies, no matter what the product, is to make it look attractive so that you will buy it.  You must know the target audience that you are selling to and the type of things that they would be interested in.  You want to capture their interest, and make them think your proposal is "cool" and not to be missed!

You and your group are in charge of developing these aspects of the advertising campaign for this travel package.  You will be "pitching" your travel campaign to me, the perspective buyer.

Important parts of your project:

-          Brainstorm:  You should first have a discussion about your choice of destination and tour, and think of buzzwords that go along with it.

-          Target Audience: Decide who would best benefit from this kind of travel experience and how you can reach this audience, do your buzzwords attract their attention?

-          Slogan: Now, make your company and create your slogan, something short and sweet that defines you and your travel experience.

-          Marketing: How would you market your campaign?  How would you best reach your audience?  Would you use television, newspaper, facebook?  Think about where you would get the word out.

What you turn in:

-          Media Marketing Piece: Whether it be a PowerPoint that you use during your presentation, a poster that you have made, or a flyer that you draft up to hand out to students.

-          Written Summary of the Travel Package: All the important information that I would need about this travel adventure in order to go on it.  Prices, itinerary, travel details, trip details etc.

-          Oral Presentation to the Class: Sell your travel idea to the class using your media and your English skills.  Every person needs to speak during the presentation!  The presentation will be between 5-10 min long. 

Remember I am an English teacher so the ENGLISH is the most important part of this project!  Most importantly, have fun and make a great travel package!!!!

Class 6: 27/1-3/2 MAG2 American Immigration

American Immigration

Men At Lunch video: Toronto International Film Festival

This is a documentary that was released at the 2012 TIFF in September.  The film is based on a photograph called “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” that was taken in New York in 1932 of working men whose identities are largely unknown.  This photo epitomizes the immigrant population during the 20^th century and speaks for the rich American cultural heritage. 

The film was directed by Sean O Cualain, in Ireland.  

Introduction

-           The United States has a rich immigration history.

-           Most Americans can trace an ancestry back to another country.

-           Between 1820 and 1930 almost half of migrants leaving their homelands would end up in the United States.

-           The period between 1860 and 1920 saw the highest inflow of immigration into the United Stats 

Definitions

-           Immigrant: person who moves across national borders. 

§         This term is generally reserved for those who have moved to the USA voluntarily.

-           Forced Migration: the movement of people who have no choice or control over their movement.

§         Also known as involuntary migration.

-           Cultural Identity: your own sense of culture shaped by the environment that you live in. 

Being “American”

-           Native Americans or American Indians are considered the original inhabitants of what is today the United States.

-           Colonies founded in the United States by the Spanish, French and the British brought on a movement of Europeans into the United States.

-           Later, the United States will receive immigrants from other continents such as Asia and Africa.

-           Immigration has shaped American cultural identity.

Major Immigration Flows

-           1600s : The Pilgrims escaped religious persecution in their own countries. 

o         Protestants from countries such as England and Germany and a large Jewish population

o         Also here we see deportation of populations such as Gypsies.

-             1700s : Importation of African slaves is at its highest in America.

o         By 1790 there were around 700,000 slaves in America. 

-           1815-1865 : Immigrants from Northern and Western Europe.  (Ireland and Germany)

o         During this time 1/3^rd of the immigrants coming to America were Irish, this was largely in part to the Great Potato Famine that left many Irish in search of a better life.

o         German heritage is the most claimed heritage in America according to the 2000 census.

-           1850s : Chinese immigration in search of gold. 

o         Asians came to America looking towards California for gold.  They later came in search of work constructing the railroads. 

-           1880-1920 : Immigrants from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. (Italy, Poland, Greece)

o         At this time America received almost 20 million immigrants.

o         A large population of Italians and Jews fleeing religious persecution entered into the United States.

-           Post WWII: refugees from Eastern Europe

o         After WWII refugees fleeing the Soviet Union or other threats in Europe were allowed to enter the United States.

-           1959 : Cuban refugees.

o          After the conflict and communist takeover in Cuba, the United States opened its doors to hundreds of thousands of Cubans.

-           1965 – present : less immigration, primarily from Asia and Latin America.

Major Immigration Laws

-           1882 Chinese Exclusion Act

—         This act was put in place to ban Chinese laborers from entering the country.  This was in response to the job shortage in California and the willingness of the Chinese community to work for small wages.

-           1917 Congress enacted a literacy test.

—         All entering immigrants over the age of 16 had to prove that they could read in English, this test was put in place to limit the entrance of immigrants into the United States.

-           1924 Immigration Act: quotas were put in place.

—         It restricted entry to 2 percent of the total number of the population of each nationality already in America.  The system favored Western Europeans and limited Asian immigrants.

-           Post WWII: US allowed refugees from Eastern Europe and Soviet areas to come to America.

—         In response to WWII reconstruction the United States opened its doors in order to combat an ideological war abroad.

-           1965 Immigration and Nationality Act

—         The act ended the quota system and allowed relatives already in America to sponsor relatives to come to the United States.  This shifted the immigration trends and now most immigrants are from Latin America and Asia.

How Did it Work? Ellis Island

-           1892 : Opening of the first federal immigration station.

-           More than 12 million immigrants passed through on their way to the United States. 

—         That is ¾ of the migrants entering the US between 1892 and 1924.

-           On the island the arrivals were inspected for disease or mental illness and were investigated to see if they were convicts.

—         Those that did not meet requirements were sent back to where they came from.

—         People lived in constant fear that they would be sent back home.

-           There was corruption on the island and things were not always fair.

Effects of Immigration on American Society

-           Americans feel strong ties to other countries and is a country of mixed cultures.

-           You can easily find symbols such as food or art from other cultures across the United States. 

Immigration to the United States Today

-           Today most of the countries immigrants are from Asia and Latin America. 

—         Leading countries are Mexico, India and the Philippines.

-           There were an estimated 38 million first generation immigrants in the United States in 2007.

-           Family reunification accounts for the majority of immigration.

-           Immigration for refugees is permitted in certain situations.

-           The rest must apply for the Diversity Visa Program for one of 50,000 visas given annually. 

Immigration Controversy

-           Immigration is a very hot topic in American politics today.

-           Primarily there is a problem concerning the border with Mexico.

-           Caused by a fear of a loss of jobs and tax dollars on illegal immigrants. 

-           Image that immigrants don’t speak English and don’t adapt to the “American lifestyle.”

Controversial Laws

-           Arizona’s “show me your papers” law.

o         Police have the right to demand papers and take action against illegal immigrants.

o         Obama stated that the US government will not deport children who were brought illegally by their parents to the United States.

-           DREAM Act

o         Permanent resident status given to immigrants who complete high school and 2 years of military service or 4 years of university.

o         The law has been repeatedly blocked by the Senate and is no longer in place.

o         People against the act have sited that it rewards illegal immigration.

Citizens Take Action

-           The Minuteman Project

o         Civilian border patrol project.

o         Founded by a former marine in 2004.

o         Citizens patrol the border and report illegal immigration.

o         Voluntarily build walls on their property.

o         The group is becoming smaller and smaller.

31/1Translation and Class Project LIS2a

Traduire :

1. Est-ce que tu as aimé ton stage ? Oui, j’ai travaillé dans la maintenance de l’hôtel, je me suis occupé de l’électricité, de la sécurité… mais ce que j’ai préféré, c’était le contact avec la clientèle.

Did you like your internship?  Yes, I worked in hotel maintenance, I took care of electricity, security/safety…but what I preferred/liked was the contact with clients/customers.

2. Ses tâches étaient diverses. Et l’entreprise lui a permis de prendre des responsabilités.

His/her tasks/duties were diverse, and the company allowed him/her to have responsibilities.

3. Nous étions chargés d’informer les clients. Nous faisions aussi les réparations dans l’hôtel.

We were in charge of informing clients.  We also did repairs in the hotel/ hotel repairs.  

4. Le stage a duré 3 mois.

The internship/work placement lasted for three months.  

5. Vous avez appris beaucoup durant cette période et l’ambiance était agréable.

You learned a lot during this time/period and the ambiance was pleasant/agreeable.

6.  Il aimerait trouver un stage dans un autre domaine maintenant.

Now, he would like to find an internship/work placement in another field.  

Class Oral/Written Project 

 

2 pictures of people: characters in your story

 

1 picture of a location (choose between the 2)

For your project:

 Typed and printed out:

• A description of each person, physically and their personality in detail using the vocabulary we learned.

• A description of the location in detail using the vocabulary from class.

• Write a story using your characters (2-3) and your location that is 2 pages long.  

 

• You will present your characters and your story orally to the class with EMOTION!!!!

Due in Class the 11/3/14

English Pub Quiz 29/1/2014

Once again it is time for an English Pub Quiz at the Inismore Irish Pub

Inishmore Irish Pub
20 rue Chateaugontier
49100 ANGERS
09 51 61 75 52

Quiz starts at 20h, so bring a team to get a table early or come alone and we will find you a team there!

Great prizes for the winner and a great opportunity to speak English!

Website!

Conversation Anglais Project Info

Breaking News Project Info

In groups of 3 you will need to create a breaking news project and presentation.  Your project will be presented in class during the week of 3/2 to 7/2.

You will turn into me a copy of your script that will be graded along with your oral presentation.

What is breaking news?

It is important information that is so pertenant that it interrupts regular programs.
ex. terrorist attacks, natural disasters, kidnappings, assasinations etc.

Regular News:

Broadcasted 3 times daily:

Morning: 6-9am
Midday: Noon-1 pm
Evening: 6-8 pm

The news has three main characters:

News Anchor: Greets viewers, summarizes the program and main headlines, introduces stories and basic details, closes program.

On Site Reporter/Journalist: Gives more details and information about the story, is where the action is taking place, interviezs the eyewitness or expert.

Eyewitness/Expert: Gives personal information, opinion and or scientific details about the story.  This person is often relatable to the general public.


Helpful Vocabulary:
live : en direct
this can not be confirmed, but...
this just in...
we are going in the field with (journalist's name)
Now back to the studio
Back to you (news anchor's name)
We have just received word that...