New Standpoints N°40

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ARTICLES

IN THE FIELD – Une semaine bien remplie : Semaine des Langues en STS
Laurence Caillarec présente une équipe de professeurs de langues vivantes d'un lycée d'Evreux, ayant proposé à leurs élèves une semaine intensive de langues en présence de locuteurs natifs d'horizons variés.

YOUNG LEARNERS – Une heure à l’école primaire
Monique Picaud nous éclaire sur la liaison primaire / collège.

INTERACTION – Le CECR au quotidien
Claudine Martina explique dans cet entretien les effets de l’intégration du CECR dans la salle de classe.  Elle y fait allusion au Tome 3 d’Aide à l’Evaluation et à la Grille de référence.

EMAIL FROM AMERICA – Defining the American Family: An Exercise in Folly
Robert Frye explores how the examples of TV shows and public figures have evolved popular conceptions of the American family in recent years.

BACK TO LITERATURE – Doris Lessing: The Fifth Child
In Doris Lessing’s novel The Fifth Child, one family confronts the challenge of having an abnormal child.

PANORAMA – Broken Britain
From the royal family to regular households, the notion of the traditional British family is changing. Sarah Pickard discusses the societal impacts of this change and the ongoing debate that has resulted. More information from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

YESTERDAY – Back to the Future
Elaine McCarthy compares the reality of the 21st century with past predictions.

CAMEO – Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert
Elaine McCarthy describes the phenomenon of news parodies, such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and how they differ from “real” news shows.

SEASONAL – Easter Feasts, April Fools
Paul Giggins’s explication of spring celebrations in English-speaking countries.

GOING PLACES – The Sinking of the City
Sarah Pickard’s account of how the current financial crisis has changed London.

CULTURAL HORIZONS – The causes of a Catastrophe: The US Economic Crisis
Romain Huret discusses various aspects of the crisis, such as finance, housing, and the economy, and their effects on American life.

TO THE POINT – How it Happened
How did Barack Obama overcome the odds and win the American Presidential election? Vincent Michelot analyses the events that led up to this historic event.

TOP OF THE CLASS – Reviews of the books Spook Country by William Gibson and A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. More about Spook Country can be found on Gibson’s website.  You can also watch the trailer for the new movie My Sister’s Keeper. Finally, take the virtual tour of the exhibit Warhol’s Wide World, currently at the Grand Palais, and find out more about the artist, as well as lesson plans, here.

WORKSHEETS

Families

Happy Families (Beginners/A1)
Pupils will learn the four seasons and talk about what various family members enjoy doing at different times of the year.

The Windsors (Lower Intermediate A2)
Pupils will discuss the British Royal family and how the Queen’s role differs from that of the Prime Minister. Explore the British Monarchy’s official site. You can also find information written by kids, for kids, about the royal family tree, the Queen, and the Prime Minister. Finally, read about the royal residences, the royal household, and a day in the life of the Queen.

Forced Marriage (Upper Intermediate A1-B1)
Pupils will talk about the problem of forced marriage in Britain, listen to an interview with a British police officer and create their own dialogues. View the poster from Every Child Matters (choose Poster - Young People), and read true stories of forced marriage experiences.

The Fifth Child (Advanced B2-C1)
Pupils will read Doris Lessing’s novel The Fifth Child and “hot-seat” the character of Harriet.

Money

“Poor Little Stephen Girard” (Lower Intermediate A2)
Pupils will talk about the success stories of real-life celebrities and read the ironic parody by Mark Twain.

The Bank of England (Intermediate A2/B1)
Pupils will learn vocabulary that relates to the Bank of England and banknotes, listen to an audio recording, and prepare a radio interview. Read how to protect yourself from identity theft and prevent card fraud.

Bill Gates Addressing Harvard Students (Intermediate-Upper Intermediate B1-B2)
Pupils will learn about a typical commencement ceremony and listen to Bill Gates’s speech. Read about Harvard Law School’s Commencement and view photos of Bill Gates.

Carnival

The Notting Hill Carnival (Intermediate/A2-B1)
Pupils will discuss what they already know about carnivals, listen to an interview with a carnival musician, and do a pronunciation activity. You can find pictures here. Learn about carnival dancers and children’s day and read an overview.