Tag: Social Issues

Turkey Allows Schools to Teach Kurdish

B2 – Upper intermediate

Minority groups all over the world are given their rights and privileges. But how far is a government willing to go to make them feel part of the society?

Read the article below and be ready to express your thoughts by answering the discussion questions.  

http://www.english-online.at/news-articles/education/turkey-allows-schools-to-teach-kurdish-language.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the importance of allowing Kurdish to be taught in schools in Turkey? How significant is it?
  2. What is your opinion on this, “The European Union has repeatedly put pressure on Turkey to pass better laws for Kurdish citizens. It says that if Turkey wants to become a full member of the EU minority rights must be granted.“?
  3. What are the different minority groups in your country?
  4. Is your country fair in giving rights to citizens belonging to minority groups?
  5. What elective subjects can students take up in your country
  6. What elective subjects do you think will be good for students to study nowadays and why?
  7. Did you take up any language as an elective subject at school? Talk about it.

Trafficked into Prostitution

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Human trafficking, by definition, is the trade of humans, mostly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. Millions of people are being trafficked at any given time.  Prostitution is akin to trafficking and is a social problem difficult to abolish.

Watch the video to know about Ope’s story then read the article for extra information.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-32235112

Discussion Questions:

  1. It is said that “Prostitution is the world’s oldest profession.” Would you agree or disagree?
  2. What are your thoughts on human trafficking and prostitution?
  3. How big a problem is prostitution for a country?
  4. Should prostitution be legalized? Explain your stance.

United States Falling Behind in Women’s Rights

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A recent report showed that while women in the United States are generally treated better than women in other countries, there are still a few areas where gender inequality exists.

Watch the following video then express your opinions.

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/04/15/women-status-orig-ms.cnn/video/playlists/women-in-politics/

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the video, in what specific areas do American women lag behind their foreign counterparts when it comes to gender equality?
  2. Based on the video, what countries are leading the way in terms of women’s rights?
  3. On a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being the highest), how would you rate your country’s efforts to provide better opportunities for its women?

The Danger of a Single Story

C2 – Proficient

Critical misunderstanding is the product of a single story. Our perception of someone or another culture can be from overlapping stories . Novelist Chimamanda Adichie narrates how she found her cultural voice and warns us of the danger of hearing only a single story about another person or country.

Discuss:

1. Who are some of the famous local authors or novelists that you know of?
2. What are some of the novels that you like? International?
3. What do you know about the continent Africa? What countries in Africa have you been to?
4. What are some of the stereotypes of your country that you know of?

 

The Widening Aisle Of Interracial Marriages

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Multicultural marriages have been more popular than ever. Many reasons have been attributed in seeking partners from another country.

Let’s know more about real people’s accounts. How are they managing their relationship?

http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/02/13/276516736/walking-down-the-widening-aisle-of-interracial-marriages

Discussion Questions:

1. How are interracial and multicultural marriages viewed in your country?
2. Do you have friends or know anyone who married someone of a different race or culture?
3. In your opinion, what are some of the challenges that couples of mixed marriages face?

Beyonce Leaked Photos

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Unedited images of Beyonce have circulated over the Internet showing the famous singer’s natural looks.  Reactions to the leaked photos have been mixed, and discussions have begun anew regarding the representation of women in television and print media.

Watch the video and be ready to express your thoughts about this topic.

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/02/19/orig-elbagir-beyonce-loreal-unretouched-photos.cnn

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to one interview in the video, what were the reactions to Beyonce’s unedited photos? What is your opinion on the photo?
  2. How does photo editing in advertisements affect women’s self-image?
  3. Where do you stand on editing photos that are published for the public?
  4. Why do you think celebrity photos are often edited?
  5. Should we edit the selfies that we upload to social network sites? Why or why not?

ATM Thefts Becoming a Common Crime

B2 – Upper Intermediate

People will do anything for money. That includes stealing a cash machine.

In Iowa, for instance, this type of incident is on the rise.

Read the article about the rising incidents of ATM thefts.

https://www.kcci.com/article/atm-thefts-becoming-a-common-crime-in-iowa-1/6902236

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think are the reasons cash machine thefts are becoming common?
  2. Share some ways on how this kind of incidents can be prevented.
  3. Talk about any ATM/bank related-crimes in your country or the world that you know of.
  4. In your opinion, are ATMs still relevant these days?

Myth about Phone Privacy

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Selfies and social networks have become ubiquitous in today’s modern world.

Just how secure are mobile phones and social media platforms?  With so much information being self-disclosed by millions of tech users globally, answers pertaining to data collection and use and safeguards for data protection should be everyone’s concern.

Read the article, and weigh in with your ideas on the issue.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150206-biggest-myth-about-phone-privacy

Discussion Questions:

  1. What information can hackers get from people’s use of smartphones and social networks?
  2. Do you read the Privacy Policy of each social network that you sign up for? Why or why not?
  3. According to the article, what can you do to safeguard your privacy online?
  4. Do the advantages of using social networks and smartphone applications outweigh the risk of online information leaks? Explain.
  5. Share your thought on this: “As a fundamental rule remember this: if you don’t want information like your photos to end up in unwanted hands, then don’t send it.“.
  6. Talk about any privacy issues you’ve had using your phone or social media websites. How did you deal with/resolve it?

Bullying Killed a Teen

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Some people feel good when they bully others. They think they can gain friends by doing it or that their images will be elevated without realizing the dangers bullying can cause.

Read the article and watch the video to have a wider insight about bullying.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/its-bullying-killed-me-dead-teens-mom-fights-protect-law-n298666

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, has bullying gotten worse over the years? Explain.
  2. How can we eliminate bullying?
  3. How are schools in your country dealing with bullying?
  4. Do you think there are enough laws in your country against bullying? Why or why not?
  5. What is the best punishment if someone committed it?

Censorship and Freedom of Speech

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B2 – Upper-intermediate

The world was shocked  when a Paris publication was attacked and resulted in the death of 12 people. This particular event leads a debate towards freedom of speech.

https://www.voanews.com/europe/hollande-vows-protect-all-faiths-muslims-protest-hebdo-reprinting

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion about freedom of speech?
2. Is it dangerous to be aggressive when you are a member of the press?
3. How do limits play a role in freedom of expression?