(Level: upper-intermediate to advanced / B2 to C1 / ***)
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| Examples of popular hashtags Picture credit: www.communiquepr.com |
(*) A hashtag is a word, a group of words or a phrase with no spaces preceded by the symbol # within a short message or tweet. It helps identify a topic of interest.
hashtag = mot-dièse (France); mot-clic (Quebec)
More and more people resort to social platforms to make sure they can express their views and feelings about specific trending subjects and get heard. By using the hashtags originally generated by Twitter and widespread by social networking sites, their users find out more information about specific topics they are interested in, which also enables them to get connected and to become a part of a larger discussion.
Before watching:
You are going to watch a CNN report focusing on the top ten hashtags of the year 2014.
The following words and notes could be useful:
to be trending: to be currently popular faire fureur (sur les réseaux sociaux)
to go viral: to become very popular by circulating very quickly especially through the internet and social networking sites se propager (comme un virus)
a tan suit: a light-brown or beige suit costume brun clair / beige
.jpg) |
| Barack Obama's tan suit Photo credit: www.time.com |
Labor Day: a national holiday in the USA (originally led in 1882 by a workers' union to create a holiday for workers) taking place on the first Monday of September. It is associated with the end of the summer period and is therefore a time to put away one's summer clothes or summer white clothes. White stands for the colour worn for sports and leisure and is clearly considered inappropriate after Labor Day.
ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is an islamist terror group based in Iraq and Syria held responsible for human rights abuses and war crimes (ethnic cleansing and executions of Western hostages)...
Ray Rice: NFL (National Football League) football player. He was seen punching his then fiancée in a lift. As soon as that video was released, he was suspended indefinitely from the NFL. After an appeal that he won in November 2014, he was reinstated in the NFL.
Beverley Gooden: a social activist who initiated the Twitter hashtag #WhyIStayed. She was herself a victim of domestic violence and wanted to outline why people would choose to stay, even in an abusive relationship.
Boko Haram: an islamist terror group based in Nigeria and held responsible for mass murders and abducting women and children - among them the 276 schoolgirls who were kidnapped in April 2014.
ALS = Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; a neurodegenerative disease which can lead to the weakening of the muscles, eventually causing difficulties in swallowing and breathing. Sclérose Latérale Amyotrophique (SLA)
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| Zuckerberg taking part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Photo credit: www.techtimes.com |
a killing spree: a killing rampage / an outburst of violence associated with a number of murders in a very short span of time folie meurtrière
to indict: to decide that somebody should be put on trial inculper
in the wake of: following dans la foulée de
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| Women in Ferguson holding signs for M. Brown Photo credit: www.popularresistance.org |
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| Ferguson, Missouri, USA Map credit: www.9news.ph |
While watching:
What do the following hashtags refer to?
Make notes in French.
10
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#alexfromtarget
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9
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#tansuit
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8
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#yesallwomen
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7
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#umbrellarevolution
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6
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#whyistayed
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5
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#worldcup
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4
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#bringbackourgirls
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3
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#icebucketchallenge
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2
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#IAMMIKEBROWN
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1
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#alllivesmatter
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You can also find the video on the CNN site by clicking HERE
When you are finished, you can check your answers:
Suggestions de réponses
10
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#alexfromtarget
|
Alex a fait fureur sur les réseaux sociaux à partir d’une
simple photo que quelqu’un a prise de lui et postée sur Twitter. Personne (pas même Alex) ne comprend
pourquoi autant de succès… (1)
|
9
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#tansuit
|
Le costume beige de Barack Obama a fait sensation sur les
réseaux sociaux ! Tout le monde n’a retenu que ça alors que le Président
évoquait, lors de cette conférence de presse, des sujets brûlants tels qu’ISIS
ou la Russie.
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8
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#yesallwomen
|
Mouvement féministe selon lequel toutes les femmes peuvent
se considérer comme étant des victimes de harcèlement et de discrimination et
suscité par la folie meurtrière d’Elliot Rodger (dû selon ce dernier au rejet
dont il aurait toujours fait l’objet de la part des femmes ). (2)
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7
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#umbrellarevolution
|
La Révolution des Parapluies durant plus de deux mois et
demi à Hong Kong. Mot-dièse se
référant donc au mouvement orchestrés par les militants pro-démocrates qui, « armés »
de leurs parapluies, essayaient de se protéger des gaz lacrymogènes et gaz au
poivre utilisés par les forces de l’ordre. (3)
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6
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#whyistayed
|
Mouvement initié sur la Toile après la publication d’une
vidéo montrant la star de football Ray Rice assommant sa fiancée de l’époque à
coups de poing dans un ascenseur. (4)
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5
|
#worldcup
|
La Coupe du Monde de football 2014 aura généré 3 milliards
d’échanges sur Facebook et durant le match de la finale Allemagne-Argentine,
les téléspectateurs auront posté plus de 618.000 tweets à la minute
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4
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#bringbackourgirls
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En référence aux jeunes filles enlevées par le groupe Boko
Haram et au manque d’actions concrètes prises par les autorités pour tenter
de les retrouver… (5)
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3
|
#icebucketchallenge
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Le défi du seau d’eau glacée qu’on se renverse sur la tête
qui aura permis de récolter plus de 100 millions de dollars aux Etats-Unis
durant l’été au profit de la recherche contre la SLA (6)
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2
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#IAMMIKEBROWN
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En référence à l’affaire Mike Brown, jeune Noir non-armé et
abattu par un policier blanc à Ferguson et à la décision du grand jury
de ne pas inculper le responsable…
(7)
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1
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#alllivesmatter
|
Point de départ : le grand jury de New York décide de
ne pas inculper le policier impliqué dans la mort d’un Noir, Eric Gardner.
Cette affaire combinée à celle de Ferguson a donné lieu au mouvement
#blacklivesmatter. La mort de deux policiers de New York, froidement abattus
par un Noir (Note : voulant apparemment « venger » Mike Brown
et Eric Gardner) a donné lieu au mouvement #alllivesmatter. (8)
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(1) For more details, here is an article "Alex From Target: The Other Side of fame" in the New York times. Click HERE
(2) For more details, read this article: "Deadly California rampage: chilling video but no match for reality" on the CNN website. Click HERE
(3) For more details, you can read this article by the Guardian: "How the umbrella became a symbol of the Hong Kong democracy protests". Click HERE
(4) For more details, here is a CNN account entitled "Ray Rice doesn't deserve second chance". Click HERE
(5) Here is an article entitled "Nigeria's Boko Haram seizes hometown of kidnapped girls" by the Guardian focusing on Boko Haram and the latest developments in Nigeria. Click HERE
(6) For more details about the Ice Bucket Challenge, here is an article entitled "Why Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates took up the Ice Bucket Challenge". Click HERE
You can also consult the ALS association's official site: click HERE
(7) For more details about the Brown case, here is a BBC article entitled "Ferguson protests: what we know about Michael Brown's last minutes".
Click HERE
(8) For more details check this article by the Telegraph entitled "Two NY police officers shot in Brooklyn ambush". Click HERE
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