Alan Henning: an ordinary man who just wanted to help the innocent victims of war.
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

Alan Henning
Photo credit: bbc.co.uk

47-year-old taxi driver Alan Henning from Eccles in Salford (Greater Manchester, England) was part of an aid convoy last December when he was taken hostage by Islamic State terrorists.

His charitable actions will eventually have led him to his being brutally killed.

The same terrorist group was also responsible for the previous killings of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines. 

Salford, Greater Manchester, England:
Alan's hometown
Map credit: cse.salford.ac.uk

Turkish-Syrian border
Map credit: infowars.com

Before watching:


You are going to watch a BBC report.

The following words could be useful:
to head for:  to go to      se diriger vers   
all of a sudden: suddenly and unexpectedly          tout à coup 
the compound: building or a group of buildings, generally enclosed by a barrier    complexe / ensemble de bâtiments  



While watching:


Answer the following question in French:

What do you get to know about Alan Henning?

-


-


-


-

You can also find the video on the BBC site. Click HERE






When you are finished, you can check your answers:


- Son seul but: aider les victimes innocentes du conflit en Syrie...
- Il a été capturé avec son groupe, 30 minutes après avoir franchi la frontière turco-syrienne. Ses compagnons, tous musulmans, ont été relâchés.
- Il a été jugé par un tribunal islamique et n'a forcément pas été reconnu coupable d'espionnage.
- Il a été sauvagement assassiné malgré son engagement en tant que volontaire pour aider les sinistrés de la guerre et les très nombreuses interventions, notamment du monde musulman, en vue d'obtenir sa grâce...
- ...

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launch legal actions against paparazzo
(Level: Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ***) 

The Royals have decided to launch legal actions against a photographer who was impinging on their son Prince George's privacy.

You are now going to watch a BBC report.

Photo credit: express.co.uk

Before watching:

The following words and notes could be useful:
a score of...: a group of twenty / about twenty       vingtaine  
to harass: to make repeated attacks / intimidate ...     harceler 
within the bounds of the law: within the limits of the law   dans les limites du droit / dans la mesure de la légalité /  conformément à la loi 

Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights provides the right to freedom of expression and information... 
If you want to know more about the European Convention on Human rights, click HERE (Official site).

Battersea Park: a 83-hectare green space in London situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea; not far from Marble Arch.
For more information about Battersea Park: click HERE (Official site).



While watching:


Answer the following questions:

You can also watch the video on the BBC site by clicking HERE








When you are finished, you can check your answers.

No weapons but an app for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong
(Level: Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ***)

Protesters in Hong Kong have been fighting for democracy for days now. They have been peaceful but have acquired a very effective "weapon" against the Beijing regime: FireChat.

Hong Kong demonstrations
Picture credit: picturesdotnews.wordpress.com

Before watching:

You are going to watch a report by Sky's Mark Stone looking at the smartphone app being effectively used in Hong Kong by pro-democracy demonstrators.

The following phrase could be useful:
to turn nasty: to become vicious; spiteful      devenir franchement désagréable / prendre une sale tournure 

Hong Kong demonstrators
Photo credit: abcnews.go.com

While watching:


Answer the following questions:

Watch now the Sky News report:

When you are finished, check your answers:

Lego art or the art of the brick
(Level: Upper-Intermediate / B2 to C1 / ***)

Nathan Sawaya (born in 1973) is an American artist who creates sculptures and large-scale mosaics from Lego bricks. 

Nathan Sawaya
Photo credit: insideedition.com/headlines/6754-lawyer-turned-lego-artist

You are going to listen to Mr Sawaya (Sky News report) as he is describing his career and his reasons to turn into a Lego artist.





Before watching:


The following words could be useful:
corporate law: legal system relating to businesses, corporations... involved in the practice of commerce          droit des entreprises, des sociétés / droit administratif 
an outlet: a way to release one's emotions, energy...    manière de se défouler 
to crash (for a website): to become inaccessible      être inaccessible  
too many hits (on a website): too many surfers on one specific site     trop de visiteurs (sur le site)

'Yellow' by Nathan Sawaya
Picture credit: moviespictures.org

'Red' by Nathan Sawaya
Picture credit: brickartist.com

If you are interested in The Art of the Brick or if you want to know more about brick artist Nathan Sawaya, click HERE

While watching

Watch the Sky News interview of Mr Sawaya.

Complete the following grid in French:

What did he study?
Where did he work initially? What did he do? How long?
What did he do after work in his free time? And later...
What crucial decision did he then make?

When you are finished, you can check your answers.

What did he study?	Le droit
Where did he work initially? What did he do? How long?	Dans une société où il était juriste (ou avocat-conseil / conseiller juridique d’entreprise / spécialiste en droit des entreprises… )    Pendant plusieurs années.
What did he do after work in his free time? And later...	Après le travail, il aimait donner libre cours à son inspiration artistique (peinture , dessins, écriture, sculpture)    Il s’est tourné vers les Lego (car souvenirs ; jouets d’enfance…) et a conçu une galerie virtuelle de ses sculptures en Lego (très largement fréquentée par les internautes).
What crucial decision did he then make?	Il a décidé de quitter son job d’avocat et de se lancer à plein temps dans la sculpture en Lego. (Après qu'il se soit rendu compte du succès potentiel de ses oeuvres notamment via son site).

Freegans and dumpster diving
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ***)

With food becoming more and more expensive and also because they are being driven by environmental concerns, some people turn to freeganism and go dumpster diving. 

Dumpster diving
Photo credit: frugivoremag.com

Dumpster diving
Photo credit: sheknows.com

You are going to watch a BBC report focusing on freegan Janet Kalish from New York City and on why she wouldn't do without going dumpster diving. 



Before watching

The following words could be useful:

freegan = a blend or portmanteau word (*)  (French: mot-valise) derived from  free + vegan
(a vegan = a person who doesn't eat any food coming from animals and who often does not use products coming from animals - e.g. leather...)  

garbage / trash (US): rubbish (UK)    déchets / détritus
to dumpster dive / to go dumpster diving: initially to look for some treasure in somebody's garbage but also now looking for anything valuable or still eatable or drinkable in dumpsters, rubbish bags etc.   fouiller les poubelles etc. 


(*) Portmanteau (word) is a (new) word whose form and meaning are derived from the blending of two or more distinct words (as Chunnel from Channel + Tunnel).


See below! (If you want to go further...)




While watching

Answer the following questions in French:

1. What is a freegan / a dumpster diver? What definition is Janet giving?
2. How long has she been going dumpster diving?
3. What motivates her to go dumpster diving instead of going shopping? 

You can also find the video on the BBC site by clicking HERE

When you are finished, you can check your answers:

1

Une personne qui préfère se tenir à l'écart de la société de consommation ou du consumérisme ambiant et qui va, dès lors, tenter d'acheter le moins possible. Il s'agira alors, littéralement, de plonger dans les poubelles ou bennes à ordures et d'en retirer les produits encore consommables dont les supermarchés, magasins, restaurants se seront simplement débarrassés.   

2

Depuis près de 10 ans.

3

- Les articles qu'on peut trouver dans les bennes à ordures sont encore d'excellente qualité; certains sont produits durant la journée et jetés le soir même parce qu'ils sont restés invendus!  

- Les dates de péremption ne sont pas encore vraiment atteintes. Même si c'était le cas, les produits restent encore consommables pendant un certain temps!

- Parfois, on jette des produits (cosmétiques par exemple) tout simplement parce qu'une nouvelle gamme entrant au magasin présente un nouvel emballage.

- Volonté de Janet (et des freegans) de mettre en avant un style de vie spécifique opposé à la société de consommation, au gaspillage énorme, aux problèmes connexes liés à la consommation exacerbée (emballages, bouteilles en plastique  = déchets, pollution); volonté de changer le système ambiant - l'idéal serait qu'il n'y ait plus rien finalement à piocher dans les bennes à ordures! 

- ...

If you want to go further...

Here is a list of portmanteau words (blends): find the two original words they derive from.

If you want to check your answers, see below!

Chunnel Oxbridge breathalyzer camcorder carjack fantabulous guesstimate moped paratrooper rockumentary sexpert bit emoticon Internet freeware malware pixel docudrama Bollywood sitcom streetball cafetorium blog podcasting blogosphere flog email fanzine Interpol Muppet workaholic electrocution MORE DIFFICULT! goodbye o’clock fortnight

<  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <

Channel + Tunnel Oxford + Cambridge breath + analyzer

Chunnel Oxbridge breathalyzer camcorder carjack fantabulous guesstimate moped paratrooper rockumentary sexpert bit emoticon Internet freeware malware pixel docudrama Bollywood sitcom streetball cafetorium blog podcasting blogosphere flog email fanzine Interpol Muppet workaholic electrocution MORE DIFFICULT! goodbye o’clock fortnight

<  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <  <

Channel + Tunnel Oxford + Cambridge breath + analyzer camera + recorder car + hijack fantastic + fabulous guess + estimate motor + pedal parachute + trooper rock + documentary sex + expert binary + digit emotion + icon inter + network free + software malicious + software picture + element documentary + drama Bombay + Hollywood situation + comedy street + basketball cafeteria + auditorium web + log iPod + broadcasting blog + biosphere fake + blog electronic + mail fan + magazine international + police marionette + puppet work + alcoholic electrical + execution God + be (with)  + ye (= you) of + the + clock fourteen + nights

Alan Henning
(Level: Intermediate / B1 to B2 / **)

Alan Henning
Photo credit: bbc.co.uk

Muslim leaders across the UK have united in an appeal to release British hostage Alan Henning, now threatened with being executed by Islamic State fanatics. 

The British 47-year-old volunteeer and aid worker deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, the imams say, because he was genuinely trying to help suffering Muslims in Syria.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the IS militants are "un-Islamic" and are not acting as Muslims but as monsters, perpretrating the worst crimes against humanity. 

You are now going to watch a Sky News report focusing on Alan and the plea for mercy on his behalf. 

You can also watch the video on the Sky News site by clicking HERE



If you are interested in knowing more, here is a BBC article (with short videos); click HERE 

David Haines
(Level: Intermediate / B1 / **)

David Haines was killed by the Islamic State militant who had also murdered American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. 

British Prime Minister David Cameron said David was "murdered in the most callous and brutal way imaginable by an organisation which is the embodiment of evil." (See further: the PM's statement)

David Haines
Photo credit: bbc.co.uk

But who was David Haines? 
You are going to watch a BBC report to find out.


Before watching:


The following words could be useful:
to alleviate:  to make something easier to bear; to mitigate      atténuer
the threat: the menace         menace




While watching:


Make notes in French:

David Haines, 44 ans
Origines?
Famille?
Métier?
Missions au Moyen-Orient?
Missions dans les Balkans?

You can also watch the report on the BBC site by clicking HERE 




When you are finished, you can check your answers:

David Haines, 44 ans
Origines?	Perth en Ecosse
Famille?	Une fille de 14 ans en Ecosse Une épouse croate et une fille de 4 ans en Croatie ; son pays de résidence…
Métier?	Travailleur humanitaire
Missions au Moyen-Orient?	Veiller à l’approvisionnement en eau potable, nourriture et tentes au profit des victimes du conflit armé en Syrie ; contribuer à apaiser les souffrances d’autrui
Missions dans les Balkans?	Aider les gens à retrouver leur maison qu’ils avait quittée durant la guerre dans les années 90.

You can now watch the Prime Minister's statement.  Click HERE