Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Every year, ELS Language Centers has a special contest. This contest is about multilingualism and multiculturalism. It is called Many Languages, One World (MLOW). This year, students studied the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Then, they wrote essays about multilingualism and the UN agenda. These essays were in a language that they learned. Winners of the MLOW contest will receive a free trip to New York City. There, they will go to the Global Youth Forum and share their ideas with the United Nations General Assembly.
The students in this contest have an online interview. They talk to someone about the ideas in their essays. They explain why these ideas are important. Many of these students think that language is a gateway. Knowing many languages helps them talk to people from other countries. They like learning about different world views and global governance. These students want to win the MLOW contest. Then, they can work together to make action plans for the future.
Watch today’s English video to see some of these amazing students during their online interviews.
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Rind I received an email from my university about this contest, and I was always interested in the work of the United Nations.
Federico “Many Languages” first was something that caught my attention. And then when I started reading what the topic of the essay was supposed to be about, it was global citizenship.
Shazana I was motivated to participate because I have this personal attachment to multiculturalism and multilingualism.
Jorge A lot of the ideas that I had had to do with how artificial the distinctions between nationalities really are.
Tom I always read about the U.N. and about global organizations and institutions and how global governance is made. And to actually be a part of that would be so cool.
Bahti I speak French… I speak Kinyarwanda.
Amani Swahili. I’ve been into English. And now this is a country which speaks French.
Rind Arabic is more the language I use with my friends and family. English is the fun language.
Jorge I speak Spanish, of course, English, and a little bit of French.
Federico I think that learning languages and mastering languages is a gateway.
Amani I feel like, I’m not so much of my own country. I feel like I belong to a larger community.
Tom It’s obvious that we are living in a global society, that we are all in this thing together. So, why to build walls? Why to build so many fences? Why to separate people?
Shazana In order to change something, you have to dare to stand up by becoming active in politics and hearing as many opinions and world views as possible.
Federico To be on a multicultural team with many different people working on action plans, that would be very significant.
Tom This would be so cool! This would be so awesome!
Grammar Point
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Discussion
There are many amazing students in the 2016 MLOW contest, and they all speak more than one language! Being multicultural and multilingual is very important to them. They think that the people on Earth are more similar than they are different. They want to make a strong world culture by working together.
Some of these students wrote essays because they want to work in global politics. Other students want to go to the Global Youth Forum so they can share ideas and learn new things. They all want to make good changes for their countries and for the whole world. They want to win so they can make action plans together. These plans can make a beautiful future for all people in the world.
Why is being multilingual important to you? Do you want to share your ideas with the United Nations?
Comments
Belgium |
Egypt |
Taiwan |
Iran, Islamic Republic Of |
Germany |