Spain in the News

Here´s a good listening comprehension exercise; watch this video and check how much you understand: you know everything about it since it is about the crowning of King Felipe VI so you know what to expect, and that, together with the images will make the listening understandable.

Anyway, just in case, here´s the transcript - both video and transcript have been taken from Newsy:

Jun 19, 2014

Can Spain's Felipe VI Restore Monarchy's Image?

(Image source: CBS)

BY ERIK SHUTE

​Even amid a shocking World Cup elimination, the streets of Madrid had something to cheer about Thursday as Spain crowned a new king.

"There are ceremonies to mark a new king of Spain. King Felipe VI was formally sworn in. The ceremony was low-key. His father, Juan Carlos, abdicated the throne at age 76." (Via WABC)

The 46-year-old king takes the throne at a time when the Spanish monarchy's ratings are at their lowest point. The country faces a double-dip recession and unemployment rates reaching 26 percent. (Via Flickr / Richter Frank-Jurgen)

The king's father, former King Juan Carlos I, ruled for more than 40 years but announced his abdication three weeks ago. He's credited with bringing democracy to Spain but also sinking the monarchy's reputation with a luxury lifestyle and no transparency. (Via Euronews, Flickr / Pedro de Matos)

While speaking to the Spanish Parliament, Felipe VI urged for a united nation. The Washington Post quotes him speaking to lawmakers:

"Today, more than ever, the people rightly demand our public lives be guided by ... moral and ethical principles."

In response to the speech, BBC News added: "But this cannot be business as usual for the Spanish monarchy, and the new king seems to accept that. Now, he has to deliver on his promise."

Many in the media pointed out the normally extravagant ceremonies now depicted a humble beginning Thursday. CBS noted they seemed deliberately simple to downplay the monarchy's grandiose image.

Standing at Felipe's side through each reception was his wife, Queen Letizia Ortiz. "Good Morning America" explains her marriage is a true Cinderella story and similar to another famous royal couple.

"She's a blue-collar beauty and he a blue-blood prince educated at Georgetown. … Her middle-class background has many comparing her to another famous royal, and like Kate, she's quickly becoming a fashion icon." (Via ABC)

Headlines have dubbed her the "middle-class Queen," and others drew comparisons to Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton. (Via CTV, The Globe and Mail)

As the ceremonies finish, the royal family will write their own history with some uncertainty.

In a recent poll by Spanish newspaper El Pais, crowning Felipe boosted the popularity of the royals. However, nearly two-thirds of Spanish citizens also support the idea of a referendum on whether Spain should continue to be a constitutional monarchy.

Current Debate: Freedom vs. Security

A very good way to practise English and learn vocabulary is reading or listening to current pieces of news in English. Why? Because you are familiar with the content so you just have to focus on how it is dealt with. Let´s put this theory into practice in this post.

I am sure you have all heard about the Boston marathon bombing some weeks ago. Here is a good listening exercise related to it. 

This video is a clip of a TV show called "Real Time with Bill Maher." William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. In the video  they discuss the role of the police in everyday life nowadays, but focusing on a couple of things related to the Boston bombings: what happened after the bombs exploded and what happened when the police captured suspect  Dzhokhar Tsarnaev alive following a shootout.

Watch the video trying to understand as much as possible from the audio. I think you will need to read the subtitles in Spanish because the rhythm of the conversation is quite fast. That is one of the difficulties you will face in this video, the other one is the irony of some of the guests  and of the host himself.

Before you watch the video, make sure you know the meaning of the following words or expressions: 

• frisk
• mug
• suspect
• to be on the loose

The following concepts will be mentioned in the video: 

• The British police
• a police state
• a military state
• George Orwell´s novel 1984 : a story about government surveillance and mind control where independent thinking is not allowed
• Miranda warning / Miranda rights
• Eighth Amendment

 

What do you think about the debate? Do you agree with any of the people at the table? Why (not)?

President Obama´s Second Term

On January 21, 2013, President Obama, 44th President of the U.S., delivered his Second Inaugural Address from the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

These photos below were taken on the same day, inauguration day,  but in different years; please, comment: consider similarities and differences - you will need to use some connectors to introduce contrast

US Elections. Part 2

Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, won the elections yesterday; it was a narrow victory but enough to let him go back to the White House and stay there for four more years.

I know you have seen photos and clips of his speech yesterday but you can use it as a listening and reading exercise: watch the video and try to follow his words and his message; when you hear something you do not understand, click here to read the transcript.

US Elections

Today, Tuesday, November 6th, the American citizens will choose their president for the next four years. Here´s an explanation of how they do it - it´s not at all similar to our election system. The narrator speaks pretty fast but you can click here to read the transcript.

How much do you know about the current elections? Do this quiz to find out. Jeffrey Hill designed it; he is the writer of The English Blog, a very good blog for English learners that has lots of information about current news and events. It is a blog worth keeping an eye on.

US Election Quiz 2012 from Jeffrey Hill

There have been all sort of videos in the internet asking for the vote for either Obama or Romney; here are a couple of examples - you will easily find out who they are in favour of:

Have you noticed the words NSFW in the title of the video; those initials stand  for "Not Safe For Work, " that is, the content of the video, its message or its language could get you into trouble at work... I bet many people will want to watch the video once they see the initials, don´t you agree?