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Date: Jul 1, 2005
Level: Easier (Try the harder lesson.) Downloads: Word Doc | PDF Doc | Listening Audio: (2:06 - 246.9 KB - 16kbps)
THE ARTICLESpain has passed a new law to legalize same sex marriages. It becomes the fourth country to do so after Belgium, Canada and the Netherlands. The new law is very popular with the Spanish people: around 70 per cent of Spaniards support legalizing gay marriage. However, the Catholic Church is very angry that the law was passed. It tried very hard to block the legalizing of same sex marriages. The new law gives homosexual partners the same status as heterosexual ones. They will soon be able to adopt children and have inheritance rights. The vote in the 350-seat Spanish Congress passed smoothly. Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero sponsored the law. Supporters of the bill were overjoyed when they heard the news. They happily hugged and kissed each other outside the Congress building, while some cried with happiness. Fernando Martinez was smiling from ear to ear. He said: The unfairness has come to an end. Society, at last, accepts us for who we are. We are normal people who want to lead normal lives.” The first marriages of gay couples will begin on July 15. WARM-UPS1. MARRIAGE: In pairs / groups, make a list of all of the advantages of getting married. Change partners and compare your lists. When you have finished, talk about whether same sex couples should be allowed to get married. Should they be able to experience each of the advantages on your list - the same as in marriages between men and women? Take a class vote on whether same sex marriages should be legalized in your country. 2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.
Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently. 3. HOMOSEXUAL: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “homosexual”. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories. 4. TWO-MINUTE GAY DEBATES: With a partner, take part in these fun 2-minute debates. Students A strongly believe in the opinions on the left, Students B support the opinions on the right. Change partners often.
5. SAME SEX SOCIETY: In pairs / groups, talk about which of these things are “OK” for same sex partners to do in your society.
BEFORE READING / LISTENING1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
WHILE READING / LISTENINGWHICH WORD?: Circle the correct word from the pairs in bold. Spain legalizes same sex marriageSpain has passed / past a new law to legalize same sex marriages. It becomes the fourth country to do so / soon after Belgium, Canada and the Netherlands. The new law is very unpopular / popular with the Spanish people: around 70 per cent of Spaniards support legalizing gay marriage. However, the Catholic Church is very angrily / angry that the law was passed. It tried very hard to block / black the legalizing of same sex marriages. The new law gives homosexual partners the same status / statues as heterosexual ones. They will soon be able to adapt / adopt children and have inheritance rights / wrongs. The vote in the 350-seat Spanish Congress passed smoothly / smooth. Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero sponsorship / sponsored the law. Supporters of the bill were joy / overjoyed when they heard the news. They happily / unhappily hugged and kissed each other outside the Congress building, while some cried with happiness. Fernando Martinez was smiling from ear to chin / ear. He said: The unfairness has come to an end / over. Society, at last, accepts us for who we are. We are normal people who want to lead / plead normal lives.” The last / first marriages of gay couples will begin on July 15. AFTER READING / LISTENING1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘gay’ and ‘marriage’.
2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
3. WHICH WORD?: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about any relationships you can see in each pair of words. 4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings. 5. STUDENT SAME SEX SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about same sex marriage.
6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:
DISCUSSIONSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.
SPEAKINGROLE PLAY: This role play is to discuss whether or not same sex marriages should become law. Team up with classmates who have the same role as you. Develop your roles and discuss ideas and “strategies” before the role play begins. Introduce yourself to the other role players before the role play begins.
Change roles and repeat the role play. Comment in groups about the differences between the two role plays. In pairs / groups, discuss whether you really believe in what you said while you were in your roles. LISTENINGListen and fill in the spaces. Spain legalizes same sex marriageSpain has ______ __ ___ ___ to legalize same sex marriages. It becomes the fourth country __ __ __ after Belgium, Canada and the Netherlands. The new law is very popular with the Spanish people: ______ __ ___ ____ of Spaniards support legalizing gay marriage. However, the Catholic Church is very angry that the law was passed. It tried very ____ __ _____ the legalizing of same sex marriages. The new law gives homosexual partners ___ ____ ______ as heterosexual ones. They will soon be able to _____ ________ and have inheritance rights. The vote in the ___-____ Spanish Congress passed smoothly. Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero _________ ___ ____. Supporters of the bill ____ _________ when they heard the news. They _______ ______ and kissed each other outside the Congress building, while some cried with happiness. Fernando Martinez was smiling ____ ___ __ ___. He said: The unfairness has come to an end. Society, at last, accepts us for who we are. We are normal people who want to ___ ______ _____.” The first marriages of gay couples ____ _____ __ July 15. HOMEWORK1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word. 2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on the same sex marriage in Spain. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson. 3. INEQUALITY: Create a fact sheet about the inequality faced by homosexuals and same sex couples in your society. What rights don’t they have that “normal” citizens enjoy? Show your fact sheets to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all find out similar things? 4. LETTER: Write a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Tell him your opinions on his government passing same sex marriages into law. Read your letter to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all write about similar things? ANSWERSTRUE / FALSE:
SYNONYM MATCH:
PHRASE MATCH:
WHICH WORD?: Spain legalizes same sex marriageSpain has passed a new law to legalize same sex marriages. It becomes the fourth country to do so after Belgium, Canada and the Netherlands. The new law is very popular with the Spanish people: around 70 per cent of Spaniards support legalizing gay marriage. However, the Catholic Church is very angry that the law was passed. It tried very hard to block the legalizing of same sex marriages. The new law gives homosexual partners the same status as heterosexual ones. They will soon be able to adopt children and have inheritance rights. The vote in the 350-seat Spanish Congress passed smoothly. Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero sponsored the law. Supporters of the bill were overjoyed when they heard the news. They happily hugged and kissed each other outside the Congress building, while some cried with happiness. Fernando Martinez was smiling from ear to ear. He said: The unfairness has come to an end. Society, at last, accepts us for who we are. We are normal people who want to lead normal lives.” The first marriages of gay couples will begin on July 15. |
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