The majority of pupils in primary and secondary education in the EU study at least one foreign language:
What languages are studied the most in the EU? - Products Eurostat News - Eurostat
It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that English is once again the most studied language by far in the EU. In upper secondary and vocational education it’s 96% and 79% respectively, according to the latest data from Eurostat.Britain has produced a lot of music:
Jay Doubleyou: music from the uk
Including a lot of classical music:
Much of which is played at the biggest classical music festival in the UK:
And a lot of 'classical music' is also played at Christmas:
Jay Doubleyou: favourite christmas carols
Here's more on British twentieth century classical composers:
BBC Two - Holst and Vaughan Williams: Making Music English
The BBC have been focussing on one particular composer this year:
BBC Radio 3 Celebrates Ralph Vaughan Williams At 150 With Vaughan Williams Today - Media Centre
This year “The Lark Ascending” by Ralph Vaughan Williams was voted Classic FM listeners’ favourite piece of classical music (as it was last year, and the one before that, and the one before that). They’re not alone in their admiration. A major theme of the BBC Proms this year is the 150th anniversary of the English composer’s birth.
Vaughan Williams' vision of Englishness is not the one we need - New Statesman
But did VW represent a certain view of England?
A Composer Forever English, Cow Pats and All - The New York Times
VW: much more than a cowpat composer - The Classical Music Guide Forums
English Pastoral School - Wikipedia
Vaughan Williams was indeed inspired by English folk music:
BBC Radio 4 - The Captain's Apprentice by Caroline Davison, Norfolk Rhapsody
This is a beautiful example:
Vaughan Williams - On Wenlock Edge (1909), sung by Anthony Rolfe Johnson - YouTube
On Wenlock Edge (song cycle) - Wikipedia
For example:
Vaughan Williams - 'Bredon Hill' from On Wedlock Edge - YouTube
On Wenlock Edge (The Film) - Part 5 - Bredon Hill - (Vaughan Williams) - YouTube
'There's far more to VW than wistful evocations of the English landscape':
The Passions of Vaughan Williams - YouTube
John Bridcut - Crux Productions - Filmography
Finally, an overview on his 150th anniversary:
Front Row - Ralph Vaughan Williams - BBC Sounds
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Politics has often been put on the stage.
With an example from Australia here:
Jay Doubleyou: what is a 'native speaker' of english? the issue of race...
Politics has always had an element of theatre about it.
Germany:
Triumph of the Will - Wikipedia
Triumph of the Will (1935) - (Documentary, History, War, Foreign) - video Dailymotion
1935: Triumph of the Will - The Power of Propaganda - YouTube
There's a lot of theatricality happening today:
behaviour that is extreme and not sincere, and that is intended to attract attention
THEATRICALITY | meaning, definition in Cambridge English Dictionary
Especially in today's 'culture wars':
Russia:
Putin propaganda just took an exceptionally strange turn
In recent days, the phrase “winter is coming” haunts. That’s partly because I, like millions of others, started watching House of the Dragonthe prequel to Game of Throneswho had these ominous words as a slogan.
Putin propaganda just took an exceptionally strange turn | UK NEWS TO DAY
>> THIS IS RUSSIA WINTER IS COMING - YouTube
Rusia en España on Twitter: "Time to move to Russia 🤍💙❤️ https://t.co/4CZL1Nt4Gi" / Twitter
Russia is pretty good at this theatrical showmanship.
But, then, so are their American apologists:
Kremlin memos urged Russian media to use Tucker Carlson clips – report | Fox News | The Guardian
Peter Pomerantsev says the West should be doing the same:
Despite his defeats, Putin still shapes our perceptions. Let’s fight him at his own game
With lots more here:
Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev review – Putinism and the oil-boom years | Books | The Guardian (Feb 2015)
Peter Pomerantsev: Why We’re Post-Fact (July 2016)
Wolves in nationalist clothing – POLITICO (feb 2017)
Radio Prague - It’s not Russia vs. the US any more, the big threat is a Trump-Putin alliance, says writer Peter Pomerantsev (Feb 2017)
Jay Doubleyou: information wars
In particular: Vladislav Surkov
Peter Pomerantsev · Putin’s Rasputin · LRB 20 October 2011
Adam Curtis has looked at the man behind the politics of theatre in Russia:
BBC's Adam Curtis: How Propaganda Turned Russian Politics Into Theater | Video | RealClearPolitics
America:
Jay Doubleyou: propaganda, public relations and manufacturing consent
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In the Abilene paradox, a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of many or all of the individuals in the group.[1][2] It involves a common breakdown of group communication in which each member mistakenly believes that their own preferences are counter to the group's and, therefore, does not raise objections, or even states support for an outcome they do not want. A common phrase relating to the Abilene paradox is a desire to not "rock the boat". This differs from groupthink in that the Abilene paradox is characterized by an inability to manage agreement.[3]
One important idea for understanding social behavior and conformity is preference falsification. This concept was developed by the economist Timur Kuran.Facts About Minority Opinion vs. Majority Rule | Psychology Today
Abilene Paradox is an evil, especially in a work environment. Without counter opinions and presentation of individual thoughts, no company/firm can flourish. Hence, it becomes important to try and get rid of the paradox.This Is Why We Agree To Do Everything We Hate When We Are In A Group
Why groupthink might be a good thing after allWhy groupthink might be a good thing after all | Financial Times
Opponents of the monarchy who have taken a less diplomatic position — criticizing the public for falling victim to establishment groupthink, for example — have been called out by other republicans for estranging would-be allies. “A republicanism that has no faith in the public is no republicanism at all,” wrote one columnist in Spiked, a libertarian online magazine that opposes the monarchy but often takes potshots at what it often sees as the “woke left.”Anti-Monarchists Tread Lightly After Queen’s Death, but Their Goal Persists - The New York Times
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What do you know about the Italian city of Verona?
It's also famous as the setting for one of the most famous plays:
Shakespeare In Verona: The Home Of Romeo & Juliet
Here's a good overview for students:
EFL / ESL Materials | Romeo and Juliet
And here here's a modern updating of the play:
Romeo and Juliet 1996 trailer - YouTube
It has also been adapted into a ballet - by Tchaikovsky:
Romeo & Julia | Tchaikovsky-Ballet - YouTube
And by Prokoviev - with the same scene:
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet -- Tybalt-Mercutio-Romeo fight scene (Macmillan) - YouTube
With a film of the original staging in Moscow [from 9:15]
"The Magic of Romeo and Juliet" - The story of Prokofiev's great ballet - YouTube
With a fabulous staging in Budapest from 2020:
Romeo and Juliet | About | Great Performances | PBS
Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words, BBC iPlayer | Culture Whisper
The Making of Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words | Great Performances | PBS
Then there is West Side Story:
Which Spielberg filmed last year:
Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" | Official Trailer | 20th Century Studios - YouTube
But here's the original from 1961:
West Side Story - Prologue - Official Full Number - 50th Anniversary (HD) - YouTube
West Side Story ' Dance at the Gym ' Mambo 日本語字幕 - YouTube
West Side Story - Cool (1961) HD - YouTube
It really is a 'great piece of art':
The Great ‘West Side Story’ Debate - The New York Times
Why West Side Story is a Masterpiece - YouTube
See also:
Jay Doubleyou: high culture > popular culture --- high register > low register
Jay Doubleyou: learn english through dance
Jay Doubleyou: learning english through musicals
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The idea behind 'cancel culture' is that you are afraid to say what you think:
Cancel culture: what views are Britons afraid to express? | YouGov
And this is part of the bigger 'culture wars':
Jay Doubleyou: brexit and the culture wars: part two
But has it become another left-right divide?
More than half of Britons afraid of sharing non-progressive views | UK | News | Express.co.uk
This question has come up in a big way over the last week or so:
Jay Doubleyou: arresting anti-royalists
Polly Toynbee writes for the Guardian:
As businesses close and funerals are halted, fear of being attacked by a rightwing mob is stifling freedom of expression following the Queen’s deathBut with a warning from the FT:
The left needs to rediscover its fervour for free speech | Financial Times
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The UK's press is full of pieces on the monarchy:
The Queen: Latest news, breaking stories and comment | Daily Mail Online
Which has been an opportunity to 'bury' other news:
When BBC News butted into an episode of Bargain Hunt on BBC One at 12:39pm on 8 September, it triggered an almost unprecedented period of rolling news coverage. For the next 4,641 minutes, the BBC’s main television channel was devoted to little else other than coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s health, death and the transition to King Charles III.How the government is using the monarchy to bury bad news | British GQ
Nevertheless, there have been a few questions raised about this institution:
King Charles inherits crown with support for monarchy at record low – but future not set in stone
However, over the last couple of days, people protesting against the monarchy in the UK have been arrested:
Arrests of protesters prompt free-speech concerns - BBC News
Is there a right to protest at royal events? - BBC News
Prince Andrew heckler arrested for hurling abuse as royals walk behind Queen's coffin
Republican protesters arrested at King Charles proclamations | UK news | The Guardian
What is interesting is the reaction outside the UK to these arrests:
Anti-royal protesters are being arrested in the U.K. : NPR
'Not my king': Anti-monarchist arrests spark criticism in Britain | The Times of Israel
Why is there concern over free speech in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth II's death? | Euronews
And there is the debate on the future of the monarchy in the Commonwealth:
Countries May Cut Ties With Monarchy After Queen's Death | Time
Why it would be 'virtually impossible' for Canada to drop the monarchy - KESQ
Is this when New Zealand breaks up with the monarchy? Don’t count on it | Henry Cooke | The Guardian
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It's the 'most beloved film' ever:
Decades after its release, the film was still broadcast regularly, and is popular in several countries, with audience members and celebrities citing it as a source of inspiration or naming it a favorite in various surveys, leading to its recognition as one of the most "beloved" films ever made.
The Shawshank Redemption - Wikipedia
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The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Official Trailer #1 - Morgan Freeman Movie HD - YouTube
There's a huge fan base:
The Shawshank Redemption | Shawshank Redemption Wiki | Fandom
It's number one on the Internet Movie Database:
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - IMDb
Why has it been in that position for so long?
Why Shawshank Redemption Is Still IMDb’s Top Rated Movie Of All Time
Many are asking the same question:
Why has 'The Shawshank Redemption' proven so timeless?
The unlikely greatness of ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ 25 years later - The Washington Post
Why is THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION the Most Popular Movie Ever?
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What is 'CLIL'?
Jay Doubleyou: clil: content and language integrated learning
It's similar to bilingual teaching:
Jay Doubleyou: bilingual teaching today
CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning and refers to teaching subjects such as science, history and geography to students through a foreign language.What is CLIL? | Article | Onestopenglish
The idea and practice is spreading:
Including in Italy:
La metodologia CLIL per una didattica innovativa e multilinguistica - Orizzonte Scuola Notizie
In a decree issued at the beginning of August, Italy’s Ministry of Education announced the introduction of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) from nursery school upward.CLIL to spread across Italian school system | E L Gazette
And Croatia:
Marinela Ivić i Marica Jurec u Reykjaviku pohađale tečaj CLIL | Novosti.hr
And the Philippines:
“English is not a subject, it is a tool for communicating as is any language, and that CLIL is teaching a language via a subject and teaching the subject using a target language. This tells us that both the language and the content mutually support each other,”PH teachers to optimize learning approaches for K-3 | Philippine News Agency
And Japan:
《雙語教育檢討書4-3》雙語教材短缺 母雞帶小雞較務實 - 台灣醒報 Awakening News Networks
And Belgium:
KA Zottegem start schooljaar met nieuwe directeur en 1.065 leerlingen – NUUS
And Korea:
인천시미래교육위원회 “언어장벽 높은 이주민 '이중언어교육법' 필수” - 인천일보
And almost in Czechia:
Meanwhile, there's quite a debate going on in Spain:
... the debate on whether the bilingual Spanish-English education model used in some public schools in Spain is really up to par, considering that some regions – which have devolved powers over education – ask teachers for a B2 level, indicating fluency but not proficiency as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL).
In recent years, nearly 90 centers have dropped out of the bilingual education system, viewing it as ineffective. But Pérez, just like other experts, warns that many people simply have the wrong idea of what a bilingual model really does. “It’s a mistake to think that children will end up speaking English just like they speak Spanish; the goal is for them to achieve a functional level that will let them communicate and work in the future,” she explains...
Marsh and his team detected that the major problem was the methodology used at centers, based on memorizing and repeating concepts, with critical thinking relegated to a secondary role. Their solution was a system called CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), which was included in the action plan to promote linguistic diversity launched by the European Commission between 2004 and 2006, and which lies at the heart of today’s bilingual model.
This system defended learning a new language through the study of other subject matter such as maths, geography and history. But there was a limit: the student would never actually speak the second language as well as their native one. “The word bilingual is dangerous and it creates false expectations,” says Marsh. “Families think that if they take their children to a bilingual school, they will learn another language in a short space of time, but the real goal is for Europeans to be able to communicate at a basic level.”
Administrators at the Isaac Albéniz secondary school in Leganés (Madrid) defend the bilingual model and report being pleased with the results. “Getting students to speak perfect English is impossible, we the teachers are not native-like, but we know enough to teach secondary school kids,” says Inmaculada Alonso, head of studies at the school and herself an English teacher.
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Karaoke is a good way to learn English:
Jay Doubleyou: more learning through music: lyrics training
Jay Doubleyou: listening to song lyrics will help your pronunciation
PowerPoint Karaoke is another thing:
PowerPoint karaoke - Wikipedia
Which evolved from yet another thing:
Powerpoint Karaoke (also called Powerpoint Roulette or Battledecks) is an improv game where you give a presentation from a slide deck you’ve never seen.For example:
Free PowerPoint-Karaoke slidesTopic 1: Dolphins (12 slides)
Topic 3: Diet (11 slides)The PowerPoint-Karaoke Game | SlideLizard®
Here are a few more:
And here we go!!
Slidefest | Powerpoint Karaoke Reinvented
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