Caged Bird

 

"Caged Bird" is one of the most famous poems by Maya Angelou. It talks about freedom through the allegory of two birds, a free bird and a caged bird that have utterly different experiences of life, but, paradoxically, the one who sings of freedom is the caged bird that longs for it from behind the bars. Here is a lesson plan for B2 students and above with listening and speaking tasks and the key, and just below you can find a link to a video from Poems by the Pound where Caged Bird is recited. Some interesting words are: to leap, to dip, to stalk, to be clipped, a trill, a worm, the lawn, a grave. For further information about the poem, you can check the Caged Bird Video Summary by GradeSaver,  and an analysis of the poem: Review of Maya Angelou's Caged Bird by the young poet and Medical Laboratory Science student Chidiebere Sullivan Nwuguru.

Maya Angelou's metaphor of the caged bird has inspired other modern artists. A very good example is American rapper J. Cole in his song "Caged Bird", that talks about the frustration of a young black person who has been jailed and reflects about freedom, about his fellow black inmates, about an unfair society, and about his own mistakes. The rhythm, the rhymes and the alliterations in the lyrics, together with the pathos of the words, contribute to the poignancy of the song -perhaps you can compare this song to Maya Angelou's poem. Here you have a link to the lyrics of Cage Bird (feat. Omen) with the Spanish translation and below you have the official video of the song, which is recommended for C1 students.

Afghan Women under the Taliban

To celebrate International Women's Day, you can watch two reports about life for Afghan women under the Taliban. The first one is a short video titled "Have Afghan women been forgotten. The Taliban's rules for women in Afghanistan" by Al Jazeera, and the second one is the BBC News report "In their own words: Spend one day with Afghan women living under Taliban rule".

The Al Jazeera video below is short (05':37") and has subtitles, so it can be recommended for B2 students and above, who can pick up words like: timid, a cage, [to take] power, to be banned from [a job], a chaperon, a beauty salon, to take a [huge] toll on [their mental health], a surge, a midwife, a health care provider, [against] a backdrop [of an economic crisis], to struggle with [an issue], to flee fled, a breadwinner, the mindset, gender apartheid, on [gender] grounds, to be committed, to spin, to be on board [with the restrictions], resilient.

The BBC News report In their own words: Spend one day with Afghan women living underTaliban rule" is a collection of short contributions from Afghan women: in the first one Freshta, a midwife says her rural colleagues lack higher education, in the second piece Lima, an 18-year-old with a singing talent tells the BBC she feels so isolated, she uses AI as a friend to talk to, you can see videos of Lima singing, photos of Zenat at work, or pieces of Ala's art; there is a third text on how Freshta spends her days without working, another one about what what Lima misses about her life, a fifth story about what Hela hopes to achieve in the future, and there are many more testimonies to read (Iftar feast, Ala again, Arshida, Moska etc). This on-going BBC report can be recommended for B2+ students and above, who can read as many short texts as they please and will  find interesting expressions like: a decree, to bar [them] from [education], a midwife, to scroll  [down], Freshta: a C-section, labour,  Lima: fake [hope], an overthinker, Zenat: mud, a bakery, a set-up, dough, a batch [of dough], Ala: an outbreak, to be deprived of [education], [to hold on to] a glimmer [of hope], Freshta: to strive, to step out, a brand, Lima: a takeover, MMA, kickboxing, numb, Hela: to bless [us with success], to sponsor [us financially], to stand on our own feet, Iftar feast pictures: [to break their] fast, Iftar, Ala: sheer [necessity], to bear the burden, overwhelming, to be weighed down [by traditions], to sorrow, to deem [worthy of], Arshida: to take over, to be trapped, harsh [reality], resilience, to mirror, Moska: to shatter, to deprive of [learning], to resume [my education] etc.

Women are strong and resilient in Afghanistan and all around the world. 

Happy International Woman's Day, 2025!

SNL: US Political & Cultural Satire

Saturday Night Live is an NBC sketch comedy and variety show that has been on air for almost 50 years, it is the longest-running network TV programme in the United States, and a most popular export of American culture around the world. The show has received 84 Grammy Awards among other major recognitions. Each episode opens with "a monologue by a celebrity guest [...], who also performs in sketcthes with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that is usually based on current events, and the sketch ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming 'Live from New York, it is Saturday night', properly beginning the show" (Wikipedia: Saturday Night Live). 

Here you can read a article from TV Insider by Dan Clarendon, titled "SNL Highlights: Mike Myers Returns to Play a Glitchy Elon Musk & More (Video)", where C1 students can find interesting words like: glitchy, deluge, a cameo, cast, to take on [a role], a contentious [meeting], to crash [a party], to kid, a riff, crass [personality], a sequel, an installment, an anchor, meth,a ring, mayhem, damn, [to keep a] straight face, opinionated, an usher.

Below you can watch the cold open sketch of last Saturday's show about Ukranian President Zelensky's visit to the White House (07':45"), and here you can find a Lesson Plan with reading, listening and speaking tasks & their Key for C2 students and Experts because the sketch contains many references to American politics and culture and because humour and irony are always more difficult than serious language. This is a list of the most interesting expressions in the sketch: to host, [to feel] at ease, CEO, an [incredible] trap, claw, casual, to boss around, with all due respect, to jump in, to yell [at somebody], to sweep [away], [to look] hot, [to be] all over you, to dissociate, a hedge, to freefall, to skip, to reverse, Charmeleon, Anora, The Brutalist, to dare, an outburst, disrespectful, Willy Wonka, an outfit, a chainsaw, to kid, awesome, Doge, a glitch, to fire, in your lap, to report [for duty], Real Housewives of Potomac, to cap off.