LESSON - THOUGHT GROUP

TEST 1 I’m a storyteller and I would like to tell you a few personal stories about what I like to call the danger of the single story I grew up on a university campus in eastern Nigeria my mother says that I started reading at the age of two although I think four is probably close to the truth so I was an early reader and what I read were British and American children’s books I was also an early writer and when I began to write at about the age of seven stories in pencil with crayon illustrations that my poor mother was obligated to read I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading all my characters were white and blue-eyed they played in the snow they ate apples and they talked a lot about the weather how lovely it was that the sun had come out now this despite the fact that I lived in Nigeria I had never been outside Nigeria we didn’t have snow we ate mangoes and we never talked about the weather because there was no need to.

Test 2 And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow I still have a dream it is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi a state sweltering with the heat of injustice sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character I have a dream today!

Gillian and I had lunch one day I said, “How did you get to be a dancer?" It was interesting When she was at school she was really hopeless And the school in the ‘30s, wrote to her parents and said, “We think Gillian has a learning disorder." She couldn't concentrate. I think now they'd say she had ADH Wouldn’t you? But this was the 1930s and ADHD hadn't been invented at this point It wasn't an available condition People weren't aware they could have that

Reading Practice (with Pause Slashes) Hi / my name is Silvia // I want to tell you a story / about my English journey // When I was a teenager / I really wanted to speak English well // But it was not easy // At first / I was shy / and I made a lot of mistakes // Sometimes people laughed / and I felt embarrassed // Still / I didn’t give up // I watched English movies / and listened to English songs / almost every day // I also practiced speaking / with my friends / and sometimes with myself / in front of the mirror // Slowly / my English became better // I could introduce myself / order food in English / and even chat online / with friends from other countries // Now / I am still learning / but I feel more confident // My journey is not finished / but I am proud of my progress //

Challenging Reading Practice When I first started learning English / I thought it would be simple / because I already knew a few words from movies and songs // However / I quickly discovered / that understanding real conversations / was much harder than I expected // People spoke fast / used slang expressions / and sometimes their accents were very different / from what I had practiced in class // There were moments / when I felt frustrated / and wanted to give up completely // But instead of stopping / I decided to push myself / by reading English books / listening to podcasts / and even joining online groups / where people from different countries practiced together // At first / I made many mistakes / and I was embarrassed / but little by little / my confidence grew // I realized / that learning a language is not only about grammar and vocabulary / but also about culture / patience / and daily practice // Now / whenever I look back / I feel proud of myself / because every challenge I faced / became part of my growth //

Reading Practice – Breakup Story Breaking up with someone you love is never easy. It feels like a part of your heart has been torn away, and no matter how strong you try to be, the pain still follows you everywhere. At first, you keep asking yourself what went wrong, and you replay every moment in your head, hoping to find an answer. But the truth is, sometimes relationships end, not because you are not good enough, but because they were not meant to last. It hurts, of course, but pain does not mean you have to lose yourself. Instead, it is a reminder that you must value yourself even more. Loving yourself means understanding your worth. It means not chasing someone who walked away, and not begging for love that was not freely given. You are stronger than you think, and every ending is also a new beginning. So, even if the breakup hurts today, one day you will look back and realize that it was the moment you chose yourself, and that choice will always lead you to something better.

Reading Practice – Nothing Wrong with Being Fat Many people grow up hearing that being fat is a bad thing but the truth is that our bodies are all different and there is nothing wrong with having more weight // Society often tries to tell us that beauty only looks one way and that we must be thin to be accepted but that idea is not true at all // Being fat does not mean you are lazy or unhealthy because health is much more than just a number on a scale // It is about how you feel in your body how you take care of yourself and how you live your life with confidence and joy // There are fat people who can run who can dance who can play sports and who can be strong and healthy and there are thin people who may not be healthy at all // The most important thing is to respect yourself and love your body because it carries you every day and allows you to do so many amazing things // When you accept yourself you also give other people permission to accept themselves and that is a powerful message the world needs to hear // So remember there is nothing wrong with being fat and what really matters is how you treat yourself and how you choose to live your life with pride and self love //

Reading Practice – Monologue (Stop Bullying Me) Eh / listen to me / I really don’t like what you are doing // Every day / you keep making jokes about me / and laughing like it is funny // Do you think I don’t feel anything / when you call me names / or push me around // I act strong outside / but inside I feel so small // Why can’t you just stop / and treat me like a real friend // I came here / because I thought we could be close / and help each other // But instead / you keep teasing me / and talking behind my back // Honestly / I am so annoyed / and I don’t deserve this kind of treatment // If you are my friend / then prove it / by respecting me and stopping this bullying // If not / then I will walk away / because my peace is more important than your jokes //

Reading Practice – Casual Monologue You know what I really do not understand why you always laugh at someone just because their English is not perfect and you act like being a native speaker makes you better than everybody else but actually it only makes you look rude and small minded and I feel so annoyed because you think speaking English with mistakes is something to make fun of but it is not funny at all and it is so hard to learn a new language and they are brave enough to try while you just sit there and bully them and you should realize that laughing at someone’s English does not make you smart it only shows that you have no respect for people who are trying their best and if you really are good at English then maybe you should help them instead of making them feel bad because one day you might be in the same situation trying to speak another language and then you will know how it feels and maybe then you will regret how you treated others so I am telling you now to stop acting like that and start being kind because language is for communication not for showing off who is better

Reading Practice – Angry Monologue (Don’t Be Jealous) Why you always acting jealous / every time I get something I want // I know you been watching me / and I know you been thinking / that I take you as competition // But listen / I never take you as competition / I only work for myself // When I am grinding / when I am learning / when I am moving forward / you are just sitting / and complaining about nothing // You think it is easy for me / but you don’t see the mornings I wake up early / the nights I keep working / the times I keep failing and trying again // Instead of being jealous / why don’t you start working for yourself // Why don’t you stand up / and start being grateful / for what you already have // Every time I reach something / you get bitter / and you start mumbling like I stole it from you // But the truth is / I earned it with my effort / I fought for it with my strength // So stop being jealous / stop being bitter / and stop wasting your energy / because I am not your enemy / and I am not your mirror //

Moon (Indian): Silvia, you think you are winning but you are nothing. He was with me from the beginning. Morning, evening, everything was mine. Silvia (American): Oh please, Moon. You are dreaming. He was calling me, texting me, bringing me flowers, singing my name through the night. Moon: You are imagining things. He never meant those words with you. He was with me, sitting with me, eating with me, laughing with me. Silvia: Girl, stop. He was begging me not to leave him. He was running after me, crying, promising me everything. That’s the truth. Moon: You are nothing but jealous. You are thinking you are stronger, but you are wrong. I am the real girlfriend. I am the one with the ring. Silvia: Ring means nothing if he is still chasing me. You are standing there with a ring, but I am the one in his mind. I am the one he is wanting. Moon: He is mine, Silvia. From morning to evening, from laughing to crying, everything he was doing, he was doing with me. Silvia: Then why is he calling me tonight? Why is he telling me he is thinking of me every morning, every night? You are nothing but the shadow. Moon: Stop running your mouth. Stop throwing things you cannot prove. Silvia: Oh I can prove it, girl. The truth is burning you, and that is why you are screaming.