Same-sex marriage in France (18-11

Englisch Institut · Ian Barnes
Englisch Institut · Ian Barnes
Marktstraße 8, A-6230 Brixlegg
Marktstraße 8, A-6230 Brixlegg, Austria
email| [email protected]
email: [email protected]
tel |+43 676 7337 258
tel: +43 676 7337 258
Reading Level 1: Same-sex marriage in France
18th November 2012
Topics: human rights, equality, marriage, law, society
Learning points:
• vocabulary
• word order: subject – verb – object
• pronunciation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
23
24
1
Yesterday tens of thousands of people protested in the streets of French towns and cities. They did not
protest against the economic1 crisis. They were not happy with the French government’s plans to allow samesex couples2 to marry3. The French President promised this in his election campaign4, and in January the
French National Assembly will discuss the law5. They will probably6 vote7 on the law in mid-2013. The
planned law will also give same-sex couples the right8 to adopt children.
French people have strong opinions9 on same-sex marriage. Supporters10 of same-sex marriage say that it is
about human rights11. In the past, interracial12 couples could not get married, but now they can, and perhaps
same-sex marriage will be the same. At the moment, same-sex couples do not have the same rights as
married couples. For example, they don’t have the same rights to visit relatives13 in hospital or they cannot
get all the government services for married couples.
The opponents14 of same-sex marriage think that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
They see heterosexual marriage as a central part of civilised society15 and think that it helps family values16.
They want as many children as possible to grow up17 in a family that has a mother and a father. Also, they
often believe18 that God created marriage, as it says in the Bible. Some leaders of the Roman Catholic church
were in the protests yesterday.
Only eleven countries around the world, for example19 Spain and Portugal, have homosexual marriage.
A lot more countries allow civil unions20 between same-sex couples. The rights that civil union partners have
are different from country to country. For example, in France civil union partners are not allowed to adopt
children.
I don’t think that yesterday’s protests will be the end of the debate. In the future you will probably hear more
about this topic in France and other countries.
economic = Wirtschaftscouple = Paar
3
to marry = hieraten
4
election campaign = Wahlkampf
5
law = Gesetz
6
probably = wahrscheinlich
7
to vote = über etw abstimmen
8
right = Recht
9
opinion = Meinung
10
supporter = Befürworter(in) / Anhänger(in)
11
human rights = Menschenrechte
12
interracial = gemischtrassige
13
relative = Verwandte
14
opponent = Opponent(in) / Widersacher(in) / Gegner(in)
15
society = Gesellschaft
16
family values = die Werte Ehe und Familie
17
to grow up = aufwachsen
18
to believe = glauben
19
for example = zum Beispiel
20
civil union = gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe
2
Englisch Institut · Ian Barnes
Englisch Institut · Ian Barnes
Marktstraße 8, A-6230 Brixlegg
Marktstraße 8, A-6230 Brixlegg, Austria
email| [email protected]
email: [email protected]
tel |+43 676 7337 258
tel: +43 676 7337 258
Level 1 questions
Vocabulary
1. How many words that come from ‘marry’ can you find?
Word order: subject – verb – object
In English, the word order in a sentence is very important (because English doesn’t use lots of cases21).
The order is: subject – verb – object. Other information (time/place) can go before or after these words.
Lots of sentences are more complicated, but the basic word order stays the same.
2. Can you fill in this table? The first three are examples.
Line
1
Time/place
Yesterday
Subject
tens of thousands
of people
Verb
protested
Object
Time/place etc.
in the streets of
French towns and
cities.
1-2
They
did not protest
against the
economic crisis.
3
The French
President
promised
this
in his election
campaign
3-4
4
7
7-8
(x 2)
9-10
2122
2324
Pronunciation
3. Listen carefully to how these words sound, and try to repeat them:
thousand ; law ; vote ; opponents ; only ; man ; woman ; grow up ;
21
case = Fall
don’t ; allow
Englisch Institut · Ian Barnes
Englisch Institut · Ian Barnes
Marktstraße 8, A-6230 Brixlegg
Marktstraße 8, A-6230 Brixlegg, Austria
email| [email protected]
email: [email protected]
tel |+43 676 7337 258
tel: +43 676 7337 258
Level 1 answers
Vocabulary
to marry ; to get married ; married couple ; marriage
Word order: subject – verb – object
Line
1
Subject
tens of thousands
of people
Verb
protested
Object
1-2
They
did not protest
against the
economic crisis.
3
The French
President
promised
this
the French National
Assembly
will discuss
the law
4
They
will (probably) vote
on the law
in mid-2013.
7
French people
have
strong opinions
on same-sex
marriage
7-8
Supporters of
same-sex marriage
say that
At the moment
it
same-sex couples
is
do not have
about human rights
the same rights
2122
in France
civil union partners
are not allowed to
adopt
children
2324
In the future
You
will (probably) hear
more about this
topic
3-4
(x 2)
9-10
Time/place
Yesterday
in January
Time/place etc.
in the streets of
French towns and
cities.
in his election
campaign
as married couples.
in France and other
countries.