Values

In this text I will reflect on values and the importance of them. The film I have chosen as my main focus is Drone, and I will use this film as a reference for some of the points in this writing task. 

Values are what people deem as important. They’re not a necessity, but counted as important or desirable. For instance, some values for me are honesty, respect, happiness and stability. In the Declaration of Independence and the film Pursuit of Happyness, the right to be able to pursuit happiness is an important value. 

In the film Drone, the values of safety and peace are strongly violated. While the drone pilots are safely in a home base in the US, people in Pakistan can’t go to work, school or even play outside in fear of being attacked by drones, which flies by them a couple of times a day on days with a clear sky. 

I think that values are important, because they show what people want in life and how they view it. A person who has independence as a main value are almost guaranteed to see things differently than a person who thinks cooperation is important. Values are different to everyone. 

To conclude, values can be the same as what a person view as ethically right and wrong. Everybody deserves to have values and to have them respected, no matter what they are or where they live.

The USA - American History

Revolution

• How many colonies were there by the time of the French and Indian War?
• 13
• What was the slogan of the protesters in Boston?
• They would not stand for taxation without representation
• Where did the Revolutionary War begin?
• Lexington in April 1775
• Where did the colonies declare their independence and when did it happen?
• 4th of July 1776 at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia

Slavery and the Civil War

• When did the first African slaves arrive in the New World?
• 1619
• When was the importation of new slaves made illegal?
• 1807
• When did Abraham Lincoln become president?
• 1860
• What did his victory lead to?
• South Carolina left the union and was followed by 10 other states
• Which role did the Emancipation Proclamation play?
• It freed the slaves

The USA in WW I and WW II

• What do we call Woodrow Wilsons policy in the first part of WWI?
• Isolationism, which meant that USA would not participate in the first part
• What made the US enter the war?
• Germany attacked an American boat
• What was the purpose of the League of Nations?
• It was formed to secure peace
• When did the US enter WW II?
• 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor
• Which president was responsible for the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
• Harry S. Truman
• How did the wars change life for American women?
• They entered the workplace to fill in the parts while the men were at war

The Cold War

• Why was it a surprise that the US and the USSR did not work together after WW II?
• They became locked in an international power struggle after Germany was defeated - power vacuum
• There was a constant race between the US and the USSR to be in front technologically. Which country was the first country in space?
• The Soviets in 1957
• Who said: “A small step for man, but a giant leap for mankind”?
• Neil Armstrong
• Two men were central in the process of ending the Cold War. Who were they?
• Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev

American values

Viewpoints

1.

I don't think that these qualities are unique to America. Values as democracy, freedom and mobility is important in every country, and must be there for a society to work properly.

3.

Norwegian media presents America as a country full of freedom, different cultures and new possibilities. I think of it the same way.

5.

I think all of the values mentioned are important, but the ones I find most important are probably equality and justice. In my opinion, everybody deserves to be treated equally and have the same chances to climb the social ladder.

6.

I was raised to respect people, no matter their ethnicity or background, so I believe that's where my values come from.

Slam

Checkpoints in the text

Why does he hope it could be "anything"?

There might've been a one in a trillion chance that Alicia was going to deny him when he thought he could guess what was wrong, and say "I'll bet you can't". He doesn't want his life to be over yet, and don't really want her to be pregnant.


What is not quite right about what Alicia is saying?

Alicia says that as long as the baby is inside her body, it's hers, but after it's born, it's theirs. Sam doesn't see the logical explanation in this, because in this case, he doesn't get to choose for the baby because it's not his, and therefore he doesn't have any saying wherever he wants the baby or not.


How does Sam feel? Have you ever felt like this? When?

Sam feels anxious. He doesn't want to tell Alicia's parents, or his own for that matter, about the pregnancy. Personally, I've never been in a situation like this, so I don't think I've ever been so nervous to tell my parents anything that I make up lies to put it off.

UK - People and culture

Pre-reading

• Typically Irish: Shamrocks, St. Patrick's Day, leprechauns, beer
• Typically Scottish: Kilt, bagpipe, sideburns, highland cattle, golf
• Typically English: Tea, red phone booths, English breakfast,
• Typically Welsh: Sheep, beards

The UK - an Introduction

1.

Do you think the fact that the British are islanders has had an effect on the people and their values?

No, I don't think so. Living on an island isn't necessarily a problem, at least not in our modern age where everything you need can be imported, and a visit to other European countries is just a plan trip away.

2.

In which part of the UK would you have preferred to live? Why?

I would probably live in England if I were to live in the UK. London would've been fun to visit, but I doubt I could live in a city over a longer period of time, so I might have lived on the countryside.

What have I learned today?

• Locations of big cities in the UK
• Locations and names of some rivers
• Locations and names of some lakes
• Where the different islands are located
• Where the different seas are located

English as a World Language

Checkpoints

1.

A lingua franca, like English, is a language that is used for communication by two people who doesn't speak the same native language.

2.

We say that English is the most important lingua franca because most people speak it, even if it's not an official language in their country.

3.

The British Empire was build under Queen Elizabeth and the rulers up to 400 years after her.

4.

In the first half of the twentieth century, Britain suffered great losses from the two world wars. This, and major political turmoil in Africa and the Indian sub-continent, meant that Britain lost it's position as the world's leading power.

5.

Today. the English language is still important, because when Britain lost its power, USA gained theirs and could continue the international importance.



Viewpoints

1.

Do I believe English threatens the position of national languages in small countries such as Norway? Yes. Norwegians keep adding English words to their everyday sentences, so I think English will eventually be on the same line as Norwegian.

2.

Are there any other languages which can threaten the position of English as a world language? I don't think so. English is widely spread all over the world, so if it would be replaced, it may be with Chinese, because China keeps getting more power, so it would've been a good thing to know the Chinese language.



The History of English in 10 Minutes

Comprehension questions

1.

1500 years have passed since the Romans left Britain, and after they left the English still used the language

2.

People traveled overseas and communicated in English

3.

English is a mix of over 350 languages

4.

Around 1.5 billion people speak English today

5.

A quarter of these are native English speakers

6.

A quarter of the total speak English as their second language

7.

The alphabet sounds weird and the spelling system is weird as well

8.

Singlish, Hinglish and Chinglish are mixes between English and Singaporean, Hindu and Chinese, They have such a mixed language that it's either one of the languages

9.

Because Chinese will probably soon be a world language