Self – assessment of online listening to podcasts

I was listening two podcasts, named “The Lipstick Blondes“ and „Taking art to the streets of London“.They are published in the Internet, bbclearningenglish.com.
Firstly, I want to comment this website. I think that this website is very useful for students, who need learn English, also for tourists, becouse there are lessons what and how to say in typical or not so typical situations in life. For example there was a lesson about French food - how reasonably to say that this food is not acceptable for you or maybe it is acceptable... Personaly I found there many useful, interesting things. I believe that podcasts must be useful – they must enrich your vocabulary. They shouldn‘t be so complicated, that you won‘t understand what is saying. On the other hand, you must wrestle with this problem, buti n many cases, it isn‘t very useful.
It is very good, that there are two levels of English in my podasts. One is intermediate – when a speaker, which introduces to topic, explain concepts or expressions of other speaker, who talks in upper-intermediate level of English. It was very useful for me. The first speaker introduces, then say what things I must notice in the talko f other speaker. Then I concentrate my attention to exceptional expressions or words. Thus, I have learned interesting expressions. If you don‘t catch them at first time, the introducer may repeat it.
Becouse of being two speakers, the rate of speaking also were two. The first speaker spoke average and other fast.The average speaking was useful to understand better.
I think that both speakers had the British accent. They spoke fluently enough.
I have listened twice times for the complete understanding. I dind‘t look to a transcript – becouse it is the easest way. I was listening to speakers. I think that I did my best, focus on essence.
I can assess my ability to undesrstand authentic speech as good. Becouse of my visual memory, sometimes I found it difficult to remember and also to understand information in audio. I should listen more times.
I also agree that training is the best way to improve my capability. Maybe today i am not well prepared to my exam listening paper, but I hope after practise I will. And this practise can be English films and podcasts.

Lithuanian racism

In today’s society cases of intolerance towards other people on the basis of their beliefs, racial or ethnic origin still occur. In the history of Lithuania one could find great examples of tolerance, but deeply rooted prejudices and newly formed ethnical stereotypes, fear of immigration and a sense of an insecure future stimulate unfounded opinions and behaviour, which often violate a person’s dignity. In order to ensure equal opportunities for all irrespective of their ethnic origin, such inappropriate behaviour must be recognized and changed.
The definition ‘“racism’“ involves not only discrimination on the basis of the colour of one’s skin, but has a much broader meaning, encompass­ing ethnicity, nationality or religion. Racism may appear in different forms, starting from personal attitude and verbal abuse to discrimina­tive acts and even violence or well-organised extreme right outbursts.
Roma people, refugees or foreigners sometimes become direct vic­tims of unfavourable provisions, discrimination or violence. Dispar­aging and unfounded generalisations occasionally appear in public speeches. Food for racism and anti-Semitism is given by the media, which is often guided by stereotypes. Additionally, fascist elements seeking attention may encourage racism. An intolerant and fearful so­ciety can be easily manipulated.
In Lithuania various persons belonging to different national, ethnic or reli­gious groups face unfavourable treatment. In 2005 the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman received 15 complaints concerning discrimina­tion based on ethnicity.
According to the data provided by the Centre for Ethnic Studies, Roma people, Chechens, refugees and Muslims are regarded with disfavour most of all in Lithuania. The (Council of Europe) European Commission against Racism and Intolerance has expressed its concern about the com­plicated situation of refugees and Lithuanian Roma people. Public institu­tions are incapable of taking effective measures to help socially excluded groups to integrate, while society often tends to condemn them. Careless and unfounded generalisations, such as ‘“they are all like that’“ often harm innocent people, belonging to “disliked“ national or religious groups
Although extreme rightist parties are not in large in numbers in Lithuania, they maintain hatred and popularise ideas of placing people in unequal categories. For this reason, not all members of society can feel safe.
Lithuanian Jewish cemeteries and commemorative Holocaust places fre­quently suffer from acts of vandalism. Anti-Semite essays occasionally appear in national newspapers.
Foreigners suffer from disadvantageous provisions and violence as well. Due to economic growth and shortages in the labour force the number of foreign workers will definitely increase. These people often are not familiar with the local context and consequently are more vulnerable, not knowing where to apply for help or not daring to search for assistance.

Everything depends on us. Do you want to be a racist?

Literature : http://www.libertysecurity.org/article838.html

www.enar-eu.org/en/publication/national_leaflets/Lithuania_EN.pdf

Sexism: Roots in religion.

The major male dominate in monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam .It have had a profound effect on women's lives, and it‘s influence we can see in the present day.
Sexism, meaning the degrading of women to second class status is rooted in these religions. Woman was supposedly created from Adam's rib. Her role established in the Bible as temptress, whore, foot-washer and domestic servant, unclean during menstruation and untouchable until ritual cleansing after childbirth.
The religions practice overt discrimination against women within their own institutions. They are run by men for men. Christianity has it's female icon, Mary, in the lower ranks where their services are needed women are tolerated within a supposedly celibate environment, to help the male hierarchy and in the past Convents provided 'accommodation' for upper class women away from the hubbub of secular life. It also needs them to perform primary indoctrination for young children and run services that bind people to the church.
Latterly as the difficulty of recruiting enough men to fill the posts of clergy, some religions have bowed to pressure from religious women who want to become priests, but their attitudes to women still prevent many women from having freedom of choice and opportunity.
Healthy family life depends upon the right to choose the number of children that can be supported, by the parents in the environment and conditions in which they live.
The Catholic Church seeks to prevent effective contraception and its policy of banning abortion takes a woman's control over her own body out of her own hands. Even now in Britain decisions are, in the last resort, in the hands of doctors, and where Catholic ideology influences local decisions, facilities are restricted. Catholic doctrine does not only apply to, or affect Catholic women, but all women in countries that bow to the influence of Catholics. Catholic determination to prevent the need for contraception and abortion, leads them to oppose the availability of full and objective information on sexual activity, contraceptive methods, and pregnancy counselling.
They have the misguided and patronising attitude that if women and girls are denied information the problem will go away. They think that the threat of pregnancy will deter women from unprotected sexual intercourse in the first place, and that in the event of unwanted pregnancy independent unbiased counselling about their options will automatically lead to abortion. This leads to all the evils associated with unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancy.
Catholics are at the forefront of a continuing battle against women's rights to choose early safe termination of unwanted pregnancies. In the past thousands if not millions of women have died from late, or septic abortions and multiple pregnancies.

Literature : http://www.rootsofsexism.freeuk.com/

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=90607170#