Dear Reader,
Notice something a little different? Slightly different, odd-looking email?
Well, after days of banging my head against the wall (figuratively, don't worry), I've had to give up and accept the fact that the system I normally use for the newsletter wasn't going to work due to an unresolved technical bug. Always lovely when that happens, huh?
But fear not, for I didn't relent: I've switched to a different systemΒΉ for today's email, because there was simply no way I'd leave you without your Sunday(ish) fix of my ramblings β€οΈ
So, what do I have in store for you today, while you're hopefully lying on a beach or staring at the infinity from a mountain cabin?
I've been working all week on refining, beautifying and proofreading the lessons for the culture course starting next week, so I wanted to give you a little taste of what's to come.
You may have already downloaded and read the course programme, so you may already have a sense of the broad topics we'll learn about.
But of course, you don't know the details, i.e. where the devil is. What topics would you expect me to cover? And which ones would you never expect me to cover?
In today's newsletter, I will share with you 5 sneak peeks into the new course.
They are ranked from the one you would likely most expect to the one you would maybe never expect to hear about from me.
Read on, and if you disagree with my ranking, please dispute it! I'm all ears.
So, let's wait no further and, coffee in hand, march on towards our destination π
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1. The most expected topic: Brexit
A fan favourite in the oral exams, not to mention in the news from the last decade or so: Brexit is the queen of the committees' hearts (but not of mine, so I'm doing a lot of legwork on this one).
We'll study this in Lesson 2 in the context of political systems - where I will, among other things, delight you with the stories of 2 female leaders from the English-speaking world who quit in the past few years... any idea who they might be?
Now, you may be worried that, to put it gently, you've been rather busy living your life lately so you don't remember the first thing about the Brexit shambles (Theresa May who?)
But you don't need to worry, because as my courses usually do, they don't assume knowledge on the part of the learner.
So the first thing we'll do, in true cognitivist glory, is we'll start from your existing knowledge. If you want to do some prep, see if you can remember the answers to these questions:
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I will take you through a brief timeline of Brexit all the way to the situation as it stands today, with Keir Starmer's recent efforts for a "reset" in the UK-EU relationship.
We will also build upon your knowledge throughout the lessons: for example, Brexit will come up again in future lessons, such as Lesson 4 when we discuss itineraries of London (and what documents an Italian student would need to travel there post-Brexit).
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2. Education systems (and terminological confusion)
It's been the subject of many tracce and domande disciplinari, plus it's very clearly spelled out in the BB02 syllabus, so: how could I leave education systems out of the course? Of course I couldn't.
I will take you through what I hope is a fascinating journey through the education systems of the US and the UK (disclaimer: much of the course focuses on these 2 countries simply because it's what the majority of the exams have focused on, but I've also reserved plenty of space for other English-speaking countries!)
Before we start talking about all this, we'll go over some terminological confusion that I know has plagued me over the years. I mean, what is a public school in the UK exactly and why is it actually... private? What's the difference between Further Education and Higher Education? And what's a grade as opposed to a year? All good questions, which I will hopefully give good answers to.
We will also discuss some striking facts about education in the UK and the US, which will hopefully make things more memorable for you. For example, is it more expensive to buy a new SUV or to go to Yale University for a year?
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3. Sports... beyond football
With this one, we're starting to go into the more unexpected bits of the course. First, because I'm well aware I don't strike anyone as a sport-minded kind of person (although I will be glued to the TV next Tuesday for England-Italy in the football Euros - anyone else?)
Second, because sports are easily overshadowed by the absolute hegemony of football in our dear Italy and, to be fair, football also dominates here in the UK.
But since sports have been topics covered in the oral exams, we will be exploring a world of sports and their links to society and history in our beloved English-speaking countries.
This will include:
- A sport that helped unite South Africa (and the movie telling that story)
- A sport in which women have done really, really well lately
- An amateur but beloved sport with deep ties to national identity
Care to venture a guess? I'd love to hear!
Plus, we'll include a little digression on this, so you really can't miss it:
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4. Landmarks, expected and unexpected
In Lesson 4 on Places and Travelling, we'll talk about not just geography but also special landmarks and monuments from across the English-speaking world.
There is no way to do them all justice because they're too many; I have endeavoured to include the most expected/iconic ones, so you'll hear all about your Westminster Palace, your White House and so on.
But I've also dared go a little beyond the beaten track, so get ready to also hear about Dollywood, Robben Island and Fearless Girl.
Plus, we'll do a Spotlight section on the topic "An Itinerary of London", where you'll hear about a more classic tour of historical and royal London but also an idea for how I might do it in the classroom, in which I'd take students through the key places in my own life... as a skint teenager in London:
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Because a bit of autobiography never hurts in the classroom - it creates interest and personal connection and, if you can prevent your students from calling you a dinosaurΒ², I'd say you can put your lesson in the win column.
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5. The most unexpected bit: Singapore
I can't reveal too much about this without spoiling it for you, but: Singapore is a tiny but extremely fascinating country that absolutely smashes PISA year after year, plus they have a unique history and language they speak. That's it, done with the spoilers.
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And with that, here I am at the end of today's newsletter!
Before I end, let me just remind you:
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β° The live lessons start next week and the early bird discount also ends next week
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So if you want to join us live at a discount, now is really the best time to sign up now and get lifetime access.
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Looking forward to welcoming you all next week (and in the recordings!)
I wish you a lovely and restful Sunday with your loved ones.
Take care, dear teacher β¨
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ΒΉ Something that makes me realise I'm growing older: the infinite irritation at having to switch to, and hence learn how to use, new systems. I could say I don't feel like this, but I'd be lying:
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