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Sélection culturelle

Partitioning India

Director Gurinder Chadha has given cinema audiences a glimpse of British Asian experience with films like Bend it Like Beckham or Bhaji on the Beach . Now a series of chance encounters has led her to examine a difficult period in her family history and that of the country of her ancestors: the Partition of India in 1947. Chadha says she loves historical epics like David Attenborough's Gandhi or David Lean's Passage to India . But in The Viceroy's House , Indian history is being portrayed by a British Indian director whose family was directly affected by Partition. At the moment of Indian Independence, like millions of others, Chadha's family found themselves on the wrong side of the Partition line between Hindu-majority India and the new Muslim homeland Pakistan. As Sikhs in Pakistan they were forced to flee to India, joining 14 million people in the largest mass migration ever seen. Many suffered terrible hardship and at least a million died in violent clashes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id_ZyNdvXKQ Growing up in London, Chadha had never really faced the reality of Partition until she participated in BBC genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are? in 2005. She returned to her grandfather's village in what is now the Pakistani Punjab and was very touched to find that the people living in and around her grandfather's house were all themselves refugees. They had arrived in the Punjab in 1947, pushed north as her family had been pushed south. Chadha decided to make a film about the Independence process and Partition but she needed to find the right way to tell it. As the opening titles say, "History is written by the victors" and as Chadha says, growing up in Britain, she had been taught that in 1947, after a long struggle for freedom led by Gandhi and others, Britain had decided to relinquish its Indian colony. Lord Mountbatten was sent as the last British Viceroy of India, to oversee the transition to independence. But faced by the opposing demands of Gandhi and Nehru on one side, calling for a united India, and Jinnah on the other, who pleaded for a separate Pakistan so that the Muslim population wouldn't find itself suddenly a disadvantaged minority, Mountbatten had been forced to accept Partition. As Chadha read up about Partition, and partly thanks to documents have only recently become available for public access, she began to hear another story. Some of it from a most unexpected quarter. She met Prince Charles at an event, and when he heard she was preparing a film about Mountbatten, his godfather, he suggested she read The Shadow of the Great Game by Narendra Singh Sarila, who had been Mountbatten's aide-de-camp. In an odd coincidence, a few days later she was contacted by an Indian actor, Narendra Singh Sarila’s son, also urging her to read the book. Singh Sarila suggests that the roots of Partition lay in a deliberate "divide and rule" policy the British administration had developed since the Indian Mutiny against the East India Company in 1857. Many politicians felt that Britain's interest was to encourage Partition, to ensure Pakistan's loyalty and help in stabilising the region. Mountbatten, believed Singh Sarila, was kept in the dark about this plan. Chadha says she wanted to avoid laying the blame for Partition and its consequences at the door of any one community. "It seems to me that the violence was the tragic consequence series of errors committed by all the protagonists." Despite all the historical research, Chadha was keen to focus the film on the impact Partition had on people's lives, not just the geopolitical effects. It was after all sparked by her desire to tell her own family's story. She says, "‘The People’s Partition’ was actually my working title seven years ago when I began. I wanted to show the emotional impact, not the fighting." To do that, she centred the film on the Viceroy's palace and all the people who inhabited and visited it. Both the political leaders — Mountbatten, Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah — and the 500 ordinary Indians from every community who worked as servants below stairs. A star-crossed love story between a Hindu and a Muslim servant, humanises the impending conflict. The "upstairs downstairs" theme was in place long before the Downton Abbey series became such a big hit. Coincidentally, she cast Hugh Bonneville, as Mountbatten — the actor now known around the world as the Downton patriarch the Earl of Grantham. She admits, "‘I was absolutely furious when Downton Abbey came out first, but now I am so grateful. The genre has become global in a very big way." Mountbatten's shrewd wife is played by Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The Fall). And they are surrounded by a trio of veteran Indian and British Asian actors playing the Indian and Pakistani leaders Gandhi (Neeraj Kabi), Nehru (Tanveer Ghani) and Jinnah (Denzil Smith). The film starts with one aphorism, "History is written by the victors". Another could easily be applied to it: "You can please some of the people some of the time…" Despite the infinite care Chadha took to be impartial, her film has been accused of being anti-Muslim, anti-Hindu, pro-British, anti-Churchill…. One thing is certain though, it has the merit of presenting a different vision from the "official" history of the colonists. As the director herself says, "I do not believe that anyone but a British Indian could truly inhabit these differing perspectives on partition." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKp1NQT16r0

04 Juillet 2017

film

British history

India

5

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Dunkirk

This B1-level article focuses on an important yet little recounted moment during WWII, the evacuation of British and Allied forces from the beaches of Dunkirk by the Royal Navy, aided by hundreds of civilian boats. This symbol of solidarity has been adapted into a movie by director and screenwriter Christopher Nolan.

04 Juillet 2017

war

history

film

Sélection culturelle

The Miracle of Dunkirk

Dunkirk tells the story of one of the most extraordinary events of the Second World War: the evacuation of 338,000 men from the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France, against incredible odds.

04 Juillet 2017

war

history

film

Exit and Entry

As part of our series of suggestions on how to get the most out of documents studied by pupils in class, here is a simple, practical activity which helps the whole class get involved, and provides the teacher with essential feedback on what has been learned and what needs gone over again: using entry and exit cards.

26 Juin 2017

activités de classe

entry card

exit card

President Kennedy Webpicks

The centennial of John F Kennedy's birth in 1917, and the recent film about Jackie Kennedy have put this short-lived but much-admired President back in the headlines. Here are some resources that will allow you introduce JFK into your classroom.

22 Juin 2017

video

president

mythes et héros

Rendez-vous

Emma Watson Hides "The Handmaid's Tale" in Paris

Emma Watson has already hidden feminist books for people to find in New York and London. On June 21 and 22, she distributed 100 copies of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale in Paris. Atwood's dystopian novel is a feminist classic, and has recently been adapted for a very popular streaming TV series in the U.S.

22 Juin 2017

literature

feminism

Emma Watson

Rendez-vous

What is the Queen's Speech?

The Queen's Speech is shorthand for the UK's State Opening of Parliament, which takes place annually at the beginning of each parliamentary session. Traditionally that is in May, but it also happens after a general election. The monarch reads out a speech to the assembled Houses of Lords and Commons detailing the government's programme of legislation for the upcoming year.

21 Juin 2017

UK

royalty

traditions

Rendez-vous

Lucky Stars: NASA's New Astronaut Class

NASA received a record 18,300 applications to join its 2017 astronaut candidate class. The agency has just announced the 12 lucky people chosen for two years training to potentially become astronauts. And as NASA continues to open more opportunities to women, five of the new recruits are female.

20 Juin 2017

NASA

Mars

space

JFK, a 20th Century American Political Icon

John F. Kennedy was born 100 years ago in Brookline, Massachusetts. JFK was the 35th President of the United States (1961-1963) and the youngest man elected to the office. He was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963 and became the forever-young president…

20 Juin 2017

president

USA

mythes et héros

5

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Harry Potter at 20

For the 20th anniversary of the publication of the first "Harry Potter" book, this A1+-level article aims at allowing pupils to rediscover well-known fictional characters, perhaps for the first time with the English names. It's a good opportunity to help them develop reading strategies, using what they know to help them understand new words and concepts.

20 Juin 2017

literature

anniversary

fantasy

Personalised Support in a Class Context

Learning support for pupils in difficulty often consists of teaching them the same content in the same way more slowly and in smaller groups. The theory of "scaffolding" support is to help pupils be active in constructing their progress, by trial and error, and through collaboration. It is truly personalised support, within the class group.

20 Juin 2017

cooperative

learning support

soutien

World Refugee Day

20 June each year is United Nations World Refugee Day. In the UK, it is included in Refugee Week, 19-25 June. The UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, just released new figures showing that 2016 was yet another record year for refugees.

20 Juin 2017

refugees

united nations

video

David Hockney Video

The David Hockney exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris from 21 June to 23 October is a retrospective of the British pop artist's work. Who better to acquaint your pupils with Hockney's painting than the man himself in this excellent short video.

20 Juin 2017

video

art

exhibition

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

As every Harry Potter fan knows, Harry's birthday is 31 July, like his creator JK Rowling. But 26 June, 1997, was also an important date in the Potter canon: it saw the publication of the first volume of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The 20th anniversary of a cultural phenomenon is being celebrated in style. The books which are credited with inspiring a generation of children to read have taken on a life of their own in the last 20 years. And they have their own mythology. Joanne Rowling, unemployed single mother, reputedly thought up the whole arc of the seven-book series on a train journey, and wrote the first tome while sitting nursing a cold coffee for two hours at a time in an Edinburgh cafe while her daughter slept in her pushchair. In order to get her book published, she had to hide her female identity behind the initials JK (she doesn't have a middle name, so borrowed her mother's name, Kathleen), as publishers assured her boys wouldn't read a book written by a woman. Rowling had always promised the story would end when Harry and co finished school after seven years. She dutifully stopped writing about the wizarding world for almost ten years, although she didn't retire entirely from literature, publishing an adult novel The Casual Vacancy and a series of crime novels, Cormoran Strike , as Robert Galbraith. But she couldn't resist for ever. These days, Harry Potter is an entire universe. As well as the wildly popular films and the website Pottermore , 2016 saw the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , and the new film series Fantastic Beasts . 2017 will see a Harry Potter exhibition in the hallowed halls of the British Library. Harry Potter: A History of Magic will open, appropriately, in time for Halloween, and run from 20 October 2017 to 28 February 2018. It will feature many magic-referenced items from the library's collection as well as original Harry Potter memorabilia from publishers Bloomsbury and Rowling's own archive.

20 Juin 2017

literature

anniversary

fantasy

Sélection culturelle

David Hockney: The Pompidou Goes Pop

The David Hockney exhibition that broke attendance records at the Tate Britain arrives as the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In London, almost half a million people saw the retrospective of Britain's most famous pop artist, from his California swimming pool paintings to recent monumental landscapes and iPad art.

19 Juin 2017

art

exhibition

David Hockney

Rendez-vous

Did Britain Just Have A Youth Quake?

Ever since the surprise result of the June 8 General Election, figures have been flying round traditional and social media claiming that the swing away from the Conservatives to Labour was caused by young voters "taking their revenge" for the Brexit referendum. It's a good story. But is it true?

16 Juin 2017

citizenship

politics

UK

Sélection culturelle

Wonder Woman: from Comics to the UN

The world’s most popular female superhero has finally made it to the big screen for her first solo movie and has been named an Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls by the United Nations…for only 2 months!

14 Juin 2017

war

film

mythes et héros

Rendez-vous

Another UK Electoral Surprise

The UK General Election that was supposed to consolidate the Conservative majority has a resulted in a hung parliament: no one party has reached the 326 seats needed for an absolute majority. The sitting Conservative government has asked the Queen to form a government with the backing of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party.

10 Juin 2017

citizenship

elections

lieux et formes de pouvoir

Rendez-vous

Britain Goes to the Polls

The exception seems to be becoming the rule in Britain, where the latest election campaign, just like the last general election and the EU referendum, has not gone the way anyone expected. Britons go to the polls today for the election Theresa May announced on 18 April, and which the Conservatives were expected to win in a landslide.

08 Juin 2017

citizenship

Brexit

elections

Teaching about Child Labour

For the United Nations World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, or any other time you want to discuss this important topic in class, here are some teaching resources for different levels.

07 Juin 2017

citizenship

human rights

campaign

Canada C3 Expedition Webpicks

The C3 Expedition is participating in the Canada 150 celebrations. The 150-day expedition following Canada’s three coasts from east to west, and visiting many different communities on the way. These videos from young Canadians presenting their communities to the C3 expedition and all the Canadians following offer wonderful insight into the diversity of Canada's landscape and of the young people who inhabit it.

06 Juin 2017

video

audio

geography

Rube Goldberg Machine Videos

These videos of crazy contraptions inspired by Rube Goldberg and Heath Robinson's drawings are a great addition to a project to make a machine. They allow you to show pupils some examples, practise describing the machines, and see models of how to present a machine.

06 Juin 2017

video

art

EPI

Celebrating Canada

Canada is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2017. July 1 marks the 150 years since Confederation, when the British colonies in modern day Canada joined to form the self-governing British Dominion of Canada. June and July are already months when Canadians take time to appreciate their country. This year, they will push the appreciation to another level.

03 Juin 2017

history

celebrations

geography

Rendez-vous

All Around Canada to Celebrate 150 Years

Canada is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2017. One of the highlights is a 150-day expedition following Canada’s three coasts from East to West. More than 300 Canadians have been selected to participate in the different legs of the maritime expedition, including 33 Youth Ambassadors representing Canada’s young people.

03 Juin 2017

history

teenagers

travel

Inventing a Machine in Language Class

Let's imagine a crazy machine! We look at a fun and active project that gets pupils moving and talking in English about a culturally specific phenomenon: a Rube Goldberg machine.

03 Juin 2017

art

EPI

science

Battling on the British Home Front

The Battle of Britain was a turning point in World War Two, when 3,000 fighter pilots were Britain's last line of defence against a Nazi invasion. Just when Britain's civilians thought the worst was over, the Luftwaffe started bombing cities in The Blitz.

02 Juin 2017

war

mythes et héros

myths

Battle of Britain and Blitz Teaching Tools

If you want to work on Britain in the Second World War with your pupils, there are lots of online tools to help you. Here are some on The Battle of Britain and the subsequent Blitz.

02 Juin 2017

war

video

history

Sélection culturelle

The Art of Rube Goldberg: Why do simple when it can be complicated?

You may have heard about a complex concept described as a "Rube Goldberg"... then wondered what that meant. The Rube Goldberg machine is a complicated machine that does simple tasks. Rube Goldberg was an American inventor, sculptor, author, engineer, cartoonist and he is very famous for his zany inventions cartoons.

02 Juin 2017

humour

EPI

science

Prom Time

Prom is an end-of-year tradition in North American schools, and a rite of passage for teenagers. It has spread across the Atlantic. Most British schools now organise some kind of end-of-school, prom-style dance.

02 Juin 2017

school

USA

culture

5

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Exploring Canada to Celebrate 150 Years

This B1-level article is a great opportunity to focus on the diversity of a unique English-speaking country: Canada. It sheds light on a part of its history, population and geography, introducing pupils to young people participating in an expedition to celebrate the 150th anniversary of independence.

02 Juin 2017

history

celebrations

geography