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Talking Iranian Democracy on Ebaby!

Talking Iranian Democracy on Ebaby!

Date: Jun 23 2009

Themes: News

Grammar: Present Perfect Progressive

Intro

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Iran is in crisis. The results of the country’s national election are being disputed and there are thousands of people demonstrating in the streets. Some of them have been killed or injured by police and military trying to stop the protests.

The whole world is watching Iran, but most of our information is not coming from traditional media since reporters in the country have been restricted. Iranians are using many different websites to plan meetings and share their experiences and English, baby! is among them. Take a look at this forum thread about the protests, and this one about Iran in general.

Listen to John on a radio news program in the US talking about how the events in Iran are playing out on English, baby!

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Kristian

Kristian

John

John

Kristian:  English, baby!, is a site where anybody who wants to learn English can go to chat. To make it even more compelling, English, baby!, is set up like a social media site. So students post their favorite music picks and make friends with each other online. The site has about 10,000 members in Iran and it’s easy to find discussions about the election. The founder of English, baby!, John Hayden, says he’s been surprised by the wealth of opinions expressed.

John:  We see a lot in the Western media, a lot of the protests and a lot of the bloodshed. And we’re seeing conversations talking about that as well on English, baby! But there’s definitely another side to that, that we’re seeing. Support for the election and wanting to abide by the results of that.

Kristian:  The Iranian government has been making sounds about shutting places down. Is that a concern for you and would it be possible for them to do that?

John:  You know, it’s tough. I think the major sites, the Facebooks, the YouTubes and the Twitters, it’s really easy to target those URL’s but the Internet is so broad now. There are so many niche sites, where people can communicate and have conversations, like English, baby!, where we feel like we’re pretty safe, underneath the radar and people are freely discussing their views on there. So we’re not concerned about being shut down and if that does happen, we’ll deal with it then.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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John tells Kristian that on English, baby! you can find Iranian people who support the protesters and believe the election was rigged, as well as people who think the election was fair and that the protesters should stop.

The government of Iran has banned some websites, hoping to stop the protests. Kristian asks John if the thinks English, baby! could be banned in Iran. Since Ebaby! is primarily a site for learning English, John hopes that the Iranian censors won’t notice it and that the discussion can continue freely.

Have do you feel about the events in Iran?

Listen to the rest of the radio story on our blog.

 

Comments

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tiagon85

Brazil

It´s difficulty to live in a country that you can´t show your feelings, the alternative media is a great spot to talk about many issues and be comfortable to do that!! 

 

 

09:10 PM Jun 23 2009 |

rocky2j9

rocky2j9

China

I think a democratic country can contain different voices.Democracy delay no more!!

07:33 PM Jun 23 2009 |

fatima214

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I AM ONE OF IRANIAN WHO IS COMPLAINER OF THIS RECENTLY ELECTION RESULT ,I REGISTER TO THIS SITE ONLY FOR WRITING TO ALL OVER THE WORLD CAUSE THIS SITE IS ONE OF OPEN SITES IN IRAN WHICH GOVERNMENT HAS NOT FILTER YET
I WANT TO SAY ALL PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT I AM YELLING OUT THAT THIS ELECTION OF IRAN WAS FAILED CAUSE IRAN LEADER ALI KHAMENEI AND AHMADINEJAD CHEATED IRANIAN BY STEALING THEIR VOTE AND IRANIAN PEOPLE DID NOT STAND THIS SITUATION SO THEY ARE GOING ON THE STREETS TO DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THIS ELECTION THE FIRST DEMONSTRATION IN IRAN WAS SO CALM AND PEOPLE NEVER DID ANYTHING AGAINST RULES AFTER WHILE GOVERNMENT SAW THAT PEOPLE ARE TOO MANY EVEN MORE THAN WHAT THEY THINK SO THEY WENT TO STOP PEOPLE BY GONE AND USE BASIJ AND THEY KILLED MANY IRANIAN UNSIN PEOPLE ,I AM IN IRAN AND I SEE THIS THINGS,I WANT TO DISSOCIATE ALI KHAMENEI AND AHMADINEJAD BOTH OF THEM ARE TWO BIG EVIL THEY ARE EVEN WORSE THAN US AND ISREAL THEY KILL IRANIAN PEOPLE EVERYDAY IN DIFFERENT CITIES OF IRAN AND THEY ARREST MANY PROTESTERS AND KEEP THEM IN HIDDEN JAILS AND THEY MAKE TROUBLE FOR PEOPLE ,I WANT THE WORLD KNOW THAT IRAN IS NOT FAIR COUNTRY AND IRANIAN NEED INTERNATIONAL HELP SPECIALLY THEIR EYES STAIR ON UNITED NATION TO SAY SOMETHING ,UNITED NATION MUST NOT ACCEPT AHMADINEJAD AND MUST SAY TO ALL COUNTRIES NOT TO ACCEPT HIM CAUSE HE IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OR PRESIDENT OF IRAN ,IN FACT HE IS CHEATER AND EVIL AND IN IRAN ONLY 10% OF PEOPLE ACCEPT HIM,IF YOU BE IN IRAN EVERY NIGHT YOU WILL SEE AND HEAR MANY PEOPLE GOING AT THE TOP OF THEIR BUILDING AND YELLING OUT :ALAHO IS THE GREATEST">AKBARAND SOME OF THEM YELLING OUT :MARG BAR WITH KHAMENEI ">KHAMENEI
FINALLY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO ACCEPT AHMADINEJAD AS A PRESIDENT OF IRAN ARE SINNER!!!!
AND THEY REAL PRESIDENT OF IRAN IS MIR HOSSEIN MOSAVI WHO HAS ABOUT 90% VOTE

07:16 PM Jun 23 2009 |

mallik1185

mallik1185

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

i think the iranian crisis cannot be solved by violance and angry mobs only peace can bring peace but violence brings more violence , the persian people should find another way to change what they see it good or not unless they want to sacrifice  thier country  toward the unknown future or occupation and Consequently they will lost thier development at least for century .

i wish you the best . 

06:31 PM Jun 23 2009 |

omarOK

Russian Federation

America was Osama Ben Ladens the most good friend  when he was at war against Russia in Afghanistan, and now he is not pleasant to Washington because   ask  them to leave nations of the world in peace

04:31 PM Jun 23 2009 |

omarOK

Russian Federation

All world should know that America and England have sent 500 oppositionists to Iran to provoke peace demonstrators, these people have made all to raise people and militiamen

Americans so have made to China and so have made in Ukraine And in Georgia and all countries not supporting good relations With the West

04:22 PM Jun 23 2009 |

omarOK

Russian Federation

Dishonest Bush has lost to Albert Gor elections in 2000 and All knew this truth, but we did not see such Hooligans in Streets Washington

04:00 PM Jun 23 2009 |

omarOK

Russian Federation

Hi Mr joojootala!

 You Know ! 

Our world consists for a long time already of two parts،

Already is not present left and right, there is no Musulman and Christians or Buddhists, there are no communists and capitalists.
 Clever people know for a long time already this truth,

There are fair both dishonest people, and such as you are ready to sell the I will shift to everybody, and it is not so fair, as you think that America and England can restore justice instead of yours diligence.

Sorry  Mr, But I think >all war in our world now caused by American politicians. 

PS- I don't believe that you are Iranian Citizen

03:40 PM Jun 23 2009 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

well it's hard to say , but i think that not iran is inner the crisis , the whole word is.

abt the shut down the web sites i think that it's a stupid think , perhaps the contry's lead want to hide stuff wrong that they did  wherever.

like china also , there shut down hotmail and google , come on !!!!! but is the people like this kind of stuff it is ok.

03:03 PM Jun 23 2009 |

mandy3548

China

Being  chinese people, we have never voted president.We have got used to it. Being a catholic, i believe God has a good plan gor me and for China.So i keep praying.

May God bless iranian ! God bless chinese!

01:43 PM Jun 23 2009 |

Carole

China

I'm sorry for what happend to the protestors.

I like English, Baby very much. I don't want this website be politicalized.

But sometimes I don't think it is political topics. No matter what happened, the policeman and soldiers have no excuse to kill the civilian!!

01:02 PM Jun 23 2009 |

amir81

amir81

Kazakhstan

I am for freedom!

12:19 PM Jun 23 2009 |

susanthaA

susanthaA

Sri Lanka

I think the solution for the crisies is re-counting votes under the super vision of independent panel which include foreign delegations from UN.Laughing

 

12:02 PM Jun 23 2009 |

ldjrodger

ldjrodger

China

I see Iran everyday from nespaper,wish the happiness would come to Iran as soon as possible.

10:39 AM Jun 23 2009 |

sofree

sofree

China

My opinion is if one government want to rig, you should do it at the beginning, like ours. People will get used of it.

 

Ask any 90' kids in China, I bet less than 1/20 know about the 1989 Tian'anmen protest. And if the Twitter, Youtube are blocked in China, that barely count news. It's no possible for the posts about bad words of the government can stay in any Chinese BBS, must be deleted, very soon. Just already get used of it. We don't even have an election.

 

Any revolution causes blood. Hope all the Iranian friends be safe and good.

08:36 AM Jun 23 2009 |

shv_2005

shv_2005

India

it's very enormous crisis. people should try to control on there circumstances . i also love muslim religous. i am hindu  &  in india  20% peoples are muslim

08:16 AM Jun 23 2009 |

Simili

Simili

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Yes Iran is in crisis. Most of people don't accept the result of the presidential election. The protestors want to show their oppositiomn to the result of election. Unfortunately many young people were killed. Cry

07:33 AM Jun 23 2009 |

farhan smart

United Arab Emirates

So far obama did not said anything wrong regarding IRAN and for this he is criticized by opposition also,but what western mdeida is doing against iran this fact can’t be ignored.My opinion for iranian nation is they must resolve their issue “conflict” interally in a peacful manner and they should undersand their dignity as a ISLAMIC COUNTRY with ilsamic rules and regulation.this is the time for them to understand, know the fact, and realize that they have to preserve their dignity of their country,otherwise no one will be able to save them from worst.

07:11 AM Jun 23 2009 |

Zealotended

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Hey…

I Am Just Sad About Injured And Killed People.

Here Police Doesn't Show Any Mercy To People Who Have Come Out. On 8 Most Of Shops Are Closed And No One Comes Out. Cry I HOpe There's Nothing Worse Going To Happen…

06:00 AM Jun 23 2009 |

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