English, baby!

Talking Iranian Democracy on Ebaby!

Date: Jun 23 2009

Themes: News

Grammar: Present Perfect Progressive

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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.

John

Kristian

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.

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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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tiger_bagira

India

NICE

candycandice

Sweden

I agree! Iran is not Islamic! Cause Im Iranian and Im Zoroatist!

candycandice

Sweden

I think its great that they protest and want Change in Iran, especially the young people. But Im also worried, that maybe many gets hurt by the police and people that are against the demonstrations. I wish I could be in Iran and protest.

All I can do, is to wear a green band. Green is the symbol Iranian use.

With all my heart I wish there will be change in Iran!

drmkazemkn

Sweden

i think the only thing which can help Iranian at this time is God ,so Iranian should pray more at this time and i will promise them they will get their right surely

Payam

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

The thing that I can say in a sentence is:

Iran will have peace and freedom exactly at this time that Ahmadinejad is the president!

The freedom and peace is coming!

Just wait!

We have showed everyone and are showing everyone and will show everyone that we will make our destiny !!!!

You saw that news?

That the Iranian protesters was more than a million?

Because what?

Because they wanted their rights!!!!

We wanna know that where is our vote?

It's in our governments' pocket?

The reality is not clear!

They killed about 300 hundred people that they were just in silent protests!

Did they did something wrong that we don't know?

Did they killed the polices and baseejis?

They didn't want anything just knowing where are their rights?

If this is true that the election wasn't fake…so why they don't give any evidence?Why they killl people in streets and jails?

Why they don't say something that people want?

I wish the things that people wants and even give their health and lives to help the other people!

I saw everything in protests!

I saw that girls go in front of polices and even injured by polices!

We are the winner!

Simili

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

روح بابک در تو / در من هست / مهراس از خون یارانت، زرد مشو / پنجه در خون زن و بر چهره بکش / مثل بابک باش / نه / سرخ تر، سرخ تر از بابک باش / دشمن / گرچه خون میریزد / ولی از جوشش خون میترسد / مثل خون باش / بجوش / شهر باید یکسر / بابکستان گردد / تا که دشمن در خون غرق شود / وین خراب آباد / از جغد شود پاک و گلستان گردد

drmkazemkn

Sweden

i agree with US by attacking to Iraq cause they really destroyed SADAM who was great diktaro in the world so he should be destroyed by some one and i know that US also wanted to take its oils but no problem about it and i appericiate it

drmkazemkn

Sweden

i think all problem in Iran should be solved by only Iranian people as we see in history all problem which treated to different countries havesolved by their own people and Iranian people are very celever and brave enough to solve this problem and people from different country only should know about problem in Iran to make themselves experience maybe they will treated some days

RicardoX

Brazil

In my opinion not only in Iran but also in all countries there are many things wrong, but we need a different attitude to make the world better. We need to have courage and positive attitude to change the politicians, because with this situation the poor people are the most injured. ALL PEOPLE NEED PEACE, LOVE, FREEDOM AND BASIC CONDITIONS TO LIVE. IT DOES NOT DEPEND ON IF THEY ARE AMERICAN, EUROPEAN, ASIAN, OR ARABIC PEOPLE.

kasra_1990

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

well it seems that you know everything about here but we don't know,yess??
yes we have problem here…we war,we die,but we give back our votes.
but pleas you who don't know anything about my country don't talk about my country it is my country and i love it with all of the problem and goods in here
history shows anything about others
we can solve our problem and America should know that with boycotting us can't do anything
Mr Obama is beter that think about his country not us
we can't forget the history
KILINTON, KARTER,BOSH
spy home of them
helping Iraq in using chemical bombs for us in imposed war

for all of you it's beter that first reading books searching

NOT JUST LISTENING ON VOICE OF AMERICA OR BBC

that times which Iran incloude of 33 country America hadn't discover by Cristof colomb

we are persian
who
Korosh the great was the king of persia
Persia Achaemenian Priod 558 B.C

IF we have problem now with our government it doesn't mean that we want helping of enemy and enemy should attact us!!!!
Israil told that we want help iran
lol
YEA with war =))

SEE NO EVIL,HEAR NO EVIL,SPEAK NO EVIL

thanks user but know that every person or every country that talk about us and tell they want to help us all of them are not right most of these are lie and they just think and work for the benefit for their country
THANKS ")

brasilero

Germany

When the existing president of Iran said, that is a democratic vote, he should go back to school, learn what democracy mean.

brasilero

Germany

sorry friends, but when I read this article

Iran is an Islamic country and Those who make demonstrations are paid from outside powers to spoil the democracy in Iran.The west wants to damage Iran from inside after they couldn't do so from the outside.The west is using doublle standard policy.What did they do when Israel killed the children in Gaza and damaged the houses over the heads of its people.Every day many Palestinians are killed because of the cruel seige over Gaza.Where is the west from this case?The BBC and The sound of America are doing their best to motivate demonstrators to spoil the life in Iran as they did in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I m like a bomb, just 2 seconds before exploding.

Why this man compare the existing situation in Iran wíth the cruel in Israel?

There is nothing in between,

did America or Europe paid the killer of NEDA ???

Sorry, that s really stupid. Did Europe or America paid all ppl at english baby who comes from Iran and say

Where is my vote??

or look at these article:

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

The Iranian government cheated in the election and it has killed about 300 people who are just in silent protests and among them is our hero, Neda: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…

I have some friends in Iran

all of them have the similar meaning

Iran Gov. cheated their own pp.

And for what????

Why >Mr. Ahmandenischad dont stopp his agression against the democratic protestors?

The president of Iran is like Mr. Bush after his first election, when he stopp the newcounting of votes, due to the protest of the second winnner.That s not democracy, not at all.

mehdi_dolati

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

The real message from Iran’s people: Our country is not Islamic nor Republic!

Noor-alhalabi

Jordan

I totally agree with that mr.Sunay ..

as you said … nothing just bla bla bla :D

sunaymert

Zimbabwe

to write more does not mean that everybody will understyand you.providing that we respect all variable religions,ideas and living styles we would resolve all problems of world.Just think why are we still poor ,hungry and sweated people in the world?Politics and business urge us not to see the real world!.Yes Omar you are right many innocent children,woman and man were killed by many countries so why didn't you put a debate on your web page englishbaby,sorry pure life is our inside and it is easy to reach but politics and corps are continually blocking your minds.Okay if you are not satisfied with that why haven't you done something so far?NOTHING just bla bla blaaa on TV and newspapers.

sunaymert

Zimbabwe

Firstly to be able to say democracy we should understand the way of living styles,religion and culture.It is not easy to express the meaning of democracy.As far as ı am concerned there has been no democracy system for everyone all over the world so far.That is called imerialism not democracy.In my opinion leave them alone they will resolve their own problem with their own destiny.The more you have more mine prosperity the more you have pain in the neck in this region.Democracy is the way to make people vulnerable closing their eyes and souls to suck their riches in order to create a new world order:)

Noor-alhalabi

Jordan

to make it right..

Yeah.. I read a lot about Ahmadinejad ..definitely he is the top leader nowadays except bad things in his personality… and actually the real element who against Iran is western country which have a new president (Obama) although he dont have something toward Iran …but its the old differences and still untill now .. surely the iranian citizens know more than the other people who are outside Iran about what are there and happened in it ,, but in addition what can we say … we just said what we heared and see it on T.V or read it on neawspaper or magazine .. although almost of that news are wrong ….

yes Iranian people dont like this leader (Ahmadinejad).. because the results of his policy (injuring people , arrested people ..and more..) but who can tell us or imagine if this leader lost ,, how can you believed or imagine how he is it the new leader who come after him ..and how is his policy is it be better than Ahmad or not ..

Absolutely we feel sorry about that and about anything happened in our counrty ..but we are wait for the end of this problems .. there is a wesdom from all of that …

and I hope it resolved early ..

In addition,, in fact Khomeini was first president and the head of Iran.. he give the orders and Ahmadinejad just Implemented this political orders…
this is the truth..

Nour

katerinka_25

Poland

I don't understand this world and people, so many wars the history knows, each of them was aufwul and unjust but poeple still fight with one another. so much blood and unjustice in the beginning of the 21st century. And so many other places.. I don't know …

XOYLU_88

United Kingdom

everybody know that iran isnt democratic. even the religious leader isnt relible person.. even he trnsfered all of his money into the bank of pakistan and united arab emirates .. l think iran government idolize to satan.. inshallah iran government will be overthrown.. let me say than the most dangerous countries are iran and russia. they are not democratic.

serendipiti

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

We wish no more blood but peace and freedom for Iran in reality more aggression against civilians . will create more radical slogans and push the people for more basic rights. and more blood. The regime is responsible for the safety of all citizens. We hold Supreme leader” the dictator” accountable for the lives of Iranian.

"Neda, voice of Iran"

Where is my vote?