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The Homeless Experience

The Homeless Experience

Date: Jun 22 2007

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Can you imagine how hard it would be to be on the street and have nothing? Maybe that’s something you’ve actually experienced, but even if it’s not, it’s not hard to imagine how much it would hurt to have people treat you poorly while you have no place to live. Listen to Marni and Kevin talk about how our society tends to add insult to injury when it comes to people who are experiencing homelessness.

Dialog

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

Kevin

Kevin

Marni

Marni

Kevin:  I was watching 60 Minutes on Sunday, and there was a really disturbing report about these videos called Bum Fights about…

Marni:  Bum Fights?

Kevin:  ...people who go out and video tape fighting with homeless people.

Marni:  Oh my goodness. So they’re, like, instigating fights with homeless people?

Kevin:  Yes, and then selling them a la Girls Gone Wild, via the Internet.

Marni:  Oh my goodness.

Kevin:  It really focused on how homeless people are really the last group of people against whom it’s okay for everybody to discriminate against.

Marni:  And I think that’s absolutely awful and wrong to think that it’s okay to discriminate against someone just because you perceive them to be less of an individual.

Kevin:  Well, yeah. Because we see homeless people as beggars, unclean, sitting on the street, you know, it’s terrible.

Marni:  And there’s so much terminology. I noticed certain people refer to them as “bums” or certain people…I had a friend who worked in a homeless shelter and said that the correct way to refer to them is people experiencing homeless, so it’s not a stigma about who they are but it’s their situation. Yeah, it’s a really interesting…God, that’s a really awful video thing. Disturbing.

 

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Discussion

Kevin was watching a news program when he learned about a series of videos in which people video tape fights with people who are experiencing homelessness. The videos are sold over the Internet like Girls Gone Wild, a series of videos that gets drunk girls to get naked on camera.

The report Kevin saw focused on how our society seems to think it’s okay to discriminate against people who are experiencing homelessness. Marni says she thinks the videos and mistreatment of these people is terrible. She had a friend who worked in a homeless shelter who taught her about how it’s impolite to use the words “bum” or even “homeless person” because they degrade the person rather than the situation.

Are there people experiencing homelessness in your neighborhood? How are they treated?

 

Comments

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miffoo

miffoo

Slovakia

it's really sad feeling when I see people living in the streets. honesty  many  people ignore then and don't help this people. It's very bad thing this days but people looking only own problems.

10:54 AM Jan 04 2009 |

bobocqu

China

you can't choose a life but the life chooses you.

05:09 AM Sep 21 2008 |

VALERIECHILE

Chile

 

  You don´t choose to be homeless.  it just happens.

 but you choose what to do about them !!  Respect them, ignore them, help them.  it is up to you

04:06 PM Aug 15 2008 |

canary11

Viet Nam

it's not fair to treat people who is homelessness in a bad way . All we are humanbeing . everyone also have a golden heart . don't ignore them . do something useful to help them …..............

03:06 PM Jul 25 2008 |

eltom

Saudi Arabia

I feel sorry to find like this chronic social problem. In my country it is an issue that no one take care about. There is question: are homeless groups coming from another communties? why we feel very strifing when see them. I think first it is an issue complicated by the society members. What are the main pillars that we can build on the emerging social conflicts.We need to discuss this issue from different point of views; such as its diffusion, kinds of homeless,age, education, statistical records, its magnitude globally, and extra

05:44 PM Jan 10 2008 |

Juli Show

Juli Show

China

In Shenzhen there are so many beggers in street that almost each two meters there will be one sitting there begging,some of them handicapped,but some ,in the majortiy ,declare that they were stolen,which really evokes me of the social order issue .Maybe  in big citis like Shenzhen , improving social security is in desperately needed.

07:49 AM Dec 01 2007 |

graymice

China

        everyone shoud be respected ! it is the basic

      right of live

01:37 AM Jun 27 2007 |

graymice

China

        everyone shoud be respected ! it is the basic

      right of live

01:37 AM Jun 27 2007 |

graymice

China

        everyone shoud be respected ! it is the basic

      right of live

01:37 AM Jun 27 2007 |

graymice

China

everyone would better show their love from heart!

01:31 AM Jun 27 2007 |

cords_107

cords_107

Philippines

It's sad to know and hard to accept that we live in a world where there are so manyFrown heartless creature.

03:05 PM Jun 26 2007 |

cords_107

cords_107

Philippines

I pity those people who instead of helping their fellows, degrade and humiliate them,... for they do not know what they're doing.Cry

03:02 PM Jun 26 2007 |

DAR

DAR

Taiwan

So I don`t know which theory is right.when I say "equal".it`s easy to count it by maths`idea.they built som colleges and hospital they still face the sam situation as companies.

12:23 AM Jun 26 2007 |

aarzayus@gmail.com

Colombia

I say that is awful because these person are equal that the person that live good

07:33 PM Jun 25 2007 |

DAR

DAR

Taiwan

I think it`s complex in this opinion.I saw some people discussing it.I don`t know.here are some Buddist has an action it called"to beg alms"or"to collect pious alms".but I meet some telling me they want to built temple.I think the action `s final aim is helping those people in this situation.I can not tell from them,too.but some are successful and built some colleges of medicine.sometimes there are scandals.

02:46 AM Jun 25 2007 |

fraframil

fraframil

Spain

I think that this topic is very difficult to people who hasn`t got a house.. the goverment wuold treat to help this people.. but they would treat to get work or to do something but in the most of cases they are alcoholics and they don`t want to do anything..

 

sorry for my english :S

08:33 PM Jun 24 2007 |

majidkhan

majidkhan

Pakistan

in order to avoid such situation of higy poverty,the governament of that specific areas should take steps to improve their living.

11:10 AM Jun 24 2007 |

majidkhan

majidkhan

Pakistan

in order to avoid such situation of higy poverty,the governament of that specific areas should take steps to improve their living.

11:10 AM Jun 24 2007 |

valentino

Indonesia

In my country, there are so many homeless beggar in big cities. The government and private companies took their homes and lands, and they were pushed away into street, living under the bridge or sleeping on the park. Beggar becoming an occupation because from begging and singing in the street they can earn a lot of money. They can live happily in their own way. They becoming lazy. Adversity and difficulties make them fierce and rude. Some of them become angry and hopeless but some other still motivated to live struggle in big cities.

05:50 AM Jun 24 2007 |

valentino

Indonesia

In my country, Indonesia, there's so many homeless beggar in big cities. The government and private companies took their home and lands. They were pushed away into street, living under the bridge or sleeping on the park. Beggar becoming an occupation for them, because from begging and singing in the street, they could earn a lot of money. It is true. They could live happily in their own way. Adversity and difficult life make them becoming fietce and rude. Some of them angry and hopeless but some other still motivated to struggle live in big cities. They do not want to go home back to their villages.

05:41 AM Jun 24 2007 |

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