Showing posts with label The development of EU territories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The development of EU territories. Show all posts
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
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Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Why has Marseilles always been a major hub? By Augustin Ponroy
Located on the south east coast of France, Marseille is
the second biggest city in France. Marseille has been designated one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2013. It is the most important crossroads between North Africa and Europe.
It is a beautiful
city with a long history (paleolithic cave paintings have been discovered
recently). Nowadays, it imports mostly petrol. It is the largest commercial port of the Mediterranean,
of France too, and the fifth most important in Europe.
The Greeks founded
Massalia in the 6th century BC (Marseilles is in fact the oldest
French city). It was a phocaean colony, used essentially for trade. Then the Romans
conquered the town and it became one of their main ports supplying Rome.
During the Crusades,
armies from all over Europe sailed to the Holy Land from Marseilles. There were
important families who made their fortunes from trade, shipping and banking. Marseilles’
influence kept growing, and in 1437 the Count of Provence fortified the city.
During colonial times,
it was through Marseilles that weapons, gold, workers, etc., went.
Thousands of colonial
soldiers came through Marseilles before going up to fight against Germany in the
First World War.
Marseilles has always attracted people from around the
Mediterranean basin, making it a multicultural place with an extraordinary mix of cultures (about 40% of Marseilles’ under-18s is of North African origin).
Drugs, violence, organized crime, unemployment
and poverty are major problems in Marseilles today.
History shows
that Marseilles has always been a major hub, i.e. a place where transport
routes and people are concentrated. This is due to its advantageous geographical
position on the coast of France. Merchandise can be sent to France (a major
European market) from the Mediterranean basin countries and from Africa and the
Middle East. The port facilities
have always been sophisticated and able to handle lots of goods. Also, there
are plenty of transport routes (road, rail, air and canal) to Marseilles from France
and Europe. The climate is also favorable to trade and industrial activity
(including fishing of course). There has never been a shortage of workers
either. Marseilles has always been part of an international network of
transport routes, making it a world city. Because of its rich history and
culture, Marseilles also attracts visitors. It is also a place of learning (specializing
in research on water management). It is also a key player in the Euromed partnership
(cooperation between countries of the Mediterranean basin).
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Benidorm (Spain) in the 1960s and today. Comment by Sarah
The contrast between the two pictures of Benidorm is quite shocking considering the fact that only fifty years separate them…
In the last few years, Benidorm has become one
of the most visited cities in Spain with an enormous affluence of tourists
because of its beaches and weather which is basically sunny all year long. This
factor has contributed to the mass construction of skyscrapers,
apartments, hotels and other places where tourists can stay during their
vacations. The city has had huge economic growth since the 1960s.
Nevertheless, all this has had an impact on the natural environment
because, even though there are still trees, there is not as much vegetation as
before and it has caused visual pollution; the view
of the coastline has been somewhat spoilt.
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Eurogroup deal means a brighter future for Greece?
Watch the BBC News video!
Questions:
- What is the Eurogroup, what is the IMF?
- What is the nature of the "deal"?
- Why is the agreement not "just about money"?
- How will it help Greece?
- What has Greece "demonstrated" according to Lagarde of the IMF?
- Why is Stournaras happy?
- What is the "social state" of Greece like?
- What is the journalist talking about when he mentions "an extremely difficult balancing act"?
- What do YOU think of the training project by the National Opera?
- What are your ideas to help Greece avoid complete economic and social collapse?
Monday, 1 October 2012
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
The 26th of September every year is European Day of Languages!
Check-out the Council of Europe Web site!
A few ideas to celebrate!
A few ideas to celebrate!
You will find the answers to the following questions in the Council of Europe Web site above!
- What is the Council of Europe?
- What is "intercultural understanding"?
- How many indigenous languages are spoken in Europe?
- How is Europe's linguistic heritage described?
- Why does the Council of Europe promote the learning of several languages?
- On a world scale, is monolingualism the norm?
- Where in Europe is plurilingualism a part of everyday life?
- How many people claim to be able to converse in English in Europe?
- What does "lingua franca" mean?
- What is the purpose of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages?
- How do you say "Hello! Talk to me!" in at least five European languages?
- How many languages are spoken by the 7 billion people of the planet?
- Which are the most spoken languages?
- What percentage of the world's languages are indigenous to Europe?
- What is a "mother tongue"?
- Which is the most difficult mother tongue to learn?
- What is "language"?
- How many sounds does Irish contain?
- From how many other languages has English borrowed words?
- How many languages are spoken in London?
Here are some questions for you (i.e. give your opinion):
- What, in a European Union context, is the purpose of the European Day of Languages (EDL)?
- Give five good reasons why people need to learn to speak several languages.
- How many languages and regional languages do you speak?
- How well do you identify foreign languages?
- Which is your "first language" (use the definition in the EDL Website)?
- Are there any drawbacks to being able to speak several languages?
- Is language learning more a constraint or an opportunity for you?
- If you had the time, what languages would you like to learn and why?
- Which is your favorite language and why?
- What would be a fun way to promote the EDL in Massillon (find a good slogan!)?
Activities:
- Enjoy the Facts & Fun activities on the EDL Website!
- What word did you add to the "language treasures" database?
- Learn to say by heart "Hello! Talk to me!" in as many different languages as you can (cf. video on EDL Website)!
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