What’s one way of picking up new English words in the media? Perhaps watching the O’Reilly Factor will help?
Bill O’Reilly is one of the USA’s most well-known current affairs hosts, fronting his own programme weekdays on Fox TV, although he is also unpopular in some circles.
News becomes opinion
If reading the New York Times or watching NBC and MSNBC gives you the point of view of the Democratic Party, and the voice of President Obama, then Fox and Bill O’Reilly provide an opposing view. Some commentators on Fox are actually current or former Republican Party politicians, and they are adept at reporting on the failings or perceived failings of the Obama administration.
It’s not my job to tell you where ‘the truth’ is, but I will ask:
Can watching Bill every day on the internet help with your English?
I think so!
Check this video out – at the start of each day’s programme, he gives his own take on the news, which features the main ‘talking points’ commentary on the right hand side of the screen.
So you can watch this firstly as a listening exercise, and then double-check some of the vocabulary from the written commentary.
“A brutal embarrassment for the USA”
I thought Wednesday night’s talking points memo, following the murder of an Australian sportsman in Oklahoma, was interesting. In the same week that some Left-wing commentators are calling for a boycott of the Olympics in Russia following laws apparently designed to oppress gay people, it was a former conservative Deputy Prime Minister, Tim Fischer, who called for us Aussies to boycott the USA to protest the Americans’ gun laws.
What do you think? Should Australians boycott American products and not travel there as an active protest against US gun laws?
As the discussion has moved forward, most Fox commentators are saying that this crime comes about as a result of the broken American home. That is, that the family as an institution is falling apart, creating a new underclass in society. For example, one of the alleged killers’ has a mother behind bars, while another allegedly involved has a 15 year-old girlfriend who is pregnant.
What do you think? Are these crimes taking place because many teenagers come from broken homes? If so, how does it compare with your country and what can be done to get people out of trouble and poverty?
Watch more
The Daily Show is a good laugh, and often mocks politicians and the media, especially CNN and Fox.
Hello David,
The truth is that I don’t watch as much video as I should, but shorter videos like that are helpful because you don’t get bored fast. I’m into Podcasts, NPR for example is one of them, NPR rules!
About your question:
I grew up in a dysfunctional family, in poverty, without a father to help me to be brave and strong in adverse conditions of my life, I witnessed drug dealers selling all kinds of drugs in broad daylight, smoking marijuana at every corner of the slum, but I’ve always been myself, never got involved in illegal practices, drugs or theft. Some people say that when you are pinned in a corner you are forced to do what you don’t like, it might be true! In fact, it is impossible to predict what might happen, but for those who live in extreme poverty it might be sometimes a matter of life and death. Others, however, like to dwell on the fact that they are poor and do nothing to change the situation! Opportunities aren’t going to knock your door, you have to create the opportunities yourself, go chase them!
As you can see, my mother and I went through hard phases, financial hardship and many other things that aren’t worth mentioning here, but my mother was able to raise me with good moral, ethics and principles that I stand by till today!
Who is to blame for all the problems and injustices we suffer from? Our leaders, government, ourselves? I don’t know, the question begs to be asked!
PS. The text is quite long so I don’t know if I made a mistake because I didn’t go over it, if I did, please you can correct me, thanks!
Nice post, David!
Marcelo
Hi Marcelo!
Thanks not just for answering but also for being candid and adding some interesting perspectives to the post.
I like this comment:
>>my mother was able to raise me with good moral, ethics and principles that I stand by till today!
I know Bill O’Reilly is controversial in some circles but he has made some comments recently about the break-down of the family, and I think there’s some truth there. That doesn’t mean I agree with other things he says.
In terms of learning English, his 3 minute opening ‘talking points’ are worth watching as students can listen and read the words on the screen as well. There’ll definitely be some new vocabulary. I’ll check out NPR, I’m not familiar with it.
Have you written much about Brazil? That could be interesting especially for those of us who’d like to go there
Have a nice Sunday
David
I started watching Bill O’Relly vídeos, but I gave up soon, just because I’ve never seen such a biased comentator in my life. The presence of Bill O’Rally on TV is a vivid example of American democracy. In any other country, mostly in some South América nations, he would already be stopped.
Hi Sergio
It’s interesting you say that. I actually think the opposite, that US democracy is in peril. Yes, he’s biased, but he is supportive of Guantanamo Bay and the drone programmes, which are against the principles of democracy.
As I said to Marcelo, I think his opening ‘talking points’ can still be good for learners of English. I’ve played his videos for a few of my students, and they usually actively disagree with what he says. It can be a nice springboard for debate, depending on the students.
Have a good day
David
I’m glad I could contribute to the topic in some way, David! Thanks!
I’ve written one topic about Brazil so far, it’s a general overview of Brazil, but I think it is outdated, I added a slight comment about poverty at the end of the post but I didn’t go deeper in it, here’s the link: http://englishforpleasure.com/brazil-land-of-happiness/
And here’s the NPR Podcast directory: http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php?type=provider&value=1#podcast1
I like to listen to NPR: Environment and sometimes NPR: Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! You can (we English learners) learn a lot of interesting phrases by listening to NPR.
Have a nice Sunday you too.
That looks like a good link, I should add it to my ‘links’ page, there’s a lot to choose from.
I think I mentioned on your blog that there’s also the ABC News Australia, which I occasionally play to my own students (if anything, there’s a different accent and shows the world isn’t just USA-UK). eg news in 90 seconds: http://www.abc.net.au/news/abcnews24/news-in-90-seconds/
Because I have some things to do, I won’t be able to travel much next travel but in 2015 I want to go to Brazil and do zouk, travel, hit the beaches and learn a bit of Portuguese too 😉