A DeeP ReFLeCTiOn...

Nowadays, movies and songs are great tools inside the classroom. Teachers can use audiovisual elements, videos, internet, and so on, in order to teach in a different way. For this reason, the next essay will be a useful instrument for teachers because it is going to explain how the movie “Modern Times” could be a good pedagogical tool if we want to know and reflect about “Modernity” and “Industrialization”.

To introduce, years ago we could notice how the humanity began to change their way of life with the creation of new technical innovations, which allowed to increase the production and economic capacity of many countries. That period of time was called “The Industrial Revolution”, in which humanity could get a lot of advances in technology, communication, transport, knowledge and so forth. In the movie “Modern Times”, Chaplin show us in an ironic way, how technology advances and industrialization affected what society lived in that epoch.

First of all, when you watch the film “Modern Times”, could notice aspects related to production and technology advances (factories, transport, communication) but also things related with people‘s quality of life (work conditions, urbanization, exploitation). To emphasize, the movie shows us the progress of material things, but in the meantime, the dehumanization of people. This characteristic of the film is a great advantage to teach because it helps us to comprehend the social impact of Industrial Revolution in the society. Students could learn that Industrialization was a time of great technological development and productive for factories and countries, nevertheless, this development was not an advance in people lives. This aspect is very useful for teaching because students will learn more than a date of “Industrialism”. What is more, they could learn about the processes of that period in order to reflect about that.

Another pedagogical tool in the movie is related with Chaplin’s character. He illustrates in the movie how people had to face and survive in the industrialized world. In the film, Chaplin is a factory worker, who has to work in order to earn salary and build a better future. During the movie, he suffers of many problems like the lack of work, delinquency, repression and violence. In my opinion, students can feel and identify easily with the conflicts of the movie because these continue affecting what people live nowadays. Therefore, if the movie catches students’ interest, teachers could create an environment of reflection. With the conflicts that Chaplin suffers in the movie, teachers and students could discuss about the differences between past and present society. The main aim of this discussion is that they share opinions in order to create a critical point of view of the film with our present society and not only learn the processes by heart. Thus, teachers and students could learn in an ironic but critical way the processes of the Industrial Revolution because there are reflections of both parts.

With the film, we also learn things related with emotions and feelings. For instance, we (teachers and students) could notice how the society and people of the movie lose their characteristics of human being because of progress. Lack of work, abuse against workers and people like machines are essential issues that Chaplin shows us. With these aspects, the movie invites us to reflect why people forget that we are human beings with necessities, family, feelings, etc. Obviously, this topic is a great pedagogical tool that could improve the relationship among students and teachers. Also this reflection could help to relate our present society with the past because these aspects of seeing people like machines and forgetting that they are human beings, are things that in our society continue occurring.

To conclude, “Modern Times” has many advantages in teachers’ job and students’ learning. The film is an invitation to reflect about a historic period, but this reflection is not superficial in spite of being an ironic movie. Through a deep reflection of teachers and students, we could realize that impact of the industrial revolution in the past society is something that continues nowadays. Lack of work and opportunities, violence and repressions are things that “progress” and “humanity” have not changed yet, but maybe we could begin to create this change with our job and reflections in the classroom. As future teachers, creating a critical thinking with the help of the movie is in our hands.

MoDerN TiMes

When you watch the movie Modern Times, you could see the dehumanization of people because of technology and progress. You could notice how Chaplin in an ironic way shows us how technology advances and industrialization affect what happen in the society. In other words, these aspects had a social impact in that period, in which arose the urbanization, urban proletariat and industrial bourgeoisie.

With the modernity and industrialization, we could notice that humanity has got a lot of advances in technology, communication, transport, knowledge and so forth. It could get because humanity began to think that was the centre of the world and progress and no religion and God. Humanity had the reason and the power of progress. Nevertheless, Some countries and governments forgot that people were not machines. In the movie, Chaplin shows us how in that period of time there were strikes against industries because people were exploited without rights and with inequality in salary and opportunities. I could notice how Chaplin presents with their movie the triumph of the Capitalism above the human society.

Nowadays, people have rights in work, education, health etc. but in my opinion, the dehumanization and inequality between social classes continue.

ELiZaBeTh : "ThE GoLdEn AgE"

Hi guys,

If you ask me about the importance of Elizabeth's reign in British History, I think that she was an important influence in that period. According to the movie and our classes I could notice this influence in aspects like the religion and the politics.

Also, I could see that although Elizabeth had a protestant faith she felt a great commitment with her people, who could have different religions and beliefs (for example Catholic Religion). For this reason I believe that she didn't want to get married because her commitment was with the people of England. I think that it was one of the causes of her pseudonym of "The Virgin Queen".

In the movie we could see the conflict between England and Spain that Elizabeth had to confront. Spain wanted to take the power of England through of its imperialist politics and Catholic influences, however, Elizabeth and her people could solve the conflict and one invasion of the Spain Navy.

To conclude, I could see how Elizabeth had a influence that help England in its growthin aspects like the expansion of territory, the growth of the economy and an England that began to see outside its frontier in order to progress (Globalization).

See you...

Natives & Immigrants

We can notice that many years ago, the place now called United Kingdom was settled by people of various cultures and their different way of life. That period could be complex because in that place there were native inhabitants with their own culture and customs that perhaps were affected by the group of people (immigrants) that arrived in that territory. In my opinion, that situation could be difficult because there were a complicated confrontation among different cultures. The arrival of these new individuals in that part of Europe shows us the diversity of people that occupied the area. Therefore, in this place there were natives and immigrants from different parts of the continent.

For instance, what is now the united Kingdom was occupied by tribes of hunters in the Neolithic, and then they joined with other people with different culture, who practiced the agriculture, the pottery among others (Stone Age). Then another people appeared with knowledge of working in bronze (Bronze Age). In the Iron Age other settlers arrived from the continent, for example the Celts, whose practiced the war.

With the last paragraph of people that settled that place, we could see how the natives and immigrants had different customs, beliefs, culture and so forth. For this reason, I think that it was a complex period of adapting of a new culture by the diversity of people and different way of life that they had in that area, now called United Kingdom.

CuLTuRe???

In my opinion, Culture is everything that human being do. Culture is when a group of people share beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, values, thoughts, tastes, etc. in order to create an identity in their society. In other words, people and the life are culture.

CiViLiZaTioN ???

According with my experience and my point of view, I think that civilization is a group of people that live in a society and they share beliefs, religion, ideas, culture, etc. in order to progress.

My ExPeCTaTiOnS...

In this post I'm going to talk about my expectations of culture and civilization. It is one of the subjects of my careerin this semester.

First of all, I hope that the subject and the teacher help me a lot with my English. I hope to learn new vocabulary with the teacher and with the books and movies that we are going to study. Besides, I think that I'm going to learn things about the American and British culture like the history of English language, historical prominent figures, English customs, etc. In the meantime, I think that our class will be interesting and dynamic with activities in which we can participate and express our ideas. In my opinion, I believe that the class will be a good opportunity to improve our knowledge in English, but also I expect to learn things that can help me with my future labour like English teacher. To be honest, I think that our class won't be a waste of time.