Beginner
1. Personal Introduction
● Task: Students listen to the first few sentences and then, in pairs, introduce themselves to a partner. They should state their name and something they like to do to fit in or feel comfortable in a new place.
2. Retelling a Simple Story
● Task: Students listen to the short story about the “pool table” heckle. They then retell the story in their own words, using simple sentences to describe what happened.
3. Responding to a Yes/No Question
● Task: Students are asked simple yes/no questions based on the video(e.g., “Did the speaker move to a new country when he was a child?”, “Did his dad drive a small car?”). They must answer with a clear “Yes, he did” or “No, he didn’t.”
Intermediate
1. Explaining a Joke or a Point
● Task: In small groups, students take turns explaining one of the speaker’s jokes or points. For example, one student explains the humor of the Mercedes-Benz being a “standard Persian issue car,” while another explains why Middle Easterners wouldn’t make good burglars.
2. Role-play: An Interview
● Task: One student acts as an interviewer and asks another student questions about their family, background, or a personal experience, similar to the way the speaker’s story is structured. The second student answers with a mix of truthful and humorous responses.
3. Debating a Stance
● Task: Students work in pairs to debate one of the speaker’s opinions, such as the idea that “America is a great country.” They must use evidence from the text and their own experiences to support their arguments.
Advanced
1. Delivering a Short Monologue
● Task: Students prepare and deliver a short, 2-3 minute monologue in the style of the speaker, focusing on a personal observation or a cultural difference. They should use humor, rhetorical questions, and exaggeration to engage the audience.
2. Analyzing and Discussing Cultural Stereotypes
● Task: In a group discussion, students analyze the stereotypes mentioned in the video(e.g., Middle Easterners and Mexicans filling cars, Middle Eastern men using too much cologne). They must discuss how the speaker challenges or reinforces these stereotypes and share their own perspectives on the topics.
3. Storytelling with Characterization
● Task: Students choose one of the characters from the video(e.g., the speaker’s father or the “rooster”) and tell a short story or monologue from their perspective. They must use different tones and accents to portray the character’s voice and personality.
Beginner
● Listening for Gist: Students listen to the first minute of the monologue. Afterward, they choose the correct main topic from a list of options, like “a comedian talking about his childhood” or “a person giving a speech about politics.” This helps learners grasp the overall theme.
● Listening for Key Words: Students are given a list of 5-7 simple, high-frequency words from the video(e.g., country, green card, family, dad, car, home). They listen and check off the words they hear. This task helps them identify crucial vocabulary in a spoken context.
● Simple Question Answering: Students listen to a short section and answer simple yes/no or “wh-” questions, such as “Did the speaker move to America?” or “What kind of car did his dad drive?” This practice focuses on pulling explicit information from the dialogue.
Intermediate
● Listening for Specific Details: Students listen to the section about the father’s habits. They then have to answer specific questions like “What two things did the speaker’s dad do that embarrassed him?” (He drove a crowded car and wore too much cologne). This task requires learners to sift through information to find targeted details.
● Identifying Cause and Effect: Students listen to the joke about Middle Easterners being bad burglars. They must identify the reason the speaker gives for this (the copious amount of cologne they wear) and explain the logical connection. This helps students understand how ideas are linked in a narrative.
● Listening for Tone and Emotion: Students listen to different parts of the monologue and describe the speaker’s tone. For example, is he serious, nostalgic, or comedic when he talks about his father’s thick accent? They should be able to identify emotional cues and explain what words or phrases convey them.
Advanced
● Analyzing Argument Structure: Students listen to the monologue and analyze the structure of the speaker’s argument. They should identify his main points (e.g., the challenges of being an immigrant, cultural stereotypes, family dynamics) and explain how his personal anecdotes and jokes support these points. This task requires a high-level understanding of the monologue’s overall message.
● Identifying Irony and Subtext: Students listen to the speaker’s humorous statements, such as calling the United States “all inclusive” or saying his father’s empire is now “a duplex.” They must explain the irony and subtext behind these remarks. This tests the ability to understand implied meaning and sophisticated humor.
● Comprehensive Note-Taking and Summarizing: Students listen to the entire monologue and take detailed notes on the key topics and jokes. After listening, they use their notes to write a comprehensive summary of the monologue, capturing the main ideas, humorous elements, and the speaker’s overall purpose. This task synthesizes listening and writing skills at a high level.
Beginner
1. Vocabulary Matching: Students read a list of simple words from the video , such as “country,” “friends,” “family,” “car,” and “home.” They then match each word to a corresponding image or a simple definition. This task helps build a foundational vocabulary.
2. Basic Comprehension Questions: Students read a short section of the videoand answer simple “wh-” questions to find explicit information. For example, “What did the speaker do to blend in?” or “Who came to pick him up from the playground?” This focuses on literal comprehension.
3. Simple True/False Statements: Students read a series of statements based on the videoand decide if each statement is true or false. For instance, “The speaker came to America when he was 10 years old” (False) or “The family drove a Mercedes-Benz” (True). This practice reinforces reading for explicit details.
Intermediate
1. Identifying the Main Idea of a Section: Students divide the videointo different sections (e.g., the introduction, the dad’s car, the cologne joke). For each section, they write a one-sentence summary of the main point. This encourages them to move beyond a literal reading to grasp the overall message of each part.
2. Analyzing a Character’s Actions: Students read the part about the speaker’s father and write a short paragraph describing his actions and what they reveal about his character. They should use specific phrases from the text to support their description.
3. Explaining a Joke: Students read the joke about Middle Easterners not being good burglars. They then write a short paragraph explaining the humor behind the joke, using evidence from the text to support their explanation. This task helps learners understand humor and cultural references.
Advanced
1. Analyzing a Metaphor: Students read the final part of the monologue where the speaker says the Persian empire is “more like a duplex.” They must write a short analysis explaining the satirical meaning of this statement and how it serves as a metaphor for the state of the Persian people.
2. Examining Cultural Commentary: Students read the entire videoand write a short essay analyzing the speaker’s commentary on cultural assimilation and stereotypes. They should identify specific examples from the text, such as playing baseball or the jokes about cologne, to support their analysis of how the speaker uses humor to address these topics.
3. Summarizing and Critiquing an Argument: Students read the entire videoand write a comprehensive summary of the speaker’s main arguments and themes. They should also include a brief critique of his rhetorical style, discussing how his use of personal anecdotes, exaggeration, and direct address engages the audience and conveys his message.
Beginner
● Task 1: Simple Story Summary. Students read the videoand write 3-4 simple sentences summarizing the story of the speaker’s childhood. The focus should be on key details: where he came from, how old he was, and what he did to fit in.
● Task 2: Describing a Feeling. Students read the part about the speaker’s father picking him up from the playground. They write a short paragraph describing how the speaker must have felt in that moment, using simple adjectives like “embarrassed,” “ashamed,” or “happy.”
● Task 3: Filling in the Blanks. Students are given a short passage with key words missing (e.g., “The speaker moved to America when he was _______ years old. He tried to blend in by playing _______ and eating _______ _______.”). They must read the videoand write in the missing words to complete the sentences.
Intermediate
● Task 1: Explaining a Joke. Students read the section where the speaker jokes about Middle Easterners not being good burglars. They then write a paragraph explaining the humor behind this joke, using evidence from the text (e.g., the part about “pouring the whole bottle on ourselves”) to support their explanation.
● Task 2: Writing a Character Description. Students read the monologue and write a short character sketch of the speaker’s father. They should describe his personality and habits based on the details provided in the text (e.g., his love for Mercedes-Benz and cologne, his loud calls, his pride in being Persian).
● Task 3: Compare and Contrast. Students read the section about the speaker trying to blend in with his American friends. They write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the speaker’s desire to be “American” with his father’s overt “Persian” behavior.
Advanced
● Task 1: Writing a Satirical Piece. Students read the monologue and then write their own satirical paragraph about a cultural or social stereotype. They should use the speaker’s techniques, such as personal anecdotes and hyperbole, to make their point.
● Task 2: Analyzing a Metaphor. Students read the final part of the monologue where the speaker says the Persian empire is “more like a duplex.” They must write a short essay analyzing the satirical meaning of this statement. The essay should explain the deeper meaning of the comparison and how it serves as a metaphor for the state of the Persian people.
● Task 3: Critical Analysis Essay. Students read the entire videoand write an essay analyzing how the speaker uses his personal story to make a broader social commentary on immigration, identity, and the American experience. They should discuss themes such as assimilation, cultural pride, and stereotypes, using specific examples from the text.
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