Russell Peters on Arabs and the Media

Beginner

1. Listening for Gist.

• Task: Students listen to the first minute of the recording. Afterward, they choose the correct main topic from a list of options: a) a comedian talking about his job, b) a person talking about Arabs and the media, or c) a person describing his family. This helps learners grasp the overall theme.

2. Listening for Key Words.

• Task: Students are given a list of 5-7 simple, high-frequency words from the video(e.g., “Arabs,” “news,” “media,” “stereotype,” “war,” “Iraq”). They listen and check off the words they hear. This task helps them identify and recognize crucial vocabulary in a spoken context.

3. Simple True/False Statements.

• Task: Students listen to a short section and then are presented with simple true/false statements based on the content. For example, “The comedian says he does many jokes about Arabs” (False) or “The comedian blames the media for perpetuating stereotypes” (True). This task helps beginners practice listening for specific, explicit information.

Intermediate

1. Listening for Specific Details.

• Task: Students listen to the section about the American media’s portrayal of different groups. They must answer questions about the specific examples given, such as “What image does the media show after an Asian person?” (a car accident) and “What two things does the comedian say normal Arab people do?” (go to work, have coffee, or see family).

2. Identifying Cause and Effect.

• Task: Students listen to the section about the U.S. and Iraq. They must identify the reason the speaker gives for why the U.S. couldn’t defeat Iraq (they couldn’t intimidate them). This helps students understand how ideas are linked in a narrative.

3. Listening for Tone and Emotion.

• Task: Students listen to different parts of the monologue and describe the speaker’s tone. For example, is he serious or sarcastic when he says, “I don’t want to die”? They should be able to identify emotional cues and explain what words or phrases convey them.

Advanced

1. Analyzing Argument Structure.

• Task: Students listen to the monologue and analyze the structure of the speaker’s argument. They should identify his main points (e.g., the media’s role in creating stereotypes, the nature of intimidation) 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.
• Task: Students listen to the speaker’s humorous statements, such as calling his audience “united” when they shout out different countries or impersonating an American laughing at an Arab joke. They must explain the irony and subtext behind these remarks. This tests the ability to understand implied meaning and sophisticated humor.

3. Comprehensive Note-Taking and Summarizing.

Task: 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

• Task 1: Vocabulary Matching. Students read a list of simple words from the videoand match each to a provided definition or simple synonym. Words could include: Arabs, news, media, stereotype, war, joke. This task helps build a foundational vocabulary.
• Task 2: Basic Comprehension Questions. Students read a short section of the videoand answer simple “wh-” questions to find explicit information. For example: “What does the comedian blame for perpetuating stereotypes?” or “What country did the US want to attack?” This focuses on literal comprehension and detail extraction.
• Task 3: Simple True/False Statements. Students read a series of statements based on the videoand decide if each is true or false. For instance, “The comedian says he does many jokes about Arabs” (False) or “The comedian says the news shows many wars with Arab countries” (True). This practice reinforces reading for explicit details.

Intermediate

• Task 1: Identifying the Main Idea of a Section. Students read the videoand divide it into different sections based on the topics discussed (e.g., the opening, the media, the U.S. and Iraq). For each section, they write a one-sentence summary of the main idea or argument. This encourages them to move beyond a literal reading to grasp the overall message of each part.
• Task 2: Explaining a Joke. Students read the section where the speaker jokes about the US warning Iraq. They then write a short paragraph explaining the humor behind the joke and the contrast in the two sides’ attitudes. This task helps learners understand humor and its function in a text.
• Task 3: Analyzing Cause and Effect. Students read the section about the media and stereotypes. They then write a short paragraph explaining the cause-and-effect relationship the comedian describes. For example, “What is the cause and what is the effect of the media showing an image of an Arab person right before an explosion?”

Advanced

• Task 1: Analyzing Rhetorical Devices. Students identify and analyze specific rhetorical devices used in the video , such as satire, hyperbole, and direct address to the audience. They then write a short essay explaining how these devices are used to create humor and deliver the speaker’s commentary. For instance, they can analyze the use of hyperbole in the statement, “I’ll kick the [expletive] out of myself.”
• Task 2: Examining Cultural and Social Commentary. Students read the entire videoand write a short essay (2-3 paragraphs) analyzing the speaker’s commentary on media stereotypes and national identity. They should use direct quotes from the text to support their analysis of how the speaker uses humor to address these topics.
• Task 3: Summarizing and Critiquing an Argument. Students read the entire videoand write an essay that summarizes the speaker’s overall argument about Arabs and the media. They should also include a brief critique of his argument, discussing how his use of humor and narrative strengthens his message or, potentially, falls short. This task requires a high level of analytical and critical reading skills.

Beginner

1. Fill in the Blanks: Students read a short passage from the videowith key words missing (e.g., “The comedian thinks the media perpetuates stereotypes about people. They show an Arab guy and an explosion.”). They must read the videoand write in the missing words. This task helps learners practice spelling and writing specific words in a meaningful context.
2. Simple Sentence Writing: Students read the videoand write two simple sentences. The first sentence should state a fact about the comedian’s opinion on Arab jokes (e.g., “The comedian does not do Arab jokes.”). The second should state a fact about the media’s behavior (e.g., “The news shows violence with Arab countries.”). This task reinforces basic sentence structure and fact retrieval.
3. Describing a Feeling in a Simple Scenario: Students read the part where the comedian talks about the United States warning Iraq. They write a short paragraph describing how the Iraqi people might feel, using simple words like brave, not scared, or strong. The focus is on translating a general feeling from the text into written words.

Intermediate

1. Explaining a Joke in Writing: Students read the section where the comedian jokes about why he doesn’t do Arab jokes. They then write a paragraph explaining the humor behind this joke, including his reason (“I don’t want to die”) and the implied social tension he describes. This task requires students to understand an implied meaning and explain it clearly.
2. Writing a Character Sketch: Students read the monologue and write a short character sketch of the Iraqi leader based on the comedian’s portrayal. They should describe his personality and attitude, using specific words or phrases from the text, such as unafraid, unintimidated, or “no problem.”
3. Argumentative Paragraph: Students write a paragraph arguing for or against the comedian’s claim that the media perpetuates stereotypes by showing two images together. They must use at least one specific example from the videoto support their point. This task encourages students to formulate a clear position and support it with evidence from a text.

Advanced

1. Analytical Essay: Students read the entire videoand write an essay analyzing the comedian’s use of satire to comment on media and stereotypes. They should discuss how the comedian’s exaggerated examples and humorous tone are a form of social critique. This task requires a high level of analytical and critical writing skills.
2. Creative Writing: A Continuation: Students write a new section for the monologue, adding at least one more example of how the media perpetuates stereotypes about a different cultural group. They should mimic the speaker’s style, including the use of humor, exaggeration, and the cause-and-effect narrative.
3. Formal Essay: Students read the entire videoand write a formal essay that compares the comedian’s perspective on stereotypes to a more academic, sociological perspective. They should discuss how the comedian’s claims about the media align with or differ from concepts like media framing or cultural bias. This task requires a synthesis of a casual text with academic knowledge.