Jennifer TS#14

Date/Time: July 7, 7:30PM

Location: Phone

Topics: ESL Article

Abdulrahman and I discussed an ESL article that I sent him. http://www.english-online.at/news-articles/world/europe/turkey-votes-for-new-constitution.htm I like using current events because I know that he follows some of the world news and is interested in what is going on in politics. I sent him this article about Turkey voting on a new constitution. He knew many of the vocabulary words with the exception of some of the less common/politics specific ones such as referendum, coup, and state of emergency. It was interesting to hear what his opinion was regarding the EU’s hesitance to allow Turkey to join as well as what he thought about the referendum adding the death penalty.

We discussed the death penalty in the US and how it works now as well as how it has changed. We talked about some other coups in world history (specifically the middle east) and states of emergency that have been declared in the US and why, like hurricanes in Florida. It was an interesting discussion.

Vocabulary for Turkey Votes for a New Constitution

·       appoint = to choose someone for an official position

·       century = a hundred years

·       claim = to say that something is true

·       constitution = a set of laws which a country is organized by

·       coup = when a group of people suddenly tries to take control of a country

·       court = place where trials are held

·       critical = here: to see something as being dangerous or not very good

·       death penalty = when the state kills a person who has committed a crime

·       decade = ten years

·       declare = to say officially

·       dictatorship = country ruled by a person who has all the power

·       disregard = not respect

·       dissolve = make something go away

·       divided = split

·       especially = above all, more than usual

·       expand = make bigger

·       found- founded = to start something

·       gain = get

·       human rights = the basic rights that every person should have

·       in place = in effect, working

·       influence = power

·       insist = to say that something is true even if other people  do not think so

·       introduce = here: make a law

·       issue = topic

·       judge = a person who is in control of a court and decides how criminals should be punished

·       nationwide = across the whole country

·       opponent = a person who is against you

·       presidential = of the president

·       receive = get

·       reduce = lower

·       referendum = when people vote on a certain topic that is important

·       ruling = here: the party that is in power in parliament

·       similar to = like

·       state of emergency = time during which the government or the president has special powers and limits the freedom of the people

·       supervise = control , oversee

·       victory = to win against others

·       wide-ranging = here: very many, extensive