Archive for March, 2013

What Should they Do?

Sunday, March 31st, 2013

I love to get international perspectives and teach English at the same time.  So, whoever is reading this, please “pipe up” in the comments section.  ”Pipe up” is a fun way of saying “just say something!”

Here is the basic situation.  There are about 12 000 gun related deaths EVERY YEAR in the USA.  The USA is a huge country, but that is A LOT of killing.  You shouldn’t feel scared to go to the US (I’ve been there many times and never seen a gun) but the point is, it’s still a big problem compared with other countries.

The US has a unique history regarding guns.  It’s a history that people from other countries can’t understand.  I can’t understand it.  It’s one big difference between Canada and the USA.   Most Canadians don’t feel it is their right to be able to carry a gun for self protection.  Many Americans do feel this way.  But…  I don’t want to get into a history lesson here.  I believe Canada has only about 150 gun deaths per year.  Canada has far fewer people, but still, the problem is MUCH more serious in the US.

This is an interesting problem for the USA.  If the government just said, “starting tomorrow, it will be 100% illegal to own a gun” there would still be a lot of gun violence.  Remember, people who want to shoot other people don’t really care about the law anyway.

So, I’d like to ask you guys, what do you think the government should do?  They could make it more difficult to buy guns.  They could make the really scary guns illegal (You know, the kind of gun that can kill 20 people in a minute).  They could make some type of education program so that kids learn the dangers of having guns.  (Not all gun deaths are on purpose.  There are many accidents)

No opinion is right or wrong here at the 232.  I just want to hear what you guys think.  What do people from your country think about American gun violence?  Is it possible to slowly change their culture?  I’d love to hear what you think!

Hope you are having a great holiday weekend!

 

Learning English Through Culture

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Here is an interesting bit of pop culture for you guys.

In case you didn’t know, the famous Hollywood actor Jim Carrey is a Canadian.  I’m sure you know that there are many gun deaths in the USA every year.  There are basically 2 sides to what people think (2 large groups of people).  Of course everyone wants children to be safe, but one group wants to keep gun laws how they currently are, and one group wants to make certain guns illegal.

The story is actually more complex to what both sides believe, but you get the main idea.

Well, anyway, Jim Carrey made a video to “mock” gun lovers in the USA.  To “mock” means to make fun of someone.  To laugh at them.  Jim Carrey is a comedian, his job is to make people laugh.  He is a big believer that guns should have more rules to prevent deaths, and that is what most Canadians think too.

The US media and Hollywood always tries to make other countries look bad.  Then they laugh at the other countries when they get angry.  For instance, Iran (at least the government in Iran) is upset about the movie Argo.  Many Americans think “Oh come on, it’s just a movie”.  Remember, I’m Canadian, I’m not American.  I don’t think this way.  I didn’t see the movie and I’m not sure how Iranian people feel about it.  I don’t have a strong opinion because I don’t know of this situation well.  I do know, that many Americans think Iran, or any country, should not be upset by any Hollywood movie.

But here is the hilarious part.  Many Americans are SUPER ANGRY that a Canadian made a little video about why some of the gun lovers in the US might be both stupid men, and have very small “man parts”.  It’s just a joke, but it’s funny how upset SOME Americans can be when the same people think other countries shouldn’t be upset when they do it.  I’d love to hear your opinion.

Here is the little Jim Carrey song that is going “viral” (Getting super popular fast)

Cold Dead Hand with Jim Carrey from Jim Carrey      

 

China232 – Learn English on Stitcher

Sunday, March 24th, 2013

We just made a new free podcast here.  NEW FREE CHINA232 PODCAST

The podcast is actually about Stitcher Radio.  I think you’ll like it!

This free app from Stitcher is the best way to listen to free mp3 English podcasts.

You can use the free Stitcher radio app on your ipad, iphone, Android phone, Android tablet, or Blackberry.  It’s really clean and easy to use.  Just download the free App here and enjoy the 232 lessons wherever you want in a super convenient and comfortable way.

Please watch the video below for more details.  If you can’t see Youtube in your country, Here is the link to China232 on Stitcher!

China232 on Stitcher Radio

Friday, March 22nd, 2013

Hey guys,

For anyone who doesn’t already know, China232 is now on the Stitcher podcast app.  The free Stitcher radio podcast app is the best and most popular app to organize all the world’s best free podcasts.  You can listen to all the free china232.com podcasts there.

Just download the free App and search on the App for “Fun English Lessons”.  It’s an awesome App and it’s what I use to listen to podcasts on my Iphone and my Ipad.  It’s what Add uses for his Samsung android phone.

Here is the direct link to our show on Stitcher:  China232 Podcast on Stitcher

China232.com Fun English Lesson on Stitcher

China232 now on Stitcher Radio for ipad, iphone, ipod touch, android, blackberry.

I hope you guys love this!  I’ll be making awesome videos soon.   If you have any problems with downloading this or figuring it out, let me know and I’ll help you out!  Thanks!

Learning English Online – Andy Responding to REAL blog comments

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Here’s the video I made last night. It’s the one I promised to put up for the Facebook fans. I’m still playing around with the camera and the whole idea of making videos. I’m still experimenting and having fun. Let me know what you think in the comments. In this video, I actually respond to some of your comments from the previous blog. Good idea? Love to hear your thoughts boys and girls! Enjoy!