Class 11 English Unit 9: Inauguration Speech by Nelson Mandela

 

Unit 9: Inauguration Speech by Nelson Mandela

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJiXu4q__VU  

Reflection of the text

On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) was sworn in as the first black president of the Republic of South Africa. Mandela's inauguration was a momentous occasion for millions of black South Africans. Their rights had been systematically denied under colonialism, white minority rule, and—since 1948—by the increasingly oppressive apartheid regime. Apartheid was a formal system of racial segregation, enforcing the power of the white minority.

While black South Africans were the majority of the population, under apartheid, they could not vote, own their businesses, or live or work where they chose. They were required to carry identification cards at all times. As a result of these policies, more than 40 percent of black South Africans lived in poverty during apartheid. Nelson Mandela was a key leader of the anti-apartheid movement. He was an important figure in the African National Congress (ANC), a group that worked to preserve and improve the rights of black South Africans.

Despite the ANC's efforts, the apartheid regime continued to pass increasingly oppressive measures, eventually banning the ANC. Mandela and others formed Umkhonto we Sizwe, a group that was willing to use violence to fight against apartheid. This was a change from the approach of the ANC, which had sought for decades to resist apartheid using negotiation and protest, but not through violence. Faced with increasing repression and violence on the part of the apartheid regime, Mandela concluded that violent methods were necessary and morally justified. In 1963, Mandela was put on trial for sabotage, treason, and conspiracy to overthrow the government. 

Instead of giving testimony, Mandela delivered a four-hour speech in which he denounced the tyranny of apartheid. Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, but many remembered the content of his speech. Following worldwide media coverage of the trial, Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement eventually became causes championed around the world. Beginning in the 1980s, the United States, Great Britain, and other Western nations imposed economic sanctions and isolated South Africa politically.

In some instances, South African athletes were banned from international competitions, such as the Olympics or soccer's World Cup. While Mandela served 27 years of his life sentence, South Africa increasingly felt the impact of the world's censure. By the late 1980s, South Africa's president F.W. de Klerk (b. 1936) began dismantling apartheid. In 1990, he released Mandela from prison.

Beginning in 1991, the two men worked together to formally end apartheid with the repeal of much of the legislation that denied black South Africans their rights. In 1994, South Africans of all races voted in a presidential election for the first time in more than 50 years. Some 20 million voters cast their votes, electing Nelson Mandela as South Africa's new president. Mandela won 62 percent of the vote, while de Klerk won 28 percent.

Ways with Words (page 83)

A.   Find the words in the text that mean the same as the following. The first letters are given.

a.      the system that completely separated black people from white people (apartheid)

b.     formal objection (protest)

c.      an ethnical group of people (tribe)

d.     an act undertaken to achieve a set goal (campaign)

e.      the formal beginning of any movement (inauguration)

f.       a strong feeling of excitement and happiness (exhilaration)

g.     being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions (emancipation)

B.    Find these words in a dictionary and write their meanings as they are used in the text.

a.      Liberty: the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behaviour, or political views.

b.     Conflict: a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.

c.      Ideology: a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

d.     Oppression: prolonged, cruel, or unjust treatment or exercise of authority.

e.      Privilege: a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.

f.       Dignity: the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect.

g.     Surrender: stop resisting an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.

h.     Reconciliation: the restoration of friendly relations.

C.    The ‘d’ or ‘ed’ in the following verbs have different pronunciation. Put these verbs in the correct box.

asked, killed, missed, ended, decided, washed, visited, lasted, watched, picked, smiled, fixed, walked, blessed, brushed, stopped, wanted, reached, laughed, enjoyed

/t/	/d/	/id/
asked, missed, washed, watched, picked, fixed, walked, blessed (v), brushed, stopped, reached, laughed, blessed (adj),	killed, smiled, enjoyed,	ended, decided, visited, lasted, wanted,

 Pronunciation of ‘-ed’ Suffix

a.       If the final sound of the root is /p, k, θ, ƒ, s, ʃ, ʧ / + ed, it is pronounced as /t/ as shown below:

drop + ed = dropped /drɔ:pt/     book + ed = booked /bʊkt/

bath + ed = bathed / ba:θt/                  pass + ed = passed /pa:st/

laugh + ed = laughed /la:ƒt/                march + ed = marched /ma:ʧt/

push + ed = pushed /pʊʃt/

b.       If the final sound of the root is /t/ or /d/, the suffix ‘ed’ is pronounced as /id/ as shown below:

paint + ed = painted /peintid/    land + ed = landed /lᴂndid/

want + ed = wanted /wɒntid/    hand + ed = handed /hᴂndid/

c.        If the final sound of the root is /b, ɡ, ð, l, v, ʤ, z, m, n, ŋ / and  vowels, the suffix ‘ed’ is pronounced as /d/ as shown below:

beg + ed =  begged /beɡd/                   hurry + ed = hurried /hʌrid/

call + ed = called /kɔ:ld/            jam + ed = jammed /ja:md/

love + ed = loved /lʌvd/            hang + ed = hanged /hᴂŋd/

obey + ed = obeyed /ɒbeid/       show + ed = showed /ʃəʊd/

 

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv7cBMCBUdk&t=47s

D.   Put these nouns into the correct box according to the pronunciation of the plural suffix: s/es.

[cats, dogs, horses, houses, books, roofs, boys, rooms, girls, noises, shops, trees, pages, babies, benches, classes]

/ s/	/ z/	/ iz/
cats, books, roofs, shops	dogs, boys, rooms, girls, trees,	horses, houses, noises, pages, babies, benches, classes

Pronunciation of ‘s’ or ‘es’ Suffixes

The plural of nouns, the third person, singular present of verbs, and the possessive marker ‘s’ are pronounced as below:

a.        The suffix ‘s’ is pronounced /s/ when it occurs after /k, t, p, θ, ƒ/ like sown below:

cat + s = cats /kᴂts/                      cap + s = caps /kᴂps/

book + s = books /bʊks/               laugh +s = laughs /la:ƒs/

cat + ’s = cat’s /kᴂts/                    cloth + s = cloths /klɒθs/

b.       The suffix ‘s’ is pronounced /iz/ when it occurs after /z, ʃ, s, ʒ,ʧ,ʤ / as shown below:

bus + es = buses /bʌsiz/                           push + es = pushes /puʃiz/

match + es = matches /mᴂʧiz/                 judge + s = judges /ʤʌʤiz/

garage + s = garages /ɡᴂra:ʒiʒ/               rose + s = roses /rəʊziz/

c.        The suffix ‘s’ is pronounced /z/ when it occurs after /b, d, ɡ, ŋ, ð, l, v, m, n, and vowels (20 + 9) / as shown below:

rub + s = rubs /rʌbz/                              leg + s = legs /leɡz/

bed + s = beds /bedz/                              sing + s = sings /siŋz/

love + s = loves /lʌvz/                             call + s = calls /kɔ:lz/

day + s = days /deiz/                               teacher + s = teachers /ti:ʧəz/      India + s = India’s /indiəz/                    name + s = names /neimz/

pen + s = pens /penz/                              bathe + s = bathes /beiθz/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAGtfIjhP1k&t=28s Comprehension

Answer the questions.

a.      What were the restrictions imposed on the Blacks in South Africa?

The restrictions imposed on Blacks in South Africa were Racial segregation, and political and economic discrimination.

b.     Why was Mandela arrested?

Mandela was arrested because he was charged with organizing an armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).

c.      How did he describe racism and racial oppression?

He described racism and racial oppression as evil ideology and practice.

d.     Why did he thank all the international guests?

He thanked all the international guests for coming to take possession about peace and justice with the people of his country.

e.      Why did he think that people in his country had achieved political emancipation?

He thought that people in his country had achieved political emancipation to liberate themselves from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination.

f.       What is the main point of Mandela’s speech?

The main point of Mandela’s speech is that people of South Africa should build a society where there will be justice, peace, and equality for all people.

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