Choose one topic and write on a sheet of paper. Try first without help; if you need it, click Show a plan. Use the vocabulary of the article and of the videos, and never copy the slurs: report them (“he insulted her”, “he used a racist slur”).
1Imagine you had been one of the passengers. What would you have done?
Length: 150–200 words, on a sheet of paper.
Set the scene: where you were sitting, what you saw and heard.
Your first reaction: what you felt (shock, anger, fear…).
What you would have done — and what you wouldn't have done, and why.
Conclude: what this experience would have taught you.
If I had been on that train, I would have…I wouldn't have dared to…I might have…I should have… / I could have…Looking back, I think that…
2You are John. Write the witness statement you gave to the police.
Length: 150–200 words, on a sheet of paper.
Who you are and where you were (date, train, carriage).
What you heard and saw, in chronological order.
What the man said and did (report his words without repeating the slurs).
What you did to help Anita Sethi.
At about … I was sitting…I heard a man shouting that…He told her to…She asked him to…I then approached her and…
3“Language matters and can be a weapon.” Do you agree?
Length: 200–250 words (B2), on a sheet of paper.
Introduction: explain the quotation and ask the question.
Words can hurt: invisible wounds, gaslighting, online hate speech (remember the three videos).
But: freedom of speech, the risk of censorship (Erin Marie Saltman).
Conclusion: your opinion, and what each of us can do (report, speak up, counterspeech).
It is often said that…First of all, … / Moreover, …On the other hand, …However, this does not mean that…All things considered, …