Nelson Mandela

De la prison de Robben Island à la présidence de l'Afrique du Sud : la vie de Nelson Mandela, du niveau A2 au B1. Commencez par une unité d'écoute ou une vidéo, puis écoutez sa biographie en 5 parties (version facile ou difficile).

Ensuite, à vous de choisir : des quiz, un travail de grammaire (had to, voix passive), du vocabulaire (phrases à remettre dans l'ordre, traduction, mots croisés)… et pour finir, la chanson Asimbonanga, avec Mandela lui-même sur scène.

Nelson Mandela: his life (A2/B1)

A complete listening unit about the man who defeated apartheid.

• Start the activity 27 years in prison, then president: listen to Mandela's story, answer, learn the words and test yourself out of 20.

Nelson Mandela: the video (B1)

Three minutes to understand how a prisoner became a world icon.

• Watch and answer Sharpeville, Wembley, the Nobel Peace Prize: watch part by part, match the dates and spot the false facts.
• Vocabulary list Apartheid, to overthrow, to forgive... 43 words to talk about Mandela's fight. Test yourself and hear each word!
• Summary: drag the key words Apartheid, Robben Island, de Klerk... put the key words back into the story of his life.

From prisoner to president: video unit (B1)

Five minutes, one extraordinary life: from a village school to the Nobel Peace Prize.

• Start the activity Expelled from university, sentenced to life, elected president: watch, answer, learn the words, complete the script and test yourself out of 20.

Biography — listening & gap-fill

The same text in 5 parts: an easy version (drag the words) or a harder one (write them).

• Easy: drag the words Listen to his life in five parts and drag the missing words into the text.
• Harder: write the words Same story, no help this time: listen carefully and spell every word.

Comprehension quizzes

• Quiz — his life and career Born in 1918, 27 years in prison, president in 1994: tick all the right answers.
• Reading, grammar and vocabulary Fought or fight? Few or many? Ten sentences about his story: find the right word.
• Test your knowledge Mandela, de Klerk, Zuma or Johnny Clegg? Who did what, and when?

Grammar focus

• HAD TO: life on Robben Island Sleep on the floor, break stones, wait six months for a visitor: translate eight sentences with had to.
• The passive voice: write the verbs Spoken, elected, arrested, won... put eleven verbs about his life in the passive.
• The passive voice: who did it? Arrested by the police, elected by the people: match each passive sentence with its agent.

Vocabulary & practice

• Put the words in order Fourteen sentences that tell his story, from the ANC to the Rugby World Cup.
• Assisted translation Nine French sentences about his life: complete their English translation, some words are already there.
• Listen and find the missing words Ten sentences to listen to: drag the missing words back into his story.
• Crossword (short version) 19 words from his story: read the French clue and write the English word.
• Crossword (long version) 43 words this time: arrested, freedom, mourning... can you fill the whole grid?
• The dates you will need to remember

Going further

• Asimbonanga: the song for Mandela Johnny Clegg sings the song he wrote for Mandela... and Mandela joins him on stage! Listen and complete the words.