LISTENING 1

Brief History of the EU (4:17)

PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS

  1. Can you defi ne the concept of ‘regional integration’?
  2. Do you know when the idea of a European Community first appeared? What was the original framework of European cooperation?

VIEWING TASK

Watch the video and fill in the stages of EU development in the timeline below. Explain the aim and significance of each stage.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  1. What is the procedure of accession to the EU today? What candidates for membership, in your opinion, are most likely to join the union?
  2. What problems has EU enlargement brought about?

LISTENING 2

How the EU Works (5:29)

PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS

  1. Do you know why the EU is called a supranational organization?
  2. What benefits do EU citizens derive from ceding certain powers to the supranational bodies?

VIEWING TASK

Watch the video to fill in the chart with EU bodies and institutions and specify their functions.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you consider the institutional architecture of the union optimal? If not, what do you think needs changing?
  2. On the one hand, the EU has to be more flexible to accommodate all member-states, but, on the other hand, flexibility entails greater complexity, which hinders the decision-making process.
    Which, in your opinion, is of greater value to the EU structure, flexibility or simplicity?
  3. Do you think Europe balances national and collective interests effectively?

LISTENING 3

Natalie Tocci on European Strategic Autonomy

OUT-OF-CLASS-VIEWING

Watch the video to find out what strategic autonomy implies and what spheres it embraces.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Would you say Max Bergmann’s predictions about Europe becoming a stronger global player have come true?
  2. Does the EU speak with one voice on important issues of international politics? Are there any internal or external threats to its cohesion?
  3. What is your take on the EU’s ambition to enhance its defence capacity? What possibilities and challenges does this idea present?
  4. What has changed since the interview was recorded? Does European military, economic, technological independence appear more or less achievable now?

LISTENING 4

Can ASEAN Rise Like the EU?

PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS

  1. What do you know about the establishment and history of ASEAN?
  2. What countries does the organization currently comprise?

VIEWING TASK

Watch the video to fill in the gaps in the mind map and answer the question posed in the title.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you think ASEAN can and should integrate further not only economically but also politically?
  2. How do you think the superpower rivalry between China and the US may tell on the organization?
  3. Is there anything, in your opinion, the EU can learn from ASEAN?