1. Warm up activity:
□ You can find the meaning of 'Diaspora* in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary which provides the following definitions of the word:
a. the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland
b. people settled far from their ancestral homelands
c. the place where these people live
□ Can you think of the word in relation to people you know in Bangladesh who have settled abroad? Which parts of the world do Bangladeshis tend to settle in nowadays? Discuss with your friends whether it is possible to call such settlements the result of Bangladeshi diasporas of our time.
2. Read the passage and then carry out the activities that follow:
The term 'diaspora' is used to refer to people who have left their homelands and settled in other parts of the world, either because they were forced to do so or because they wanted to leave on their own. The word is increasingly used for such people as a collective group and/or a community. The world has seen many diasporas but scholars have been studying the phenomenon with great interest only 5 in recent decades.
Among the great diasporas of history is that of the Jewish people, who were forced to leave their lands in ancient times. The movement of Aryans from Central Europe to the Indian sub-continent thousands of years ago is also a noteworthy diaspora, although the causes of this diaspora are unclear. In twentieth century history, the 10 Palestinian diaspora has attracted a lot of attention and been a cause of concern for world leaders because of the plight of Palestinians. There have been massive diasporas in Africa, too, over the centuries, either because of war or because of the ravages of nature. But the chief reason why the phenomenon of diaspora is attracting so much attention now is globalization. 15
3. Guess the meanings of the words in Column A from the context and match them with the meanings given in Column B:
Column A
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Column B
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a. settled
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i. occurrence
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b. community
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ii. significant
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c. noteworthy
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iii. moved to
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d. ravages
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iv. negative effects
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e. phenomenon
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v. group of people
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4. Answer the following questions:
a. Are all diasporas voluntary?
b. If all diasporas are not voluntary, why would a group of people want to leave their country?
c. When has the study of diasporas started to attract scholars?
d. What are some of the major diasporas of the past?
e. What has globalization to do with diasporas?
5. Put the following words/phrases in a chronological order:
a. over the centuries
b. twentieth century
c. recent decades
d. now
e. ancient times
f. thousands of years ago
□ Now make six sentences with each of these words/phrases.
□ Can you think of some other words/phrases that are used in English writing to mark time?
6. Write a paragraph of about 150 words on people you know or have read about who have moved from Bangladesh to other parts of the world in recent years.
7. Answer the following questions in one word:
a. What would be the noun form for someone who has settled in a new world?
b. What is the plural form phenomenon'?
c. What part of speech is 'massive" in the phrase 'massive diasporas'?
d. Can you think of some other words that can substitute for 'although' in line 8 of the passage?
e. What is the simple present form of 'is attracting'?
8. Follow up activity: Group Presentation
In groups, discuss some of the connections between globalization and diasporas. On the basis of the discussion, give group presentations on recent diasporas and their link to global economic activity.
If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
Lesson 2: 'Banglatown' in East London
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